Missing cat mystery

Bonedigger

I arrived home last night after walking the dog and found tufts of black and white hair at my front gate which I thought quite strange.We have a black and white tomcat and he's normally there to greet me when I get back,but he didn't appear.Roll on 12 or more hours and there's no sign of him yet,which is very unlike him.My fears are that a dog may have attacked him and that he's either dead and was taken away as a trophy by the dog,or he's gone to lick his wounds.I'm usually an optimistic sort of individual,but have bad vibes about this one.There was no evidence of blood,just tufts of hair at the gate and in the driveway.Obviously I've looked everywhere at this stage and have even contacted some local vets on the off chance that he may have been brought there to be patched up,but I've had no joy there either.I've also asked several neighbours if they saw or heard a commotion yesterday evening,but nothing untoward was seen or heard.A veterinary nurse suggested that he may have had a scrap with another cat and that it's unlikley a dog may have caught him - I'm not sure!If he was injured,is he likely to have gone to lick his wounds and then perhaps appear in a couple of days?
I'm extremely baffled by this one!

Pumpkinseeds

It may have been a bad cat fight. 2 of our cats used to have really nasty fights. There'd rarely be any blood but I came home lots of times to find lumps of fur everywhere. Hope your cat comes home soon. He wouldn't have hidden in a neighbours shed or anything and gotten locked in would he?

A neighbour of ours cat escaped after a vet trip and was accidentally locked in someone's shed for a few days before he was found.

Bonedigger

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

It may have been a bad cat fight. 2 of our cats used to have really nasty fights. There'd rarely be any blood but I came home lots of times to find lumps of fur everywhere. Hope your cat comes home soon. He wouldn't have hidden in a neighbours shed or anything and gotten locked in would he?

A neighbour of ours cat escaped after a vet trip and was accidentally locked in someone's shed for a few days before he was found.

Thanks Pumpkinseeds,but I think he definitely came to some harm.I'm hoping it was a cat scrap and that he'll be back shortly,but hope to hell it wasn't a dog because I don't fancy his chances.Is a dog likely to carry away a cat that it's killed?It's certainly a little encouraging to hear that you have seen lumps of fur fly everywhere after the cats have fought,so I'm hoping that's the most likely scenario.It's just a waiting game now really.

Pumpkinseeds

Bonedigger wrote: »

Thanks Pumpkinseeds,but I think he definitely came to some harm.I'm hoping it was a cat scrap and that he'll be back shortly,but hope to hell it wasn't a dog because I don't fancy his chances.Is a dog likely to carry away a cat that it's killed?It's certainly a little encouraging to hear that you have seen lumps of fur fly everywhere after the cats have fought,so I'm hoping that's the most likely scenario.It's just a waiting game now really.

I'd say if a dog was involved there'd have been blood. Honestly, there were times it looked like I could have made another cat out of the fur the 2 of pulled out of each other in bad fights. It used to look like a war zone and I'd have to take one or the other of them to the vet for treatment. He may just be laying low somewhere.

Knine

If he comes back I recommend having him neutered as this is kitten season & Tom Cats will be fighting it out to breed.

One of my cats was killed by a dog & all we found was fur however there was a huge racket. Check to see if your neighbours heard anything.

Hopefully he will be back this evening. He could also just have wandered of in search of females!

boomerang

We think of cats as solitary predators, but they are preyed on, too. So when a cat will hide his pain so as not to alert predators that he is vulnerable. If very sick or injured, the cat will go to ground for the same reason. Don't give up hope yet.

username123

A neighbours cat recently turned up after a 2 week disappearance with a broken leg and very skinny. It's possible he went to ground after whatever broke his leg to stay safe til he was strong enough to get home.

Don't give up hope, cats are resilient.

Bonedigger

Thanks a million everyone for your help.He has already been neutered and that very much stopped him wandering.But recently we've noticed a mean looking unneutered tom around the place which seemed to be bullying our boy.He may have been the culprit in this instance and if so,I wouldn't feel so downhearted,because it is likely our fella is lying low and will come back at some stage.We live in a cul-de-sac and most neighbours don't miss much around here,but saw nothing yesterday evening.That might be a good thing,because if a dog was involved there would have been a greater hullabaloo,I think?Here's hoping he'll be back soon.

