Expert: Norman Auspitz - 9/13/2009

Question
Spencer has for the past couple of years, also a couple of weeks ago, taken off for about 2days and come back fine. He now has been gone for 8days & I am worried. I placed 3 free ads on line about him. I am handicapped & it is trying going door to door, but can if necessary. I have gone with my car at nite & in early a.m. when quiet out, calling & calling thru the neighborhood. Spencer is neutered. I have had him 4yrs & he was already an adult when I took him in from this neighborhood. He loves the outdoors & often sleeps in my empty, long flowerbox on the front porch. We live in a quiet neighborhhood & he often crosses the street & comes from that direction when I call him. In the summer, he is more outside than inside. I have noticed over the past one or 2 weeks him not eating as much, tho not losing any weight that I could tell. Do neutered males sometimes cat-around hanging with a potential female even tho they have been fixed? My other guess is that someone is feeding him. Spencer seems to love me a lot & I keep thinking that I do not think he would look for a new home. I have a lot of cats, all rescues, & he has never seemed discontented or unhappy being here. He sleeps with me at times & is very loving. Recently, about 5days B4 him going for all these days I lost a dear cat, Moses. I don't think they were really close, but they did seem like the patriarchs of the group, both large, muscular males; both loved the outdoors & frequently slept on the porch. My Moses was not such a wanderer as Spencer, but Moses also used to sleep in the flowerbed a lot, too.

Answer
Vickie,

It sounds as if you have done most of what can be done.  The only other thing I can think of is to have flyers made with his picture and have someone distribute them to all the local shelters and veterinary clinics.

Most cats stay pretty close to their home territory and tend not to wander far and wide.  However, cats are expert in hiding in plain  sight!!!!!

So, it is impossible to tell if someone has taken him in or something has happened to him.  You just need to be patient and see if he shows up again.

I am sorry I cannot be of more help.

Best regards... Norm.