Expert: Ali - 1/21/2009

Question
I recently moved from Atlanta to Georgia with my two cats and dog.  All seemed to be adjusting well in our new, bigger house.  

About 36 hours ago my youngest cat, who is 9 months old, got into the garage and climbed out a tiny vent hole.  He is a neutered, indoor cat, but was born to a stray.  He has his claws and is rather large and fluffy.

I am in total panic mode and wonder what else I can do?  We are going to the local animal shelter today, but they have been closed for the last couple of days (the whole time he's been missing).  

Just tell me, they come back, right?  

We put food out, hung flyers offering a reward and have been walking the neighborhood calling for him.

Answer
Hunter,

You and your cat are in my thoughts. I know how tough it is to lose a much loved cat and the horrible uncertainty that goes along with that. It's quite obvious that you love your cat and want him to come home. I really can't promise that your cat will return, it's quite possible that he is disoriented as he is unfamiliar with the new neighborhood. It's possible that your kitty might come back, or even that he may still be nearby hiding because he is frightened. It's worth alerting your new neighbors so that if they happen to notice a new cat that matches your kitty's description they contact you promptly. I would also suggest canvassing vet clinics and cat rescue groups in your area, you may get lucky, especially if you leave flyers with your information and your cat's picture on them at these locations. You may find that if you head out around the immediate area later at night when things settle down and everything is quiet your cat may come out of hiding. It's not a bad idea to break out a can of tuna, most cats will come around for tuna, just be sure that you keep things as quiet and low key as possible unless your cat is specifically trained to come when he's called. Sometimes the quiet approach works better with frightened cats and I suspect that your kitty is quite hungry so fish may be the answer. I think that it might be a good idea to have a heavy towel on hand to toss over your kitty if he happens to come for tuna, this will help to keep him calmer while you bring him and his tuna indoors. Just be aware that cats move quickly and tossing a towel over this cat is a one shot deal because he won't give you the opportunity to do so again. A humane live trap might be a better option if this cat is a bit tightly wound. Animal shelters and vet clinics are sometimes willing to loan these traps out for free or for a nominal fee. If you opt for the live trap be sure that you can be home to sit out of sight and wait for it to slam closed, it would be cruel to catch any animal and not be there to get him/her out promptly, especially in a warmer climate.

Please feel free to let me know how things are going. As a last thought I would encourage you to check out my previous answers as one lady wrote to me in a similar situation except for that the veterinarian allowed her cat to escape from the clinic. The cat disappeared in mid November and showed up on her doorstep just before Christmas. It was this person's wish that I use her story to let people know that there's always hope and although it takes awhile there just might be a happy ending. I know that this is an awfully tough time, but it sounds to me like you are doing the best that you can in the circumstances. I wish you, your family and your feline Houdini the best of luck.