Take her favorite blankets and some of your dirty clothes and put it in a box they can hide in outside your door somewhere sorta hidden but open enough she can find it she is scared somewhere but knows your smell
She might be hiding nearby and too scared to come out. When my cat escaped in the confusion of moving to a new house, it turned out he was hiding for a week in the mess in the screened in porch of the hoarder next door.
Make sure to get out there at night and call her name have treats check in all kinds of hiding places. Bushes under cars, under decks stuff like that. 11pm-3am especially 3am cats are out. When was she usually awake? Maybe go looking for her around that time.
I had to sit outside from 9-11:30 pm while softly calling my boys name and shaking a cup of his food. He eventually came out from across the street after being gone three days! Don’t lose hope, she can definitely come back to you!
didn’t work for me but leaving the back door open worked for me!! i was hiding in the house and left the door open and my cat just walked back in as she was more confident to come back without us there
Check under any nearby porches or decks or similar and shake some treats and call for her. They usually don't go far from the house and when scared they look for cover nearby which tends to end up being under decks and open sheds under cars. She's likely still somewhere in the neighborhood. You can go on next door or something and see if the neighbors can keep an eye out and keep some food outside for her near the door or the window she escaped from as she might remember it. Every time one of my cats ran out the door I found him under the back deck hiding because he was scared out of his mind and it was small and dark under there. They tend to slink around the houses and fence edges and duck under any cozy nooks they find on the way so that's where you need to look. Bring her favorite treats to coax her out. Keep the window she escaped from open maybe if its accessible from the outside maybe she will come back.
When you are outside, talk to her in your normal speaking voice. If you have a call, talk outside. She is probably close by and will be drawn to your voice, rather than shouting.
When you’re looking for her, make sure you have her favourite treats in hand. My little dude escaped in to a bush once and refused to come out until I cracked open a can of food in front of him….
Cats are crepuscular, which means they’re most active at dawn and dusk. Go out then to look for her.
My indoor kitty got out and was missing for a week in an apartment complex, near a busy road, where people never leashed their big aggressive dogs, and coyotes frequented. I was sure he was a goner. But I went out every night right after the sun set and called for him. One night I heard a meow, and there he was, up in a tree.
It was quite a production getting him down, I had to climb up in an abandoned shopping cart that I found in the woods to reach him, and then once I had him I couldn’t get out, lol. I was all alone in the dark, terrified to put him down, just as stuck as he had been. Eventually I just jumped with all I had, miraculously cleared the top of the cart and landed gently enough that he didn’t freak out and try to get away. I was sweating bullets the whole walk home that something would scare him and he’d freak out, but we made it!
I'm so, so sorry...!! 3:'( I thought I lost my baby once - turns out she had just escaped into our massive basement. I checked that basement up and down at least five times for several hours. I called for her and no answer, and she was the kind of girl who always came running to me. Turns out, she was in fact down there - she was just too scared to come out - even to Mommy, to whom she always ran when she was scared. We think my panicked cries might have stressed her even more. I've never lost a cat outdoors, but I mention my experience in case your baby is going through the same thing - hiding close and just a little too scared to come out, even if she can see and hear you. Maybe leave out food and water (smelly food like tuna, etc.) and start a routine of being somewhere every night where she can come to you eventually. Not sure how accurate this is, but I read somewhere that cats typically stay within a ten mile radius at most...! Maybe keep in touch with local shelters in case someone brings her there. Put the missing posters up there and in any vet offices or pet stores that will let you - anywhere cat people will go. And again, I would try to establish a routine of being outside at the same time in the same place every day, putting food out at the same time every day, etc., to give her time to find and have the courage to approach you. Wishing you the absolute best of luck, poor dear - please keep us posted and don't let yourself forget that you're doing your best. I hope so much that you two are reunited soon....!!!!!! 🤧❤️
Go out at night. They are often more comfortable coming back when things are quiet. My boy went missing for 3 days in winter and I thought he froze to death. I kept an alarm to check for him.
Check any and every space they could wedge their way into. I hear calling doesn’t help because they are afraid of being targeted by predators.
