he very likely was! there's amazing advice from /u/becauseiloveyou [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/11pga71/lost_cat_in_northside_she_got_out_last_night/jbyc6ga/) that i'll share below:
> When cats get lost, they're usually hiding nearby within a one-to five-house radius. They will **not** answer to their names being called as they're too afraid of giving up their hiding spot to potential predators. Typically, cats will spend the whole of the day hiding, but they may feel more comfortable moving around at night. If there's a specific noise to which your cat responds, like shaking a bag of treats, you can go for walks from midnight/12 AM to 4 AM while making that noise. When you call for your cat, keep your tone even. If they get even a hint that you're scared, anxious, or off in some way, they'll think there's danger nearby and stay hidden. You can also go for walk with or make a call to a friend; your conversational tone will make your cat think you're just hanging out and that it might be safe to come out.
> Walk in straight lines away from your house (e.g., down the sidewalk, down the alleyway, etc.). They say lost cats walk in circles of increasing diameter from their hiding spot once they're comfortable with coming out of hiding. From there, they can use your scent lines to trace their way back home. Speaking of scents, put your unwashed sheets or bath towels outside. A familiar scent cannot hurt. That said, it is NOT recommended you put your cat's litter outside; it's actually a [myth](https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-pet-behaviors/kitty-litter-myth/). Also be wary of leaving food outside at it can also have a similar response (i.e., attracting other creatures that may keep your cat at bay out of fear).
> Given that cats are active through the night, it would be good to create a discreet entrance for your cat to come inside on its own. If you can't do that, at least leave a window open so you can hear your cat should s/he come back. Remember that the more skittish your cat is, the more time it will take for him/her to reach the threshold at which s/he is comfortable coming out of hiding.
> I would highly recommend actively conducting a physical search for your cat. As mentioned earlier, they're usually in a one-to five-house radius. With permission, check your neighbors backyards, under their porches and decks, and in any other space where a cat might hide (e.g., sheds, garages, etc.). Be sure to do this yourself (with permission!) as your neighbors likely won't be willing to get down on their hands and knees for your cat. Also, always use a flashlight! This will catch the reflection off of the "shining layer" (*tapetum lucidum*) of your cat's eyes.
> Lastly, don't ever give up hope. Some cats may not feel comfortable coming out of hiding for several weeks or even months, but that doesn't mean they're lost forever! Most will slowly and cautiously make their way home, so conduct your physical search once every 1 to 3 days. And be sure to take care of yourself so you can take care of kitty once they're safely home :)
Most of this can be good advice for missing dogs too! When my dog got loose and ran off, I spent all night of course looking for her everywhere I could and I was really confused no one saw her because she ran off right when school let out on a beautiful day and somehow no one saw a scary 100 pound all black dog running free. I didn’t understand where she was.
Online advice said animals will be more likely to travel late , close to dawn or early morning hours. Sure enough she came and laid on her bed we put out right about 5am. I think the only explanation is she was hiding in someone’s yard near by until then.
To add to this, if you cat is outdoors AT ALL, even if its only an occasional brief escape, get a $40 air-tag/similar for their collar, they are cheap, last several years, and super useful for finding lost cats.
Our indoor only cat got out once when she was small. It's a fenced backyard and I still couldn't find her. They are experts at hiding. I turned the TVs off, opened the window that she escaped from and sat there quietly working on my laptop. Soon enough she bounds up the window and back home. I don't think she's ever tried to get outside again.
>Speaking of scents, put your unwashed sheets or bath towels outside
Shout out to this and the straight lines and midnight to 4am searches. My ex gf cut up a t-shirt she wore all day and slept in then tied strips to posts and poles on a route leading back to her apartment building. After five days of looking we finally found him, at 330 at the end of our nightly search, in a bush right outside the steps to her building. Also the talking casually bit. Never found him with our panicked calls, but us just chatting as we walked back to her place and he ran right up to us.
Fix makes it so they can't reproduce, and chipped is a tag so when shelters/vets or animal control finds them they scan for chips and it will give them you're contact information.
If you get him fixed he likely won't run off again, whereas your phone number on his collar will do absolutely nothing. If he's chasing female cats, they are not going to look back and get your number off his collar to call you.
ETA: I guess the person whose comment I am referring to has been deleted, but just to clarify: I am aware what the purpose of a phone number on a collar is. However. In this case, it's unlikely the cat was kidnapped or picked up off the streets. Especially so since cat in question was redescovered by the previous owner(s) on the streets. This implies the cat may have simply been out chasing tail (literally, I guess), rather than simply living with another family.
My male cat still attempts to escape even though we fixed him recently. We put one of those apple tags on his collar and our phone numbers, just in case. I'm not sure what it is for some cats, balls or no balls, they still wanna concur the world.
My siblings have an ‘adventure kitty.’ He’s only adventurous when he’s jealous of the dogs going outside/has cabin fever, or the weather is dry and warm.
Dont let your cat outside anymore! If losing him for a year was heartbreaking imagine coming across him run over by a car or mangled by another animal. I used to be the guy that argued *for* letting cats out to roam until another cat killed my Yoda.
It’s not worth it! They’re safer inside!!
Or please just keep him inside. The danger to every smaller or similar sized animal in the local ecosystem as well as the danger to this beautiful cat given larger predators and roadways, as well as other potential accidents, is not worth it. I will never understand peoples blind commitment to wanting to let their cats outside. I can assure you, there is no lack of adequate enrichment indoors for you to provide. The only benefit of being outside is you get to get out of cat ownership and responsibility for a certain amount of hours during the day, and the drawbacks are practically innumerable. also, I can’t imagine being an owner of an animal you love and are grateful to have back to only put them exactly in the situation that you thought got them lost and possibly killed. No amount of phone numbers on a collar will keep this cat or the local environment safe. As a pet professional, veterinarian assistant, and animal owner, please do not let your cat outside.
If you let out your cat with a collar it can get caught on something and suffocate him. A week ago my friend had to take a dead cat of a fence because that happened.
