I loved my big old Tom cat but I got a new baby sister. When my cat jumped into the bassinet and was sleeping on the baby, my Dad said he had to go. He took him about 7 miles away and left him with a friend who had a barn. The friend said he ran away. I was heart broken. One cold November morning I heard a cat outside the kitchen door, I said "it sounds like my Tom cat" Sure enough 6 month later and from 7 miles away he had made his way home. My Dad said the baby was old enough now that he could stay. He lived another 5 years.

my shy quiet, personable cat got out once. Couldn't find her, I cried all night. I found her a couple of days later. She didn't go far. She was hiding in the shed behind the house. I only found her because she started crying when she heard me.
don't know how long she was in there, too scared to venture onto the porch and find the food I had put out.
After that ordeal, she never ran outside again, less it was to sit on the porch with me.
She probally isn't far, held up and buckled down someplace she thinks is safe.

We have lost so many cats over the years and my heart broke with each loss. I will say a prayer for your kitty that it returns safely. Please let us know when it does.

One of our cats got out and we didn't know it until we just couldn't find her anywhere in the house. She was never allowed outside so we were very worried. about 2 days later my son came home from work late at night and saw Ragtime, our cat, in the neighbors yard. He stopped and picked her up and saw she was safe and well cared for. The next day we talked to our neighbor and said we found our cat in their yard. Here's the funny part, they said they found her in their daughter's bedroom closet - she was very scared and they couldn't get her out - she must have been eating their dog food (we're not sure about the litter box) but they finally left their deck door open at night so she could get our on her own. I gues she got out and couldn't decide which house was hers since the neighbors house was identical to ours including the inside floor plan. We were glad she was found safe and sound.

My Mom's big Babe cat got out -

what was surprising was that he didn't have enough sense to come back to the house, because he was such a people cat when inside -

Anyway - my BIL set out one of those live-catch traps (the door drops down when the animal goes into the cage - with some food in it in one of the sheds. (Farm place)

This was less than 100 fee from the house Babe lived in.

About four days later, he was found in the cage. Mom CARRIED him back into the house. :-) :-)

Some years ago I read a book by a lady who made her living by finding lost cats, dogs and then kids. She said that while dogs can go a long way in a short time, cats rarely went past the 3rd house from theirs. She suggested setting out a humane trap with it's favorite foods in it. Said that cats that are scared or hurt will automatically hide from predators, and won't even answer the owner. Just put out the trap, check it from a distance, but you should still look in the smallest places. Cats can squeeze into the smallest places you couldn't imagine an animal that size could get into.

Good luck finding your fur baby. Today I got to thinking of my two, one of which is timid and very much an easily frightened little thing. So I just went and got 2 collars and tags to send away to have my name and phone number put on them. They are totally inside cats, but we all know how accidents happen.

Years ago when our Dobes were alive, they got along so nicely that when one cat got lost, I could track him down with one of the dogs. He would come to the dog before he would come to us!!

Hey Prism99, I am hoping that you did get the rest of the story, Sorry it took me awhile, lots going on while I was trying to post. I had to edit many times.

Several years ago my SIL had a small black cat called Ink. This silly cat loved to go outside and wander up and down the street all the neighbors in a 2 block radius new Ink and where she belonged. If you left your door open you could wind up with unexpected company. Ink always came home for dinner and slept on my BIL chair at night. Until that one night she didn't come home The whole neighborhood searched for her for weeks, a school is just 2 1/2 blocks away and they had school kids looking for her called vets,animal control even city street maintance( they pick up the dead squirells ect no blk cats found. Everyone finally decided she must have been picked up by someone we all hoped she was still alive some place even with a new family. 3 years latter my SIL got a call from the manager of the new Meyers Store in the next town asking if she was missing a cat named Inkie Dinkie Do (that was the name on her tag )SIL said her heart droped just knew someone had found her collar. when she said she had lost the cat he said it's been hanging out at the store dumpster sence they opened they finally cought it in a live trap and found this falling apart coller and tag still on her. Manager said it took them several days of feeding and talking before they could get close enough to remove collar. When SIL arrived she steped into the managers office introduced herself and before she could say why she was there Ink launched herself into SIL arms and purred so load everyone could hear her. Ink lived to the ripe old age of 13 was never sick and contioued to visit all the neighbores up to and including the day she passes on.

A long time ago one of my friends had a very bratty cat, indoor and outdoor, whatever kitty wanted. Went missing for almost an entire month, but one day it showed up again - reeeally thin. Our guess was that kitty got trapped inside a garage or shed til someone came along later and let it out.

Before I was married we gave one of our cats to my grandmother who lived at least 12 miles away. She had Tommy for a few days and then told us he just disappeared. I was heartsick about a week later who should show up at our door in town but Tommy! None the worse for the wear!! I could not believe that a cat taken in a car could find his way back home but he did!! Also many years a go my brother had a cat named Murphy and lived in Montana I am in Michigan he told me Murphy had disappeared a few weeks later I had the door open and this cat jumped in and became a great pet he looked like Murphy not so sure he really was but we called him Murphy two!!