How to Find Your Lost Cat

Few things are more alarming to pet lovers than discovering a cherished pet is missing. However, acting quickly and rationally is the best way to ensure that your beloved feline comes home as soon as possible.

The good news is that when the cat disappears there
are a number of constructive steps that can be taken to get the kitty home. In
my years of experience I have only known two cats to vanish off the face of
the earth, in many cases I have recovered cats that were missing for weeks
or even months. The big secret is to be persistent and don't give up hope.
So long as the cat's fate is unknown there is always the possibility the
cat will return. I knew someone whose cat returned after an absence
of eleven years. While this is obviously an unusual case, it illustrates the point that one should never give up hope.

The first thing to remember is that the typical cat is a very
resourceful animal. When injured or badly frightened they will hide,
often for days or weeks. After the great Oakland Hills fire of 1990 that
destroyed over 2000 homes it was at first thought that most or all of the
cats left behind had perished. Then starting about 2 weeks after the fire
dozens of cats emerged from sewers and other hiding holes where they had
taken shelter, coming out only when hunger and thirst left them no option.
A cat's ability to survive adversity should not be underestimated.

The mother cat offers her kittens’ best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you can. The best food for the kittens is their mother’s milk. Remove the kittens only if they are in immediate, grave danger.

The mother cat offers her newborn kittens their best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you safely can for her to return before removing them.

If mom returns and the area is relatively safe, leave the kittens alone with mom until they are weaned. You can offer a shelter and regular food to mom, but keep the food and shelter at a distance from each other. Mom will find the food but will not accept your shelter if the food is nearby, because she will not want to attract other cats to food located near her nest.

Six weeks is the optimal age to take the kittens from the mother for socialization and adoption placement, and any time after eight weeks for Trap-Neuter-Return (spay/neuter, vaccination, eartip, and return to their colony). Female cats can become pregnant with a new litter even while they are still nursing, so don’t forget to get the mother cat spayed or you will have more kittens soon! Learn how to socialize kittens and how to successfully trap a mom and her kittens.

Thanks,
Allion

Hi, Allion,

While some kittens suck on things because they were taken away from Mom too soon, I think the fact that your kitten is half Siamese is also very significant.

Siamese cats are known for being "wool-suckers".
It's genetic and difficult to change. There are some things you can try.

Try to remove temptation. You did not say what he is sucking on, but if it includes socks, blankets, other clothing, anything made of wool, but other fabrics as well, then you need to keep fabrics away from him as much as possible. Even if there are items you would "allow" him to chew or suck on, there is a danger of his suffering from an intestinal obstruction from thread or pieces of the material.

Sometimes, safe toys that can be chewed on, but are fairly indestructible, can be helpful. Providing your cat with plenty of toys to chew on may prevent him from going for your important clothes or other fabrics and may be safer for him.

Against my better judgment, I decided to adopt him. I was SO excited. He looked even more charming with one eye. I am a sucker for less-than-perfect animals.

Paul Rudd picked up right where he left off. Still adorable, he became increasingly aggressive. I bought many toys and tried to tire him out. I shook a penny-filled can at him to get him off me when he attached himself to my leg with his claws. My arms were covered in scratches. He consistently drew blood. He thought my entire body (including my head) was a playground at night. He meowed constantly while I tried to sleep (he stayed in my room at night so he couldn’t bother my roommates). He destroyed a pair of my roommate’s shoes. Even a veterinarian friend of mine was scared of him and told me he was extremely aggressive.

Don't look for the perfect cat - What I mean by this is stop looking for the cat that looks perfect. There so many cats that appear less-than-perfect that may be older, have a few health issues, are shy or maybe they black (they take the longest time to find homes) or look "different." These less than perfect cats on the surface may be the perfect cat for you.

Plaid and Tweed are a bonded pair that want to be adopted together. They are with Precious Pets Almost Home.

He placed her on the floor next to her brother and we left the room to view the property and their other Maine Coons (some for breeding/showing and a couple of rescues). It was the first time I had seen a Maine Coon in the flesh! I was mesmerised and in awe! They were more majestic and intoxicating than I could have imagined.

Fast forward to last weekend.
I borrow a carrier from a friend and head off to collect my princess! It was the longest 30km drive of my life! When we eventually get there. I bound out of the car, carrier in hand, forgetting my fiancé and children, and knock on the door!

The police did tell me not to mention the value of the cat and I think that is good advice.

So for those of you have read this far, make a plan now on what you'd do if something like this happened to you. I know I was so panicked
that had I not had my daughter Wendy, our friends Jo and Cherry and all the friends Wendy called to help us formulate a plan I would not have been able to come up with all these ideas on how to get Kopi back.

While I just wanted to lie down and cry I do believe it was best that I continually walked down to the desk to ask what they'd done. It let them know I wasn't just going to go away.

Another suggestion: if your new residence had a cat living there previously, it recommended that you have the carpets, drapes, etc thoroughly cleaned before bringing your cat into the new environment.

now, i want to get her back. but those things i think about, make me hesitate so much.. please i need your reply asap! thank you soo much in advance