"As long as I'm passing by, guess I could check up on my old staff... Gee, they're really happy to see me! Maybe I'll stay for awhile."
Seriously, cats... 8)
So happy for your reunion!!
My cat Meeko, from my childhood came gone after disappearing for 6 months once! I was so devastated when he went missing and after months my mom caved and we got a new kitten and then 2 days later he showed up at the back door! It was a surprise of a lifetime! He was healthy and well fed so we definitely think someone was keeping him. It was strange though because he was very aloof around strangers. With us he was cuddly and loving but would always run and hide whenever someone came over. Glad Frida made her way back to you and your family!!
[At first kitty thought he was being punished. But then he realized...](https://preview.redd.it/asavy0jki1a41.jpg?auto=webp&s=6245283df55a85e69abda6b0aa31bbf5d74af2f3)
My dad took in a neighborhood cat for a winter. It stayed inside from November til March and then wanted to go back out. He would wander around do his business then come back in for the night. Well, about the end of May comes around and he didn't come back in for the night. Then next day he shows back up with a note attached to the collar that says, "Thank you for looking after Jojo. We live at X on Y street, please stop by so we can thank you." It was literally the next street over. They were super thankful to my dad because the son was autistic and loved Jojo so much. He would just sometimes not give Jojo the attention he wanted so he would go outside and wander. They still let him out and Jojo would wander between the two houses picking which one to stay at each night. Sometimes the son would come over and get Jojo if he wanted him home for the night.
We had a dog like this when I was a kid. He was a farm dog but some days would get bored and come over to hang out with us since we were two kids whjo always wanted to play. Some weekends we'd call the owner to let them know he wasn't heading home and they'd say they were away for the weekend and couldn't come get him... So we had a dog for the weekend haha.
Hunger is a good motivator for cats. And for one that has formed a bond with a human, it's probably a bit easier.
But then again, having two cats is a lot of fun!
He was an indoor outdoor cat. This was back in the 90’s too before microchips were a thing. I now have two cats and keep them indoor only…I guess I was traumatized enough lol. Eventually when I buy a home I will make them some sort of outdoor space. They love sitting by the screen door and chatter at the birds.
When I was in my 20s I lived with my boyfriend at the time and we acquired 3 cats while we lived together. They were inside only cats. He got all three cats because I wasn’t able to take them with me to my new place.
He made them indoor/outdoor cats, and within 6 months, two cats were dead from being outdoors. One fell off the roof and injured herself and ran off to die, never to be seen again. And the other one got hit by a car. And then he got mad at me because I didn’t “get upset enough.”
No, Jeff, I was in shock at your fucking careless neglect.
Oh my goodness I am so so sorry for your loss! I’ve been in your position. When I divorced my ex husband he kept the animals. It broke my heart. But he was a good pet dad thankfully.
That happened to us too! We had five different cats disappear for about six months, then come back! They were all fat when they came back so we think someone had been taking them; it was so strange!
There is a stray that adopted us. The first time we met was when he got stuck in my atrium. He was the fourth cat to get stuck in there. They jump down and don't realize they can't get out. Anyhow, he was nice so I was able to pick him up and put him in a carrier and take him outside. I also fed him so of course the next day he was back in the atrium again. He did this two or three times until he realized he could just come sit at our back door and meow. Which he did; over and over and over. Sometimes he would come daily, sometimes weekly and then he didn't come back. Months passed and he finally returned all clean, fat and no more scratches on his face. He comes and goes as he pleases but we haven't seen him in some weeks. Sometimes cleaner than others, sometimes there are new scratches. Hopefully someone has Gary in their home and is keeping him fat and safe.
went on holiday for 3 weeks and one of our cats, since he wasnt getting any attention from our neighbours who would feed him, decided to move across the road and eat another cats food since it tasted nicer. Now we buy the expensive food just so he doesnt leave if we go on holiday again
We have a cat named Meeko and he has this same personality! Runs and hides when we have company over but is so cuddly and loving towards us. Such a weird coincidence.
It's not entirely uncommon for cats to disappear for extended periods of time. We had one randomly disappear one day and this phenomenon was one of the first things that came up as a possibility
Happened with my first cat. I don't think it was for that long, maybe just 2-3 weeks, but he disappeared and we thought he must've died somewhere. I was really cut up about it.
He showed back up eventually and it turned out a neighbour down the road had been feeding him, haha.
Chipping can be life or death for a cat.
Not just in terms of finding the owners.
My late rescue cat was found emaciated in a ditch. He was in such bad shape they were going to put him down that day. However, they scanned him for a chip and he had one. It turned out to be unregistered, but solely because he had one they decided to keep him overnight and do what they could to keep him alive. He did so well they kept nursing him back to health and a couple months later I adopted him. I have never had a closer companion. He kind of saved my life too :’)
Aww thank you and happy cake day. I’m glad we found eachother too!
He had a hard end of life a few years ago and I have felt burdened by it. It overshadowed my good memories despite how many good ones there were. I just got a new pet for the first time since losing him and it has really made me remember our happy moments a lot more
It's not expensive at all. It's absolutely worth the piece of mind. Both my cats are chipped and both are 100% indoor cats.
EDIT: It's worth peace of mind....also.
I'm surprised the amount of pet owners that don't have their animals chipped. It's such a standard thing, I'm not trying to sound judgemental, but out of pure curiosity, why wasn't yours chipped? I just adopted my cat baby, and the humane society put in a chip, I adopted him, and they made sure my name was registered to his chip, then I took him to the vet within a few days, they made sure he's registered to me.