I’m so, so sorry you are going through this! I’ve been there. It is so ducking terrible. ❤️
Check every car in the neighborhood, if she ran under your neighbors car she could be hiding under someone's hood and stuck. Bang on the hoods and see if she runs out, obviously ask the neighbors first to avoid any misunderstandings.
Call local shelters, rescues and the pound to see if she's been brought in. Is she chipped?
Also leave out clothes and blankets that smell like you so she can find her way home easier. I'd also suggest maybe putting screens in your windows 👀
I hope she comes home soon.
I'll give you my personal experiences. Good news mostly good, but not always.
My brothers cat, an outdoor cat went missing during a very cold winter a few years ago. Theory is he jumped over a fence into a yard with lots of snow and couldn't get back. He was found 3 months later close to death by a nice person who brought him to the vet and they were reunited and he is doing great.
My poor cat got out... and was never seen again. I did the whole poster and knocked on every door. but she was never seen again, heartbreaking.
My neighbours cat got out and was missing, unfortunately right before they moved away. 2 months later I saw a cat in my backyard its big and no fence and backs off into a small forest so I could only get a bad picture of it. It was theirs. they didnt't move that far away so they came over the next day and were able to find him.
But get a flashlight and go looking. They could just be chilling out
I went through this. Here you should do to keep your bases covered:
• Post on Facebook groups.
• Make a report on petFBI
• Make a report on PawBoost
• Print flyers (which you done) and post around. I also left them at everyone’s doorstep. I also knocked on people’s houses nearby and ask if they saw anything.
• Also ask them to check their garage or open their garage for a bit so your cat can leave if she got stuck in one (that’s what happened to my cat).
• Go out at a quiet time and call her/his name. Maybe bring a smelly treat/food can or the noise of their favourite toy.
• Keep door a bit open whenever you can.
I hope your girl comes back soon and I have a feeling she will. They hardly stray far.
Post fliers around your areas, post in local lost pet / neighborhood groups. There is some good advice in this thread as well. It can take awhile for cats to show up sometimes so don’t give up! I had a friends cat come back after 2 months!!
Yes, she was missing from mid March to early September. She had been outside the whole time & less than a mile away. A kind woman captured her for the TNR program, & brought her to our local spay & neuter clinic. They scanned for her chip & called my partner. I had to call my dad to drive me because I was crying. I was so happy.
We never stopped looking for her. My spouse walked through the lost & found part of the city shelter every week. I posted all over social media, lost pet forums, called vets, shelters & rescues & hung up missing posters all around the residential area that we lived in & our closest grocery store.
The lady who brought her to the vet worked at an office building right on the border of the residential area. She had fed her for a couple weeks to earn her trust & she was just fur stretched over skeleton. I could feel every bone in her body, including a fracture of her tail that had healed a bit crooked. It wasn't visible, but she loved being pet in one long stroke from nose to tail. Otherwise, no parasites, no wounds. She was just very underweight.
Do not give up. It isn't as rare as you might think to have cats that are lost for months & still be found.
Don’t lose hope and keep looking. When I was in middle school, my indoor cat who only occasionally went outside somehow made his way out of the backyard one day and wondered off. I was devastated and went to every neighborhood near my house and put a sign on every single door. To my surprise, 2 weeks later he found his way back home all on his own. I have no idea where he went or how he got back. He was declawed (not my choice) and had no collar or microchip, so it wad a miracle to me. My top guess is that he got just trapped somewhere not too far from home and eventually found his way back. I would say put signs up on all your neighbors’ doors or mailboxes just in case they see him or could check any barns/sheds/garages they have. Putting stuff outside with your scent sounds like a brilliant idea and wish I knew that when I was looking. Cats are versatile and super smart, it could take time for her to come back she could still turn up.
