Ok so I have had my cat "Cassie" since I was 7yrs old - she is my baby. She is now 14yrs and is always stuck to me like glue. Waits for me to get home and is always asleep on my bed and never venture far from our house whilst outside.

All of a sudden she has just vanished.

We have a load of house opposite to where live that belong to the arm and they have all be posted abroad and the removal vans have been coming and going like there is no tomorrow. The last two were there Friday & Saturday. Cassie was last since Friday afternoon.

I have been on the phone to the removal company who are doing a search through all the lorries that have arrived abroad and left between Friday & Sunday. If she is not found I am going to phone the army and get them to come down and open up all the vacent house, garages & sheds to make sure she has not been locked in them by mistake.

But if she does not turn up what do you think I should do? And what do you think could have happened. Bearing in mind she is old and I am worried sick. Do cats do this when they are old? Just disappear even if they have never done this before and are very homely??

Sometimes cats DO prefer to be alone when they die. I've seen it twice myself (finding my deceased cat after it died) - and have heard of it before.

But I wouldn't assume so yet. Keep some food out for her and keep walking the neighborhood calling - and listening carefully - for her.

I hope she turns up, DJ!

I am hoping & praying she is still alive. My gut feeling tells me she is. I have been on the phone all morning whilst at work and my mum has been looking some more whilst at home. The RSPCA & our local vets have taken her details and are putting notices up for us to. I am going to go out and check all the quiet places I can think of that she may have gone just in case something has happened to her. It's the not knowing that's the hard part.

Thank you so much for you help & support as always x

This is from experience. When cats get sick, or older because 14 years is very good age for a cat. Cats do hide, or just want to be left alone when they are sick. There are very finicky creatures and I do think when they do not have control over something they get scared. I think that is one of the reasons they hide because they know something is wrong and yes they just want to be left alone. I hope you are able to find your cat, and sorry to hear about your loved pet being missing. I know what it is like to have an animal so long. My uncle had two cats that one lived for 23 years and the other 18 years. My own puppy lasted for 18 years but at the end they were really sick. It is sad, because they do become part of the family and it is hard to let go. I pray that you will be able to find your cat.