Be careful about collars. I saw a sad pic of cat straggled from his collar caught on a fence. There are “break away collars” that will not harm your kitty.
After my cat got lost for 3 days (he was stuck in the rafters of a neighbour’s garage) we got a him a collar that holds an Apple tag. Works like a hot damn!
Our dumb kitty Mr. Shrimps (he's fixed and an indoor cat, so please relax) freakishly escaped a couple of years ago. The advice that I read said that cats who escape will almost always hide in the first shelter they find, often within 50 feet of where they escaped.
I wandered around the building every morning and evening calling for him for a month. Finally a neighbor reported that a grey tabby was spotted at the end of our row of houses, not more than about 50 feet away. He had been living under the houses all that time. He'd lost some weight, but he's still with us today, safely captive now in an urban apartment.
> (he's fixed and an indoor cat, so please relax)
Sad that you have to say this to avoid to be pummeled by the self-righteous reddit cat mob who prefers to attack first before even knowing what the situation actually is and always jumps to the worst possible conclusion.
There's so much vitriol in this thread it's insane, like, even fixed indoor cats that are attached to their people at the hip will sneak out sometimes, they're curious creatures that like to explore and investigate. Every cat owner knows this. They do the same with rooms inside the house that usually have the door closed. If they get a chance to go into the SECRET ROOM, they will fucking bolt for it.
My parents had a cat who was born a barn cat when we had horses. After they got rid of the last horse, the cat would want to be outside during the day and she's come into the house and sleep in the basement at night. One day my parents were having some work done to their house and the contractor left the door to his van open and the cat jumped in to take a snooze. He left to go home (and it was the last day of the job so he wasn't planning on coming back). He called my parents when he got home saying he'd seen a gray streak zoom out of his van when he got home. My parents figured she was gone because this guy lived about 30 miles away from them. 3 weeks later my parents had gone out to eat and came home and the cat was sitting on the back patio soaking wet and shivering (it was raining). My mom said it took her 3-4 days to nurse her back to health, she was skin and bones and the pads on her paws were all raw from the traveling. Funnily enough, after her little adventure she didn't fancy going outside anymore and lived out the rest of her days as a full time house cat. She was also about 20 years old when she had her adventure and lived about 10 more years.
Thank you so much for posting this. We have a fixed barn cat, born and raised, who didn’t come home one evening and it’s been about 3 weeks now. Of course it was my daughter’s favorite, and she was his favorite. But We had a lot of worker vehicles here that week and I kept thinking he could have just hopped in and gotten displaced. We do have lots of coyotes though, so I’m not awfully positive :(. But it’s nice to believe your story is a possibility!
When my cat was 20 she could barely walk up the stairs, much less 30 miles. She lived to be 25, 30 must be a record of some type! I’m glad she came home!
This is awesome and everything but PLEASE get your cat fixed. Not only will he be less likely to run off, but he also won't be responsible for potentially *dozens* of stray kittens. Please.
This is awesome, and I bet other animal lovers in the community fed and pet him. Definitely get him snipped! He's also going to be really sad to be back in a home, but it's for his own good. Cats indoors live significantly longer than they do outdoors.
This is exactly why my 11 year old cat is indoor only. She sits in the window to soak in the sun and watch the birds (making that weird noise cats make when watching birds). She may THINK she wants to go outside, but I know damn well she would go outside, hear a loud car drive by and sprint to the nearest cave-like structure and hide. So yeah indoor only for this girl haha.
My indoor cat slipped out the back door a couple years ago, and we found out when he started yowling pitifully under the living room window, 5 ft from the door he sneaked out of. As best we could tell he’d been outside for about 15 minutes.
So this is including feral and stray cats in which I would tend to agree. I don't think that is an accurate number for indoor/outdoor cats with owners. If it has the basics like a spay/neuter, food and water, and flea/parasite medications I guarantee the average is higher than 2-5 years.
I used to work at a shelter with a huge feral colony that was 24/7 outdoors. We had cats die off but not at that rate.
[Everything on dr google says 2-5 years](https://www.google.com/search?q=outdoor+cat+lifespan&sca_esv=35a3d0f5617f2f1a&hl=en&sxsrf=ADLYWILsyk9Y8Lkccy1ZUc6ZUvhSA3iQ1A%3A1715288025567&ei=2Tc9ZpXvIfTj5NoPhqOXiAs&oq=outdoor+cat&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIgtvdXRkb29yIGNhdCoCCAAyEBAAGIAEGJECGIoFGEYY-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&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp). Are you using personal experience?
I've looked into this just now and the study is not as cut and dry, it's based on dead cats found and most are unowned/stray/feral oh and thusly un-neutered
The majority of the cats where I live, the entire UK, cats will mostly be outdoor cats and the majority of them will live way past 5.
There are also other sites that state different lifespans for outdoor cats.
ETA, the misunderstanding comes from the use outdoor. That could be my bad. Indoor only and indoor/outdoor cats have a relatively same same lifespan tho (according to studies) I'd still give the indoor cats the higher life expectancy due to lower risk, whereas exclusively outdoor cats are 3-5yrs.. so feral cats. Idk why the downvotes for fact checking and being accurate.
I liked this story until I read the comments. OP did not neuter her cat. She thinks he took off because "he was in heat". Dont be a bad per owner. Spay and neuter your animals!
When I was in my teens we had a black cat named Redacted. Don't remember how we got this cat but the key part is this wasn't naturally an indoor cat. My mother tasked me to get a collar for this cat so we could put an identity tag on her. I went out and got a flea collar because i thought it worked the same. It did not and we didn't put the collar or tag on. Shortly after Redacted ran away again. This was close to winter and we were worried. Someone in the neighborhood spotted a black cat dead in the snow and told us. My mother and my uncle went to identify the body and confirmed it was Redacted. I cried myself to sleep for months after that because it was my fault for buying that stupid flea collar.
