Lost cat behavior (eating, declaw, feline, food)

[MaryleeII]

Ok, if you've read some of my other threads, you know we lost a cat about 2 months ago.

We'd just moved to a new neighborhood, and Rudy escaped. We searched high and low, put up flyers, posted on Craigs List, checked with shelters, vets, in short, everything we could think of.

We had one sighting that turned out to be a look alike. Sadly, we gave up hope.

We did have a nieghbor say they saw a cat matching his description in a vacant field nearby. That was a month ago.

Well, tonight, we were coming around the corner, and there he was! There sat Rudy! I'm sure of it! In a vacant field, just sitting there. We stopped, dh got out of the car and tried to approach him, he looked a bit then skittled off into a wooded area. But it wasn't a mistake, not a look alike, it was Rudy! My dd said he looked lighter in color than he used to be, he's an orange tabby, this guy was somewhat "dusty" looking, I said that's probably due to him being outside all this time, rolling in the dirt, sun bleached, but it was Rudy!

So, now, how to catch him! I guess I just expected him to run up to us, like a lost dog, but this is a cat! He probably doesn't recognize us, and he was always scared of cars.

I'm thinking to set our coon trap there tonight, with some soiled clothes, perhaps a towel we used, something with our scent, also, some food, although he looked well fed. Whatever Rudy has been doing, he's surviving. Either his DNA kicked in and he's living off the land, or someone took him in and is feeding him.

We did the flyer bit 2 months ago, but we're printing up new flyers, to target that area. Watch it be that Rudy has found a new family that feeds him. He has a chip, if someone would scan him. Probably he's eating someone else's cat food and roaming the woods.

I get goosebumps thinking about it, it was definitely Rudy!

Now, how to entice him to come home?

Here's another little trick that might work. This vacant field is just around the corner from us. I could have the kids walk back and forth, wearing old shoes, or even barefoot, they do that, anyways. Along the way, drop some kibbles they've warmed in their hands to get their scent on it. Lead him home---he probably doesn't know he's in another city and doesn't know which house is his, all he needs is a scent trail.

Also, tonight is a cool night. I insist we leave the windows open, so the scent can carry him home. Call me crazy, but I know he's out there, he just needs to find us. We also put out the cat box on the patio, with the other cat's scent. I understand cat's sense of smell is 1000x greater than a human. I really think his nose will lead him home if we give him the chance.

I'm going to be awake all night, I can't sleep!

[Annie53]

All of the things you are trying sound good to me. I can't think of anything else you could do.

I am so hoping you get Rudy back. Good luck!

[MaryleeII]

I've been reading about cat behavior, and how they use scent to stake out their territory. Probably poor Rudy got lost, couldn't find his way home, now has established his territory, and respects the lines of other cats territory. We need to somehow break that "scent" barrier for him. I still think his sense of smell will bring him home.

I know this sounds disgusting, but animal excrement has powerful scents that give off all sorts of signals to cats. Perhaps we could put a small amount of used cat litter from our other cats inside the cat trap? Or, drop very samll amounts along a trail for him,just a few here and there, nothing the neighbors could object to.

[Annie53]

If he knows all of the cats that will be contributing to the scent trail, why not go for it?

Too bad you don't have any of the litter Rudy used to scent a trail with.

Note to all other cat owners.......if you lose a cat, you may want to bag up and save the litter they used for awhile............a long while.

Years ago, two of my dogs got out of the fence. Friends found them both the next day. That was the worst day and night of my life. I will never forget how helpless I felt. That horrible, sick feeling in your gut. It was awful.

Marylee...........I know what you are going through and I will be sending positive thoughts your way.

I hope I never find myself in your situation, but if I ever do I will remember all of the tips you have put in this thread. I have 6 cats and I know how easily they can escape. One of my cats streaked out of the door once, luckily I got her back in immediately.

[catman]

I hope you can get Rudy to accept you again. I'd say spending time over in the field will help, so he can get used to you. Don't try too hard! That won't work. No telling whether he will remember you or not; you may have to start over with him...the memories may come back to him. Anyway, at least you know he's doing okay and that he's still nearby.