Bonedigger

I was speaking to a neighbour shortly after lunch and asked if he saw anything last night and he said "sure did you not hear the carry on altogether.....there was fur and claws flying everywhere!".He said my fella and a black cat were going hell for leather at it.I have to say I don't like to see them fight,but at least thankfully he wasn't torn asunder by a dog.The chances are he's now gone to ground as you guys have said and hopefully he will reappear before long.Phew!

username123

Bonedigger wrote: »

I was speaking to a neighbour shortly after lunch and asked if he saw anything last night and he said "sure did you not hear the carry on altogether.....there was fur and claws flying everywhere!".He said my fella and a black cat were going hell for leather at it.I have to say I don't like to see them fight,but at least thankfully he wasn't torn asunder by a dog.The chances are he's now gone to ground as you guys have said and hopefully he will reappear before long.Phew!

Thats good news. They may well damage each other but a cat fight is less worrying than a dog fight. Im sure he will come back in hos own time.

retro:electro

My cat went missing before for almost a month and I had given up hope of her ever coming back. One day I walked into the kitchen and there she was on the outside windowsill looking in at me as if nothing had happened! There wasn't a mark on her and she looked as though she was being fed. Still to this day have no idea where she went, she may have had a little holiday for herself! She hasn't wandered anywhere since. Hope your cat turns up op keep us updated!

Bonedigger

Thanks Anna.Yeah,I think the thoughts of him ending his days in the jaws of a dog would have broke my heart altogether!At least there's a glimmer of hope now that he's going to make his way back.Yes,I'll certainly keep you guys updated.

Zapperzy

anna080 wrote: »

My cat went missing before for almost a month and I had given up hope of her ever coming back. One day I walked into the kitchen and there she was on the outside windowsill looking in at me as if nothing had happened! There wasn't a mark on her and she looked as though she was being fed. Still to this day have no idea where she went, she may have had a little holiday for herself! She hasn't wandered anywhere since. Hope your cat turns up op keep us updated!

Same story with my childhood cat, disappeared for quite a long time (month/s), jumped in the kitchen one morning as if nothing ever happened!

maguic24

Knine wrote: »

If he comes back I recommend having him neutered as this is kitten season & Tom Cats will be fighting it out to breed.

One of my cats was killed by a dog & all we found was fur however there was a huge racket. Check to see if your neighbours heard anything.

Hopefully he will be back this evening. He could also just have wandered of in search of females!

I've heard loads of cats fighting the last few weeks!! I didn't know what was going on!!

SillyMangoX

I had an old tom cat that went missing for 10 months! We thought for sure he was a gonner so got two kittens in the meantime. Showed up on the windowsil one morning looking for his breakfast as if nothing ever happened! When he comes back though give him a good check over, cats can often get abscesses after a cat fight so just look out for any lumps/bumps!

Bonedigger

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I had an old tom cat that went missing for 10 months! We thought for sure he was a gonner so got two kittens in the meantime. Showed up on the windowsil one morning looking for his breakfast as if nothing ever happened! When he comes back though give him a good check over, cats can often get abscesses after a cat fight so just look out for any lumps/bumps!

If/when he comes back,I'll certainly look out for puncture wounds.Cat bites can be very nasty indeed.

Slunk

We found our cat after six months, luckily we never gave up and were on the local animal rescue Facebook. They had found him a week previous and was ready for rehoming. He hadn't lost much wieght but doesn't go out for long periods anymore. Id love to know where he was. To think we could have lost him, the animal rescue couldnt afford a chip reader so couldn't scan him. We made a healthy donation and regularly support the fundraising efforts. I think anyone with a pet should do the same. Those people do great work

Pumpkinseeds

maguic24 wrote: »

I've heard loads of cats fighting the last few weeks!! I didn't know what was going on!!

They're on heat. All because so many people won't get them spayed/neutered:(

Bonedigger

The warrior has returned.He's not in great shape by the looks of it.There's a significant wound on his side and he's walking rather gingerly too.I'll bring him to the vet first thing in the morning.I gave him a bite to eat and then he made his way upstairs.He's now lying on one of the beds which is something I usually don't allow,but will make an exception this time!:)
I'll keep you guys posted.

username123

OP I'm delighted to hear he came back, I'm sure after a vet visit and tlc he will be right as rain. Best wishes.

jimf

cats really must have a great pain threshold when our guy used to leave home with a full suitcase he could be gone for days on his return battered and bruised you would think he was at deaths door

but with some food and 24/48 hours tlc he was gone again all that
was before we lets say emptied his suitcase rarely out of our sight now

Bonedigger

username123 wrote: »

OP I'm delighted to hear he came back, I'm sure after a vet visit and tlc he will be right as rain. Best wishes.