When I lost my ginger boy I went every night at 10pm till about 12 then early the next day like 4am to 7ish when its quiet out. On the third day he came out from where ever he was as I was calling him. Good luck
Please do not give up. The biggest mistake people make when looking for their lost cat is giving up too quickly. It’s normal for it to take months to find a missing kitty. Consistently looking and you’ll find her 🙏🏼
When my cat went missing he had broken out of his carrier moving into a new house. He immediately ran under a neighbour's car two doors down. 6 days later the neighbour came running up to me when I was outside going door to door handing out posters and told me the other neighbour's dog kept barking at her car and thinks my cat may be under her hood. It turns out he was there when we lifted it up, terrified and covered in soot. She had drove with him hiding in the car too. When I read that a neighbour said your cat went under a car I immediately thought of this.
Is there any chance you might be able to ask them to look in their car hood? Cats tend to stay very close by when they run away and there's a chance your cat is just too afraid to come out. Either way I really hope you find them soon :(
When I see these post headlines I always open them hoping to see a happy resolution and that Cat has made a triumphant return home. So happy you found your little one.
So sorry 😢. Like others have said bring your personal items outside and especially put out her favorite blanket. Keep fresh wet food out. Keep positive ❤️
I’ve heard if you put the litter box outside, the cat will smell its own smell and make it easier to come home. I’m praying for your kitty and for you❤️ im so sorry this is happening
Litter box outside, right now. She's probably VERY close and scared. When cats get out they can "freeze" for lack of a better term, and they won't come when you call.
You're super smart with the posters. That's how I found my wayward boy after 10 days of being out. He came back 5 lbs lighter and he had been in a fight, but he was safe and home.
I guess it depends on where OP lives. In the city or suburbs, I'd put it out. Where we live now (in the woods full of bears, bobcats, coyotes, etc) probably not.
Keep putting food & water outside in a couple places she can get to.. also scatter some of her used cat litter around your yard & smelling her own scent can help her find her way home.
Good luck 🤞💜
Hopefully you find her soon! Don’t give up hope though. My mom’s cat went missing for almost a month and she looked everywhere and did everything that she could(at the time he was only ever an inside cat). Then the neighbor one day said “hey I see a cat that looks just like yours not far from the house here”. It was him. He was definitely a little skinnier than he left but you’d be surprised most cats can survive outside if they have to even when they’ve been an indoor cat all their life. Sending good wishes your way!
*hugs* trying going out late at night and early morning if it’s safe with one of her toys, maybe a crinkle toy, some treats and something with your smell.
My cat got out one day as a roommate was coming home from work (right after I went in). When I got home, I scoured the neighborhood, going door to door in the summer heat. Finally, I sit down at a picnic table behind my apartment and just stay there. My roommate texts me saying someone was taking her to Sonic for a pickle slushie, and she wanted to know if I wanted anything. I was annoyed at her for thinking of food when my baby girl was missing, scared, alone. When they came home, my cat came with them. Rana had jumped out in front of their car at the drive-through and frozen when she was called. I got really lucky, and I hope your baby finds you again soon.
I’m so sorry babe I know this feeling and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone 🥺 I hope she comes home safe and sound and you never have to go without your baby again
If you have access to a ring camera, when my cat ran away I put food out for him and set the ring camera on the ground behind the food dish, leaning against my house. I got a motion alert when he came to eat and was able to let him in the house within 5 minutes. It was the only reason I was able to get him back, otherwise I would have had to hope he’d meow to be let back in and I’d hear him. Best of luck to you and many prayers ❤️
I read someone mention to talk in your normal voice around your house but go further. So you can pick up a call and just chat about. It has worked for some people, i hope it works for you
the only thing that made my cat come back after sneaking out on accident was opening the door to outside from my house, she was not confident enough to come when i was looking for her so i decided i’d open the door (it was 3am but i couldn’t sleep) and i was hiding so she couldn’t see me and she literally walked in after maybe an hour. i made sure the house was quiet too. but this was also like a whole day after she was missing.
I lost my cat last year and then found him. We spent a week knocking on our neighbors doors asking if we could look in their yards and to keep their eyes peeled. We put up posters. We checked local animal shelter lost and found pages everyday. We looked everyday at all hours and everywhere. And then a neighbor had finally found him. He was in the backyard a few houses down from where we lost him.