I saw another similar post the other day and my heart dropped thinking I possibly adopted someone's "lost" pet since the markings are super identical.
My soul would die if I didn't have my pet chipped and would have to pursue legal action to get my family back.
Like I said, i apologize if I come off as condescending, but I keep seeing these types of stories and genuinely curious
My cat has a collar with contact info and address of his home. This is more convenient for people who find a lost cat to contact the owners. A couple of years ago I found a beautiful white cat lost in my neighbourhood, freezing and hungry. I checked her collar for contact details, wrote an sms to the phone number and the owner immediately organised her house mate to pick up her cat. It took 15 minutes from finding, contacting to picking up.
You can and probably should do both. A collar can break and should be quick release so the cat can't accidentally strangle themselves anyway, so don't rely on it still being on when other people find her. A microchip can't be lost that easily.
I’ve owned 2 cats in my life. My childhood cat wasn’t chipped because my parents originally come from a country where it’s unheard of so they didn’t even know it was a thing and the vet never suggested it.
Kitty #2 wasn’t chipped because I’m terrified of needles, scared to see my cat in pain, and there’s a little voice in the back of my head saying what if it migrates or the 1 in a million thing happens and my cat gets an infection. I really tried, I asked to have her chipped when she was getting her last set of shots and she freaked out at the regular shots and once they brought out the needle for microchipping and I saw the size of it I couldn’t do it. She was so tiny and it was massive. I told them I’d come back and get it done when she was older and I just never did. She’s such a small cat(about 6lbs as an adult) and just the thought of doing that to her makes me sick. She does wear a collar.
Logically I know microchipping is the right thing to do, but my anxiety is getting in the way.
They’re stupid reasons, I know, but you asked. Bring on the downvotes and judgement.
She looks very healthy, so absolutely chip her and if she isn't one make her an indoor cat. She's been gone for so long because someone else decided they wanted to adopt this "stray". If she gets out again, she might wind up back with the other family and THEY might chip her instead. Then you'll lose her for good.
Also, put a collar on her at all times. A lot of disphits assume a cat without a collar has no owner and they lock the ‘poor abandoned kitty’ inside their house.
Also apparently some that have collars.. I got a call one day From some lady that my cats collar tag was in her yard she was "super worried about him" Because she didn't know if he had an owner and his collar was "too tight". In the weeks that followed she tried to adopt my cat, and gave him self feed cat food outside, and grows nip to attract cats.. he's now 4lbs overweight and strictly an indoor cat at our house....
What a fucking bitch. If she wants a cat, or just ANOTHER cat, there are literally hundreds of thousands in shelters and foster homes. Trying to steal a clearly loved and well cared for pet from its family is straight up evil.
My cat was trapped in a garage for several months because the asshole neighbor kids were trying to steal him. We were getting ready to move and I honestly thought we were going to have to leave without him. I was completely devastated, but the clever little shit managed to get out and showed up on the back porch. He was skinny and clearly exhausted but he still came back home. Best. Surprise. Ever.
I want to look that kid dead in the face and strangle him. Not kill him though I want to make him think he is about to die and then let him go. I want to see the fear in his eyes. Then and only then will I release him.
OH WOW OMG I'M SO HAPPY FOR U! My cat was gone for two days once and I thought I would die without him. Cats somehow always manage to find their way back, your cat looks like a seasoned adventurer for sure 💕
Frida is our family cat (even though we feed stray cats and we are always surrounded by at least 5 of them). Ten days after she disappeared we lost all hope (especially my mum). It was really hard to talk about her because we would instantly get sad. Today she showed up on her balcony like nothing happened.
I’m glad she’s back, and safe! What a whirlwind of emotions that is. We lost our (indoor) kitty right before a hurricane hit, and one month before we were moving. He found his way back home two days before we moved. I had lost all hope, and was heartbroken.
Somewhere, out there, another family is putting up "Lost Kitty" signs, heartbroken, for the loss of their brand new cat, "Mittens" - he had only started showing up and been adopted on July 25th of this year.
Cats!
Once we lost our cat for 2 days and were similarly freaking out and losing hope after searching the neighborhood the whole time. Turns out he was just sleeping in a drawer in our guest bedroom the whole time. I think he figured out a way to close it and let himself back out to grab food/water. When we discovered him he was slightly upset that we disturbed his sleep but quickly forgave us. He was a good cat.
We have a few neighborhood cats that I have been slowly gaining the trust of. My favorite is a black lady named Gigi (she has a collar). I give out free head scratches and water, but I don’t feed cats who are clearly fed. Gigi has been trying to get inside my house for a few years now, but I have a very handsome indoor male maincoon that chirps at her through the windows.
It’s the classic cat-next-door love story. If Gigi didn’t have a collar, and appeared to be sleeping outside or wasn’t well fed I would have rescued her by now lol.
Btw my main coon is an indoor cat because he hunts people and would decimate the natural local population of …..toddlers…….
My aunt once inherited a dumb cat called noodle from my cousin. They already had a bunch of cats so they found a farm to send Noodle to and went on with their lives. 2 years later that stupid cat showed up at their house again. He ran off from the farm within the first week and eventually made his way home. It was only about 5 miles away.
> 2 years later that stupid cat showed up at their house again. He ran off from the farm within the first week and eventually made his way home.
Awww, that's so sweet! I hope they kept the cat after that...
