Cat that just vanished

by Marie
(Michigan, USA)

Hi, we had a cat for 5 years (we have many cats.) This one was my "partner"..he did everything with me, especially followed me everywhere I'd go outside, like when I'd take my dogs for a walk, etc. He's an inside/outside cat. We live on the lake and near a very small patch of woods. He is the smartest, quickest, sharpest cat I'd ever known. All of our cats feared him. Even the outside strays feared him. He's actually small for being a male, but still a big bully! He would pick fights with cats just for the heck of it, and they'd always run away in fear.


We have a lot of raccoons around here, and I would see him hanging around them from time to time. They all knew him and sort of just avoided him. One night, I heard a raccoon fight out there (not uncommon), and the thing about raccoon fights is, they sound very similar to cat fights. But when I heard this particular fight, I remembered thinking, "I hope that wasn't Rascal that just yelled like that." I was super-exhausted that night because I was up early helping my Grandma all day. So I just went back to sleep and figured I'd see Rascal when I got up. Unfortunately, I never saw him again. He's been missing for 7 months now and I'm still so upset over his disappearance. I've searched EVERYWHERE. Under every tree, bush, drain pipe, under our house, sheds, garages, the lake, I still have his ad up on Craigslist, you name it, I've done it. I'm just wondering if you could tell me if he possibly could have gotten into a a fight with a raccoon and then died because of it? Would a raccoon fight to the death with a cat? According to everyone in my family, they said I would have found his body somewhere, or at least some kind of evidence of a fight, like blood, fur, etc. I found nothing. And he was NOT the type to stray. He loved our house and especially he loved me WAY TOO MUCH to just wander off to another place. He was always, always, always around. Any advice would be very helpful. Thanks so much!

Reply
I am so sorry for your loss, it must be terrible not knowing what happened to him.

Unfortunately sometimes this does happen and there is no trace. It is impossible to say what may have happened to your cat. They may have simply wandered off and either passed away or become very lost. There have been cases of cats getting into vehicles and being driven a long way off without anyone knowing.

I have no experience with raccoons as I live in the Uk and we don’t have such things, we do have foxes but our cats seem to have little trouble with them.

Seven months is a long time to be missing so although it is less likely that he will return, you never know.

You need to stop thinking about what may have happened and just try and move forward.
Kate

Comments for Cat that just vanished

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Missing ..no clue
by: Joe

My 6.month old female cat went missing suddenly . The males cat still come looking for her. I can only think of stray dogs chased or killed her.


Another cat I lost a month ago .Body was found about 20 meters from my house after 7 days of searching . Stray dogs may have killed her .RIP Whiskers
Our precious cat vanished
by: Barbara and Larry

We adopted Seri (Serena) when she was 6 months old. She became a gorgeous, healthy, extremely intelligent cat and we loved her and spoiled her every day. One snowy, full moon night about 3 weeks ago she was outside and vanished. We haven't found any fur or feathers, or other sign of what might have happened. Our neighbor said he believes an owl might have taken her but we wonder if that is possible since she weighed about 14 pounds. We have been told that even though we live in a small town there are predators that come in for food in the winter - especially coyotes, foxes and owls. It has been devastating for both of us and we miss her terribly. We would give almost anything just to hold Seri again.
Dont give up!
by: Anonymous

I dont know how old this post is, but ive had 2 cats return home after 2 years. They get disorented and lost and just have to survive. Read from these websites how to find your cat. After this amount of time a neighbor could feeding it, but if it living as a stray you'll get an idea of a radius to look in. I feed under a drop trap with a camera that sends pics of the strays. When my cat recently went missing I hiked around everywhere like you. No tufts of hair, no vultures were swarming.. its been 2 months, but I think I may have spotted her! Here are some links to great information - good luck!:)

https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/missing-cat-study/

https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-cat-behavior/


http://www.3retrievers.com/lost-cats-guide.html
i feel your loss
by: Anonymous

My cat of 7 years just disappeared. spaded and well kept, spoiled a better word. Now I and her mama cat are devastated. No signs of foul play . Most folks I talk to suspect a coyote got her. Not a real confidence builder for me. Anyway hope you kitten comes back
Missing kitty
by: Carol Hayes

So sorry about your cat. My kitty has been missing for about a week now. He was my sleeping buddy and friend. I miss him terribly and cry everyday..I cannot find him anywhere, he just vanished. I am very sad...
Similar Story
by: Katherine

Hi, I'm so sorry your cat has vanished. He sounds just like my cat Freddie, a small orange male, who disappeared almost five weeks ago. Freddie was also a bully to the other cats, but he was "my boy", with me the gentlest cat. He was six years old and had been with me since he was four weeks old. I fostered him and his sister and brother. I've looked everywhere and checked everywhere. He has a microchip but no one has found him. I, too, wondered if maybe a raccoon had gotten him, though they don't seem to bother my cats. I'm so sad he's gone, just as you are sad about your missing kitty. Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope your kitty turns up some day. k
My black kitten vanished
by: Kelly

About 3 weeks ago, I got a feral kitten from this lady I had never met before. Found on Craigslist. She had taken the kittens to the vet for examination. After 3 days I was able to pick up the kitten. Although the kitten was scared, he let me hold him and was becoming less scared of me. I had only had him for 2 days. On the morning of the second day, I was sitting in the bathroom floor with the black kitten. He was in the litter box peeking out at me. I was petting him softly. He was very vocal all night. I got up and shut the door. Went to get coffee and return to no kitten. No explanation. The cat couldn't have gotten out. I have other animals 2 dogs and 2 cats.. that would have definitely let me know. I have searched the entire house. No kitten, no poop, nothing! It's been over a week with no sign of black kitty.I'm baffled over this.
2 cats vanished
by: Joe