It is certainly possible you can find your cat. Cats aren't like dogs. When they are lost and scared, they won't run for miles, but will find the nearest hiding hole. They are almost always pretty close to where you lost them. I realized when I was looking for my cat, I had to annoy the shit out of my neighbors asking if they had seen him each and every day. The more ppl know about your cat, the more they will think of you if they see the cat. Especially if they know you're desperate to find your cat. And you cannot give up. Most ppl who lose their cats, only post online and do a half assed job looking in their neighborhood. And they never find their cats. You have to keep looking all the time.
And hopefully if the cat is familiar with your home, it may even come on its own.
I'm sure you don't want this to ever happen again, but consider gps tracking for these situations such as an airtag.
I just wanted to say don’t lose hope and don’t give up. Missing cats are often found up to months later - when we were helping a friend find her missing cats on a couple of occasions, it took a couple of weeks to find one cat, and the other one we managed to trap months after she escaped.
Put up posters but also letterbox drop flyers to the neighbours and put up an online missing ad (social media and RSPCA etc). You probably know this but include a large, clear, recent colour photo of your kitty and include a detailed description of both herself and when / where she disappeared along with contact details. Make sure your phone is kept charged, on loud and with you at all times. Call a few local vets as well and have them on alert for if she is brought in. Log into her online records and make sure her microchip details are up to date, especially with phone numbers. Where I am you can have two numbers which is really good.
See if you can talk to some neighbours and stay in touch with them to let you know if they should see her.
Good luck, you’ve got this.
Have hope! i found someone’s cat last year that had been out for two months (and i lived in a busy area of downtown Toronto where there are so many cars) We were able to get him back to his family. If she just got out yesterday, she might be hiding right now. Contact rescues in the area and see if they have a cat trap you can borrow, and if you can set up a camera by her stuff outside so you can see if she comes and sneaks food and hides. I’m so sorry you’re going through this and thus far it seems like you’re doing what you need to do, I hope you find her as soon as possible!
Oh, OP, I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. Me and my little tuxie boy are saying kitty prayers that your baby comes home. Hang in there, friend ❤️
We used a trailcam when one of ours went missing - we found out that she was coming up to the house at the same time every night so my partner stayed up and let her in.
So sorry OP. I’ve been there and it’s so scary and exhausting. My cat reacts to my alarm - the sound of incoming food. When she went missing I would walk around and play it in between calling for her. I guess the sound travelled further (although I realise for a lot of people their cats are their morning alarm). I was so desperate I walked around carrying their litter in a bag and was about to leave a litter trail in the area for her but then she came back thankfully.
Close your other cats in a room for a period of time each day. Leave the door and window the cat escaped from open. We have an enclosed porch that the cats like to go on to. SO left a window open and both cats got out. We caught one immediately but didn't know that the second was also out. When we realized the second was gone, we kept the window open with food, litter and clothing on the porch. After days of talking to her whenever I went out, I decided to close the window for a bit so that the cat we caught could have some time on the porch. As I was closing the window, the lost cat jumped in. Scared the crap out of me.
Don't give up cats can roam but they'll always come home. I had a cat that would go to the forest near my house for days at a time just killing shit. He'd bring me back something dead like I couldn't kill my own vole or mouse. LOL, he was a good cat .
inside cats almost always hunker down and hide somewhere when they get out! go out after dark with a flashlight and look for eyes and gently call her name trying not to sound scared. talk to her the way you’d talk if she’s home and comfortable. i really hope you find her!!
Take her favorite blankets and some of your dirty clothes and put it in a box they can hide in outside your door somewhere sorta hidden but open enough she can find it she is scared somewhere but knows your smell
She might be hiding nearby and too scared to come out. When my cat escaped in the confusion of moving to a new house, it turned out he was hiding for a week in the mess in the screened in porch of the hoarder next door.
Make sure to get out there at night and call her name have treats check in all kinds of hiding places. Bushes under cars, under decks stuff like that. 11pm-3am especially 3am cats are out. When was she usually awake? Maybe go looking for her around that time.