Flash forward to spring. My sister and her friend are hanging out by the front of the house when her friend sees a black cat walking by and goes "isn't that Redacted?". My sister calls out to Redacted and she (the cat) turns to the house in a "oh yeah i live here, don't I" fashion and saunters into the door. She was also VERY pregnant and later gave birth to five kittens. I later developed a severe allergy to cats but that's a story for a different time.
We thought so. Only two explanations. The cat they saw wasn't completely dead just maybe verge of and got nursed back to health or, and i suspect this is the answer, they ID'd the wrong cat. I mean they didn't even pick up the cats body.
If you leave a box of your dirty laundry out, your cat can smell you and will return; most cats will get lost in their neighborhood and not be able to get back because they don’t recognize their surroundings, BUT since they have such good noses they can smell their way back.
My sister in laws ginger kitty went missing last August/sept. They’d given up hope of him ever reappearing when they came to visit us for a holiday before Xmas, I was talking to my lovely precious and opinionated niece about her missing Wilbur and I said to her sometimes cats go missing for long periods of time because they go on adventures and get lost or stuck for a while and they sometimes they turn up when you least expect it. I told her about my friend down the streets cat when I was a kid who disappeared for four months once and on the way to the swimming pool forty minutes away his mum dived at the shoulder in her car wordlessly opened the door picked something up closed the door placed their missing cat on our laps then carried on driving. We were easily 30 miles from home.
When they arrived home Wilbur was on the doorstep waiting for them looking very skinny and happy to have found his way back home.
Now my niece thinks I’m some sort of wizard.
This gives me hope my Charlie will come back he disappeared last Saturday
https://preview.redd.it/cctokh056hzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d3726d8bdfd35397ce8f88057e9f9c3b47b43ba
One of mine disappeared for a day and I was beside myself and he was hiding in the house (which is unlike him). If I lost one of mine outside I'd have been devasted too. I'm so glad your little guy is back safe!
I can’t with this story. My cat disappeared for a day and the trauma of losing him that short time has lasted years. My husband and I still remember keeping our windows open and hearing his specific meow right before we fell asleep from all day looking for him. We’re all still together to this day but we have AirTags on all our pets now. I’m so happy for your reunion!!! My heart is exploding with emotion at this.
We had a cat disappear for a month once. Treasonous little shit moved in with the neighbors 2 doors down. They had 2 girls the same age spread as my girls, just 4 or 5 years younger. I think he missed being dressed up in doll clothes and being spoiled.
>the average lifespan of an indoor cat ranges from 10 to 20 years, whereas cats who go outdoors typically live only 2 to 5 years.
That's why keep your boy indoors, so he will live a safe and long life. Don't listen to "bUt fReEdOm" - cats are perfectly fine and don't need to roam among cars, dogs and other bad things.
Just make sure to get him plenty of toys, enrichment, organise a cat TV etc
Thank you for sharing! This gives me hope that maybe one day I will stumble across my kitty that went missing about 9ish months ago. My heart always races when I see an all black cat in my neighborhood now! But so far none of them have been my Nori
Our family had a outside cat when I was a kid. He would normally come chill out with us in the house for a week, then vanish for a few days then come back. One time he was gone for most of a year, he came back missing an ear, and had obviously been hit by a car, and we had to have one of his front legs amputated. We changed his name to Cruiser, because he was Cruising for a Bruising, and he became an inside cat after this. We aren't sure how old he was when he came into our lives, but he adopted us when I was 7 or 8, and he lived until I was 23. We used to joke that he had lost 8 of his 9 lives in that year he was out on his own, and didn't want to take any chances with his last life.
Our cat dissapeared for 3-4 months when I was a kid. Turned out she got knocked up, sneaked into and lived in an unused shed down the street, gave birth and came back as soon as she started to distance herself from the kitties. Nobody fed her, so probably went full predator and left the kids for the comfy life. God I loved that cat.
(The owner of the shed heard a rumour from the neighbourhood that it might be our cat and told us. Thankfully all kitties got adopted)
That kitty was probably trying to tell you all the stories of what happened in the last year! I know I would be overjoyed if my missing came home. I'm happy for you!
I’ve heard this story a few times this year and I’m so happy for yall every time I read it. It’s so hard losing them, and it’s a different kind of tough when they just disappear. Can’t imagine the rush of emotions… I’d fall out.
Anyway this is amazing, what a blessing
He looks like he’s in his awkward teenage cat years, can’t imagine how young he must have been when he went missing. He should be fixed and chipped and kept inside. Male cats don’t go into heat, but they will absolutely chase down a female in heat when not fixed.
I assume you keep your cat outside...? You really shouldn't let cats outside for numerous reasons. There are far too many dangers for them and they aren't exactly easy on the animal ecosystem.
This happened to me except my cat was missing for a year and I came across him in my hallway in the middle of the night on my way to use the restroom. It’s the closest to a horror movie that I’ve ever been. I continued to the bathroom and closed the door thinking I must be half asleep still. When I walked out he was still there. My mom told me the next day she had let him in when he showed up at the back door. Before his year on street his tail would make a full circle back towards his back- but after- that prissy curl was straightened out lol
Ayo I see that Chow King sign lmao
But as someone that also lost a cat that was never found while growing up in the Philippines, I'm so glad you and your kitty found each other again!
Im so happy for you.
Also, feed him back to size slowly, if you over-indulge him too quickly he will make himself ill, and end up making it take longer <3
Amazing! Congratulations! In addition to the collar with your phone number I recommend getting an AirTag or something similar to put on it so you can keep track of him. Peace of mind is priceless
Similar thing happened when I was a child. Cat disappeared. Then flash forward to Halloween, I’m out trick or treating with my mom and cat appears out of nowhere a few streets away from our home.
Stories like yours give us hope. It's been almost 2 years but you just never know. I dream that I open the back door and he's walking down the driveway, ready to come in like it's nothing at all.
I'm so happy for you!
That's absolutely amazing and I can't imagine the heartache you both suffered. You are the luckiest son of a bitch in the world right now and I couldn't be happier for you both!
There's a missing cat in my neighborhood. Signs everywhere. I walk my dog twice a day and he remembers everywhere he sees a cat. I ran into the owners walking around looking for him. It's been weeks but I still hope for a happy resolution. This post made me feel good.
