AboutJessica Expertise I have bred Siamese cats and have years of experience caring for homeless, feral, orphaned, and terminally ill cats. I am knowledgeable in cat behavior, health, history, troubleshooting, breeds, coat patterns and colors, and trivia.
Experience I have extensive experience with cats ranging from breeding to at-home medical care to rescuing homeless cats and placing them in homes. I have assisted cats giving birth and hand-nursed kittens who were neglected by their mother from 2 days old through weaning. I have given supportive care to cats suffering from diabetes, terminal cancer, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonits, and kidney, liver, and heart failure. I have been through chemotherapy with two of my cats who had lymphoma and have also been through many cutting edge surgeries with my special needs cats.
Question Hello. My 3 year old fixed indoor-outdoor cat has been missing for 8 days. I saw her entering the ferns across the street minutes before we got a monster storm, lightening, hail, wind, rain, etc. that was 8 days ago. Originally I thought she got scared and was hiding somewhere but she still has not returned. As I was researching on the net I began to think that maybe she was bumped out of her territory by one of the 3 stray cats I have been feeding for the past few months. I noticed that the male stray has been spraying around my house and the one female just had a litter of 4 kittens. Do you think this could have impacted my Zoomee running away? I have posted flyers, called neighbors and called for her day and night but have not seen or heard her. Do you have any suggestions? Any ideas why she may have left? Are the chances good that she will come home? Should I stop feeding the strays in hopes that they will leave and Zoomee will return? I don't know what to do. Please help me find my baby Zooomee.
Answer Hi Beckee. So sorry to hear about Zoomee! It's true that cats can crowd other cats out of their own territory and send each other packing, so to speak. It can happen with any cat but is more common with unneutered males. But for Zoomee to stick around all through the past few months while you were feeding these guys and then suddenly not return after a bad storm, I really feel that this is not related to your feeding the strays at all.
A couple years ago, I read about a study that showed that nationwide, the statistics of missing animals consistently rises by 34% in the two weeks prior to natural disasters. And the numbers of animals who go missing during a major storm triples. It's an instinct to go into hiding when these things occur. Sometimes, cats end up so spooked, that they don't return home right away. Others may have squeezed into drainage holes or snuck into someone's garage or basement that they now can't get out of. You may want to search these areas or ask neigbors to check their garage, etc., if you can.
Chances that a cat will return home are best within 48 hours. However, I did have a cat go missing for 3 weeks, and she came home. Someone in my town had their cat missing for 3 months. They placed a display ad in the local paper each week, with a picture of their kitty. Flyers were at all the vet offices and markets, and a reward was even offered. Everyone knew what this kitty looked like and that he was missing! Finally, after three months, a full-page ad announced he'd been found! If you have the ability, placing a picture ad might help. And if you haven't notified local veterinarians and shelters, do so right away. They are likely to be the first ones a person will bring the cat to.
As for the strays, if you will be able to fix them, then I would recommend to keep feeding them. That would be an excellent helping hand in solving the pet overpopulation problem we face today! But if you won't be able to have them fixed, feeding them will only encourage them to breed more. So I would stop feeding them in this case.