This is embarrassing,but someone(no one will admit to it) left the door open this morning and he's disappeared again.I went ballisitc!:mad:I'm hoping he's not too far away this time and that he comes back before this evening so I can take him to the vet.I'm really concerned now that an infection will take hold before he gets veterinary help.He was very lethargic this morning and wobbly on his feet.He didn't eat or take on water either.

twomonkeys

If he didnt eat overnight he probably slept a lot. Chances are he'll be hungry soon and will turn up for his food.

Bonedigger

twomonkeys wrote: »

If he didnt eat overnight he probably slept a lot. Chances are he'll be hungry soon and will turn up for his food.

He didn't eat much when he came back last night,and didn't eat this morning at all,so he's likely to be ravenous at some stage during the day.At least he had a comfortable night last night.Fingers crossed he arrives back soon.

Kamili

So glad he came back, fingers crossed the vet can sort him out!

Pumpkinseeds

Delighted to hear he came back. Most vets have an emergency number for out of hours, although some have Saturday clinics. I'd definitely get him to the vet when he comes home. He probably needs an antibiotic and some painkillers. Plus he'd be more vulnerable when he's wobbly on his feet.

Bonedigger

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Delighted to hear he came back. Most vets have an emergency number for out of hours, although some have Saturday clinics. I'd definitely get him to the vet when he comes home. He probably needs an antibiotic and some painkillers. Plus he'd be more vulnerable when he's wobbly on his feet.

I'm lucky enough to have the veterinary clinic 500 metres away from me here.I took a walk over there this morning to see what time they're open until today and thankfully they'll be there until 6 p.m.,so hopefully he'll be back by then.

Bonedigger

Steve,our tomcat,strolled back into camp today.I nabbed him before he could take off again,and brought him to the vets,who thankfully were open between 12 and 1 p.m.(he couldn't have timed it better!).As you can see from the image below,he has puncture wounds on his side,but that's about it.He was given both an antibiotic and pain killing jab.Believe it or not,he strolled out from under a small conifer tree in my front garden,so it seems he's been no more than 10 metres away from the front door all along.He's now sitting on top of some of my beloved garden plants,but I think I can excuse him this time.
Who'd be a pet owner?!!

Karl Stein

Great news. Will he not lick the wounds Bonedigger?

Bonedigger

Karl Stein wrote: »

Great news. Will he not lick the wounds Bonedigger?

Believe it or not,he was doing so shortly after arriving back.Funny enough,the vet never mentioned anything about that,but we've been down this road before - he just won't wear a plastic collar(he goes ballistic!).I'm sure the antibiotic he got is strong enough to prevent him infecting the wound himself,but I'm not sure?The vet did say to observe him carefully over the following days and if I'm concerned about anything to return with him.Hopefully this is the end of this sorry saga.

Pumpkinseeds

Ahh, he's so gorgeous. Do you know if anyone owns the other cat he fought with? I only ask as if funds allow and he isn't belong to someone, it might be worth getting the vet to neuter him to prevent further fighting with your own cat. I know a lot of people will say it isn't your cat and why should you pay etc etc and I get that, but in the long run it'd be a lot cheaper than having to take your own cat to the vet after fights.

Bonedigger

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Ahh, he's so gorgeous. Do you know if anyone owns the other cat he fought with? I only ask as if funds allow and he isn't belong to someone, it might be worth getting the vet to neuter him to prevent further fighting with your own cat. I know a lot of people will say it isn't your cat and why should you pay etc etc and I get that, but in the long run it'd be a lot cheaper than having to take your own cat to the vet after fights.

I'm not sure who owns the other cat or if he's a stray.My guess is he's a stray/feral.It would be ideal if he too was neutered,but as the vet said this morning,we really can't do anything until we're sure he doesn't belong to anyone.The problem is,I've only ever seen glimpses of him in the evenings and almost always when it's dark.How would you catch this guy?Our fella sleeps in the utility room,where we have a cat flap on the door,but this other fella is now coming in on the odd occasion and spraying on this,that and the other.The smell at times is awful and I'm going to have to come up with some solution to this problem too.Obviously,if the other guy is neutered it will solve this issue as well.