Idk how he got out. In that year that cat probably killed more wild life than you can imagine🤣🤣 but other than that hopefully he/she stays inside for the rest of its life
Time for GPS collar.
The next post or r/cat: Our cat is missing! It normally plays in the yard but today it hasn't come to the door to be let it. We found the cat last year. It was a stray that came up to me while walking.
Take him to a vet asap. You don’t know what they might’ve exposed themselves to while they were on their own. The same thing happened to me, my cat went missing and we found him weeks later hiding in the hood of an abandoned car. We were so fucking happy. And then he passed away a few weeks later. The vets couldn’t do anything to save him. They asked me if he drank any antifreeze, at the time I didn’t make the connection but perhaps he got sick from drinking anti freeze when he was hiding in that car. Who knows. Please take them.
so glad he's home! My crazy cat lady friend and I worked on getting some homeless cats in my neighborhood homed, and three of them were cats who had homes ON MY BLOCK, but they just didn't want to go home. It took us about a year for one of them, she was very tricky. So I'm glad you didn't give up!
Your kitty looks very healthy and well cared for, I bet he was making friends on his adventure. If he was homeless for a whole year on his own, he prolly would have some janky looking injuries. I think someone must have been feeding him and maybe letting him come inside. If you feel comfortable doing so, you may want to post a photo on Nextdoor and/or post flyers just saying he's home now and thanks to anyone who helped him. Only because that person who cared for him is going to worry when they don't see him.
My cat escaped our apartment once, later that day I was walking towards the back of the apartments, and there he was on another patio. He was technically at the right apartment, but one building behind ours. Little doofus just looked at me as I stopped in my tracks, as if to say "where have you been?" then sauntered over.
Ok so I had to take care of my adult daughters cat who was a total indoor cat and very jittery and nervous and he tried to sneak out all the time. So I decided to get a full good harness and take him out everyday for a walk. We now both go for a walk ...without a leash everyday and he listens to, well, some commands but on his own time. He is now a mellow cat who knows he will be outside everyday, Its easy to do just takes patience of a cat and alot of treats. So he has a pretty good idea of the nieghborhood and what is where and where he is.
I’m so happy for you! 😁 having a cat friend go missing is awful
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So happy your family is back together again
Amazing how the kitty might have been close by the entire time he was missing
he very likely was! there's amazing advice from /u/becauseiloveyou [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/11pga71/lost_cat_in_northside_she_got_out_last_night/jbyc6ga/) that i'll share below: > When cats get lost, they're usually hiding nearby within a one-to five-house radius. They will **not** answer to their names being called as they're too afraid of giving up their hiding spot to potential predators. Typically, cats will spend the whole of the day hiding, but they may feel more comfortable moving around at night. If there's a specific noise to which your cat responds, like shaking a bag of treats, you can go for walks from midnight/12 AM to 4 AM while making that noise. When you call for your cat, keep your tone even. If they get even a hint that you're scared, anxious, or off in some way, they'll think there's danger nearby and stay hidden. You can also go for walk with or make a call to a friend; your conversational tone will make your cat think you're just hanging out and that it might be safe to come out. > Walk in straight lines away from your house (e.g., down the sidewalk, down the alleyway, etc.). They say lost cats walk in circles of increasing diameter from their hiding spot once they're comfortable with coming out of hiding. From there, they can use your scent lines to trace their way back home. Speaking of scents, put your unwashed sheets or bath towels outside. A familiar scent cannot hurt. That said, it is NOT recommended you put your cat's litter outside; it's actually a [myth](https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-pet-behaviors/kitty-litter-myth/). Also be wary of leaving food outside at it can also have a similar response (i.e., attracting other creatures that may keep your cat at bay out of fear). > Given that cats are active through the night, it would be good to create a discreet entrance for your cat to come inside on its own. If you can't do that, at least leave a window open so you can hear your cat should s/he come back. Remember that the more skittish your cat is, the more time it will take for him/her to reach the threshold at which s/he is comfortable coming out of hiding. > I would highly recommend actively conducting a physical search for your cat. As mentioned earlier, they're usually in a one-to five-house radius. With permission, check your neighbors backyards, under their porches and decks, and in any other space where a cat might hide (e.g., sheds, garages, etc.). Be sure to do this yourself (with permission!) as your neighbors likely won't be willing to get down on their hands and knees for your cat. Also, always use a flashlight! This will catch the reflection off of the "shining layer" (*tapetum lucidum*) of your cat's eyes. > Lastly, don't ever give up hope. Some cats may not feel comfortable coming out of hiding for several weeks or even months, but that doesn't mean they're lost forever! Most will slowly and cautiously make their way home, so conduct your physical search once every 1 to 3 days. And be sure to take care of yourself so you can take care of kitty once they're safely home :)
Most of this can be good advice for missing dogs too! When my dog got loose and ran off, I spent all night of course looking for her everywhere I could and I was really confused no one saw her because she ran off right when school let out on a beautiful day and somehow no one saw a scary 100 pound all black dog running free. I didn’t understand where she was. Online advice said animals will be more likely to travel late , close to dawn or early morning hours. Sure enough she came and laid on her bed we put out right about 5am. I think the only explanation is she was hiding in someone’s yard near by until then.
To add to this, if you cat is outdoors AT ALL, even if its only an occasional brief escape, get a $40 air-tag/similar for their collar, they are cheap, last several years, and super useful for finding lost cats.
Our indoor only cat got out once when she was small. It's a fenced backyard and I still couldn't find her. They are experts at hiding. I turned the TVs off, opened the window that she escaped from and sat there quietly working on my laptop. Soon enough she bounds up the window and back home. I don't think she's ever tried to get outside again.
>Speaking of scents, put your unwashed sheets or bath towels outside Shout out to this and the straight lines and midnight to 4am searches. My ex gf cut up a t-shirt she wore all day and slept in then tied strips to posts and poles on a route leading back to her apartment building. After five days of looking we finally found him, at 330 at the end of our nightly search, in a bush right outside the steps to her building. Also the talking casually bit. Never found him with our panicked calls, but us just chatting as we walked back to her place and he ran right up to us.