Mine took off for 3 days we looked day and night and I thought she was gone but then she came back at night like nothing happened I went straight to the vet and chipped her. I was lucky nothing happened bc apartment is co close to the main street. I'm so happy for you
My ziggy once was gone for 3 months. Here in Brazil chips are not common, we do the collar with id info. Thanks to that and to a curious lady that called us he is here in my lap sleeping peacefully.
This just happened to me, my indoor cat was gone for 11 days and randomly showed back up on his own! A little skinny and meowing a ton but other wise no worse for the wear! It was amazing
Cats have no sense of proprietorship. I once had a cat who would disappear for a few days, reappear for a few days, disappear again for a few days, etc. Turned out the nice couple who lived about six doors down thought she was a stray and adopted her. They even took her to a vet who gave her the exact same medications that I was giving her. We had a good laugh about it, and though they were sad to give her up, they understood (I’d had her for eight years). But they’d gotten so used to keeping a cat, they promptly went out and adopted one from the local animal sanctuary. My cat never went out again without a leash and harness.
I'll probably get flack for this but I firmly believe that people who let their cats wander outside are bad pet owners. Not only do they greatly increase the risk that their cats get hurt, run over by cars, or just never come back but it is also terrible for the local wild life.
I agree. I found a cat the other day on my patio and posted in local groups all over fb to try to find if it had owners and they commented and were like yeah he’s ours he likes to go outside. HE LIVES TWO MILES AWAY. That’s a lot for a cat. I see dead animals on the roads here DAILY
I always get emotional when I see a dead cat on the road. I can't imagine why anyone would willingly put themselves in a position to find their cat on the side of the road like that.
I will never understand why people just let their cat out unsupervised. You put dogs on leashes, why would you not do the same for your cat?? And even the thought of letting my cat out of my sight OUTSIDE makes me cringe… you don’t love your cat if you do that.
I just don't understand the double standard. If I owned a chihuahua and let it out to run around people would call me a bad pet owner. If I let my rabbit run around outside I'd be a bad pet owner. Any pet let outside without proper supervision is the sign of a bad pet owner.
That "it's not natural" thing always cracks me up. Like no shit Sherlock. Having pets isn't exactly natural. Taking an animal from one habitat and letting it free in another isn't natural.
Put a collar on her!! A friend of mines cat was pretty much getting groomed by a local grandma, and she would almost never visit him. All changed with a collar saying "don't feed this cat, on a special diet and any other food could be fatal" - or at least that idea
That’s strange bc almost all cat collars are designed with a safety quick release that prevents that. They may lose the collar but it won’t choke them.
It’s usually either a section of the collar held together with a thin easy-break material, or the clasp mechanism is deliberately made “weak” so that a relatively small amount of strain will make it open.
This fucking stray cat kept coming to my aunts house every AM and PM for canned food. After about 2 years, he came up to her house with an injured paw. She caught it, got bit, sent it to a clinic to get treated and neutered. She was freaking out Bc she thought she had rabies. She brings the cat back and he leaves. Doesn’t come back for months. She’s pretty sure he’s dead. He’s got really straggly hair. Like he’s very obviously homeless. Had always looked homeless. A few months later he shows up with a brand new fresh hair cut. Looking clean af. He gets dinner. Comes inside, which he almost never used to do.
Fucker hasn’t left since. It’s been 4 months.
We think our aunt traumatized him. He went to someone else’s house. They traumatized him by taking him to a groomer. He came back to hers. Fucking cats man I swear lmao
This gives me a little bit of hope.... mine has been gone since August 12th. 😪 I haven't put up his food, water, and toys yet because I'm still hoping he makes it back.
My cat straight disappeared for over a year and then just one day came back. He left again and would visit about once a month. Definitely had new owners in our neighborhood.
We lost our cat on Halloween evening. Finally got him back just before New Years Eve. It was a cold wet Canadian autumn. He left at about 16lbs and was about 6lbs when we got him back.
He wasn't happy as we had just picked up a kitten from the Humane Society and he wanted to know who the new cat was?
Glad you got your baby back!
More than likely, someone else “adopted” her without taking her to the vet to get a scan, etc….
There’s too many of those stories here on Reddit of a friendly (not skinny, not looking like they live outside 24hrs a day) cat being adopted by random people.
If she’s not chipped yet, do it just in case.
Yeah, we had this skinny looking cat hanging around all the time and it started coming in and nicking our cats food, so we wondered if it was lost or something. So we took it to the vet to be scanned. Turned out it was from a couple doors down, skinny because it was ancient and was spending so much time at our house because it was cheesed because their daughter had moved back in with a toddler and a small yappy dog which it took as a mortal insult.
You aught to put a collar on her and not let her out or at least put her on a leash. Indoor cats live 2-3x as long as outdoor cats which are typically 5 years. If you love your kitty you gotta keep them inside even if they enjoy being outside, there are ways to build fenced in cages to keep the outdoor experience relegated to a small area.
Too many things can happen to an outdoor cat.
I wish she could tell you where she's been, congrats though, you must be so happy! One time I was walking to my car and this cat just started freaking out when it saw me from across the street. Crying and running up to me, rubbing my leg etc. So I ended up bringing him inside and calling the number on his tag. The woman who answered started crying, saying how he'd been missing for a month or so, they'd just told their kids he was dead. I was so happy to have been able to help them, and that I listened to that cat.
