Lost cat.

BondiBlue · #1 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 08:18 AM

So a few days ago our indoor cat of 3ish years decides to dash out the door while letting out the dog. He's still gone. The wife and I have put up little "Missing" posters at Petco and the local animal shelter (who also notifies the police and animal control).

My question to all the non-cat haters, how long until he should be replaced? I had a love-hate relationship with this cat. He was kinda mean but I still miss the fact of having him around to yell at. What says you guys on the appropriate amount of time to let said cat attempt to make his way home before replacing him with a nicer version?

jonl9 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 08:55 AM

One does get attached to the animals. We had a chip implanted (simple thing, actually, they inject it with a syringe) with an ID so if it does wander out and somebody takes it in, it can be identified.

Our previous cat wandered out of the house of a caretaking friend while we were travewling once. I don't know how she did it, but three days later she shows up over a mile away at our house. So, give it time, a cat knows which side of the bread it's butter is on and sometimes does come back.

Good luck!!

Jon

Captainmorbid · #3 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 09:51 AM

Bummer Bondi. I love my cats. I don't have any advice about time frame, if you get a new cat and the other one returns, then you have 2 cats!

My cats are chipped too! Wish it was that easy with my car...

neverone99 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 12:09 PM

+1 on the chip.

I would say just wait until the whole family is ready. Then go to your local animal shelter and adopt a cat in need of a home.

Audrey · #5 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 12:36 PM

I'm sorry about your missing cat, but your word choice made me giggle: nicer version. I'd say talk to the wife for her thoughts, but 2 weeks is the longest I've really heard of a cat venturing out and then coming back.

Microchipping is the way to go; so cheap now. The issue is more one of the cat being found and the chip read a lot of times rather than a chip being there or not - I'd guess anyway.

Good luck to you guys Bondi!

BondiBlue · #6 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 12:54 PM

My wife is a vet tech and one of the clinic pet cats left his home and came back 3 months later before being donated to the clinic. I will have written this cat off long before then.

Hope to replace in a month or so with new and improved v2.0.

Even if he comes back, I love cats so I won't mind having 3. I'm getting tired of my fluffy white persian crying non-stop because she doesn't have a playmate.

The clinic my wife works at does all the surgery and such for the animal shelter and humane society so we have no shortage of access to animals. When we were there to hang up a sign for our missing feline I eyed a pair of young black kitties that I wanted...