I had 3 stray kittens which the mother left in my house. Last sunday 1 went missing. This sunday another vanished. I had seen it playing in my CCTV camera till 5 am . I live in India where there are stray dogs. Do dogs eat cats ?
Do cats lose their way or do kittens want to move on to new territories ?
Lost Cat - Vanished
by: Anonymous

We too have lost our 13 year old cat. Its like he just vanished into thin air. We have been looking high and low and calling him everyday with no luck. I have many ads lost and found. Its nearly been a week so I am still hoping but he has never been gone before so this is heartbreaking. He would not have just wondered that far, he always stayed near the back porch. I do hope a wild animal did not get him.
Still Missing
by: Lisa Seidel

It's been about three years since Jeauxli disappeared. Over 700 fliers and multi-hours of searching day & night obsessively... no Jeauxli. I still haven't given up on her, but I did get another look-a-like because my dog Jake was so forlorn. Just maybe one day...
Cat mysteriously disappeared
by: Vera

Well it's been 6 months now since my 12 year old cat went missing. I decided 3 months ago to move on so I got myself a puppy. The main reason was for protection from the coyotes and raccoons so my other cat (the missing cat's mother) will be safe.

When I had dogs 10 years ago (sadly they had to be put down when they were 14 and 15 years old) I never had to worry about wild animals attacking and killing my cats, so I decided to move on and get a dog. It's a barbet male. He will chase any wild animals away. I had to move on because worrying about whether my cat would come back or not was too stressful. Since I have my new puppy, I feel much better about things. And my other cat is getting used to him. He will protect her!!
I am sorry about your cat rascal
by: Deena

I have had my calico cat Cali many yrs.The end of October 2018 she went missing she's not the type that would leave too far from my house and she would only go from here to cross the street we don't live on a busy road but she went missing Without a Trace no evidence of her anywhere none and to this day it breaks my heart knowing that she's gone and wondering if she's alright or if she was okay if she was hurt she followed me everywhere she had a great personality, she would come to me when I would call her name she just was like a puppy she hung around me and I miss her.
Cat mysteriously missing
by: Vera

My cat went missing 6 weeks ago. He’s a neutered 12 yr old male. Born in my house. I have his mother. I live in the country surrounded by woods and farm fields. Yes there was a baby raccoon in the tree by my clothesline near the lilac bushes. The cats used to go under those bushes but this past summer did not because of the raccoons I suspect. I didn’t hear any coyotes before he went missing but I sure do hear them now. I’ve never seen any evidence of him being killed. I’ve put up posters everywhere. In all the neighbours mailboxes too. One neighbor said they saw him poke his head out of the bushes in their back yard a few weeks ago. I immediately went down the road about 1/4 mile to their house and went into their small woods to see if he was there. He is extremely afraid of people. Always has been. After not seeing him I left. Then they said he came out and laid down on their deck!! When they moved in their house to call me he ran away again. Just the sound of movement from inside the house scared him. I figure my scent and him hearing me call him made him think it was ok to come out. This was about 4 weeks after missing. Since then no more sightings. I bought a trap but they don’t want me to put it on their property. And there’s coyotes everywhere so I guess my cat is hiding out or something. I miss him so much. This is not like him. He never missed s night on my bed!! His mother is still meowing constantly for him!! Help!!!! When will the coyotes go away so he can come home??
Raccoons and Cats
by: Lisa Seidel

My 2yr old female (spayed) has been missing for over a week. I did picture flyers, etc... Yesterday I was told my cat was seen at a trailer park about 1 mile from my house. I followed up on the tip, talked to quite a few residents from the trailer park (whom also stated) they are sure it is the same cat... They told me she had appeared the previous week and oddly, what really caught their attention, is this cat has 3 raccoons for companions. I do not know yet if this is my cat. I will be looking for her at the trailer park 2-3 times a day/night, unless I discover it is the wrong cat. Hopefully it will be her... but I wonder if it is her and I bring her back home, will she be content or will she return to her new-found life with the raccoons? Is there a way to prevent her from going again?
Missing my baby
by: Debbie

My cat has been missing now for over a month and i just have gone through every scenario possible as to what happened to her. She vanished into thin air and never to be seen or heard from. There is alot of wildlife around but mostly, have only seen deer and turkeys. Thinking maybe, a coyote or fisher cat is in the area. Because four cats in total in our area and two in the near vicinity have all gone missing. I do want to move on but, very heartbroken and still hoping for her return.
Your cat
by: Torie

I live in michigan also, in Anchorbay... Not sure if your aware, but we have many coyotes around. And with more and more housing be developed. We are loosing our pets to them. If your cat goes out at night, then there is a high possibility the coyotes got your cat...
I have 2 coyotes visit my yard @ 21 mile and gratiot about once every 8-9 days. I have seen them @ around 3:00 am. Looking for food in my yard.

I hope this is not the case for your cat. Take care, Torie
Okay
by: Marie

Thanks everyone
raccoons do eat cats
by: Anonymous

I just checked that raccoons do attack and eat cats
condolence
by: shelley kong

I have no more wise things to say except to say that 4 months after I found my cat dead following a house move, I am still thinking about her and all the possibilities that I could have saved her. I am saying this to you and to myself just to move on.
love and happy new year
Shelley

P.S. May be a bigger animal got him.
Raccoons
by: Kevin Johnson

Yes, raccoons can be very dangerous to cats, but it depends on the raccoon and it depends on the cat, I've seen them coexist without incident, and even hang out and play together, but I am afraid that is the exception rather than the rule

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