Conference misery::feline_v1

    I've heard that, but I don't know if it's true or not.  It seems to me
    that if an animal feels very unwell, it would seek out a quiet,
    protected place.  When my first cat was suddenly dying of feline
    leukemia, he first came to me, and then when he couldn't find a
    comfortable position (his chest was affected), he went off into a
    corner where his soft pillow was.  If he
    had been an outside cat, I don't think he could have made it any
    distance back to the house.      
    

    Well, it happened to me.......one of my cats (indoor housecat)
    was ill, and disappeared.  We searched the whole house, and
    finally found him in a dark cubbyhole in the basement, where he 
    had crawled to find a quiet place to die.    
    
    Some cats that have been hit by a car can get up and run, (some people
    see this and think the cat is ok) and then hide someplace to die,
    or drop right after and die.
    
    Lynne
    	

    I have also found this to be true.  When my Jesse James came down with
    Rhino and was very sick, he crawled under our bay window and just sat
    there waiting to die.  He wouldn't come to me when I called him.  I did
    find him though and got him to the vet and he recovered.
    
    With my Birmans, when one is sick it will seek out a quiet, dark place
    to curl up in.  That is one way that I know if something is wrong. 
    When Kalliste threw his clot I found him hiding under a litter box lid.
    
    Jo

    Yes,  I have had cats go hide when they are sick.  In fact,  I guess
    if I come home and someone from the gang didn't meet me,  I'd assume
    something was wrong, especially if they are hiding in the bottom of
    the closet or something.
    I also had a 22 year old dog, who left his "always place" at the
    door stoop to go die when it was time.  We didn't find the remains
    for 2 wks.  and he was only 30ft. from the house.  That's how well
    he hid.
    
    Is your kitty old?  Or acting unwell before he disappeared?  Has he
    ever disappeared before?
    
    Denise

re: -.1

>    Is your kitty old?  Or acting unwell before he disappeared?  Has he
>    ever disappeared before?
 
	Abigail just turned seven this past spring.  She was in for her
yearly checkup and shots in early June with no sign of anything amiss.
But cats (and people, for that matter) are vulnerable to a variety of
ills that can come upon them very quickly so I don't rule it out.  And,
finally, no, although we have a pet door so she had easy access to the
outside she always came in at night and slept on the bed with us.  She
had never been gone for a whole day before, much less two weeks.

Thanks,

Brian

    Brian...
    
    Have you called the shelters or vets in your area.   Or a better
    suggestion is to give them a picture of Abigail so if she does
    show up they can call you back immediately.   Or try and ad in
    the local paper.
    
    It's amazing to me how many beautiful, loving, friendly lost cats end up
    at the shelter I work in.  You know just by looking at them that
    they did have a wonderful home at one time.
    
    Good luck...and the fingers/paws are all crossed.
    
     Sandy

    A few weeks before Murdock died, he began seeking out dark hiding
    places in the basement, the most famous being under Dana's workbench. 
    When I would try to pull him out, he'd growl softly at me.  He also
    slept in the house of the cat tree, a place he never used before he
    became ill.
    

re: .6

	I've called the vets and shelters in the area, posted notices around
town with her picture and put an ad in the paper (which won't run for another
few days because we only have a weekly in Harvard.)  I will take the suggestion
to make multiple calls, especially to the shelter since things change with
time.  I've gotten lots of good advice and ideas through this file not to 
mention some wonderful emotional support.  I'm grateful.  But I'm also
discouraged and have about concluded that I'll never see her again.  (sigh)

Thanks,

Brian

    Try to keep your hopes up...I know it's very very hard.   There are some 
    great success stories in here about cats returning after being gone
    1-2 months........if I could only remember the note number.
    
    I am also missing a cat from over 1 year ago...and it still breaks
    my heart...I still look at every tiger cat in my path...and I still
    read the lost/found section of our local newspaper every night.  If
    only I knew what happened...I could live with the outcome!!   It's
    the no knowing...that bothers me!!
    
    Paws are crossed for her safe return home...where she belongs!!
    
    Sandy
    

    Get a flashlight and go looking in small dark places for your cat. 
    Look under bushes and shrubs, bay windows, porches, etc.
    
    Jo

    I would also visit the shelters, not just call.  It's amazing how often
    one person will describe a cat as "tan" and another will call it
    "orange", etc.  Unless both you and the shelter person who answers the
    phone are mega experts on coloration etc. it's better to check for
    yourself.
    

    Also ask to look back thru their records for cats found since yours
    disappeared but who are no longer at the shelter.
    

              <<< VAXWRK::$1$DUS6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE.NOTE;1 >>>
                               -< Meower Power >-
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Note 4898.13   Do cats sometimes run away when they are very sick?      13 of 13
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    Brian,
    
    I live in Groton, Mass, we have coyotes.  Chances are that Harvard has too.
    Sorry to be depressing, but they could be the cause of your kitty's
    disappearance.  If the cat is young, male, female, neutered or not, it 
    could also be that it has gone walkabout, they sometimes do this time of the
    year.  Old cats go off to die, I suppose sick cats could do.
    
    I know what you mean about not knowing--I lost a cat this time last
    year, if only I knew what happened to her.
               

re: -.1

	I actually had a long talk with my neighbor when I went over to mention
to them that Abigail was missing (and to recruit their kids into acting as an
ongoing search party) and they also mentioned coyotes.  I don't know that I
believe there are really such things in Harvard, but if you say there are in
Groton I guess that makes it possible.  Clearly there is lots of wildlife that
she could have encountered that would have been able to kill or seriously
wound her.  I've thought a lot about raccoons - she might have found one and
thought she had encountered the ultimate mouse.  We also have great horned
owls in the area - I don't know if one would have taken her as prey but if
she cornered one on the ground somehow they can be very mean.

	So the possibilities are there - that's for sure.

Brian

    My girlfriend works at a farm in Northbridge (on the Upton line)
    and she's seen coyotes there in the early mornings.

Coyotes and feral dogs are the primary predator of domestic pet cats.  The cats
are easy to catch, particularly as they age, and this makes them a primary
target for predation.  Coyotes are resident in all lower 48 states and cats
that are allowed outside should not be allowed out until late morning and
should be called into their homes in early evenings.  This will not guarentee
their safety, but it will increase their margin a bit.  Coyotes are night
hunters in most cases except when a female has young.  She will then hunt
in early morning and early evening.  I grew up with coyote and coydog hybrids 
in New Mexico and I know that once they find "easy pickings", they will return
to the same area repeatedly.  If you or a neighbor has lost a cat recently,
don't allow a cat or kitten outside at all for at least several months -- if
coyote took the first cat, it will be there to take the next one as well.

FYI:

Cats are not prone to run off and die alone when they are sick.  This is an
old wives tale.  A sick animal will, if able, seek shelter where it feels
safe.  This means he/she will, if at all possible, go home.  However, a sick
animal is much more vulnerable to the dangers out there and may find it
difficult to get home.