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Expert: - 12/1/2009


Question

My baby
Please Help! My kitten has gone missing and has been for two days now. She is about 16 weeks old, and has never done this before. I last saw her in the backyard of our house. She likes spending time outside, but recently we have had some items stolen out of our garage, so I'm afraid someone may have picked her up thinking she was lost, or has stolen her. I'm so worried and so many things are running through my head. I've put up flyers around the neighborhood, left her food outside, and called her name many times, yet still no luck. I've included a reward for whoever returns her, so I'm hoping that will incourage whoever has her to bring her back very soon. Do kittens this age normally wander off, or is there a greater chance she has been taken? And is there anything more I can do to bring her home sooner? I'm just runnig out of ideas!

Answer
Hi Haley.  I'm very sorry to hear your little one has gone missing.  Most kittens of this age will become separated from their owners if they are allowed outside, for a variety of reasons.  She's too young to wander off in search of a mate, however, so if she's still safe and sound outside, you can hope she's still close by.  I would continue to leave the food out for her.  If anything starts eating it, you may want to consider renting a live trap to place the food in and see if you can catch it.  Many shelters will lend you a trap.  Cats tend to be most active at night, so you may want to call around for her after the sun goes down.  That's when I've had the most luck finding my lost cats.  During the day, they won't respond, but at night, they'll reply to my calls with a meow, and I'll usually find them hiding in some bushes.

I think you have covered all of your bases.  Getting the word out there is the biggest thing.  You might also want to hang flyers at all the local vet offices in case anyone brings "their" new kitten in for a check up.  Also, if you haven't notified your local animal shelter that your kitty's lost, do that right away.  You could also notify surrounding animal shelters, since curious kittens have been known to hitch rides inside cars and on the undercarriages of trucks, etc.  Most shelters place new intakes on hold for 7 days, then place them up for adoption.

Best wishes.  I hope she's home soon!

Jessica  
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentThank you so much Jessica! I'm having a hard time with this whole situation, but you have given me some great advice and have helped me very much. I hope I get my little girl back soon! Thank you again.


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Jessica

Expertise

The areas in which I have gained the most experience are cat health and feral cat management/rescue. I provide supportive care to chronically ill cats, hospice care to terminally ill cats and also am involved in trap-neuter-return efforts. My specialities lie in taming feral cats and in the allopathic treatment of cats with illnesses or special needs. I also have owned Siamese, Himalayans, Abyssinians, Russian Blues, Savannahs, Bengals, Peterbalds, Don Sphynx and Oriental Shorthairs and am well-versed in cat breeds as well as cat behavior and nutrition.

Experience

I have 15 years of extensive experience with cats ranging from breeding to medical care. My daily routine consists of caring for cats with diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney failure, feline leukemia, feline AIDS as well as feral cats. I have experience with liver patients, heart patients, feline infectious peritonitis, cancer, recovery from amputation and trauma, congenital deformities and most every disease in between. I have assisted cats giving birth and hand-nursed kittens who were neglected by their mother from 2 days old through weaning.

Education/Credentials
15 years' hands-on experience

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