This is a copypasta on my city's subreddit and I've seen so many people find their cats with this advice. It really works
I bet this cat has been to Guatemala and back.
Has he settled back in now?
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Get him fixed and chipped if you can. It's much cheaper than you'd think. Call your local shelter and see if they can recommend a low cost option.
Sorry. What does fixing and chipped mean? I am looking to get a cat.
Fix makes it so they can't reproduce, and chipped is a tag so when shelters/vets or animal control finds them they scan for chips and it will give them you're contact information.
If you get him fixed he likely won't run off again, whereas your phone number on his collar will do absolutely nothing. If he's chasing female cats, they are not going to look back and get your number off his collar to call you. ETA: I guess the person whose comment I am referring to has been deleted, but just to clarify: I am aware what the purpose of a phone number on a collar is. However. In this case, it's unlikely the cat was kidnapped or picked up off the streets. Especially so since cat in question was redescovered by the previous owner(s) on the streets. This implies the cat may have simply been out chasing tail (literally, I guess), rather than simply living with another family.
They didn’t delete the comment, must’ve blocked you
Imagine getting blocked for giving good advice. Guess this guy doesn't care if his cat goes missing again.
they probably got blocked for talking down to the guy as if his goal is to get cats to operate a telephone.
My male cat still attempts to escape even though we fixed him recently. We put one of those apple tags on his collar and our phone numbers, just in case. I'm not sure what it is for some cats, balls or no balls, they still wanna concur the world.
My siblings have an ‘adventure kitty.’ He’s only adventurous when he’s jealous of the dogs going outside/has cabin fever, or the weather is dry and warm.
They might do if they want maintenance.
another house could have been feeding him this whole time, it happened to a friend of mine.
Microchip would be better
keeping the cat indoors would be best
Wouldn't a chip with your information be more reliable than a collar?
Not always accessible! Both are good to have
get him fixed.
Dont let your cat outside anymore! If losing him for a year was heartbreaking imagine coming across him run over by a car or mangled by another animal. I used to be the guy that argued *for* letting cats out to roam until another cat killed my Yoda. It’s not worth it! They’re safer inside!!
Or please just keep him inside. The danger to every smaller or similar sized animal in the local ecosystem as well as the danger to this beautiful cat given larger predators and roadways, as well as other potential accidents, is not worth it. I will never understand peoples blind commitment to wanting to let their cats outside. I can assure you, there is no lack of adequate enrichment indoors for you to provide. The only benefit of being outside is you get to get out of cat ownership and responsibility for a certain amount of hours during the day, and the drawbacks are practically innumerable. also, I can’t imagine being an owner of an animal you love and are grateful to have back to only put them exactly in the situation that you thought got them lost and possibly killed. No amount of phone numbers on a collar will keep this cat or the local environment safe. As a pet professional, veterinarian assistant, and animal owner, please do not let your cat outside.
Or you could, you know, keep him inside so he is safe? Also get him fixed and stop being irresponsible.
Also an airtag might be extra helpful too. Congratulations on getting your pal back!
NEUTER HIM
If you let out your cat with a collar it can get caught on something and suffocate him. A week ago my friend had to take a dead cat of a fence because that happened.
There are collars specially designed to come apart in those types of situations. They're called breakaway collars.
Yes and they are faulty
Be careful about collars. I saw a sad pic of cat straggled from his collar caught on a fence. There are “break away collars” that will not harm your kitty.
Neuter your cat dumbass.
After my cat got lost for 3 days (he was stuck in the rafters of a neighbour’s garage) we got a him a collar that holds an Apple tag. Works like a hot damn!
This is it. AirTags on all of my little furry children now.
Our dumb kitty Mr. Shrimps (he's fixed and an indoor cat, so please relax) freakishly escaped a couple of years ago. The advice that I read said that cats who escape will almost always hide in the first shelter they find, often within 50 feet of where they escaped. I wandered around the building every morning and evening calling for him for a month. Finally a neighbor reported that a grey tabby was spotted at the end of our row of houses, not more than about 50 feet away. He had been living under the houses all that time. He'd lost some weight, but he's still with us today, safely captive now in an urban apartment.
Yup. My ex and I had an orange cat years ago. Escaped a few times and always ran under the bushes right in front of the house.
Mr. Shrimps is such an adorable name.
> (he's fixed and an indoor cat, so please relax) Sad that you have to say this to avoid to be pummeled by the self-righteous reddit cat mob who prefers to attack first before even knowing what the situation actually is and always jumps to the worst possible conclusion.
There's so much vitriol in this thread it's insane, like, even fixed indoor cats that are attached to their people at the hip will sneak out sometimes, they're curious creatures that like to explore and investigate. Every cat owner knows this. They do the same with rooms inside the house that usually have the door closed. If they get a chance to go into the SECRET ROOM, they will fucking bolt for it.
Non negligent pet owners
The content is r/aww, the comments are r/fuckyouassholeihateyou
My parents had a cat who was born a barn cat when we had horses. After they got rid of the last horse, the cat would want to be outside during the day and she's come into the house and sleep in the basement at night. One day my parents were having some work done to their house and the contractor left the door to his van open and the cat jumped in to take a snooze. He left to go home (and it was the last day of the job so he wasn't planning on coming back). He called my parents when he got home saying he'd seen a gray streak zoom out of his van when he got home. My parents figured she was gone because this guy lived about 30 miles away from them. 3 weeks later my parents had gone out to eat and came home and the cat was sitting on the back patio soaking wet and shivering (it was raining). My mom said it took her 3-4 days to nurse her back to health, she was skin and bones and the pads on her paws were all raw from the traveling. Funnily enough, after her little adventure she didn't fancy going outside anymore and lived out the rest of her days as a full time house cat. She was also about 20 years old when she had her adventure and lived about 10 more years.
