I need your tales of lost pets returning

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Decades ago, family friends lost their collie when she disappeared from their yard.

She appeared home something like a year later - in bad shape (thin, paws bleeding etc.).

All they could guess was that she’d been stolen (she had unusual coloring and I guess was somewhat valuable) and finally escaped and found her way home.

Less dramatic: I once had a cat disappear for 24 hours. Finally I heard her meowing plaintively outdoors. She was on the roof of a neighboring apartment building. Apparently she’d run up a tree nearby, and leapt from a branch to the roof of the building. I wound up knocking on the door of a stranger’s second-floor apartment, going onto her balcony, standing on a chair, and coaxing the cat to the edge of the roof with the aid of some chicken guts helpfully provided by the lady in the apartment.

22

On two occasions, Hamish’s cat Littl’un escaped via a hole in our screen door, stayed out for a week or so (reducing Hamish to absolute hysterics) and then returned safe and sound (except, on one of the occasions, knocked up.)

23

I have a story sort of like this one. When I was a kid, we had a cat named Muffin who was indoor/outdoor. For Easter break, I went to spend the week with my grandmother. When my mom came to get me, she said that Muffin had run away. I was distraught, so my mom let me pick out one of the kittens my cousin’s cat had just had. I named her Max.
That summer, I went away to sleep-away summer camp. While I was gone, Max ran away. My mom was obviously freaked out - every time I go away, my cat runs away. She put an ad in the paper, tacked up posters, and looked everywhere for Max. Her friend saw an ad in the paper saying a cat had been found. It didn’t really sound like Max, but they went over there anyway. When the woman showed them the cat, it was Muffin! Since they had given the description of Max over the phone, the woman didn’t really believe it was their cat, but she gave her to them for $30.
When I got home, Muffin was there to greet me. The whole experience sort of soured me on cats, though, and I’ve converted to a dog person.

24

Besides all the usual notices and checking the shelters & stuff- there is something else that might help- put one of your stinky T-shirts (and even maybe some of his litter box stuff) on the exit he left by (back door?). Since you’re in a Townhouse, he might have trouble figureing out which home is his. Aslo some food & water.

Hand in there, dude! :frowning:

25

HanG , not hanD. :smack:

26

'way back about 18 years ago, in a former life, my first hubbie had a German Shephard mix. Bubba had really long legs, he was a very tall dog. We’d had Bubba for a couple of years; he loved to chase things in the woods (especially deer) and unfortunately also cars.

Anyway, one day Bubba came up missing … no trace of anything happening to him. We looked for him around the area, asked all of our neighbors, nothing.

Six months or so later, we had given Bubba up for gone. Then one day, as we were getting into the car to go to town, I happened to look at a car coming down the road. Sitting in the passenger’s seat was a very tall dog who turned his head to look at our house. “That dog looks like Bubba” I mused to my husband. “Hell!! That IS Bubba !!!” shouted he. We jumped in the car, and followed Bubba’s trail. The other guy eventually pulled over, we got out of the car, and Bubba knocked me down and started licking me furiously.

My husband was all up in the guy’s face yelling - the guy kept saying he had “found” Bubba, but the dog was so skinny and poor looking I don’t think he ever fed it. We suspected that he had been kept in a pen for breeding.

After that, Bubba was back at home for several years before dying of natural causes.

Um, that’s my contribution. I hope your kitty returns soon!

27

A professional pet finder on NPR said inside cats tend to be very frightened and hide very close to their house.
Best wishes.

28

Two stories:

Story #1 –

My friend’s cat Mars, an indoor only cat, got out somehow. They put up posters, they canvassed the neighbourhood, they stayed in touch regularly with all the shelters and the Humane Society. Three weeks later, someone saw them and remembered them from their door-to-door canvassing.

“Hey,” I think I saw your cat!"

Sure enough, Mars was only three houses over, hiding under a neighbour’s porch. Scared half to death. He was so afriad, he would not come out so eventually, my friend’s mother, being the smallest, crawled through Og knows what to grab the cat.

He was rather skinny, but in otherwise good shape.

Story #2 –

Rural friend’s indoor cat got out on a very cold night. By the end of the week, the temperatures had dropped to -40 C, Manitoba winter. The kids were sad, everyone was resigned to the fact that their kitty with no outdoor smarts was gone. Four months later, a neighbour who knew them well said “You know, I could’ve sworn that I saw Patches over at the nursery…”

The “nursery” was a greenhouse that operated all year round. It’s the home of several feral cats. The greenhouse owners don’t mind them because they keep the destructive rodent population under control.

