[DIAMONDD88]

My cat has been missing for about 5 days. He goes missing for 1 0r two days sometimes but I always leave food out for him and he always eats it regardless.

My other cat went missing a few months ago and turned up dead at my door, seriously underweight. Which makes me think someone had trapped him someone and starved him. Or he could have got himself trapped somewhere.

Ive got a feeling that the same thing is going to happen to this cat. Which means that someone is purposely starving my cats.

Where do I look? I want to be able to find him before he ends up dead on my doorstep

[Wondergirl]

You probably can't find him, especially if someone trapped him and has him. The only way to protect your cats from other people and predators is to keep them indoors at all times.

[DIAMONDD88]

Don't agree with keeping cats in the house all the time

[Wondergirl]

Cats will live long lives indoors and are perfectly happy there. As you have found out, the outdoors is their enemy. Why would you put your beloved pets at risk?

[DIAMONDD88]

I don't let them outside so they can be at risk from people (although there is a risk). I like them to be outside because I feel its fair for the cat to explore the outside world

[Wondergirl]

That's a common misconception that they need to explore the great outdoors. They are perfectly content indoors. I've rescued cats for years -- formerly outdoors cats that later look at our open front door and say, "You're not going to make ME go back out there!" Life is too dangerous out there -- as you are finding out.

[ma0641]

" feel its fair for the cat to explore the outside world--Which means that someone is purposely starving my cats". Consequence of action may be the reason they are missing. Coyotes for sure, other people don't like cats killing birds and spraying on their property.

[DIAMONDD88]

Didn't relise I was a bad person for letting my cats outside. Sorry guys

[Wondergirl]

You aren't a bad person, just not doing the right thing by your cats. Years ago, I lived in a rural area where everyone's cats and dogs ran free. Even then in a somewhat kinder world, bad things happened to them -- they were hit by vehicles, killed and eaten by predators, chewed up in farm machinery, lost in snowdrifts, and lived very short lives. Please don't do that to your cats in this even crueler world.

[joypulv]

I'm in the camp that says that's life, and I let my cat go outside. I live in a very rural area. Her biggest risk is fishers, despite not seeing any, and having bears and bobcats and huge hawks and coyotes near the house frequently. I accept that. I have friends who are intelligent, thoughtful people who do the same. When I moved to my current home, I started to condemn her to life indoors, but she tore the house apart, and anytime anyone opened a door, out she went. So I get horribly depressed when she's missing (so far in 2.5 years in this town the max has been 32 hours) but that's the way it goes.

You could be near someone who simply has a garage that they close for days or weeks. Cats often scoot unseen into garages. When a cat goes missing, put signs around the neighborhood asking people to look in garages.
Your starved cat may have survived just long enough to get out and to your door.

[DIAMONDD88]

No garages around my area. Ive just got a strong feeling that he's being kept somewhere. Feel helpless

[Cat1864]

What steps did you take to find the first cat?

What steps have you taken to find the cat? Put up 'missing cat' posters? Asked neighbors if they have seen him? Called animal control? Checked with any animal shelters? Checked any on-line missing animal pages for your area?

How often do you actually see the cat? Do you watch him eat or is the food where other animals could be eating it?

[tickle]

Yes, I fealt that to. My cat, pickle, indoor and outdoor. She got older. Winters were hard for her. Spring came and she went out to forage. Didn't come back, didn't like humans, only me, she had been a barn kitten until I found her. Lot of foxes around. No pickle for days. It has been months.

Good suggestions cat.

[joypulv]

I'm sorry about pickle, tickle.

[Alty]

My cat is indoors only, and he's completely fine with that. In the past I had indoor/outdoor cats, lost two that went out and never came back, don't know what happened to them to this day. Had others that would be gone for days, sometimes weeks, only to come back severely sick and beaten (my guess is fights with other animals, or humans).

The sad fact is that we really can't tell you where to begin looking for your cat. This is a worldwide site, we don't know your area, and we don't know your cat.

I would put up posters with a picture of your cat asking for information, and I'd put an ad in your local paper as well. That's your best chance of finding him.

Good luck.

[Fr_Chuck]

If your cat is lost, you talk to people in area. Perhaps posters in local stores (if they let you) Get friends to go searching. Offer small reward.

Why do you think someone is trapping, do you think you know who? We actually had this in our area in Mableton GA, since he considered any cat or dog going onto his property trespassing and had no issue trapping them. (he then turned the dogs into the animal control.

In rural areas some people will shoot them. Of course they are subject to many disease from stray cats or dogs, harm from wild animals in the area.

[DIAMONDD88]

My area has been known for some anti social behaviour. Ive had things stolen from my front garden and its not a great area on the whole. This, along with my other cat returning on my doorstep starved to death makes me believe something is going on. Is it likely somebody could put my cat in an outside bin and is unable to get out? Thinking about cheking all of the bins down my street

My cat is not just an outdoor cat by the way. I let him in whenever he wants to come inside

[Alty]

If this is a dangerous area, and especially since this happened with your other cat, I wouldn't let my cat out at all, as there's obviously a risk, and you're aware of that risk.

Frankly even though I live in a great neighborhood, know all my neighbors, very safe place to live, any unsupervised contact with the outside world is dangerous for pets. They're not wild animals, they're domesticated. They can't fight against wild animals, or even other pets like dogs, and sadly there are people that will kill a cat that comes onto their property, even in the best neighborhoods. Knowing that your area is not safe, means your cat (and I really hope you find him alive and safe) should not be left to roam the streets at all.

We have an indoor only cat, he's outside on leash only and supervised. Our neighbors are like you, they let their cat roam the neighborhood, a safe neighborhood! Their cat has been shot with a bibi (sp?) gun twice now, and fed poison.

I have to say, even though I love all animals, I don't think it's right that cats can come into my yard, crap in my yard, ruin my plants by digging so they can crap, and driving my dogs nuts. I'd never hurt them, but I don't think it's fair that my dogs have to be on leash and contained at all times, and if they crap on someone's yard I have to pick it up or get fined, but a person that chooses to have an outdoor/indoor cat, is not responsible for what their pet does in my yard!

[DIAMONDD88]

My concerns have come into light more so with my cat missing atm. If I knew for sure that somebody was out there hunting down cats- of course, I wouldn't let him out.

I know it's a pain that cats in your garden and stuff, cause it happens to me too. But I don't want to get into a debate about the ethics of keeping a cat because I'm not here for that.

[smoothy]

Cats get run over by cars on the street, Injured fighting with other cats or animals out there... contract illnesses and die without anyone with malicious intent being involved.

A pet will be unlikely to prevail against a truly feral cat or many wild animals.

The odds of it being a person with ill intent against pets cats.. is probably the least likely possibility.