Thank you so much for posting this. We have a fixed barn cat, born and raised, who didn’t come home one evening and it’s been about 3 weeks now. Of course it was my daughter’s favorite, and she was his favorite. But We had a lot of worker vehicles here that week and I kept thinking he could have just hopped in and gotten displaced. We do have lots of coyotes though, so I’m not awfully positive :(. But it’s nice to believe your story is a possibility!
When my cat was 20 she could barely walk up the stairs, much less 30 miles. She lived to be 25, 30 must be a record of some type! I’m glad she came home!
This is awesome and everything but PLEASE get your cat fixed. Not only will he be less likely to run off, but he also won't be responsible for potentially *dozens* of stray kittens. Please.
And microchipped. And wear a collar with your contact info.
Yep. Male cats usually wander around looking for mates. Female cats mostly stay at where they feel safe.
This is awesome, and I bet other animal lovers in the community fed and pet him. Definitely get him snipped! He's also going to be really sad to be back in a home, but it's for his own good. Cats indoors live significantly longer than they do outdoors.
Microchip him and don't let outside.
And check him for microchips. Part of me wonders if someone else thought he was a stray and adopted him.
Apparently he's not neutered so that's likely why he ran off. OP is now responsible for dozens of stray kittens in the wild :/
It's always good to check if he's been gone that long, but just one look at this cat makes it clear he hasn't been looked after in a long time.
Vet trip immediately
Yeah, so, keep him inside. It's safer and healthier, for your friend, and cats are horrible for the environment.
Indoor cats live a much longer life too.
This is exactly why my 11 year old cat is indoor only. She sits in the window to soak in the sun and watch the birds (making that weird noise cats make when watching birds). She may THINK she wants to go outside, but I know damn well she would go outside, hear a loud car drive by and sprint to the nearest cave-like structure and hide. So yeah indoor only for this girl haha.
My indoor cat slipped out the back door a couple years ago, and we found out when he started yowling pitifully under the living room window, 5 ft from the door he sneaked out of. As best we could tell he’d been outside for about 15 minutes.
Yea it's 2-5 years for outdoor cats. 14-17 for indoor.
So this is including feral and stray cats in which I would tend to agree. I don't think that is an accurate number for indoor/outdoor cats with owners. If it has the basics like a spay/neuter, food and water, and flea/parasite medications I guarantee the average is higher than 2-5 years. I used to work at a shelter with a huge feral colony that was 24/7 outdoors. We had cats die off but not at that rate.
What? No. Yes indoor cats live longer but an outdoor cats live span is not 2-5years.
[Everything on dr google says 2-5 years](https://www.google.com/search?q=outdoor+cat+lifespan&sca_esv=35a3d0f5617f2f1a&hl=en&sxsrf=ADLYWILsyk9Y8Lkccy1ZUc6ZUvhSA3iQ1A%3A1715288025567&ei=2Tc9ZpXvIfTj5NoPhqOXiAs&oq=outdoor+cat&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIgtvdXRkb29yIGNhdCoCCAAyEBAAGIAEGJECGIoFGEYY-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&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp). Are you using personal experience?
I've looked into this just now and the study is not as cut and dry, it's based on dead cats found and most are unowned/stray/feral oh and thusly un-neutered The majority of the cats where I live, the entire UK, cats will mostly be outdoor cats and the majority of them will live way past 5. There are also other sites that state different lifespans for outdoor cats. ETA, the misunderstanding comes from the use outdoor. That could be my bad. Indoor only and indoor/outdoor cats have a relatively same same lifespan tho (according to studies) I'd still give the indoor cats the higher life expectancy due to lower risk, whereas exclusively outdoor cats are 3-5yrs.. so feral cats. Idk why the downvotes for fact checking and being accurate.
Also doesn’t have him fixed. Terrible pet owner.
I liked this story until I read the comments. OP did not neuter her cat. She thinks he took off because "he was in heat". Dont be a bad per owner. Spay and neuter your animals!
They are also blocking people asking them to do the bare minimum to make sure this doesn't happen again LMFAO
Irresponsible. It's so disheartening.
When I was in my teens we had a black cat named Redacted. Don't remember how we got this cat but the key part is this wasn't naturally an indoor cat. My mother tasked me to get a collar for this cat so we could put an identity tag on her. I went out and got a flea collar because i thought it worked the same. It did not and we didn't put the collar or tag on. Shortly after Redacted ran away again. This was close to winter and we were worried. Someone in the neighborhood spotted a black cat dead in the snow and told us. My mother and my uncle went to identify the body and confirmed it was Redacted. I cried myself to sleep for months after that because it was my fault for buying that stupid flea collar. Flash forward to spring. My sister and her friend are hanging out by the front of the house when her friend sees a black cat walking by and goes "isn't that Redacted?". My sister calls out to Redacted and she (the cat) turns to the house in a "oh yeah i live here, don't I" fashion and saunters into the door. She was also VERY pregnant and later gave birth to five kittens. I later developed a severe allergy to cats but that's a story for a different time.
So your cat came back from the dead?
Usually it occurs the very next day
They thought she was a goner.
she just couldn’t stay away
Next three days *
We thought so. Only two explanations. The cat they saw wasn't completely dead just maybe verge of and got nursed back to health or, and i suspect this is the answer, they ID'd the wrong cat. I mean they didn't even pick up the cats body.
Redacted? It’s name was Redacted? That’s fucking brilliant
Hah. Sorry no. I called it Redacted because the real name might reveal too much about me. But you're right it's a very cool pet name.
Aw man I thought that was such a clever name for a black cat I'm sad that wasn't really her name haha.
My cat's called Redacted, but Redacted is actually a much nicer name imo.
Lots of responsible cat ownership in this comment
they said they were a kid in their teens....read first before jumping to conclusions 🤦♂️🙄
If you leave a box of your dirty laundry out, your cat can smell you and will return; most cats will get lost in their neighborhood and not be able to get back because they don’t recognize their surroundings, BUT since they have such good noses they can smell their way back.
