• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

where did my cat go?

T

tipc

Banned
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Messages
2,760
Location
Principality of Xeon W-2140B the Great State of Ce
Ugi went missing for 33 consecutive days last summer. He goes everywhere with me. When I go to the library and my storage facility, I let him out of the van (but nowhere else). Never had any reason to suspect he would disappear (again, last Wednesday). If I spent time at the library, I'd leave a window open and check on him every hour. Now he did keep me there one scalding hot summer day last year until 11:00 at least, but it seemed he was nowhere to be found from the beginning of whatever I was doing there. There are foxes in the general area (Howell, NJ, fairly rural), but nothing larger. I am told that foxes sometimes kill cats, but at a former job I fed loads of cats and have no reason to believe the foxes in the area ever killed a full grown cat (kittens yes). At the job there were silver foxes, here I saw a red fox last week. There are some curious clean bones near where I saw the fox, I think I'll have to pick them up later and determine what they belonged to. To torture myself.

I know the usual reasons cats disappear, trapped, scared (even up a tree), wandered off, predators, cars, etc. Wondering if anyone else could suggest _what_may_have_happened_.

I've been a vegetarian for years, and besides a blood thirsty predator (nasty dog, bear, etc.), I never imagined feeling I could kill an animal. If I do find pieces of his fur near (or in?) that foxes hole, boy I tell you ...
 
In my experience, fox generally do not bring their prey home unless they have young kits to feed. I had a vixen with two kits hunting on my property last summer, and I found all manner of bird and rabbit parts they left behind (heads, legs, spines, etc.). Even a mostly-scooped-out box turtle shell. Remains that the fox considers still worth eating will generally be buried "for later". I once found a rabbit "buried" in my crushed stone driveway (it wasn't frozen solid like the ground at the time). I tossed it in the hay field next door. That damn fox came back a week later and dug a hole in my driveway looking for his rabbit!

I hope you get your cat back. If you do, maybe you need to come up with a scheme to prevent this from happening again.
 
Where are you located? Out here in the Northwest US, we have cougar, bear and coyotes (and lately, wolves). Any will take a cat.

Sometimes a cat will just wander off when it's very ill. Really, they're still wild animals when you get down to it.

I hope your cat returns.
 
New Jersey has populations of Eastern Coyotes. I have seen them walking around here in the suburbs. They will attack domestic pets for food.
 
Cars are probably an outdoor cat's worst predator. Also don't rule out a plain old domestic dog; I've known at least two well-loved and otherwise reasonably well-behaved household pets that have murdered cats.

(Feral or even just "loose" dogs have turned out to be the real culprit in quite a few cases of domestic animals being slaughtered by "wild animals". For instance, the Thylacine in Tasmania was hunted to extinction because of its reputation as a sheep killer, but research has determined that for every sheep killed by a Tasmanian Tiger anywhere between five and twenty were killed by feral dogs.)
 
Like others have said said, Coyotes are a common threat. I had two cats and one disappeared. He was unusually wise to wild animal threats and was probably the last cat that would get caugh away from cover. I assume he made a mistake and a Coyote go him. That is a valiant way for a cat to die, so not the worst to my thinking. However, living in the country I've several times seen city folk try to take one of our animals. They don't understand that a cat or dog which is more that three feet from home is not lost, lonely, hungry, or in need of care. Their animal loving side completely looses perspective and they become animal enemies. I hope that's not what happened to my cat. He'd be seriously tortured if he had to be forced comply with rules or spend much time inside.
 
I have on a couple of occasions seen foxes get their asses handed to them by grown cats so I doubt a fox is the culprit. It's far more likely that it's been killed in traffic. If it is dead that is. Sometimes cats just move. If you have a neighbour that feeds it then it's a possibility.

I hope Ugi comes back to you. I've personally lost two cats this way (disappearing without a trace) so I can understand your worry.
 