[goyguy]

My mojo worked! I never stopped thinking about Rudy, and had been getting stronger feelings this week. No lie. Make of that what you will.
What's also encouraging is that it sounds like the kids MAY be more inclined to assist in getting their feline friend back into the fold now. Anybody who followed the earlier thread knows they were being PITA's as only middle-schoolers can be, with the son especially bad. It sounds like they may be acclimating to their new home and doing OK with settling in at school. Sometimes reality has a way of sinking in only after some time's gone by, too. Having a pet go missing for a day or two is not the same as having it still be gone after this long.
Not that this is news to anybody here, but cats can be funny (as in peculiar.) After doggedly - pardon the expression - phoning, flyering, and searching for three weeks when my "Weasie" disappeared, I got a tip which led me to her. She'd been scooped off a nearby sidewalk by a family who'd made little or no effort to locate who she owned. They were "fostering" her and had her confined to their house. Long story short: When I spotted Weasie curled up napping on a couch, I ran to her and started scratching one of her ears the way she likes it. I told her how good it was to see her again, that I'd missed her, and was she ready to go home? She stretched, jumped off the sofa, and ambled out of the room. This was probably her way of guilting me, but it had a counterintuitive effect because I had to do that much more to prove I was rightfully hers.
There was a "Kitty Data" thread last December and January which chronicled the disappearance of a cat who was then spotted for several days right in the yard of her house. She (yes, I'm writing about "Little Moo") was only reunited with her humans after being caught in a baited trap. It may be anthropomorphizing, but I think cats who've been away for a while might feel like they aren't going to be accepted when they reappear. This theory seems to hold up in light of how Rudy reacted when he was seen the other night.
So do what you're doing, and I'll keep my mojo working!

[StarlaJane]

I agree with Catman. Rudy needs to be reacclimated to you all again. cats run from humans to protect themselves and he obviously no longer recognizes you. Not that he doesn't love you but I have found that when a cat gets a taste of freedom, they really enjoy it!

I am not sure how Rudy will feel about living a domesticated life once again but reminding him of the positives of domesticated life will surely help. That said, go to the field regularly and, if possible, sit down with some treats or, maybe even, a can of tuna and wait. I would also bring a cat toy that used to be his or something that has his smell and yours on it that you can leave at the site. If he doesn't approach, leave the food and toy and come back the next day and do the same. If he does approach, don't make any sudden moves or try to catch him. Just talk to him and allow him to approach. He will let you know when he's ready to go home again, probably by meowing and looking up at you when you stand to leave and not struggling when you pick him up or running off when you reach for him.

I have found that cats that run off usually do not go far and tend to find their way back home again after they have had their fill of youthful adventure. Much like the prodigal son, they eventually tire of the excitement and stimulation of the outside world and long to return to the comfortable and stability of home

[NY Annie]

There's a group on yahoo for feral cats - please don't use the raccoon trap, it can severely injure a cat. There are recent plans posted there building/making a cat trap - used by people who do serious TNR work.

With the coming cold weather, especially to Maryland, he will probably find his way home - especially if you repeatedly walk between your home and where you have now spotted him.

[MaryleeII]

No Rudy today. I woke up so excited, thinking perhaps he followed the scent trails and came back home, but no such luck.

We didn't set a coon trap last night. It says humane trap, but I don't know....it seems it could snap shut and injure a tail, or something.

No sightings of Rudy since last night. We did post flyers, hopefully, someone is feeding him and they will recognize him. Its been a long time, he went missing July 23, over 2 months, so its reasonable he won't recognize us by now.

But we got him as a baby, a little 4 week old ball of fur! How could he just forget his family?

At least we know he's alive and well. All my darker thoughts about his fate have now been put to rest. Perhaps he's just gone feral, and will never become a house cat again. Maybe with the colder weather he will want to come home again.

Problem is, he doesn't know which of these houses is his home. He escaped about thr 2nd night we were here. We'd given up.

Funny, I was having strong thoughts about him just yesterday, too. We'd passsed that vacant field many times, but this time I looked especially close, and there he was! Perhaps a telepathy!

I still insist the scent will bring him home! Like another poster said, approach him softly, perhaps just talk to him, it might take several encounters to regain his trust.

At least we know he's alive and well. Cats are smart creatures!

[MaryleeII]

And Thank God I never declaw my cats, for just this reason.

Although they are basically indoor cats, what if they accidently got loose? their claws are their lifeline, their defense, their way of catching food, climbing to escape predators, etc.

Rudy would never have survived without his claws, he just needed to figure out how to use them, which he apparently has!