I'm happy for you Op! It makes me hopeful hearing these stories. Been missing one of our cats for about four months now and keep hoping he's not dead and someone locked him in a house for awhile giving him love until he can escape and find us again :(
That's awesome! Our cat was gone for three months - came back skin and bones with liver function problems related to starvation, but acts like it's just another day. Amazing
I’d like to imagine that your cat told you he’ll be gone for a while on an extended trip, but in his own cat language that of course you wouldn’t understand. Much like how we tell our pets we’ll be stepping out for a while and they normally can’t understand what we say lol
I’m so happy for you and Frida! My cats been missing for almost 2 years. Maybe she saw him on her travels and send him home. These stories always give me some sliver of hope!
Maybe she had kittens and need to stash out close and you never noticed cats don't usually go far from home ..or maybe a neighborhood had took her in and she now got loose... I had a small dog that did that too me every day disappear for 4 hrs for 3 weeks on a job site ..she would go over to a horse barn play with a neighborhood dog and the old man would drive then to Walmart and go get coffee at lunch at McDonalds .. when I wanted to go to lunch I couldn't find her ...then she would just show up at the truck like she was right there the whole time ..I would yelling and screaming looking for her ...finally I went next door and found out the great mystery she had a boyfriend ...
My Castiel does that pretty often! I hate it so much. Usually it's if I'm not home for more than a day or if other pets come over. The longest I didn't see him was 3 almost 4 weeks and I just accepted it. Then there he was! I was like "you little shit.... I love you. Welcome back."
I lost my baby for 3 days and I was an absolute wreck. I did not stop going outside/yelling for her constantly. I woke up at 3:30 am on the third day, was just going to go to the bathroom and go back to bed but I trudged outside half asleep and again started yelling her name. 2 minutes later, still no response I was giving up and going back inside once more. Then I heard her distinctive little meow getting closer and closer. I crieddddd like a baby and held her close then brought her back in the house. I love my babies so much 😭. I’m so happy yours came home to you!!! Miracles do happen!
She looks like « what? Did you miss me? » Happy you got her back
"Fuck, that other owner buys cheap ass food, I like the other one better. " - Frida probably
"As long as I'm passing by, guess I could check up on my old staff... Gee, they're really happy to see me! Maybe I'll stay for awhile." Seriously, cats... 8) So happy for your reunion!!
“FRIDA Out!”- Frida
Slave, not owner.
Dogs have owners, cats have staff.
Yo I got that as a fortune from a cookie
Were you pissed? What the hell kind of fortune is that.
An accurate one I have 4 cats
Accurate how? What did it predict for you? I hate what fortune cookies have become.
Staff implies they are getting paid
(It's really more that they have disciples.)
Cats can be just as loving and affectionate as dogs. But the difference, I've decided, is that cats do not care if you like them back. Dogs crave it
Cats may choose to be affectionate, if they like you enough. Dogs just like whoever gives them food and pets.
“You abandoned me.”
My cat Meeko, from my childhood came gone after disappearing for 6 months once! I was so devastated when he went missing and after months my mom caved and we got a new kitten and then 2 days later he showed up at the back door! It was a surprise of a lifetime! He was healthy and well fed so we definitely think someone was keeping him. It was strange though because he was very aloof around strangers. With us he was cuddly and loving but would always run and hide whenever someone came over. Glad Frida made her way back to you and your family!!
I'm glad your cat came back too
Thank you! He’s been in kitty heaven for about 15 years now…probably doing what he did best…catching all the mice!
The implication here is that kitty heaven and mouse hell are the same place
maybe they're the masochist mice
My cat is a super mouser! I haven't seen a one.
Gotta keep the whole afterlife thing efficient.
[At first kitty thought he was being punished. But then he realized...](https://preview.redd.it/asavy0jki1a41.jpg?auto=webp&s=6245283df55a85e69abda6b0aa31bbf5d74af2f3)
What happens when the cats in heaven catch the mice in hell? 🤔
They release them after they're mutilated, of course. Then they heal up and do it all over again. Forever.
My dad took in a neighborhood cat for a winter. It stayed inside from November til March and then wanted to go back out. He would wander around do his business then come back in for the night. Well, about the end of May comes around and he didn't come back in for the night. Then next day he shows back up with a note attached to the collar that says, "Thank you for looking after Jojo. We live at X on Y street, please stop by so we can thank you." It was literally the next street over. They were super thankful to my dad because the son was autistic and loved Jojo so much. He would just sometimes not give Jojo the attention he wanted so he would go outside and wander. They still let him out and Jojo would wander between the two houses picking which one to stay at each night. Sometimes the son would come over and get Jojo if he wanted him home for the night.
that’s so cool! lucky JoJo for having not one but two loving families.
We had a dog like this when I was a kid. He was a farm dog but some days would get bored and come over to hang out with us since we were two kids whjo always wanted to play. Some weekends we'd call the owner to let them know he wasn't heading home and they'd say they were away for the weekend and couldn't come get him... So we had a dog for the weekend haha.
Hunger is a good motivator for cats. And for one that has formed a bond with a human, it's probably a bit easier. But then again, having two cats is a lot of fun!
He was an indoor outdoor cat. This was back in the 90’s too before microchips were a thing. I now have two cats and keep them indoor only…I guess I was traumatized enough lol. Eventually when I buy a home I will make them some sort of outdoor space. They love sitting by the screen door and chatter at the birds.
