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pengwenjen · Sep 20, 2012, 12:15 PM

To make a long story short, I moved from an apartment in Iowa to a mobile home in Nebraska the beginning of June. I took in a stray cat who I didn't know was pregnant and decided to keep her and one of her kittens after she had them. Before I could get Pengwen, (the stray I took in) spayed, I babysit a neighbors cat and she became pregnant again. I thought the cat I was babysitting was neutered. Pengwen had one single male kitten. I kept him as well and named him Tinkers. My two cats Jack and Meg had been with me quite awhile. So, those are my 5 cats. I moved here in June and have a nice enclosed deck and which I set up for the cats as a play area and they can also see outside partially. All of cats are like my kids and they all get along great. Well, my cat Mochie had been begging to go outside after I let my oldest boy Jack out with me a few times. She would sit by the door and sneak out when I opened it, but she always came right back or stayed under my porch or deck. Well, I recently took in 2 stray kittens I had been feeding to foster them and my other cats did not care for them but everything was going OK. Last Friday night/early Sat morning (it is now Thursday afternoon), I let Mochie out to play with a kitten who had been coming around and she came back in. I was going to keep her in but she was insistent so I thought I would let her one more time before I went to bed. I always call and make sure she is right here. This last time, she never came home. I always keep food and water out for the outside cats, which there are quite a few of here. I don't know what to do. She is microchipped with my current phone number but no collar. I just don't understand why she never came home. I am worried because as I was searching, ( I am in a fairly small town of 6000 near Omaha) and am near a lot of cornfields and gravel roads) I came across two dead cats right near my mobile home park. I never go that way, so ddi not see them. One was black and the other calico. Thank God the black one wasn't mine. But, I posted flyers here on the mailbox and posts as well as the front door to the dumpster offering $100 reward. I also posted on Craigs List. I have had no replies yet, but I still call and walk every night and drive in the day. The animal shelter does not have her. I am sorry this is so long but I am heartbroken. Has this ever happened to anyone? She is the most loving cat and I am sure she knows where her home is. I am worried because I found the dead cats earlier and it seemed odd that they were right across from each other. I am praying that people aren't hurting cats here intentionally . There was anoter black cat lying dead a few weeks ago on the same road down the street. But, there are several cats roaming here who have been here since June and even more now, yet none are black. Can anyone help me? The animal control officer here does not like cats. She made that clear when I asked about a neuter/spay program for the ones around here. All of mine are spayed/neutered and microchipped. I just don't know what to do. I feel that I have tried everything. Has this happened and has anyone's cat come home after being gone this long? Please help! I feel sick because I knew better than to let her out. I have never let my cats out.

pengwenjen · Sep 20, 2012, 12:22 PM

I failed to mention that the stray I took in was at my old apartment. My cat who is missing, Mochie, was born there June 21st 2010.I have had her for 2 yrs. 3 months. I moved here in June of this year.

Sovereignty · Oct 1, 2012, 06:09 AM

Unfortunately you never know what will happen when a pet is missing. My mother runs a rescue group and we were given a cat who was wandering a golf course. We took the cat to the vet and he had a microchip. The Vet Nurse called his owners, who had forgotten about him (poor baby!), but they apparently had him until he was about 6 months old (When he went missing) and now he is a 3 year old cat. He has now gone to a good home with people who will love him for the rest of his life.

And this is not the only cat who we have had that has been found much later.

The chances of your cat wandering back home are still pretty good, but the longer it takes the further out you should look. Cats are recommended to stay inside their new home for about a week (min) for cats. I would start to speed out your search to about an hour away from home if they don't come back themselves or are found locally (give a few weeks before you think about going that far (they can wonder rather far away given a lot of time!)).

Another option would be to call local vets, call you vet first, they might have a good idea where cats may get pick up from, and ask about if they know of any people who feed strays (your cat might find some food there), look at parks (safe places where a cat can hide)... If the Vets in America are anything like the Vets in Australia they will be helpful, they might even post up a missing cat poster in the clinic.

Sovereignty · Oct 1, 2012, 06:09 AM

Unfortunately you never know what will happen when a pet is missing. My mother runs a rescue group and we were given a cat who was wandering a golf course. We took the cat to the vet and he had a microchip. The Vet Nurse called his owners, who had forgotten about him (poor baby!), but they apparently had him until he was about 6 months old (When he went missing) and now he is a 3 year old cat. He has now gone to a good home with people who will love him for the rest of his life.

And this is not the only cat who we have had that has been found much later.

The chances of your cat wandering back home are still pretty good, but the longer it takes the further out you should look. Cats are recommended to stay inside their new home for about a week (min) for cats. I would start to speed out your search to about an hour away from home if they don't come back themselves or are found locally (give a few weeks before you think about going that far (they can wonder rather far away given a lot of time!)).

Another option would be to call local vets, call you vet first, they might have a good idea where cats may get pick up from, and ask about if they know of any people who feed strays (your cat might find some food there), look at parks (safe places where a cat can hide)... If the Vets in America are anything like the Vets in Australia they will be helpful, they might even post up a missing cat poster in the clinic.

Good Luck!