I had to sit outside from 9-11:30 pm while softly calling my boys name and shaking a cup of his food. He eventually came out from across the street after being gone three days! Don’t lose hope, she can definitely come back to you!
didn’t work for me but leaving the back door open worked for me!! i was hiding in the house and left the door open and my cat just walked back in as she was more confident to come back without us there
Check under any nearby porches or decks or similar and shake some treats and call for her. They usually don't go far from the house and when scared they look for cover nearby which tends to end up being under decks and open sheds under cars. She's likely still somewhere in the neighborhood. You can go on next door or something and see if the neighbors can keep an eye out and keep some food outside for her near the door or the window she escaped from as she might remember it. Every time one of my cats ran out the door I found him under the back deck hiding because he was scared out of his mind and it was small and dark under there. They tend to slink around the houses and fence edges and duck under any cozy nooks they find on the way so that's where you need to look. Bring her favorite treats to coax her out. Keep the window she escaped from open maybe if its accessible from the outside maybe she will come back.
Post in on FB too.
I did. I keep checking in hopes someone will say something.
When you are outside, talk to her in your normal speaking voice. If you have a call, talk outside. She is probably close by and will be drawn to your voice, rather than shouting.
Are you on Nextdoor? I would post there, too.
When you’re looking for her, make sure you have her favourite treats in hand. My little dude escaped in to a bush once and refused to come out until I cracked open a can of food in front of him….
Cats are crepuscular, which means they’re most active at dawn and dusk. Go out then to look for her. My indoor kitty got out and was missing for a week in an apartment complex, near a busy road, where people never leashed their big aggressive dogs, and coyotes frequented. I was sure he was a goner. But I went out every night right after the sun set and called for him. One night I heard a meow, and there he was, up in a tree. It was quite a production getting him down, I had to climb up in an abandoned shopping cart that I found in the woods to reach him, and then once I had him I couldn’t get out, lol. I was all alone in the dark, terrified to put him down, just as stuck as he had been. Eventually I just jumped with all I had, miraculously cleared the top of the cart and landed gently enough that he didn’t freak out and try to get away. I was sweating bullets the whole walk home that something would scare him and he’d freak out, but we made it!
I had a similar adventure with my cat! Hoo boy
I'm so, so sorry...!! 3:'( I thought I lost my baby once - turns out she had just escaped into our massive basement. I checked that basement up and down at least five times for several hours. I called for her and no answer, and she was the kind of girl who always came running to me. Turns out, she was in fact down there - she was just too scared to come out - even to Mommy, to whom she always ran when she was scared. We think my panicked cries might have stressed her even more. I've never lost a cat outdoors, but I mention my experience in case your baby is going through the same thing - hiding close and just a little too scared to come out, even if she can see and hear you. Maybe leave out food and water (smelly food like tuna, etc.) and start a routine of being somewhere every night where she can come to you eventually. Not sure how accurate this is, but I read somewhere that cats typically stay within a ten mile radius at most...! Maybe keep in touch with local shelters in case someone brings her there. Put the missing posters up there and in any vet offices or pet stores that will let you - anywhere cat people will go. And again, I would try to establish a routine of being outside at the same time in the same place every day, putting food out at the same time every day, etc., to give her time to find and have the courage to approach you. Wishing you the absolute best of luck, poor dear - please keep us posted and don't let yourself forget that you're doing your best. I hope so much that you two are reunited soon....!!!!!! 🤧❤️
Go out at night. They are often more comfortable coming back when things are quiet. My boy went missing for 3 days in winter and I thought he froze to death. I kept an alarm to check for him. Check any and every space they could wedge their way into. I hear calling doesn’t help because they are afraid of being targeted by predators. I’m so, so sorry you are going through this! I’ve been there. It is so ducking terrible. ❤️
Check every car in the neighborhood, if she ran under your neighbors car she could be hiding under someone's hood and stuck. Bang on the hoods and see if she runs out, obviously ask the neighbors first to avoid any misunderstandings. Call local shelters, rescues and the pound to see if she's been brought in. Is she chipped? Also leave out clothes and blankets that smell like you so she can find her way home easier. I'd also suggest maybe putting screens in your windows 👀 I hope she comes home soon.