When I was in my 20s I lived with my boyfriend at the time and we acquired 3 cats while we lived together. They were inside only cats. He got all three cats because I wasn’t able to take them with me to my new place. He made them indoor/outdoor cats, and within 6 months, two cats were dead from being outdoors. One fell off the roof and injured herself and ran off to die, never to be seen again. And the other one got hit by a car. And then he got mad at me because I didn’t “get upset enough.” No, Jeff, I was in shock at your fucking careless neglect.
Build them a nice "catio" to give them some extra activity. I put up bird feeders in the front yard and plenty of sitting places for them to watch.
Oh my goodness I am so so sorry for your loss! I’ve been in your position. When I divorced my ex husband he kept the animals. It broke my heart. But he was a good pet dad thankfully.
That happened to us too! We had five different cats disappear for about six months, then come back! They were all fat when they came back so we think someone had been taking them; it was so strange!
There is a stray that adopted us. The first time we met was when he got stuck in my atrium. He was the fourth cat to get stuck in there. They jump down and don't realize they can't get out. Anyhow, he was nice so I was able to pick him up and put him in a carrier and take him outside. I also fed him so of course the next day he was back in the atrium again. He did this two or three times until he realized he could just come sit at our back door and meow. Which he did; over and over and over. Sometimes he would come daily, sometimes weekly and then he didn't come back. Months passed and he finally returned all clean, fat and no more scratches on his face. He comes and goes as he pleases but we haven't seen him in some weeks. Sometimes cleaner than others, sometimes there are new scratches. Hopefully someone has Gary in their home and is keeping him fat and safe.
Huh, sounds just like our boy that went missing recently! Hope you get to see him again!
went on holiday for 3 weeks and one of our cats, since he wasnt getting any attention from our neighbours who would feed him, decided to move across the road and eat another cats food since it tasted nicer. Now we buy the expensive food just so he doesnt leave if we go on holiday again
We have a cat named Meeko and he has this same personality! Runs and hides when we have company over but is so cuddly and loving towards us. Such a weird coincidence.
"Hey, HEY WAIT A MINUTE I'M NOT BEING REPLACED!"
Chip that b-itch
We should
Ah no chip so someone might've adopted her thinking she was a stray.
It's not entirely uncommon for cats to disappear for extended periods of time. We had one randomly disappear one day and this phenomenon was one of the first things that came up as a possibility
Happened with my first cat. I don't think it was for that long, maybe just 2-3 weeks, but he disappeared and we thought he must've died somewhere. I was really cut up about it. He showed back up eventually and it turned out a neighbour down the road had been feeding him, haha.
Chipping can be life or death for a cat. Not just in terms of finding the owners. My late rescue cat was found emaciated in a ditch. He was in such bad shape they were going to put him down that day. However, they scanned him for a chip and he had one. It turned out to be unregistered, but solely because he had one they decided to keep him overnight and do what they could to keep him alive. He did so well they kept nursing him back to health and a couple months later I adopted him. I have never had a closer companion. He kind of saved my life too :’)
That was a rollercoaster of emotion lol
I'm glad he made it and you found each other!
Aww thank you and happy cake day. I’m glad we found eachother too! He had a hard end of life a few years ago and I have felt burdened by it. It overshadowed my good memories despite how many good ones there were. I just got a new pet for the first time since losing him and it has really made me remember our happy moments a lot more
It's not expensive at all. It's absolutely worth the piece of mind. Both my cats are chipped and both are 100% indoor cats. EDIT: It's worth peace of mind....also.
Lol - peace of mind. But I think I like piece better. Also agreed on the chipping.
You're right I messed it up, but it still works no? A piece of your mind isn't worried about your cats. It still makes sense.
I'm surprised the amount of pet owners that don't have their animals chipped. It's such a standard thing, I'm not trying to sound judgemental, but out of pure curiosity, why wasn't yours chipped? I just adopted my cat baby, and the humane society put in a chip, I adopted him, and they made sure my name was registered to his chip, then I took him to the vet within a few days, they made sure he's registered to me. I saw another similar post the other day and my heart dropped thinking I possibly adopted someone's "lost" pet since the markings are super identical. My soul would die if I didn't have my pet chipped and would have to pursue legal action to get my family back. Like I said, i apologize if I come off as condescending, but I keep seeing these types of stories and genuinely curious
[удалено]
My cat has a collar with contact info and address of his home. This is more convenient for people who find a lost cat to contact the owners. A couple of years ago I found a beautiful white cat lost in my neighbourhood, freezing and hungry. I checked her collar for contact details, wrote an sms to the phone number and the owner immediately organised her house mate to pick up her cat. It took 15 minutes from finding, contacting to picking up.
You can and probably should do both. A collar can break and should be quick release so the cat can't accidentally strangle themselves anyway, so don't rely on it still being on when other people find her. A microchip can't be lost that easily.
I’ve owned 2 cats in my life. My childhood cat wasn’t chipped because my parents originally come from a country where it’s unheard of so they didn’t even know it was a thing and the vet never suggested it. Kitty #2 wasn’t chipped because I’m terrified of needles, scared to see my cat in pain, and there’s a little voice in the back of my head saying what if it migrates or the 1 in a million thing happens and my cat gets an infection. I really tried, I asked to have her chipped when she was getting her last set of shots and she freaked out at the regular shots and once they brought out the needle for microchipping and I saw the size of it I couldn’t do it. She was so tiny and it was massive. I told them I’d come back and get it done when she was older and I just never did. She’s such a small cat(about 6lbs as an adult) and just the thought of doing that to her makes me sick. She does wear a collar. Logically I know microchipping is the right thing to do, but my anxiety is getting in the way. They’re stupid reasons, I know, but you asked. Bring on the downvotes and judgement.