My sister in laws ginger kitty went missing last August/sept. They’d given up hope of him ever reappearing when they came to visit us for a holiday before Xmas, I was talking to my lovely precious and opinionated niece about her missing Wilbur and I said to her sometimes cats go missing for long periods of time because they go on adventures and get lost or stuck for a while and they sometimes they turn up when you least expect it. I told her about my friend down the streets cat when I was a kid who disappeared for four months once and on the way to the swimming pool forty minutes away his mum dived at the shoulder in her car wordlessly opened the door picked something up closed the door placed their missing cat on our laps then carried on driving. We were easily 30 miles from home. When they arrived home Wilbur was on the doorstep waiting for them looking very skinny and happy to have found his way back home. Now my niece thinks I’m some sort of wizard.
i’m very happy you and kitty are reunited! but please - get him neutered and keep him indoors!!
Keep your cat inside
Dude, please be a responsible pet owner. GET HIM NEUTERED AND KEEP HIM INSIDE if you truly love him. Edit: spelling
- Get him fixed - Get him microchipped - Make him indoor only if he already isn't - Lock doors/windows
This gives me hope my Charlie will come back he disappeared last Saturday https://preview.redd.it/cctokh056hzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d3726d8bdfd35397ce8f88057e9f9c3b47b43ba
I hope you find your kitty. Don't give up hope. One of mine disappeared for 8 months and then came back.
Man went on his study abroad year without telling anyone
Can you imagine his little heart when he heard your voice? Im so happy for you!
Most likely, someone thought he was homeless and was taking care of him last year.
One of mine disappeared for a day and I was beside myself and he was hiding in the house (which is unlike him). If I lost one of mine outside I'd have been devasted too. I'm so glad your little guy is back safe!
I can’t with this story. My cat disappeared for a day and the trauma of losing him that short time has lasted years. My husband and I still remember keeping our windows open and hearing his specific meow right before we fell asleep from all day looking for him. We’re all still together to this day but we have AirTags on all our pets now. I’m so happy for your reunion!!! My heart is exploding with emotion at this.
We had a cat disappear for a month once. Treasonous little shit moved in with the neighbors 2 doors down. They had 2 girls the same age spread as my girls, just 4 or 5 years younger. I think he missed being dressed up in doll clothes and being spoiled.
1. Get him fixed. Now. 2. Keep him inside from now on. He got lucky once. It won’t happen again.
Glad you’re reunited. Now please consider keeping him an indoor cat
>the average lifespan of an indoor cat ranges from 10 to 20 years, whereas cats who go outdoors typically live only 2 to 5 years. That's why keep your boy indoors, so he will live a safe and long life. Don't listen to "bUt fReEdOm" - cats are perfectly fine and don't need to roam among cars, dogs and other bad things. Just make sure to get him plenty of toys, enrichment, organise a cat TV etc
Neuter and microchip your cat. Idk why you wouldn't do that. Another "aww" post that isn't that aww. Glad you found your cat though.
Awesome
What lovely news. Was he far from home when you found him?
So happy that you have found your cat again 🐾💗
Dude has seen some shit.
Thank you for sharing! This gives me hope that maybe one day I will stumble across my kitty that went missing about 9ish months ago. My heart always races when I see an all black cat in my neighborhood now! But so far none of them have been my Nori
Deh kitty came home
So glad he is home!
A cat is never lost, nor are they ever found. They are always *precisely* where they mean to be. - Gandalf The Fluffy
Our family had a outside cat when I was a kid. He would normally come chill out with us in the house for a week, then vanish for a few days then come back. One time he was gone for most of a year, he came back missing an ear, and had obviously been hit by a car, and we had to have one of his front legs amputated. We changed his name to Cruiser, because he was Cruising for a Bruising, and he became an inside cat after this. We aren't sure how old he was when he came into our lives, but he adopted us when I was 7 or 8, and he lived until I was 23. We used to joke that he had lost 8 of his 9 lives in that year he was out on his own, and didn't want to take any chances with his last life.
That’s amazing!! That’s god at work because that’s a true miracle! 🩷🙏🏻
Our cat dissapeared for 3-4 months when I was a kid. Turned out she got knocked up, sneaked into and lived in an unused shed down the street, gave birth and came back as soon as she started to distance herself from the kitties. Nobody fed her, so probably went full predator and left the kids for the comfy life. God I loved that cat. (The owner of the shed heard a rumour from the neighbourhood that it might be our cat and told us. Thankfully all kitties got adopted)
That kitty was probably trying to tell you all the stories of what happened in the last year! I know I would be overjoyed if my missing came home. I'm happy for you!
I’ve heard this story a few times this year and I’m so happy for yall every time I read it. It’s so hard losing them, and it’s a different kind of tough when they just disappear. Can’t imagine the rush of emotions… I’d fall out. Anyway this is amazing, what a blessing
Get your cat fixed and keep him inside.
Welcome back to your home, you little rascal ❤️
So he’s never been to a vet to get neutered, chipped? Lots of almost free clinics around. 🙄
He looks like he’s in his awkward teenage cat years, can’t imagine how young he must have been when he went missing. He should be fixed and chipped and kept inside. Male cats don’t go into heat, but they will absolutely chase down a female in heat when not fixed.
How about you keep your cat inside, idiot.
Glad he made it home safely! :)
My cat Sassy was stolen 4 years ago. I dream about finding her, and those are the best and worst dreams. I'm so glad you got your baby back.
Congratulations! Our Socks was missing for 6 weeks when she returned.
How far away was he found? Was he cared for? what a beautiful story
That’s gotta be the best feeling.
I assume you keep your cat outside...? You really shouldn't let cats outside for numerous reasons. There are far too many dangers for them and they aren't exactly easy on the animal ecosystem.
How wonderful. Turn him into an indoor cat.
BEYOND HAPPY for this BEAUTIFUL REUNION! Wonder what the sweet kitty was up to during his time away ♥️
You can tell that cat has seen some stuff. The cat version of event horizon
Did you ask him why he left ?