A very skinny patches was thrilled to see her family again – she had spent the winter on a tropical holiday with all her new friends. She was a bit beat up from getting the stuffing thumped out of her by territorial rivals, but after four months in a Manitoba winter, she did pretty well. They said she looked at them as if to say “Well, hey there! Where’ve you all been?..”

29

If you think he might be in the ducts, have you tried luring him out with tuna, or some other kind of cat treat? That’s how we got my cat Fluffy to come out when she sneaked into the basement once and got in under the house.

30

Petey is a very very very very timid cat. Very. He also liked to claw furniture when he was a wee kit, so we had him declawed, effectively removing his only means of defense. Did I mention that he’s also kinda small for a male cat?

Anyway, one day my mother let him out on the deck during the evening and he scurried off into the darkness not to be seen for some time.

One day went by, and no one really thought he was gone forever. Then another went by, and another. By the third day, we had all assumed we’d never see him again.

Two more days go by and there he is, standing out by the back door on the deck. He hadn’t lost any weight and he was clean as a whistle. Quite strange indeed, I thought.

31

Cowgirl Jules- What a wonderful story you shared. You’ll be surely blessed with a lifetime of good karma for your good deed.
Dung Beetle- Patches still has his claws, so at least I know he can defend himself or climb a tree if he came into dangerous contact with a dog (I’m actually more worried about racoons, though, as one got one of my mom and dad’s cats a few years ago).
Guinastasia- He’s not in the ducts. It’s a very short run from the duct to the outside. I have checked this area thoroughly, I would have heard him and my other cat would certainly know if he was in there. I have put out some cat food by the front and the back door, hoping he might be lured back home. Another person suggested I take my other cat (Hobbes) out on a leash and a harness so he’ll leave his own scent and this might attract Patches to return. Any thoughts on this idea?
DrDeth- I always take the litter box outside when I change it, so I’ve sort of unintentionally already acted on your suggestion. I might try the shirt thing, too. Anything’s worth a shot at this point.
Boyo Jim- Already checked the local animal shelter and filed a missing animal report. Thanks for the link, by the way.
Ghanima- I’ve been checking the ducts each day; didn’t think about the walls, though. Hobbes would surely know if he detected anything odd coming from the walls, but I’ll check for myself anyway.

Thanks again to everyone’s good wishes and prayers.

32

I’ve had a few cats go missing at times. At first I would be frantic and upset as the days ticked by, but they always came back. I eventually started calling it “going walk-about” after the Australian aborigine stories of young men leaving home to wander the outback for awhile. The cats would usually wander off for a period of 3 to 7 days before coming home. I hope and pray that this is what your cat has done!

33

Is Patches not home yet? I hope he’s home and I just missed the news. Sorry to bump this, but these cat threads tend to stick with me awhile…

34

Actually, I saw Patches again late last night, right outside my back door. I made the mistake of getting too excited, so when I opened the door he ran off again. I spent an hour looking for him with only a dim flashlight. At least I know he’s close by. I’ll keep watching for him.

35

Oh, I’m so glad! At least you know he can take care of himself. You’ll catch his fuzzy little behind one of these nights.

36

There was a story in Fortean Times awhile back that I am probably going to screw up a bit, but it has always stayed with me.

A couple in a big city ( NY or thereabouts) took in a stray. Loved it adored it. the whole nine yards. Every fall for years, the cat would turn up missing and return again in the spring, in perfect kitty health.

This went on for years, until one day somehow ( can’t remember) the cat owners discovered their cat was going on vacation with a retired couple somewhere like Florida every winter. The cat lead the best of boths worlds.

37

Our 13 year old, always-indoor, declawed cat got out. I was frantic. I knocked on neighboring doors, left my phone number, looked through shrubbery (there is a hell of a lot of cover for cats around your typical city neighborhood), called the shelters. I was just sure he would be too stupid to find his way back if he strayed off too far, and furthermore, would be unable to find ways to stay fed and alive in the outdoors.

This was last fall. The days ticked by, and it got cold and rainy, and I had pretty much given up. He showed up in our garage four weeks later.

FWIW: I also read (as one poster above mentioned) that indoor cats that get out generally hole up somewhere within a three house radius, and don’t come when called because they’re just too darn scared. I really think this is true (and it sounds like your cat is certainly “around” and knows where home is). Also, my stepson believes, and has ample experience to bear this out, that cats, even indoor cats generally come back, because, well, they just do. As I say, he’s been through this at least three times, and they’ve all returned.

Hang in there.

38

After 20 years . . . http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/09/kittyback040809.html

39

I’m crushed.

40

Whoops, make that 18 years.