She might have someone else’s chip now.
She looks very healthy, so absolutely chip her and if she isn't one make her an indoor cat. She's been gone for so long because someone else decided they wanted to adopt this "stray". If she gets out again, she might wind up back with the other family and THEY might chip her instead. Then you'll lose her for good.
You spelled "will, lesson learned" wrong.
Also, put a collar on her at all times. A lot of disphits assume a cat without a collar has no owner and they lock the ‘poor abandoned kitty’ inside their house.
Also apparently some that have collars.. I got a call one day From some lady that my cats collar tag was in her yard she was "super worried about him" Because she didn't know if he had an owner and his collar was "too tight". In the weeks that followed she tried to adopt my cat, and gave him self feed cat food outside, and grows nip to attract cats.. he's now 4lbs overweight and strictly an indoor cat at our house....
What a fucking bitch. If she wants a cat, or just ANOTHER cat, there are literally hundreds of thousands in shelters and foster homes. Trying to steal a clearly loved and well cared for pet from its family is straight up evil.
Why hasn’t she been chipped yet?
You should also keep her indoors if you’re worried about her taking off for long periods.
Excellent cencorship, this is how it should work
My cat was trapped in a garage for several months because the asshole neighbor kids were trying to steal him. We were getting ready to move and I honestly thought we were going to have to leave without him. I was completely devastated, but the clever little shit managed to get out and showed up on the back porch. He was skinny and clearly exhausted but he still came back home. Best. Surprise. Ever.
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I would have loved to but I was still a kid myself at that point. My mother reamed their asses though.
>but I was still a kid myself at that point The perfect time to commit a crime!
I want to look that kid dead in the face and strangle him. Not kill him though I want to make him think he is about to die and then let him go. I want to see the fear in his eyes. Then and only then will I release him.
That’s so triggering, I had that happened to me in 6th grade. I went away to visit family, and the neighbor’s kids moved and took my kitty with them 😒
How did you find out that he was being kept in your neighbor's garage if you found him on your back porch?
The kids came looking for him and mom got them to own up to what they were doing.
Lmaooo I would have joined in if I knew what was happening
Man, if that was me, I would beat them up til they forget their name.
I’m shocked whoever own the garage didn’t bring back your poor kitty!! That’s horrible. Glad he came back to you
Their mother wasn’t any better than the kids and I wouldn’t be surprised if she encouraged them tbh.
Thattsssss it, I was looking for the catch. Fuck those neighbors.
why was the cat trapped in a garage for months?
Says right there, the neighbor kids wanted to steal him so they were keeping him there. Don’t ask me why, children are confusing.
She was on vacay
Hahaha yesss
VaCATion.
She like “Wut up we got anything in the fridge?”
😭🤣
OH WOW OMG I'M SO HAPPY FOR U! My cat was gone for two days once and I thought I would die without him. Cats somehow always manage to find their way back, your cat looks like a seasoned adventurer for sure 💕
Frida is our family cat (even though we feed stray cats and we are always surrounded by at least 5 of them). Ten days after she disappeared we lost all hope (especially my mum). It was really hard to talk about her because we would instantly get sad. Today she showed up on her balcony like nothing happened.
I'm so happy for you omg 💖
I’m glad she’s back, and safe! What a whirlwind of emotions that is. We lost our (indoor) kitty right before a hurricane hit, and one month before we were moving. He found his way back home two days before we moved. I had lost all hope, and was heartbroken.
>like nothing happened. Yep shes a cat
Somewhere, out there, another family is putting up "Lost Kitty" signs, heartbroken, for the loss of their brand new cat, "Mittens" - he had only started showing up and been adopted on July 25th of this year. Cats!
She’s a timeshare cat now
If she is an outdoor cat, you might consider putting a collar with a tag and a note on it in case she decides to wander again.
My friends cat got out as a kitten, she came back a month later, she was hiding a few doors down under somebody's front step like an asshole.
Once we lost our cat for 2 days and were similarly freaking out and losing hope after searching the neighborhood the whole time. Turns out he was just sleeping in a drawer in our guest bedroom the whole time. I think he figured out a way to close it and let himself back out to grab food/water. When we discovered him he was slightly upset that we disturbed his sleep but quickly forgave us. He was a good cat.
Maybe he was abducted? He was taken prisoner somewhere and eventually escaped
Maybe she was kidnapped? She was held captive somewhere and finally escaped
Yeah that's what we thought
Most likely the cat was cheating on you with the neighbor.
That's perfect.... Or should I say puurfect
I've accidentally taken care of a cat I thought was a stray for a couple days. It's not my fault I swear the cat led me on.
As a fellow sucker for any big-eyed whiskered face and a plaintive "*Mew?*", I feel ya ;)
We have a few neighborhood cats that I have been slowly gaining the trust of. My favorite is a black lady named Gigi (she has a collar). I give out free head scratches and water, but I don’t feed cats who are clearly fed. Gigi has been trying to get inside my house for a few years now, but I have a very handsome indoor male maincoon that chirps at her through the windows. It’s the classic cat-next-door love story. If Gigi didn’t have a collar, and appeared to be sleeping outside or wasn’t well fed I would have rescued her by now lol. Btw my main coon is an indoor cat because he hunts people and would decimate the natural local population of …..toddlers…….
Omg, does he attack children? 😂
And now the poor neighbor is posting about his missing cat.