Sorry for the situation. How old is your cat? Chuck's right that animals if they can will leave out of respect if ill or dying, but that's more of an age thing. Is he neutered? If not he'd be more likely to wander a larger territory or get distracted by any females he comes across. Worst case scenario you could put a few posters around or hang out there once and a while and call for him if he's good enough to come to his name. I suppose you could check local pounds too or call around if anyone picked him up.
 
Sorry to hear your cat is giving you a hard time. Can't have any suggestions as I'm not a cat person, but I understand you must be upset. The other day my dog - still a puppy really, 6mo old even though he's over 50lbs, large breed - ran in the forest on one of the rare occasions I took him out without a leash, and made me run over two hills trying to catch him. Must have heard some wild life, which we have plenty of (southern CT). Eventually he outran me and I couldn't see or hear him anymore, so I returned home. He showed up about 20 minures later all dirty and panting, but happy. Man was I relieved. I gotta install one of those invisible fences though.
 
I skimmed over most of the replies here and I have to admit, as a dog person, I don't understand this. I've had my Husky/GSD since 8 weeks, and I honestly believe that dog would never leave my side. I go into the mountains with her often, off leash.

However as an animal lover, I can sympathize. I can only recommend getting a PROPER pet next time. I mean if I HAD to get a cat, I'd probably get one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serval
 
luckybob said:
I skimmed over most of the replies here and I have to admit, as a dog person, I don't understand this. I've had my Husky/GSD since 8 weeks, and I honestly believe that dog would never leave my side. I go into the mountains with her often, off leash.

However as an animal lover, I can sympathize. I can only recommend getting a PROPER pet next time. I mean if I HAD to get a cat, I'd probably get one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serval
Click to expand...

The difference is that you don't own a cat. They won't accept any kind of subordinate position and I think they make better friends because of that. :)

I know what you mean about dogs sticking to you though. My friend who lives about 5 miles up the mountains from me (really rough territory around here) has a problem with his dog running through the woods and coming to town and finding his truck and then waiting in the back until he shows up. Of course, around here we mostly leave our cats and dogs outside. It's better for them.

As for "proper cats" we've got some around here too. The problem is that they eat dogs - any size.
 
I'm with luckybob here, I've never been a cat person, but have observed cats won't usually take a subordinate position *Ole Juul* I have however seen dogs that take this stance as well, so it depends on the personality of the animal in question. Dogs will never leave your side, I've a dachshund that acts like I've been gone all week, when I've been gone just for 5 hours to work. The family cat just glances up at me like "Oh good, your home, I can go to sleep again".

To the OP. I do hope your cat returns, being an owner of a faithful companion, I wouldn't wish ill on your cat. If he returns, awesome, and I hope that to be the case. But as I tell people when I talk about my dog. If he's gonna go, it's either gonna be in battle, or on his own terms, or whatever the fates decide *which hopefully does not entail being part of the food chain*


@Ole Juul
I've seen dogs hand a cougars ass to it, mind you, that it was a small group of large dogs. One on one, the cougars usually either wins, or just goes the other way.
Regardless of whatever the outcome,


To the OP: I hope you at least find out what becomes of your companion.
 
Last edited:
My heart goes out to you. I have lost three cats now, two to cars and one to cancer. The two that now make their home in our house are 16 years old, and need more pills than I do @ 60.DSC_0181.jpg
 
Sorry to hear about your missing cat. Hopefully he will find his way home. I've had cats go missing for a few days and then they finally made it back home.

While I've had dogs, I still prefer cats. My favorite cat was Clarence who took a personal interest in my computer work on a 386 machine:

CEQDCAT.jpg
EQDCAT1.jpg

Bill
 
Hope your furry friend come back.
I live in the city and once lost my cat for 8 days in medium-dense urban area. I had lost all hopes but she eventually came back and mowled at the door in the middle of the night.
I let her in and she just walked in as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
 
Krille said:
Sometimes cats just move. If you have a neighbour that feeds it then it's a possibility.
Click to expand...

I was reminded of this thread today as our local newspaper wrote about a cat that had been found after being missing for 7 years. The cat was in very good condition and it's clear that it has been fed and taken care of.

Link for the masochists among you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top