Missing mother cat

[Millys Mum]

Devotion to kittens is nothing if they are in heat, that is definately a much stronger urge! 

A thought on the collar is that alot of them say do not use on lactating queens so that could be why.

I really hope she comes back soon, would be advisable they spay her asap just incase she was caught again 

[Tiggy's Mum]

There is a possibility she is locked in somewhere but stress to the owners to ask people to check garages, sheds etc whilst they are there or ask if they can check themselves.  Numerous cats have been locked in but when frightened, they will hide so not necessarily make it obvious they are in fact there.

To anybody reading this thread, that advice is absolutely crucial. A nervous cat will not immediately come out even if it hears the owners voice. Many work on the misaprehension that a missing cat will be so happy to hear/see the owner, that it will rush over in a tearful re-union. This happens occasionally but is largely a fallacy. The cat has had its normal world turned upside down and is usually initially wary. It has had to live on its wits whilst missing and fight for food. You need to take a few moments extra. I would add that it is also important to check the flower/shrub beds, as  sacred or injured cats will lay low. That needs to be done at the front and the back.

I have been out leafleting and talking to folk today.

Absolutely, even in an environment thatt hey are normally comfortable in if they are frightened they may not respond to their owners voice.  Over the winter I had a boiler engineer come out, I foolishly shut the boys in the spare room where the pump etc are in the airing cupboard while the engineer was here.  The engineer opened the door and Riley shot out, I screamed that the front door was open (he had left it open when getting his tools) and the engineer tried to grab him.  He was obviously frightened by this intruder in his own territory, I was calling him and shaking the treats but he was nowhere to be seen.  I was convinced he had escaped, I was all set to run up some flyers/leaflets when he popped out from his hiding place!

Really hope you can re-unite this little family Pete, please keep us posted.

[Beanie]

As always, thanks guys.

Milly's Mum

I think it is a distinct possibility but I wondered wehether the devotion to her kittens would outweigh the urge to mate. My suspicion is that her urges would get the better of her.

Dawn

Thanks Dawn. Some great wisdom in that advice. I agree entirely with that. In the case of missing animals you can never be too thorough. Sadly, experience helping people has taught me that.

There is a possibility she is locked in somewhere but stress to the owners to ask people to check garages, sheds etc whilst they are there or ask if they can check themselves.  Numerous cats have been locked in but when frightened, they will hide so not necessarily make it obvious they are in fact there.

To anybody reading this thread, that advice is absolutely crucial. A nervous cat will not immediately come out even if it hears the owners voice. Many work on the misaprehension that a missing cat will be so happy to hear/see the owner, that it will rush over in a tearful re-union. This happens occasionally but is largely a fallacy. The cat has had its normal world turned upside down and is usually initially wary. It has had to live on its wits whilst missing and fight for food. You need to take a few moments extra. I would add that it is also important to check the flower/shrub beds, as  sacred or injured cats will lay low. That needs to be done at the front and the back.

I have been out leafleting and talking to folk today.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I always advise anyone with a mum and kittens to keep mums indoors.  There are so many go missing during this time, I'm not sure whether it's do with the need to mate again or the fact the hormones are all over the place and they don't seem as clued up on the dangers as they would normally.  A mothers instinct is a strong one and on a number of occasions when catching feral kittens, I have in fact had the mum chasing after me to attack, it's unusual for them to just to leave the kittens for no apparent reason.  There is a possibility she is locked in somewhere but stress to the owners to ask people to check garages, sheds etc whilst they are there or ask if they can check themselves.  Numerous cats have been locked in but when frightened, they will hide so not necessarily make it obvious they are in fact there.  Have they put posters etc up around the area?  Fingers crossed she will appear and she has just been waylaid somewhere.  Good luck and please keep us posted, xx

Modified to add If they have already done this, I would urge them to go round again.  A few weeks ago I had an enquiry from a lady whose cat had disappeared, she had already been round once but I suggested she went round again and ask them to recheck, needless to say her cat was home that night so it's worth a try and he had been locked in one of the sheds that apparently had been checked 

[Millys Mum]

Theres a good chance she has gone off to find a boyfriend 

[Beanie]

I am presently helping to find a missing mother cat. She had her litter 7 weeks ago and, by all accounts, was adoting mother.

She didn't venture far and went missing last wednesday. The owner is at home most of the day but p[opped out to do some shopping. Neighbours said that they heard a cat fight in the afternoon and the owner says that there is a neutered male living next door who is aggressive.

I still think she is in the neighbourhood and have stepped up the local awareness camapign (NB: You can never do too much).

Sadly, she is not chipped (NB: when oh when will it be made compulsory?) and the owner, for some reason not abundantly clear, took her collar off just before she was due to give birth. Whilst I take that with a pinch of salt, the cat is clearly loved and they are pulling out all the stops to find her. I wish everyone whom I meet would do as much. The owner recently lost a child to a viral infection and she and her two children dote on this cat, which I believe was a link to the deceased boy.

There is one thing that puzzles me. If the cat was frightened off, surely she would return to her kittens especially as she has shown good motherly instincts. If so, that leads me to think she is locked in somewhere or even lying low whilst nursing an injury. Would the fear, even to a doting mother, force her to leave her kittens?

In case anyone wondered, I steered the owner to the vet to make sure thats he got Cimicat (Sp?) for the kittens so they get the nutrients that they need at that age.

I would particularly appreciate the views of anyone in rescue such as Ela, Sharon or Desley either based on their knowledge &/or experience.