Marley has been missing for almost 2 weeks....

[Lil Eowyn]

Hello,

My barn cat, Marley, has been missing since March 9, 2013. I really miss him! I have another cat who is 7 years old and leaves for a couple months to go hunting, but comes back (once he left for two summers!). This is Marley's first time missing, and I'm worried because he left right before a snow storm and we've been having serious wind storms lately. Marley's brother, Roady, disappeared for a week then came back for one day to eat, then left that night and never came back (we didn't get a chance to neuter him =( ) Marley is 1 1/2 years old. Unfortunately, we haven't neutered him yet.

Have you had the same experience and how long until your cat came back? I've been praying really hard, and I call his name every time I go outside. I would post a poster of him or something, but my parents said just to wait and he probably won't come back. He's the friendliest cat. He loves to ride horses (seriously) and he even carries a conversation with you (replying with meows). We live on a farm so theres woods but we're not that far away from town so theres not really any big animals around here. During the summer we hear wolves/coyotes, but I don't think theres much around here anymore. We do have foxes and other wild animals like that around the area. I looked in all of our buildings etc. but theres no sign of him. What are your thoughts?

Thank you.

(Thought I'd share a pic of him: http://s9.postimage.org/f8hpojawf/IMG_1728.jpg )

Another Q:

If he came home, and I got him neutered, would that reduce the chances of him running away again, or will he still go looking for females after being neutered?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm sorry you are missing your Kitty. In my experience un-nuetered males will often go missing for long stretches so it is possible he has just gone 'walk about' but if he were mine I would be thinking in terms of predators. Even when you don't see them coyotes and foxes are probably not all that far away, owls don't see a big difference between a beloved cat (or little dog for that matter) and a rabbit so they too are a risk to our pets. I do hope that is not the case and your Marley will find his way home once the weather improves and that he is just holed up somewhere waiting out the storm.

 

[chandab]

I honestly don't know how long our barn toms go on walk-about, as most of them I don't pay that close attention too (plus we have way too many plain black cats, so they are hard to tell apart). Anyway, we have a calico that my MIL and I picked up on the side of the road in January a couple years ago, the first summer she was here she disappeared in I think May, and I didn't see her all summer (I thought something had got her), she showed up back at the barn in September with 3 kittens; the next summer she stayed close to home and had her kittens, and she is now spayed (along with her last batch of kittens - TG for free clinics).

 

[shorthorsemom]

I had several of my outside kitties go missing last year. I mourned them and walked the farm looking for them. Over the next few weeks they showed up one by one but I was still missing my favorite black Kitty. About 2 months or so I began to tell myself she must really be gone. I was so sad. Then one day when my dogs raising some ruckus outside and I had my hands full and couldn't go down to quiet them for 10 mins or so. When I went outside lo and behold my Kitty was there. She was fat and shiny. I don't know where she went but I was so gladntonsee her again. I figure she heard the dogs barking and knew which direction to come home. Always wondered if a dog ran them off since I lost three at once. Now when its been a few days since I have seen one of my kitties.. I let the dogs bark outside.

 

[Minimor]

If you have foxes around it is entirely possible they will steal cats--over the years we have had foxes grab a few cats --most were saved by our dog but one, a 12 pound house cat, did get carried off. We have also had 3 taken by coyotes and more recently the problem has been a cougar. The past three years a cougar has taken a lot of cats in this neighborhood. If one of our cats (all neutered and spayed)goes missing for more than a few hours we can be sure that it fell victim to a predator and will not be back.

However--since yours is a young tom it is also very possible that he just went walkabout. It is not unusual for a tom to take off and be gone for several weeks or even all summer. Unfortunately a wandering tom can meet with all sorts of hazards that will cause him to never return home. If your kitty shows up and you neuter him it will take some time for his wandering urges to disappear, but after some time he should stick around home--assuming he is well fed and not an avid hunter.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

My kitty Albert disappeared last summer. I thought I saw him smashed on the road, there was a grey poof that was vaguely kitty shaped.... it's hard when they are outdoors.

BUT..... last Saturday, I went down about 9PM to check the preggy mares, and there was Albert in the rafters! Now, he's been gone for MONTHS. But he was fat and fine and even let me pet him!

So, don't give up hope yet!!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Thank you all, I'm still waiting for him to return, and hopefully he will. I still won't give up--even if he doesn't come back till next fall! His cat bowl is filled up. Maybe he found my other cat and they're coming home together. All I can do now if pray.

 

[2minis4us]

I am so sorry to hear about your cat, that is very sad. I hope he comes back home

 

[mickeymoto]

Don't lose hope. I had one of my old tomcats disappear for over a year. We had just about given up and than one day there he was Keeping my fingers crossed. I loved his picture he is adorable

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Marley came back!!!!

Last night at around 11 pm, my dog kept on barking (she was locked in the barn for the night so that wasn't usual) I remembered what shorthorsemom said about her dogs barking for like 10 minutes, so finally I went out. I didn't see Marley. Our dog, Lucy came down the steps of the hayloft, then I heard a meow! My heart melted right there and I ran up to the hayloft and there he was! I have a feeling he's going to leave again, but I hope he always comes back home. He is really light--skinny--right now, but hopefully he'll stay long enough to fatten up =) Now I'm going to talk to mom about getting him neutered

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

 

[candycar]

I'm sooo glad he came back! I know what it's like when one goes missing,,,

Please get him Fixed! It will cut down on the chances he wanders off again, and he'll be much more safe and happy at home.

 

[misty'smom]

So happy your kitty is back home!!!

Our Tigger was gone once for 10 days, I did not think she would come back and there she was on our front step. She was skinny too, she had a cut on her ear with sore red front paws. I think she may have been stuck/caught somewhere. Getting him fixed should help with his wandering too far away.

 

[Debby - LB]

I'm late reading this but want to say I was soo happy to see your post saying that he came back home!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Thank you all--He's fattening up and we're setting a date to bring him to get him fixed. =) The next morning that he came home, he rode my horse, Peanut, with me. (One of his hobbies is riding horses! )

 

[shorthorsemom]

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!! Dogs barking I swear by it. I think it helps them find the direction like a light house. So happy for you. Don't know if they are just local or not but forgotten cats organization is so totally awesome in helping folks neuter farm cats. I love them for helping me get our farm and feral cats neutered. Amazing the peace of a totally neutered cat colony. They are always looking for good farm homes too. Got some of the best neutered wormed flea treated and vaccinated barn cats from them last year. Best wishes to you!!!!!! Hooray

 

[mickeymoto]

So so happy your sweet kitty is back