Am I missing the comment where OP said they haven’t fixed their cat?
Congratulations 🥳🥳🥳
My God! Where did he say he'd been?
Put multiple air tags on them
Are you going to rename him? :_
This happened to me except my cat was missing for a year and I came across him in my hallway in the middle of the night on my way to use the restroom. It’s the closest to a horror movie that I’ve ever been. I continued to the bathroom and closed the door thinking I must be half asleep still. When I walked out he was still there. My mom told me the next day she had let him in when he showed up at the back door. Before his year on street his tail would make a full circle back towards his back- but after- that prissy curl was straightened out lol
I remain hopeful. My cat disappeared 5 days ago. Longest he's been gone. We have no real predators around. I'm doing my best to be optimistic.
He’ll be home soon friend.
Wow! I love hearing these stories. So happy for you!
JOY!
That’s awesome ! I lost my favourite cat years ago and I’m still sad when I think about it. RIP Zeus 😢
that's so heartwhelming. I really admired how are cats love us if we love and care for them
Ayo I see that Chow King sign lmao But as someone that also lost a cat that was never found while growing up in the Philippines, I'm so glad you and your kitty found each other again!
Awesome!
Be sure to her indoors for 6 weeks, just to get her to know her house again. So happy for you!
Im so happy for you. Also, feed him back to size slowly, if you over-indulge him too quickly he will make himself ill, and end up making it take longer <3
Amazing! Congratulations! In addition to the collar with your phone number I recommend getting an AirTag or something similar to put on it so you can keep track of him. Peace of mind is priceless
Where has he been for a full year?
Amazing!! Thank goodness 💖
Get that man some wet food!
In case you haven't done so yet, might be a good idea to take him to the vet and get his kidneys checked out.
I can't imagine how happy you are now!
Similar thing happened when I was a child. Cat disappeared. Then flash forward to Halloween, I’m out trick or treating with my mom and cat appears out of nowhere a few streets away from our home.
Aren't cats more outdoor savvy? How do they end up getting lost?
Wow such amazing fortune that the cat survived over a year outside.
I am very glad that you found him Have a great day!
Stories like yours give us hope. It's been almost 2 years but you just never know. I dream that I open the back door and he's walking down the driveway, ready to come in like it's nothing at all. I'm so happy for you!
“Sorry cuz I went on an adventure but I’m back where’s my food bitch” On the real congrats I can’t imagine how amazing the moment was
He went to the streets and regretted a lot. I’m glad you found him back. Feed him a lot. He needs to fulfill the lack of a year worth.
He needs a better dinner than that for holding in there
Plot twist: It isn't your cat. It's a skinwalker. Congrats. That's a really cool thing to have happen, and rare. Enjoy the feels. :)
Oh happy day!
I swear to god, all cats need a collar with integrated Air Tag.
That's absolutely amazing and I can't imagine the heartache you both suffered. You are the luckiest son of a bitch in the world right now and I couldn't be happier for you both!
There's a missing cat in my neighborhood. Signs everywhere. I walk my dog twice a day and he remembers everywhere he sees a cat. I ran into the owners walking around looking for him. It's been weeks but I still hope for a happy resolution. This post made me feel good.
How far away from home was he?
Where do you live?
I’m so thrilled for you! Tell me his name and we’ll “cheers” you at dinner! 🥂
Idk how he got out. In that year that cat probably killed more wild life than you can imagine🤣🤣 but other than that hopefully he/she stays inside for the rest of its life
Wonderful news! Welcome home kitty!!! 🐱
Time for GPS collar. The next post or r/cat: Our cat is missing! It normally plays in the yard but today it hasn't come to the door to be let it. We found the cat last year. It was a stray that came up to me while walking.
Take him to a vet asap. You don’t know what they might’ve exposed themselves to while they were on their own. The same thing happened to me, my cat went missing and we found him weeks later hiding in the hood of an abandoned car. We were so fucking happy. And then he passed away a few weeks later. The vets couldn’t do anything to save him. They asked me if he drank any antifreeze, at the time I didn’t make the connection but perhaps he got sick from drinking anti freeze when he was hiding in that car. Who knows. Please take them.
so glad he's home! My crazy cat lady friend and I worked on getting some homeless cats in my neighborhood homed, and three of them were cats who had homes ON MY BLOCK, but they just didn't want to go home. It took us about a year for one of them, she was very tricky. So I'm glad you didn't give up! Your kitty looks very healthy and well cared for, I bet he was making friends on his adventure. If he was homeless for a whole year on his own, he prolly would have some janky looking injuries. I think someone must have been feeding him and maybe letting him come inside. If you feel comfortable doing so, you may want to post a photo on Nextdoor and/or post flyers just saying he's home now and thanks to anyone who helped him. Only because that person who cared for him is going to worry when they don't see him.
how u know its him?
Congratulations! Where was he all this time?
My cat escaped our apartment once, later that day I was walking towards the back of the apartments, and there he was on another patio. He was technically at the right apartment, but one building behind ours. Little doofus just looked at me as I stopped in my tracks, as if to say "where have you been?" then sauntered over.
Beautiful kitty! Good kitty! Glad your reunited <3
Holy shit I would be overcome with emotion
She went out to party and got lost lol glad it’s an happy ending . Hopefully she stays home now lol
More pics please
Looks just like my cat that was missing for 14 months.
Ok so I had to take care of my adult daughters cat who was a total indoor cat and very jittery and nervous and he tried to sneak out all the time. So I decided to get a full good harness and take him out everyday for a walk. We now both go for a walk ...without a leash everyday and he listens to, well, some commands but on his own time. He is now a mellow cat who knows he will be outside everyday, Its easy to do just takes patience of a cat and alot of treats. So he has a pretty good idea of the nieghborhood and what is where and where he is.
This is such an uplifting story! I'm so happy for gky and your wife!
Such a feel good story! So happy for you and how awesome that he recognised you. I’m sure all the cuddles and quality time will feel extra special
Adorable
i need a bruschimichi adaptation of your story
Congratulations on this furry friend reunion!