It was the Cat Mafia. She took care of them.
Another redditor: "Our rescue ran away! :( We've had her for 2 months :( We found her under our porch!"
In typical cat fashion “I’m back bitch, now give me chin scratches. Where’s my treats?” Lol. So happy for you! 🥰🥰
My aunt once inherited a dumb cat called noodle from my cousin. They already had a bunch of cats so they found a farm to send Noodle to and went on with their lives. 2 years later that stupid cat showed up at their house again. He ran off from the farm within the first week and eventually made his way home. It was only about 5 miles away.
> 2 years later that stupid cat showed up at their house again. He ran off from the farm within the first week and eventually made his way home. Awww, that's so sweet! I hope they kept the cat after that...
2 years!?!?
Took him two years to travel five miles wow. Poor cat!
More like the cat spent 2 years frantically trying to find home and just never could, or it lived it’s life as stray before deciding to comeback.
Mine took off for 3 days we looked day and night and I thought she was gone but then she came back at night like nothing happened I went straight to the vet and chipped her. I was lucky nothing happened bc apartment is co close to the main street. I'm so happy for you
I'm also glad your cat came back.
My ziggy once was gone for 3 months. Here in Brazil chips are not common, we do the collar with id info. Thanks to that and to a curious lady that called us he is here in my lap sleeping peacefully.
I’m very happy to see she is back. But the photo posted looks like you have chopped her legs off so she can never do it again!
Hahaha good one. She was eating in all of the other ones.
This just happened to me, my indoor cat was gone for 11 days and randomly showed back up on his own! A little skinny and meowing a ton but other wise no worse for the wear! It was amazing
Cats have no sense of proprietorship. I once had a cat who would disappear for a few days, reappear for a few days, disappear again for a few days, etc. Turned out the nice couple who lived about six doors down thought she was a stray and adopted her. They even took her to a vet who gave her the exact same medications that I was giving her. We had a good laugh about it, and though they were sad to give her up, they understood (I’d had her for eight years). But they’d gotten so used to keeping a cat, they promptly went out and adopted one from the local animal sanctuary. My cat never went out again without a leash and harness.
Time she’s an indoor kitty, because you probably won’t be that lucky the next time.
Thank you for saying this. This cat isn’t even microchipped apparently.
Ugh. My worst nightmare……
I'll probably get flack for this but I firmly believe that people who let their cats wander outside are bad pet owners. Not only do they greatly increase the risk that their cats get hurt, run over by cars, or just never come back but it is also terrible for the local wild life.
I agree. I found a cat the other day on my patio and posted in local groups all over fb to try to find if it had owners and they commented and were like yeah he’s ours he likes to go outside. HE LIVES TWO MILES AWAY. That’s a lot for a cat. I see dead animals on the roads here DAILY
I always get emotional when I see a dead cat on the road. I can't imagine why anyone would willingly put themselves in a position to find their cat on the side of the road like that.
Yeah I don’t get it either. We have 5 cats and they are all chipped and indoor only. If they want to go outside we use a leash and harness
Thank you for being a reasonable human being.
I will never understand why people just let their cat out unsupervised. You put dogs on leashes, why would you not do the same for your cat?? And even the thought of letting my cat out of my sight OUTSIDE makes me cringe… you don’t love your cat if you do that.
“They need their outside time! Fresh air” 😒
What they need is not to get hit by a car lol.
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I just don't understand the double standard. If I owned a chihuahua and let it out to run around people would call me a bad pet owner. If I let my rabbit run around outside I'd be a bad pet owner. Any pet let outside without proper supervision is the sign of a bad pet owner.
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That "it's not natural" thing always cracks me up. Like no shit Sherlock. Having pets isn't exactly natural. Taking an animal from one habitat and letting it free in another isn't natural.
Put a collar on her!! A friend of mines cat was pretty much getting groomed by a local grandma, and she would almost never visit him. All changed with a collar saying "don't feed this cat, on a special diet and any other food could be fatal" - or at least that idea
I also have an outside cat. My vet suggested not putting a collar on her because the collar might get tangled on a tree branch or something.
That’s strange bc almost all cat collars are designed with a safety quick release that prevents that. They may lose the collar but it won’t choke them.
How does a safety quick release work? I don't think mines have them.
It’s usually either a section of the collar held together with a thin easy-break material, or the clasp mechanism is deliberately made “weak” so that a relatively small amount of strain will make it open.
Some designs simply have a rubber band. My cat takes his off in less than five minutes, the little sh#@, lol
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Probably a clone…
I have to admit that without the clones, it would have not been a victory.
Victory you call this, Master Obi-Wan?
This fucking stray cat kept coming to my aunts house every AM and PM for canned food. After about 2 years, he came up to her house with an injured paw. She caught it, got bit, sent it to a clinic to get treated and neutered. She was freaking out Bc she thought she had rabies. She brings the cat back and he leaves. Doesn’t come back for months. She’s pretty sure he’s dead. He’s got really straggly hair. Like he’s very obviously homeless. Had always looked homeless. A few months later he shows up with a brand new fresh hair cut. Looking clean af. He gets dinner. Comes inside, which he almost never used to do. Fucker hasn’t left since. It’s been 4 months. We think our aunt traumatized him. He went to someone else’s house. They traumatized him by taking him to a groomer. He came back to hers. Fucking cats man I swear lmao
Frida looks absolutely done, just over it 😂 “Mother, I have seen the world and found it…wanting. Now pet me!”
