Rescuing a cat and the right time

Queries and discussions about cat rescue & rehoming
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emmab
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Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by emmab »

We lost our dearly loved cat 6 weeks ago and we have been waiting for his return. We had the same problem a few years back with another cat and fortunately he returned home, however our other cat hasn't so far which is very upsetting. We do not know whether to adopt another cat so that his sister can have some company. Hubbie is saying we should wait another couple of months, firstly to see if he comes home and secondly we are away for 2 nights at the end of September and he doesn't think a new cat would be settled in in time. I disagree and think if we have an adult cat they will settle in before then. If we adoted a kitten then this may not be a good idea. Should we wait?
Last edited by emmab on Fri Aug 05, 2016 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
GillianH
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Re: Rescuing a cat a time

Post by GillianH »

Have a look at the attached link which contains very useful advice :

http://www.catchat.org/index.php/cat-missing-lost-found


I would be inclined not to adopt another cat just yet. Six weeks is not that long for a cat to be missing given that some re-appear after having been missing for much longer.
emmab
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Re: Rescuing a cat a time

Post by emmab »

Thanks yes, I think we have exhausted the possibilties and have notified vets, the SPA, microchip centres, sent fliers, gone out in the evenings looking etc etc. I think we have done more and beyond what many people would do as he is badly missed and yearn for his return. Everything is waiting for his return and can do no more. Yes, we could wait years for a return.
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Kay
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by Kay »

I suppose the first consideration is would you be OK with having 3 cats, if you took in a new one and your missing boy returned?

a microchipped cat can be missing for ages, as if he is taken in by someone else, the chip might only be read months or years down the line
alanc
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by alanc »

Its a long time ago now, but my old cat Misty was lost for 9 weeks. (I believe he got frightened by something and by the time he stopped running could not find his way home.) I had given him up as lost for good, but got a call out of the blue. it transpired that he had found a house with an open cat flap about a mile away. The owners were on holiday in Australia for 3 months and their cat was being fed by a neighbor. Neighbor assumed they had two cats, not one! So even after 6 weeks, there is still hope.
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Crewella
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by Crewella »

I think that Kay has hit the nail on the head - the main point here is would you be happy with three cats of he did turn up and you had already taken on another? If the answer is yes, then go for it - that's one more needy cat in a good home! As has been said, cats can turn up months after they have gone missing, because it often takes a while for people to realise that they are homeless and start trying to locate an owner. It's probably not until somebody tries to catch him and scan for a microchip that he'll get a real chance of being returned to you.

Good luck, I really hope he turns up, and good luck with the decision making. If you do decide to take on another cat, take your time and choose carefully - perhaps another male who is known to be sociable and friendly to other cats? :)
emmab
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by emmab »

Well ironically we were due to have 3 cats at one point as there was one at the local refuge that had been there since we got our two. I felt guilty we didn't take him when we found the other two and hubby said we could have him. However days before we picked him up he was adopted, which was great for him, not for us. At least he found a good home but took many many months. We lost a cat in the UK and Sam came back after 6 weeks so we appreciate they do come back. Unfortunately in France they do not have the same concept about animals as we do. There are pet alert websites which we are registered with in each region and dogs and cats are found all the time but out of 50 leaflets despatched and posters displayed in villages, nothing has been reported.
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Crewella
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by Crewella »

It sounds like you might have a new family member soon then! ;)

We have a lovely boy up for rehoming at the moment who went missing from his home at about a year old - he's now five and has just been handed in and scanned, but sadly the 'owners' now don't want him back, so he's sitting in one of our pens waiting for someone else to fall for him. :(
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Re: Rescuing a cat and the right time

Post by emmab »

Crewella wrote:It sounds like you might have a new family member soon then! ;)

We have a lovely boy up for rehoming at the moment who went missing from his home at about a year old - he's now five and has just been handed in and scanned, but sadly the 'owners' now don't want him back, so he's sitting in one of our pens waiting for someone else to fall for him. :(
Would be nice but husbands get in the way of too many animal adoptions :roll:
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