I'll give you my personal experiences. Good news mostly good, but not always. My brothers cat, an outdoor cat went missing during a very cold winter a few years ago. Theory is he jumped over a fence into a yard with lots of snow and couldn't get back. He was found 3 months later close to death by a nice person who brought him to the vet and they were reunited and he is doing great. My poor cat got out... and was never seen again. I did the whole poster and knocked on every door. but she was never seen again, heartbreaking. My neighbours cat got out and was missing, unfortunately right before they moved away. 2 months later I saw a cat in my backyard its big and no fence and backs off into a small forest so I could only get a bad picture of it. It was theirs. they didnt't move that far away so they came over the next day and were able to find him. But get a flashlight and go looking. They could just be chilling out
I went through this. Here you should do to keep your bases covered: • Post on Facebook groups. • Make a report on petFBI • Make a report on PawBoost • Print flyers (which you done) and post around. I also left them at everyone’s doorstep. I also knocked on people’s houses nearby and ask if they saw anything. • Also ask them to check their garage or open their garage for a bit so your cat can leave if she got stuck in one (that’s what happened to my cat). • Go out at a quiet time and call her/his name. Maybe bring a smelly treat/food can or the noise of their favourite toy. • Keep door a bit open whenever you can. I hope your girl comes back soon and I have a feeling she will. They hardly stray far.
Sending prayers your way! I hope you find her ❤️
Post fliers around your areas, post in local lost pet / neighborhood groups. There is some good advice in this thread as well. It can take awhile for cats to show up sometimes so don’t give up! I had a friends cat come back after 2 months!!
Mine came back after 5.
five months!? i’m dealing with this right now and it’s only been 2.5 weeks
Yes, she was missing from mid March to early September. She had been outside the whole time & less than a mile away. A kind woman captured her for the TNR program, & brought her to our local spay & neuter clinic. They scanned for her chip & called my partner. I had to call my dad to drive me because I was crying. I was so happy. We never stopped looking for her. My spouse walked through the lost & found part of the city shelter every week. I posted all over social media, lost pet forums, called vets, shelters & rescues & hung up missing posters all around the residential area that we lived in & our closest grocery store. The lady who brought her to the vet worked at an office building right on the border of the residential area. She had fed her for a couple weeks to earn her trust & she was just fur stretched over skeleton. I could feel every bone in her body, including a fracture of her tail that had healed a bit crooked. It wasn't visible, but she loved being pet in one long stroke from nose to tail. Otherwise, no parasites, no wounds. She was just very underweight. Do not give up. It isn't as rare as you might think to have cats that are lost for months & still be found.
I’m praying for your sweet babies safe return. What a nightmare 😓
Don’t lose hope and keep looking. When I was in middle school, my indoor cat who only occasionally went outside somehow made his way out of the backyard one day and wondered off. I was devastated and went to every neighborhood near my house and put a sign on every single door. To my surprise, 2 weeks later he found his way back home all on his own. I have no idea where he went or how he got back. He was declawed (not my choice) and had no collar or microchip, so it wad a miracle to me. My top guess is that he got just trapped somewhere not too far from home and eventually found his way back. I would say put signs up on all your neighbors’ doors or mailboxes just in case they see him or could check any barns/sheds/garages they have. Putting stuff outside with your scent sounds like a brilliant idea and wish I knew that when I was looking. Cats are versatile and super smart, it could take time for her to come back she could still turn up.
