My Cats escaped and He is now back !!!

[M-technik-3]

One was a stray before and I found him quickly as he stayed in the immediate yard the other has only been a house cat but is micro chipped... stressing about finding him, have done all the normal stuff litter box outside plus some food and talked with all neighbors. Odd they have never pushed a screen out befor so must have been something they were after.

Nervous that a coyote or fischer cat got him. I live in a medium sized town with decent population but my neighbor saw a black bear come out of my yard into his three days ago.

[TiMSport]

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find him soon!

[M_Six]

We had a house cat somehow push out a screen in our sunroom a few years ago. It was almost like she jumped against it or fell off the cat tree into the screen. She was missing for 3 days. My wife would walk around our house and the lot next to us at all hours of the day and night searching for the cat. Finally on the 3rd day she spotted the cat in the woods behind our neighbor's house and was able to grab it and bring it home. She was in tears of joy that she got her cat back. That episode led us to redo all the screens in our sunroom so they're much beefier and held in place with screws instead of just springs.

I hope your cat shows up. Keep checking the vicinity around your house. It's probably still close by.

[Tommy-G]

Sorry to hear this. We had one escape and was standing at the back slider 2 days later.
Put the stinkiest food you can outside by the door

[M-technik-3]

Sad part is I just dropped off some of my screens at local hardware store to get repaired because my house guest forgot his key and went through a window. Asswipe. He is paying me back but I keep a spare in a lock box secured to the house just for this sorta thing.

[Esteban]

That happened to me one time and I rented a humane trap from a local pet supply store and put her favorite food in the trap. I set it up at night in the back yard and the next morning she was in the trap.

It's possible you might catch an animal you don't want. The traps are easy to open and release an unwanted animal. They would likely just run away because they are scared.

Hope you get your kitty back.

[Battin4th]

Sounds 1980's but put up some up signs too. This happened to me years ago... House cat got out and was gone for several days. A neighbor a couple of blocks away saw him on her deck near her door and was able to contact me. Your cat will get hungry and approach someone's house for food.

Best of luck!

[No one]

Originally Posted by Esteban

That happened to me one time and I rented a humane trap from a local pet supply store and put her favorite food in the trap. I set it up at night in the back yard and the next morning she was in the trap.

"Always leave the cage door open so the bird can return." ("Rising Sun")

[Maynard]

If it is exclusively an indoor cat, then spread it's litter box outside by a door. That way it will know where 'home' is. And do the havaheart trap thing, but be ready to meet all the other neighborhood pets. They usually don't go very far, so look under porches bushes etc. Best luck - certainly some of my worst times were when an asshat friend let one of ours out (did get her back).

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by Maynard

spread it's litter box outside by a door..

cat litter box is bad enough still in the box.

[Maynard]

yes, but they will recognize the smell as their own. If they've never been outside the house they don't have any other way to know it is home.

[Our03z4]

Ours took off one time but she's an indoor outdoor cat being that we live in the country. She didn't come in for dinner so we thought she was toast. No sign of her for almost a month but she finally came home, mind you very thin and couldn't (still barely) meow. Been about two years and she stays close now thankfully.

Hope your little friend comes back safe and sound!

[CamasM3e93]

Sorry you're going through this. We had a similar thing in 2019. A bought like a quart of dried catnip and dumped it in the front lawn. We literally had two dozen cats converge on the property from blocks around.

[M-technik-3]

Originally Posted by CamasM3e93

Sorry you're going through this. We had a similar thing in 2019. A bought like a quart of dried catnip and dumped it in the front lawn. We literally had two dozen cats converge on the property from blocks around.

That might be worth a shot he loves catnip. Nothing this morning. My other one is upset and causing trouble. He was the one that probably pushed open the screen too.

[IllSic_Design]

Good luck man, my cat was missing for like 3 months and I was super stressed and depressed. They say to put something that smells like you outside(like a piece of clothing) to help them find there way back, also the litter box and also treats and catnips. Don't forget to check any shelters, that's where I eventually found mine. Hope you find em soon!