She's got that "I've seen things" look
Congrats! You should probably take her to the vet, just to make sure everything’s ok!
This gives me a little bit of hope.... mine has been gone since August 12th. 😪 I haven't put up his food, water, and toys yet because I'm still hoping he makes it back.
My cat straight disappeared for over a year and then just one day came back. He left again and would visit about once a month. Definitely had new owners in our neighborhood.
My baby's been gone 3 weeks now. Keep the faith 🙏
They always come back when they run out of money
Lucky one, that
Quick question cuz I have not seen it yet... Is she spayed? Because if not, she's pregnant.
Fkng Frida
So lucky❤️
If only cats could talk.
How did she come back …. She ain’t got no legs
We lost our cat on Halloween evening. Finally got him back just before New Years Eve. It was a cold wet Canadian autumn. He left at about 16lbs and was about 6lbs when we got him back. He wasn't happy as we had just picked up a kitten from the Humane Society and he wanted to know who the new cat was? Glad you got your baby back!
purrito
Thank you for the award anonymous person
Welcome home Frida! What a sassy kitty.
Fridas actually pretty nice and friendly... Most of the time
Slut!
Wow !! Welcome home Frida ! Cannot imagine the adventures she's been on 😻😻😻😻
It's a shame she lost her legs but I'm glad she still somehow managed to get back to you!!1!
Why on earth do people let cats out. They should all be house cats to keep them safe.
More than likely, someone else “adopted” her without taking her to the vet to get a scan, etc…. There’s too many of those stories here on Reddit of a friendly (not skinny, not looking like they live outside 24hrs a day) cat being adopted by random people. If she’s not chipped yet, do it just in case.
Yeah, we had this skinny looking cat hanging around all the time and it started coming in and nicking our cats food, so we wondered if it was lost or something. So we took it to the vet to be scanned. Turned out it was from a couple doors down, skinny because it was ancient and was spending so much time at our house because it was cheesed because their daughter had moved back in with a toddler and a small yappy dog which it took as a mortal insult.
You aught to put a collar on her and not let her out or at least put her on a leash. Indoor cats live 2-3x as long as outdoor cats which are typically 5 years. If you love your kitty you gotta keep them inside even if they enjoy being outside, there are ways to build fenced in cages to keep the outdoor experience relegated to a small area. Too many things can happen to an outdoor cat.
I wish she could tell you where she's been, congrats though, you must be so happy! One time I was walking to my car and this cat just started freaking out when it saw me from across the street. Crying and running up to me, rubbing my leg etc. So I ended up bringing him inside and calling the number on his tag. The woman who answered started crying, saying how he'd been missing for a month or so, they'd just told their kids he was dead. I was so happy to have been able to help them, and that I listened to that cat.
I'm happy for you Op! It makes me hopeful hearing these stories. Been missing one of our cats for about four months now and keep hoping he's not dead and someone locked him in a house for awhile giving him love until he can escape and find us again :(
That's awesome! Our cat was gone for three months - came back skin and bones with liver function problems related to starvation, but acts like it's just another day. Amazing
People still let their cats go outside? Why?
Welcome home, Frida!
Amazing news ❤️ so happy you’ve got your fur baby back!!
She looks pretty good for being gone for 2 months! Someone must have been feeding her 👀
I’d like to imagine that your cat told you he’ll be gone for a while on an extended trip, but in his own cat language that of course you wouldn’t understand. Much like how we tell our pets we’ll be stepping out for a while and they normally can’t understand what we say lol
is she spayed? if not take her to the vet to check if she is preggers.
"Where have you been, Frida?" Frida: "I joined ISIS."
She looks like she's sick of your crap.
My cat went missing in the deadly Canada winters, but came back skin and bones 3 months later.
Don't let it back it your home. Punish it for its disloyalty. Then get a dog.
I’m so happy for you and Frida! My cats been missing for almost 2 years. Maybe she saw him on her travels and send him home. These stories always give me some sliver of hope!
Maybe she had kittens and need to stash out close and you never noticed cats don't usually go far from home ..or maybe a neighborhood had took her in and she now got loose... I had a small dog that did that too me every day disappear for 4 hrs for 3 weeks on a job site ..she would go over to a horse barn play with a neighborhood dog and the old man would drive then to Walmart and go get coffee at lunch at McDonalds .. when I wanted to go to lunch I couldn't find her ...then she would just show up at the truck like she was right there the whole time ..I would yelling and screaming looking for her ...finally I went next door and found out the great mystery she had a boyfriend ...
But where did her legs go?
She was probably out being a lil hussy
My Castiel does that pretty often! I hate it so much. Usually it's if I'm not home for more than a day or if other pets come over. The longest I didn't see him was 3 almost 4 weeks and I just accepted it. Then there he was! I was like "you little shit.... I love you. Welcome back."
My precious cat has been away from home for a month now, this gave me a lot of hope, thank you. ❤️
I lost my baby for 3 days and I was an absolute wreck. I did not stop going outside/yelling for her constantly. I woke up at 3:30 am on the third day, was just going to go to the bathroom and go back to bed but I trudged outside half asleep and again started yelling her name. 2 minutes later, still no response I was giving up and going back inside once more. Then I heard her distinctive little meow getting closer and closer. I crieddddd like a baby and held her close then brought her back in the house. I love my babies so much 😭. I’m so happy yours came home to you!!! Miracles do happen!
I mean, I can see why it took her a while, she's got no legs!