Pumpkinseeds

Bonedigger wrote: »

I'm not sure who owns the other cat or if he's a stray.My guess is he's a stray/feral.It would be ideal if he too was neutered,but as the vet said this morning,we really can't do anything until we're sure he doesn't belong to anyone.The problem is,I've only ever seen glimpses of him in the evenings and almost always when it's dark.How would you catch this guy?Our fella sleeps in the utility room,where we have a cat flap on the door,but this other fella is now coming in on the odd occasion and spraying on this,that and the other.The smell at times is awful and I'm going to have to come up with some solution to this problem too.Obviously,if the other guy is neutered it will solve this issue as well.

We used to have that problem with the catflap and we switched first to a magnetic one, a little magnet opens the flap for your cat and no others. But a few years ago we got a microchip flap. It just slots into the space where the standard flap is, one size fits all really, and it's much stronger than a standard flap. Not even a seriously determined cat has been able to force their way through it.

As for trapping the other cat, you could ask on Feral Cats Ireland facebook page and see if anyone practices trap neuter and return in your area. You can get very good deals online with zooplus or Amazon on microchip flaps. There's even one now that's a double one so you can programme it to stop some of your cats getting out. I'm very tempted by it as it'd be really handy for vet trips when I want to let the other 3 out but confine whichever of them is going to the vet:)

Bonedigger

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

We used to have that problem with the catflap and we switched first to a magnetic one, a little magnet opens the flap for your cat and no others. But a few years ago we got a microchip flap. It just slots into the space where the standard flap is, one size fits all really, and it's much stronger than a standard flap. Not even a seriously determined cat has been able to force their way through it.

As for trapping the other cat, you could ask on Feral Cats Ireland facebook page and see if anyone practices trap neuter and return in your area. You can get very good deals online with zooplus or Amazon on microchip flaps. There's even one now that's a double one so you can programme it to stop some of your cats getting out. I'm very tempted by it as it'd be really handy for vet trips when I want to let the other 3 out but confine whichever of them is going to the vet:)

I was wholly unaware that there are cat flaps so technologically advanced.:) I'll certainly check those out.
The great news is he's literally just after eating and has also had a drink.I was worried he may have been dehydrated because I hadn't seen him drink up until now.
Many thanks to you and everyone else for your advice in recent days.

twomonkeys

Great news Bonedigger, hopefully he'll improve day by day now. You were lucky you were aware of the scrap with the other cat otherwise those puncture wounds may have gone another 24hrs before you noticed!

I'm like you....on edge when the cat doesnt eat or drink and I watch her like a hawk. I relax a bit once I see her eating and drinking, its a good indication that they're getting back to normal.

Bonedigger

twomonkeys wrote: »

Great news Bonedigger, hopefully he'll improve day by day now. You were lucky you were aware of the scrap with the other cat otherwise those puncture wounds may have gone another 24hrs before you noticed!

I'm like you....on edge when the cat doesnt eat or drink and I watch her like a hawk. I relax a bit once I see her eating and drinking, its a good indication that they're getting back to normal.

He's a hell of a lot better today,thank goodness.He's eating like there's no tomorrow too,which is always an encouraging sign.It looks like he'll be back to normal in no time.

username123

Bonedigger wrote: »

He's a hell of a lot better today,thank goodness.He's eating like there's no tomorrow too,which is always an encouraging sign.It looks like he'll be back to normal in no time.

He's a tough little warrior. Gorgeous looking cat OP. Great to hear he is making a swift recovery.

Bonedigger

username123 wrote: »

He's a tough little warrior. Gorgeous looking cat OP. Great to hear he is making a swift recovery.

Thanks username123.Yeah,I've been told in the past that he's a fine looking animal alright,but when you have him from day one you can't really see what others see I suppose.He's back to eating normally once again and I was just looking at the wound on his side this evening and it's not looking as bad as it was.Touch wood the other tom won't be around while he's recovering.
All the best.