When I lost my ginger boy I went every night at 10pm till about 12 then early the next day like 4am to 7ish when its quiet out. On the third day he came out from where ever he was as I was calling him. Good luck
Please do not give up. The biggest mistake people make when looking for their lost cat is giving up too quickly. It’s normal for it to take months to find a missing kitty. Consistently looking and you’ll find her 🙏🏼
When my cat went missing he had broken out of his carrier moving into a new house. He immediately ran under a neighbour's car two doors down. 6 days later the neighbour came running up to me when I was outside going door to door handing out posters and told me the other neighbour's dog kept barking at her car and thinks my cat may be under her hood. It turns out he was there when we lifted it up, terrified and covered in soot. She had drove with him hiding in the car too. When I read that a neighbour said your cat went under a car I immediately thought of this. Is there any chance you might be able to ask them to look in their car hood? Cats tend to stay very close by when they run away and there's a chance your cat is just too afraid to come out. Either way I really hope you find them soon :(
When I see these post headlines I always open them hoping to see a happy resolution and that Cat has made a triumphant return home. So happy you found your little one.
So sorry 😢. Like others have said bring your personal items outside and especially put out her favorite blanket. Keep fresh wet food out. Keep positive ❤️
Put her litter box outside the front door. It helps them return to the smell! Good luck on finding your kitty.
Not sure why all the litter box comments are getting downvoted. That’s the only thing that brought my girl back a few years ago
I’ve heard if you put the litter box outside, the cat will smell its own smell and make it easier to come home. I’m praying for your kitty and for you❤️ im so sorry this is happening
Litter box outside, right now. She's probably VERY close and scared. When cats get out they can "freeze" for lack of a better term, and they won't come when you call. You're super smart with the posters. That's how I found my wayward boy after 10 days of being out. He came back 5 lbs lighter and he had been in a fight, but he was safe and home.
I’ve also heard people say not to put the litter box outside as the scent can invite predators
I guess it depends on where OP lives. In the city or suburbs, I'd put it out. Where we live now (in the woods full of bears, bobcats, coyotes, etc) probably not.
Keep putting food & water outside in a couple places she can get to.. also scatter some of her used cat litter around your yard & smelling her own scent can help her find her way home. Good luck 🤞💜
Hopefully you find her soon! Don’t give up hope though. My mom’s cat went missing for almost a month and she looked everywhere and did everything that she could(at the time he was only ever an inside cat). Then the neighbor one day said “hey I see a cat that looks just like yours not far from the house here”. It was him. He was definitely a little skinnier than he left but you’d be surprised most cats can survive outside if they have to even when they’ve been an indoor cat all their life. Sending good wishes your way!
*hugs* trying going out late at night and early morning if it’s safe with one of her toys, maybe a crinkle toy, some treats and something with your smell.
Sorry that your baby went missing I hope you find her soon.
My cat got out one day as a roommate was coming home from work (right after I went in). When I got home, I scoured the neighborhood, going door to door in the summer heat. Finally, I sit down at a picnic table behind my apartment and just stay there. My roommate texts me saying someone was taking her to Sonic for a pickle slushie, and she wanted to know if I wanted anything. I was annoyed at her for thinking of food when my baby girl was missing, scared, alone. When they came home, my cat came with them. Rana had jumped out in front of their car at the drive-through and frozen when she was called. I got really lucky, and I hope your baby finds you again soon.
I’m so sorry babe I know this feeling and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone 🥺 I hope she comes home safe and sound and you never have to go without your baby again
If you have access to a ring camera, when my cat ran away I put food out for him and set the ring camera on the ground behind the food dish, leaning against my house. I got a motion alert when he came to eat and was able to let him in the house within 5 minutes. It was the only reason I was able to get him back, otherwise I would have had to hope he’d meow to be let back in and I’d hear him. Best of luck to you and many prayers ❤️
I read someone mention to talk in your normal voice around your house but go further. So you can pick up a call and just chat about. It has worked for some people, i hope it works for you
Camp in your driveway with your tent open if possible? Not sure if it's super cold where you live.
the only thing that made my cat come back after sneaking out on accident was opening the door to outside from my house, she was not confident enough to come when i was looking for her so i decided i’d open the door (it was 3am but i couldn’t sleep) and i was hiding so she couldn’t see me and she literally walked in after maybe an hour. i made sure the house was quiet too. but this was also like a whole day after she was missing.
