Just moved house, my cat got out

[Deleted User] · 09/12/12 - 21:39

We moved house last Monday and have been keeping our outdoor cats inside until they've settled in. One of them is quite crafty and taught himself how to open the living room door, and apparently he's been creeping out at night and teaching himself how to get the door to the stairs (we're in an upper cottage) too. So last night my mum was putting the dog out, and while she was out the cat crept into the hall and down the stairs, waiting for his moment. As soon as she opened the door he was gone, straight across the road and disappeared into the gardens.

He didn't pause to sniff around or anything and he really hasn't had a chance to sniff anywhere but the living room and the hall, so I'm really worried that he won't be able to find his way home. He's usually back and snuggled up inside by now but we've been watching out for him all day and nothing. It's possible he's just avoiding us for now in a sulk or in case we shut him up again but I can't help but fear the worst. He's been my pet for nearly 15 years, I've basically grown up with him and I love him so much.

If anyone has any stories where this happened and it didn't turn out horribly, that'd be nice. I accept there may be more with sad endings. Advice is good too. I've already put posters through a lot of my neighbours' doors and I'm going to put some on lamp posts near the shops tomorrow, plus I'm going to phone all the local rescue centres. He's not microchipped - I know he really should be, I assumed my parents had done that when he was a kitten but they never did.

[Deleted User] · 09/12/12 - 22:08

You should let your old neighbours know just in case he is trying to get back "home". Thoughts are with you. My vet advised us to empty the fluff and dust from the hoover around the garden, the scent helps direct them home. Good luck. x

Pippa 2 · 09/12/12 - 22:44

I shall be praying he comes home and will check this thread for updates. It's not your fault so don't blame yourself ok? Good luck and try not to worry tho I know that's easy to say when it's not your cat.:)

[Deleted User] · 09/12/12 - 23:21

I'm so sorry, hope he comes back. If I were you I would just keep calling him, really loud like crazy, assuming that you haven't already. (Sod the neighbours).

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 03:17

This happened to us. We moved house and our eldest cat Noodle (14) got out and vanished. We left posters, called neighbours etc. All the usual things. We also left hoover fluff around in the hope he would catch a whiff of home but it didn't work. A few months on and we moved on and accepted that we might never see him again. 7 months after he went missing, I looked on the local council 'found pets' website and saw his face looking back at me. We got him back 2 weeks after that. He was living in the car park of a McDonalds not far from us. He must have been in an accident at some point as he had a broken but rehealed hip. One of his back legs is a bit wasted and he hobbles a bit but other than that, he is fine. That was a couple of years ago and he has not vanished again since. Oh, Noodle was microchipped - got scanned twice but it turned out to be faulty so they could not track us down.

Don't give up hope. Your mog is out there somewhere.

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 14:21

Thanks guys. Still no sign of him. We put food out last night and I was up half the night listening, but only saw the neighbours' cats. I've been walking around calling for him, and calling out of my window, but no sign of him anywhere. I'm going to scatter the hoover bag out the front and back this afternoon, and maybe stash his cat bed in the garden somewhere because maybe he'll smell that... I'm also going to see if the local shops and takeaways and such will put the poster up tonight, as well as the local vet, and I'll maybe try flyering people at the local big asda. I'm not sure if it's too soon to start ringing round cat rescue places but I'm probably going to do that this evening as well, so at least they'll have his description and can get ahold of me if someone does bring him in.

Just on the offchance, if any FM anywhere in the vicinity of Hamden park e.g. King's park, toryglen, mount florida, croftfoot (I've no idea how far he'd go) sees him please please please PM me. This is him, he's missing the tops of his ears now though (cancer) so he's very distinctive.

Here are another two pictures of him.
1 and 2.

Pippa 2 · 10/12/12 - 15:05

Still thinking of you and praying. Thanks for the update.:)

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 17:15

Bonny thing. Hope he turns up soon.

husted · 10/12/12 - 17:35

Have you moved from nearby? Would he try to get back there?

Does he have a collar? Is it the old address on the collar?

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 18:01

We've moved eight miles away otherwise the first place he'd go would be through the cat flap at the old house. He won't keep a collar. I've just been to the local vets and they've put the poster up, a woman in there with her dog took a couple more to put up in her local shops and my local shops let me put posters up in there window just there too. Everyone's been very nice but I just want to see Pirate. The vet gave me a load of numbers for local shelters and other vets to phone, and also said I might want to think about phoning the council because if he's been run over or anything then. We'll, it's not a nice thought.

One of my neighbours texted this afternoon to say that they'd been seeing him in their garden "every night" and he even came inside "recently" but since tonight is only the third night he's been gone, I think they're mistaking one of the other local cats for him. I sent a text double checking that it was him with his half ears, but no response yet.

cobwebsoup · 10/12/12 - 18:13

Hope you find him, what a traumatic thing to happen. We've been through it when our cat escaped at the vets in the middle of town. He was used to a quite life in a small village and then he was suddenly lost in a busy town centre. He was fine though, two weeks later he turned up just three houses down from where he'd escaped and we got him home. Don't give up hope, cats generally stay in the area if they get lost. Really hope he comes home

husted · 10/12/12 - 18:48

Yes, this guy calculated the average distance outdoor-access cats travelled from home. It was only 47 meters (155 ft)!

http://lostpetresearch.com/2011/01/how-far-do-cats-travel/

I think I know the area, its very densely populated (tenements), so difficult to ring every bell. But might be worth putting a poster on every lampost (illegal, but you should get away with it for a few days).