[M-technik-3]

HE'S back!!! and appears to be unharmed. Was sitting on back porch like he was an outdoor cat when I pulled in, after I passed out 35 or so lost cat flyers.

Thanks for all the moral support.

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

HE'S back!!! and appears to be unharmed. Was sitting on back porch like he was an outdoor cat when I pulled in, after I passed out 35 or so lost cat flyers.

Thanks for all the moral support.

That's great news!!!

[rbhjr01462]

When i was 13 or 14, our cat, who would often stay outside overnight, did not return the next day. She never stayed out more than 2 nights. We spent the next several days calling out her name, asking neighbors, driving around town to see if she got run over, etc. After a week we pretty much lost hope, assuming she was killed by fox/fisher/etc. 2 weeks after she disappeared I was walking to the State Park adjacent to our property and took a shortcut through the woods and i passed the Ranger Station. This was October and the station was more or less shut down for the season. As I approached the building, I look over and our cat is in the window! Standing with her paws against the glass and crying. I went over and busted down the door and rescued her. She was skin and bones. The sad part is the building she was in was probably 500 ft from our house and she could see if from the window...all that food, milk and warmth so close but yet so far. 2 weeks probably drinking from the toilet and eating flies. Curiosity almost killed the cat. Glad your story ended well too.

[hubbahubba]

Glad the kitty is home!

I have a similar story of a long absence about our cat when I was a kid. I grew up in a small town in central Arizona. My grandparents, who kept "Pansy" while we were gone, lived in a smaller town about 15 miles away with about 10 miles of desert and I-8 and I-10 between our homes. She left the first day she was there. We were gone 5 weeks, and only when we returned did we find out she had been missing that whole time. 3 weeks after we got home, dad and I were out in the back yard, and something darted across the yard and ran to the door. It was her, 8 full weeks later. She had crossed 2 interstate freeways, miles of desert, and a few miles of town to find our home. It was incredible. She lived another 15 years and died at the age of 22. What a journey she must have had!

[Esteban]

That's a story with a nice, happy ending hubbahubba.

Here's one with a not so happy ending:

When we were kids my older sister had a cat. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and my sister put a collar on him with rhinestones. One morning she left for school. She went earlier than me and my younger sister because she was in Jr. High and we were still in elementary school. Well, within a few minutes she came back sobbing her eyes out. We asked her what was wrong and she said her cat, that had been out all night, was in the middle of the street and had been hit by a car and was all smashed up. She knew it was him because of the rhinestone collar. I went out to look. We lived on a busy street in L.A. at the time. The cat was so mangled you could hardly tell it was a cat. But there, clear as day was the rhinestone collar. My sister loved that cat. She died several years ago from cancer. Poor ol' girl...

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by Esteban

That's a story with a nice, happy ending hubbahubba.

Here's one with a not so happy ending:

When we were kids my older sister had a cat. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and my sister put a collar on him with rhinestones. One morning she left for school. She went earlier than me and my younger sister because she was in Jr. High and we were still in elementary school. Well, within a few minutes she came back sobbing her eyes out. We asked her what was wrong and she said her cat, that had been out all night, was in the middle of the street and had been hit by a car and was all smashed up. She knew it was him because of the rhinestone collar. I went out to look. We lived on a busy street in L.A. at the time. The cat was so mangled you could hardly tell it was a cat. But there, clear as day was the rhinestone collar. My sister loved that cat. She died several years ago from cancer. Poor ol' girl...

I hope the good memories of your sister, and her kitty cat are alive and well, Steve.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by hubbahubba

I hope the good memories of your sister, and her kitty cat are alive and well, Steve.

Yes sir, but they are a mixed bag. My older sister had a lot of trouble in her life. More than most. She was a good big sister, though.