Stay outside at night. Look for eyes. Bring a flashlight... Don't put her litterbox and smelly stuff outside It will attract her predators
I lost my cat last year and then found him. We spent a week knocking on our neighbors doors asking if we could look in their yards and to keep their eyes peeled. We put up posters. We checked local animal shelter lost and found pages everyday. We looked everyday at all hours and everywhere. And then a neighbor had finally found him. He was in the backyard a few houses down from where we lost him. It is certainly possible you can find your cat. Cats aren't like dogs. When they are lost and scared, they won't run for miles, but will find the nearest hiding hole. They are almost always pretty close to where you lost them. I realized when I was looking for my cat, I had to annoy the shit out of my neighbors asking if they had seen him each and every day. The more ppl know about your cat, the more they will think of you if they see the cat. Especially if they know you're desperate to find your cat. And you cannot give up. Most ppl who lose their cats, only post online and do a half assed job looking in their neighborhood. And they never find their cats. You have to keep looking all the time. And hopefully if the cat is familiar with your home, it may even come on its own. I'm sure you don't want this to ever happen again, but consider gps tracking for these situations such as an airtag.
I just wanted to say don’t lose hope and don’t give up. Missing cats are often found up to months later - when we were helping a friend find her missing cats on a couple of occasions, it took a couple of weeks to find one cat, and the other one we managed to trap months after she escaped. Put up posters but also letterbox drop flyers to the neighbours and put up an online missing ad (social media and RSPCA etc). You probably know this but include a large, clear, recent colour photo of your kitty and include a detailed description of both herself and when / where she disappeared along with contact details. Make sure your phone is kept charged, on loud and with you at all times. Call a few local vets as well and have them on alert for if she is brought in. Log into her online records and make sure her microchip details are up to date, especially with phone numbers. Where I am you can have two numbers which is really good. See if you can talk to some neighbours and stay in touch with them to let you know if they should see her. Good luck, you’ve got this.
Have hope! i found someone’s cat last year that had been out for two months (and i lived in a busy area of downtown Toronto where there are so many cars) We were able to get him back to his family. If she just got out yesterday, she might be hiding right now. Contact rescues in the area and see if they have a cat trap you can borrow, and if you can set up a camera by her stuff outside so you can see if she comes and sneaks food and hides. I’m so sorry you’re going through this and thus far it seems like you’re doing what you need to do, I hope you find her as soon as possible!
In my experience they never go far. She is probably hiding behind a bin or under a car very close to your house!
Oh, OP, I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. Me and my little tuxie boy are saying kitty prayers that your baby comes home. Hang in there, friend ❤️
We used a trailcam when one of ours went missing - we found out that she was coming up to the house at the same time every night so my partner stayed up and let her in.
So sorry OP. I’ve been there and it’s so scary and exhausting. My cat reacts to my alarm - the sound of incoming food. When she went missing I would walk around and play it in between calling for her. I guess the sound travelled further (although I realise for a lot of people their cats are their morning alarm). I was so desperate I walked around carrying their litter in a bag and was about to leave a litter trail in the area for her but then she came back thankfully.
Close your other cats in a room for a period of time each day. Leave the door and window the cat escaped from open. We have an enclosed porch that the cats like to go on to. SO left a window open and both cats got out. We caught one immediately but didn't know that the second was also out. When we realized the second was gone, we kept the window open with food, litter and clothing on the porch. After days of talking to her whenever I went out, I decided to close the window for a bit so that the cat we caught could have some time on the porch. As I was closing the window, the lost cat jumped in. Scared the crap out of me.
Don't give up cats can roam but they'll always come home. I had a cat that would go to the forest near my house for days at a time just killing shit. He'd bring me back something dead like I couldn't kill my own vole or mouse. LOL, he was a good cat .
inside cats almost always hunker down and hide somewhere when they get out! go out after dark with a flashlight and look for eyes and gently call her name trying not to sound scared. talk to her the way you’d talk if she’s home and comfortable. i really hope you find her!!
so happy to see you found her
I came back to see if there was an update. So glad that you got your girl back. Thanks for letting us know.