Qualitymark

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Ahh, he's so gorgeous. Do you know if anyone owns the other cat he fought with? I only ask as if funds allow and he isn't belong to someone, it might be worth getting the vet to neuter him to prevent further fighting with your own cat. I know a lot of people will say it isn't your cat and why should you pay etc etc and I get that, but in the long run it'd be a lot cheaper than having to take your own cat to the vet after fights.

It won't prevent fighting. I well remember a neighbour from the next street coming to me carrying my (spayed) cat and saying he was tormenting her cat; he'd even chased it through the cat flap and up into the bedroom and there was fur everywhere. The worst of it is that I was always conscientious about keeping him in overnight, and he only went out for an hour or so during the day.

Cats fight when they meet and challenge each other; it usually happens when there's a cat-crowded neighbourhood or when a new cat comes into a neighbourhood. They have carefully organised schedules to avoid other cats' rounds; it's when a new cat or too many cats disrupt this that the fights happen.

--LOS--

Cats are usually smart enough not to interfere with wounds like dogs.

Love this story That's cats, they never come when they're called.

Bonedigger

Qualitymark wrote: »

It won't prevent fighting. I well remember a neighbour from the next street coming to me carrying my (spayed) cat and saying he was tormenting her cat; he'd even chased it through the cat flap and up into the bedroom and there was fur everywhere. The worst of it is that I was always conscientious about keeping him in overnight, and he only went out for an hour or so during the day.

Cats fight when they meet and challenge each other; it usually happens when there's a cat-crowded neighbourhood or when a new cat comes into a neighbourhood. They have carefully organised schedules to avoid other cats' rounds; it's when a new cat or too many cats disrupt this that the fights happen.

I have to say,I haven't seen as many cats in this neighbourhood in donkey's years.Most I think are well looked after female cats,but I guess it just takes one mean tomcat to move in and all hell will break loose!

Bonedigger

--LOS-- wrote: »

Cats are usually smart enough not to interfere with wounds like dogs.

Love this story That's cats, they never come when they're called.

Yeah,it's been an emotional roller coaster alright.:D

Pumpkinseeds

Qualitymark wrote: »

It won't prevent fighting. I well remember a neighbour from the next street coming to me carrying my (spayed) cat and saying he was tormenting her cat; he'd even chased it through the cat flap and up into the bedroom and there was fur everywhere. The worst of it is that I was always conscientious about keeping him in overnight, and he only went out for an hour or so during the day.

Cats fight when they meet and challenge each other; it usually happens when there's a cat-crowded neighbourhood or when a new cat comes into a neighbourhood. They have carefully organised schedules to avoid other cats' rounds; it's when a new cat or too many cats disrupt this that the fights happen.

It will calm things down an awful lot and as a result the fighting will decrease massively. Some cats are very territorial and will always fight with a cat they see as an intruder, but with neutered males the tension decreases after being neutered. I've seen it in my own cats and in the way they interact with neighbouring cats.

Neutering also mostly stops spraying and I don't even need to mention that it will prevent an awful lot of kittens being born. A decrease in fighting means potentially, a decrease in cases of FIP as a result of bites. I always know when there's an unneutered tom in the area as our own cats get very unsettled and pretty much sit guard in the back and front garden.

It is always far better to neuter/spay than not to.

boomerang

Qualitymark wrote: »

It won't prevent fighting. I well remember a neighbour from the next street coming to me carrying my (spayed) cat and saying he was tormenting her cat; he'd even chased it through the cat flap and up into the bedroom and there was fur everywhere. The worst of it is that I was always conscientious about keeping him in overnight, and he only went out for an hour or so during the day.

Cats fight when they meet and challenge each other; it usually happens when there's a cat-crowded neighbourhood or when a new cat comes into a neighbourhood. They have carefully organised schedules to avoid other cats' rounds; it's when a new cat or too many cats disrupt this that the fights happen.

Cats will avoid physical confrontations at all costs. Think about it - even though they're domesticated, these animals are still solitary predators by design, so any injury comes at a huge cost - leaving them vulnerable to predators themselves, and impacting on their ability to hunt and find food.

There will be stand-offs with a distance maintained between two cats until one cat backs down and retreats.

Where fights occur, it is usually because one cat is strongly territorial, or a row over mating rights. That's why neutering toms eliminates aggression in most cases. Of course there are some cats that are just natural bullies, but in the main, neutering the aggressing cat solves the problem.