He's a strikingly handsome chap- with so many people around someone will help him. I'm sure he's fine and you'll get him back.:)

gertrude hubble · 10/12/12 - 19:30

Really hope you find him soon. He is a lovely looking boy.I know how upset I'd be if either of mine went missing. Keep leafleting and calling out for him and don't give up x

Susan_A1951 · 10/12/12 - 20:34

I recently read of a stolen dog that was found after the owner started a Facebook campaign.
Might it be worth doing a search for any local groups on social networking sites? You could post the pics there and perhaps link back to your own "Find Pirate" page.

I am so sorry that he has disappeared, but as said above, it is quite possible he is quite near - although possibly a couple of roads down from you.

Good luck.

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 20:35

Sounds like you are doing everything you possibly can goonst, hope he comes home soon. xxx

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 22:07

Thanks again for the support and stories, guys.

Got another text from that neighbour saying "yes its him ive seen him loads of times only noticed his ears on sat nite..." so it sounds like it hasn't been him before (there's another black and white cat downstairs) but since he went missing on Saturday night it could have been him then. They say they'll phone if they see him again tonight or whatever so I'm just sitting hoping my phone rings.

We're getting a cat flap fitted this week so if he comes back and we don't see him he'll be able to let himself into the house. If nothing comes of that neighbour tonight then tomorrow morning I'm going to ring around the shelters and vets, maybe call the police station and tell them to look out for yowling sheds or car accident reports or whatever. I think the facebook page is a good idea, if I can get that spread around all the people in the area and stuff. I think if tomorrow goes by Pirateless then that's a plan for tomorrow evening.

[Deleted User] · 10/12/12 - 22:12

goonst wrote: »

Thanks again for the support and stories, guys.

Got another text from that neighbour saying "yes its him ive seen him loads of times only noticed his ears on sat nite..." so it sounds like it hasn't been him before (there's another black and white cat downstairs) but since he went missing on Saturday night it could have been him then. They say they'll phone if they see him again tonight or whatever so I'm just sitting hoping my phone rings.

We're getting a cat flap fitted this week so if he comes back and we don't see him he'll be able to let himself into the house. If nothing comes of that neighbour tonight then tomorrow morning I'm going to ring around the shelters and vets, maybe call the police station and tell them to look out for yowling sheds or car accident reports or whatever. I think the facebook page is a good idea, if I can get that spread around all the people in the area and stuff. I think if tomorrow goes by Pirateless then that's a plan for tomorrow evening.

Praying you get your phone call tonight. x

Pippa 2 · 10/12/12 - 22:18

avasgranny wrote: »

Praying you get your phone call tonight. x

Me too xx

Susan_A1951 · 10/12/12 - 22:58

There is a very good chance he is quite close to home and having a massive sulk. The problem is if anyone is leaving food out for him. I lost a black cat a few years and have a good idea of where he ended up - with an elderly man a street away - but couldn't prove it.
The good thing is - he is easily identifiable. Unlike my black girl - who, when I leafleted - I got calls continually for every black cat in the neighbourhood! We even took an utter lookalike home with us - until she/he hissed at our dogs and we realised it wasn't her. Very embarrassing - putting her back in a cat box and taking her back to where we had found her.

[Deleted User] · 11/12/12 - 20:50

I stayed up last night til I couldn't keep my eyes open hoping the phone would ring, but nothing. My worry now is that the only time that neighbour has seen Pirate is on Saturday, when he initially escaped, and since then he's gone further afield. I did another round of the neighbourhood calling for him but nothing. I called all the shelters and vets in the area and nobody has seen him yet but now they've got his description. I'm so hoping he'll turn up somewhere soon. But the longer he's gone, the less hope I've got because he's the least sulky and the least flighty of our three and this is so, so unlike him. He's usually in by about 6pm for his dinner then asleep in a comfy spot all night. The weather is so horrible out there and I can't bear the thought that he's lost and starving and freezing, or worse.

[Deleted User] · 11/12/12 - 21:42

Hi there, just wondered if you had contacted your old neighbours? A friend of mine rehomed a cat from a woman who lives 9 miles away, the first time the cat got out he walked through fields and a busy dark country road to get back home. They brought him back and again he went back home. The woman kept her cat thankfully. It might be worthwhile in case your wee one has gone "home".

[Deleted User] · 11/12/12 - 21:43

I hope he has because there's a cat flap and some warmth so hopefully he's just sulking there and wondering where everyone's got to. I'm going to ask my dad to check for him in the next couple of days.

[Deleted User] · 11/12/12 - 22:06

goonst wrote: »

I hope he has because there's a cat flap and some warmth so hopefully he's just sulking there and wondering where everyone's got to. I'm going to ask my dad to check for him in the next couple of days.

Good luck sweetheart, let us know how you get on.

[Deleted User] · 12/12/12 - 22:21

Any news

Pippa 2 · 12/12/12 - 22:34

Thinking of you xxx

misha06 · 13/12/12 - 00:20

A bit of a reverse, but we had a random cat turn up at ours.

It kept coming back, and looked 'lost' as opposed to 'unowned' so we gave it grub outside (we have a cat). On a walk we saw a poster for a missing cat, and put two and two together.

By luck or chance or the moggy just knowing where to find grub, it was in our garden yet again when we got back home. Grab cat, in cat box and back to owner.

The cat lived literally only a few hundred yards away as the crow flies and had only been in residence a few weeks. But our estate is fairly new and all the houses look alike, so I guess it just got a bit confused as well as scared.

As a consequence I can vouch that posters do work.

Keep going for walks and calling him, like you are. When the Beast went AWOL it made me feel a bit better than sitting at home stewing.

Also, and this may sound really pathetic, but I also felt, when walking and calling for him, that even if he was stuck in a shed or something, he might hear me and know he was missed and not abandoned:o:o

Good luck OP, thoughts are with you:)

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