[iheartkittys]

i usually let my 1 year old male cat out to play during the day when i am home. i let him out around 11 this morning & he still hasn't returned i put flyers around the apartment complex that i live in and plan on contacting the austin animal shelter in the morning. i received a phone call from a woman who had seen my flyer and said that it's breeding season and it's not uncommon for a cat to wander off in search of a female. my cat is fixed & has never been away from my house for more than a couple hours at a time. im really just a wreck and would appreciate any advice on what to do/information on the whole mating deal etc. thanks guys.

 

[Jeanie]

Here is a link giving you many, many steps you can take. Also, sit outside late tonight when all is quiet. Take some very tasty canned food and a piece of clothing that you have worn and not washed. Call his name. Often, they are very close, but frightened. I so hope he comes home soon. God bless. Keep us informed, please.

http://www.petrecovery.com/documents/ba ... issing.htm

 

[iheartkittys]

update

well, my boyfriend and i plastered the apartment complex we live in with signs, and i took signs to local vet offices this morning and visited the animal shelter. no luck. the receptionist at the vet told me a story about her cat running away for 2 weeks. if anybody has any encouraging stories of this nature feel free to share, they are much appreciated.

 

[Padunk]

I really hope he comes home safe; cats are curious and can disappear for a bit. I believe it's part of their nature to do such things.

I hate to be a wet blanket, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way... I remember the post that you made about how important your kitty was to you. I believe that he is as important to you as mine are to me, and I'd never jeopardize their safety by letting them outside. It's too dangerous out there; I've heard too many sad stories on this forum and in real life to even consider letting mine out.

g'luck, and be sure to let us know when he comes back.

 

[kitkat]

I really hope your kitty comes back, and just wondering if this incident will make you take your cat outside on a harness next time maybe or make it an indoor cat :?:

 

[TiggysMum]

Try not to worry yourself too much, Our old cat disappeared for a whole week once, we decided she probably just lost her way as it wasn't normal for her to go off for more that a few hours. She came back in the end

 

[iheartkittys]

HOORAY!!!!

After one of the longest and worst days in my life, I came home from school....got a bottle of water, said hi to my other cat Joey and set out for another evening of searching for Chandler. Well low and behold, guess who was walking up the sidewalk....Chandler!! He had this "Hey mom, what's up" look to him & I ran to him and picked him up and hugged him like Angelica from the Rugrats. Then I made him some salmon.
This whole ordeal has made me think about letting him outside, and I think it's rather selfish to force my cat to stay indoors all day. But on the other hand....I don't want to go this ordeal again. I wish I had a backyard. :lol:

 

[faile]

yay!!!

 

[Padunk]

First, I'm glad you found him!

I don't think it's selfish to keep them inside. Many of us on this forum can tell you that our indoor kitties live perfectly happy and normal lives being kept indoors at all times.

There are too many dangers out there, regardless of where you live. Here are a few reasons to keep them inside:

-Cars
-Dogs
-Other Cats
-People like this sicko and more.

Also, Dr Jean says that outdoor cats live an average of 3-5 years, while indoor cats live 15-18 years. Here is the link so you can read it yourself.

Dr Jean is a well respected vet... google her name, you'll find plenty of info. :wink:

 

[TAsunder]

Yes, this is a well-documented statistic, that indoor cats are healthier and more long-lived.

You can do a lot of things to satiate his curiosity and hunting instincts indoors.

 

[AnnaR6]

I'm so happy you found him!!!!

I also think it's selfish to force cats to stay indoors! Bimba looks so much happier when I let her out, her eyes are different, full of life and joy! She loves to stay in the garden and "play" with butterflies and flowers, and rest under a tree...
If I could choose, I would sure prefer a shorter life but full of emotions than a long, boring life...

But this is just my opinion.

I'm happy for your Chandler! :wink:

 

[queen of the nile]

If you feel that you are unfair to keep them inside, why not just let them have supervised play on a leash? My 3 cats really enjoy their outside time but it is ALWAYS on a leash and with supervision. iheartkitties, it seems like you only let him out for 15 minutes a night anyway, so this solution probably would work for you!

 

[Jeanie]

My dear friends, please take your cats indoors or use a play yard or a leash. I have two very happy, loving indoor cats.

You would never do anything to harm your cats deliberately, and I realize that, but they can have fun without losing their lives. I lost my very special Pixie to a car, and I will never forget it. She was so special. I don't want you or your cats to go through the guilt and heartache I have, and I don't want you to pick up your beloved pet from the road with a flattened head and an evulsed eye. Am I trying to frighten you? Yes. Perhaps I can save a life. There are alternatives. Please re-think this.

 

[AnnaR6]

Jeanie you are sure right. Of course if there was a road instead of the garden, I woul not let my cats out!!!
Switzerland is a very green place, with lots of mountains and fields.
I live in a very small town, no dangers with cars.
It all depends on where you live...

 

[ForJazz]

There is not a lot of traffic where I live either -- but all it takes is one car. I am not willing to run the risk of letting them out when ONE car in their whole life could come along and kill them. It's not worth it to me to say "there aren't many cars so it's okay." And in areas that are so green and pretty and full of nature, there are more predators as well. And again...all it takes is one. That's not good enough odds for me. Indoors they remain -- and happy as they could ever be. I see their eyes light up when I bring out their favorite toys and they get to hunt all over the place -- plus they play enough "tag" with each other to poop out happily at the end of the day. They have cozy condos and fun cat trees to lounge and play on, they have birds and squirrels to watch and lots of sunlight coming through the windows to lounge in. They have endless toys and endless love in here. When I ask myself "am I being selfish by not letting them out"....all I need to do is look at my kitties gazing up at me with bright eyes and happy grins on their faces, and I know that I have made the right choice. I want to be with them as long as I can, and they show me every day that they feel the same.

 

[bluey]

I too believe in keeping cats indoors, no matter where you live. Here are some true stories about what has happened to some outdoor cats:

My cats Gowan and Sam both "disappeared" within 2 months of moving to a new home. I never found out what happened to them. Gowan was 2 and Sam was 14.

My cat Tigger ingested Anti-freeze. It was the saddest thing to see him acting like a drunken cat, then having to have him put down. He was about 2.

My mother's cat, (whose name I forget) disappeared from a rural area. Probably coyotes got her. She was about 1 yr.

My father's cat "Bump" lived to be about 6 or so - lucky - but she wasn't spayed early enough and nearly died giving birth to stillborn kittens (which I delivered a couple of, it was awful, I had nightmares for weeks). Finally she too disappeared, from a ruralish area, again probably coyotes.

Its terrible to contemplate what happened to these cats - how much pain they might have been in when they died. Cruel? I think letting cats outside is cruel, where they may meet fates like these at an early age.

My sister has two indoor cats. One is 12 (the mother of one of mine) and the other is about 8.

My current cats, Junior and Squirt, were indoor from day one. They are both going on 10 yrs old.

Cruel to keep them inside, eh? Where they lead happy, stress free, spoiled lives, free from danger and threat - they know no fear, are not jumpy, love to be held, are kittenish, affectionate, and purr constantly?

Uh huh.