Elisabrat

Ok, I have had just under 300 cats in my rescue in the last two years. This is my two bits, take it or leave it. My own oldest cat is 19, he has survived 7 moves, is indoor/outdoor, lived in the busy city, the AZ desert, with so many other cats he often looked at me like ARE YOU NUTS? He went missing once for 7 days also. He came home. I didn't expect him to. I don't think they usually will after that much time. It is part of being an inside outside cat. I am a pro either depending on what your needs are. Too many are put down each and every single day at our shelters so to say only indoors means that those who can't do this (say have four kids who run in and out and in and out and well the cat will sneak by).. and those who simply dont want to .. if its 4 good years it beats the five days they get here at our shelters before they are put down for good. Ok lots will disagree with me but I believe they at least knew love.

Second: Bringing home another cat is like your partner/spouse walking in one day with a NEW partner! YIPPEE Look what I brought us! You probably would not be thrilled. It might not thrill you at ALL. It might take a LONG time before you figure out ah heck they are not going. Now your a cat not a humane. You don't have a choice. Some will never get along. Most will learn to deal with each other on their terms. Just know its not usually an instant honeymoon and bringing your cat out of your enviro to a new one to show him another cat? NO chance in hell your cat will like this. Hates going out in a car most of the time, not good, stress city.. then new cats? AHH. Bring a baby in to see if they like it? see above comparison. So you decide? if you want more cats get more cats. If you dont. Dont. I just moved and cant do rescue which is killing me. I have owned one because I always had 12 at any time. So I am searching for two myself. Season has not started THANK GOD. Soon there will be so many it will make your heart break. So.. I say go for it, let the cats figure each other out. They rarely kill each other or even do more than slap (no nails) and make verbal noise. They will quickly let the babies know who is boss. ITs ok.

Good luck.

zz-pd

I am so sorry, sometimes cats can be gone for a wk or so and then one day come back home. you may want to wait a little longer before replacing her. Penny

Up North

We had a cat that was gone nearly a month before he came home. The funny thing was my grandma lived on a farm and wanted an outside barn cat so Tommy went to her house about 20 miles away and about a month later he showed up back at our house in town. How he found his way we will never know! Once I had a gray tiger kitty and on my way home from school found him hit by a car, Took him home had a funeral and went to my room to cry low and behold there was MY kitty sleeping on my bed. I never did find out who's kitty I had a funeral for.

ohstr

It is heartbreaking to hear she is missing.. We ended up adopting 3 over a 5 year span. I keep all of them inside and they do not mind a bit. We live in the country and have had hawk swoop down and take small animals right out of the yard, and we also have coyotes in the area. So I don't want to put them in harm's way. The smallest of the bunch only weighs 5 pounds. If I were given the choice of finding a cozy place on a pillow in front of a sunny window, or going outside...why oh why would I even want to do that?? Maybe she will show up healthy and unhurt. Hope so. I had a dog wander away from home and we never found her, and I often worry about what happened to her.
Good Luck...
Sue

chris_quilts

In 2003, we moved and one of ours went missing. I cried, missed him like crazy but eventually decided that I wanted a kitten for my next cat. That same week, saw the missing cat in the nieghborhood, thinner but alive. He'd gone up to another street and was living under a deck and getting handouts from a guy who feeds the strays in the neighborhood. Kept wandering into a friend's garage but she never made the connection between the new "stray" and my missing kitty. After about 4 months, I got my cat back and yes we have coyotes here who do take the smaller animals. Missing kitty is also front declawed, he came that way.

littlehud

We had a cat that was missing for over a week and suddenly turned up. Hungry and very glad to be home. My folks had one that was missing almost 6 months. Turned out someone had taken her in and got to feeling guilty so they called the vet listed on her tags and they got her back. Hope yours turns up. Wait a while before getting another cat.