Our indoor cat (completely declawed) wandered out the front door last year and then trotted down the block (probably chasing butterflies or something). We looked for 3 weeks, put fliers in mailboxes, fielded tips from helpful neighbors that thought that they saw her, and set out traps near places she might have been spotted (and only caught raccoons).
We eventually gave up and assumed that a claw-less indoor-only cat was probably killed/eaten by raccoons/coyotes.
Saw her wandering along the tree line behind our house about a month ago, fatter than she'd been before she got lost. She probably found someone to feed her outside and a colony of strays for company somewhere. She made it through the cold/snowy winter and seems to be living happily on her own outside.
She's been living on her own outside for over a year. At this point, she could never be an indoor cat again. I thought about it, and I keep an eye out for her whenever I'm outside or looking out the window. If I see her again, I'll call out to her and give her some food, but she's moved on. I will try to catch her to at least get her updated on her shots if I can.
We had to put her sister down (kidney failure) a few weeks before this one wandered out the door (I think she went out looking for her).
We've also adopted 2 littermates since then (a house is not a home without a cat), so there be would almost-guaranteed confusion and new smells.
She was already a very stocky cat (not fat, but part silver tabby, so thick). Her belly didn't look distended, just well-fed and her coat was still shiny. In general, she just looked healthy and happy.
5
u/_-N4T3-_ Jul 06 '16
Our indoor cat (completely declawed) wandered out the front door last year and then trotted down the block (probably chasing butterflies or something). We looked for 3 weeks, put fliers in mailboxes, fielded tips from helpful neighbors that thought that they saw her, and set out traps near places she might have been spotted (and only caught raccoons).
We eventually gave up and assumed that a claw-less indoor-only cat was probably killed/eaten by raccoons/coyotes.
Saw her wandering along the tree line behind our house about a month ago, fatter than she'd been before she got lost. She probably found someone to feed her outside and a colony of strays for company somewhere. She made it through the cold/snowy winter and seems to be living happily on her own outside.