Hello,
Gizmo is still AWOL. It has been 3 months and 5 days. This has given me a lot of time to think. Below are my theories in order of highest probability based on what I know and gut feelings. I know it’s a monster thread but if you could have a read and see if I’m missing anything at all I would very much appreciate your comments and feedback.
Many thanks & best regards
Andy Turner
Key facts to consider.
1. She was a very friendly confident cat who liked humans.
2. She was wearing a safety collar. Whilst she could have slipped it, she never has before in the past 3 years so I will assume that she has not.
3. She went missing during the day. We were at home and did not see her at lunch. The neighbours also did not see her that day.
4. We have posted hundred of posters across town. We still get the odd call so people are aware and still looking out.
5. On about the 3rd night, at midnight, there was a massive impromptu fireworks display about 200m away from our house. At first I thought it was the neighbours over the road. This could only exasperate the problem.
JUMPED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE AND GONE FOR A RIDE.
FACT
1. This is her favourite game. Our neighbour once got to the end of the road before noticing her on the parcel shelf.
2. If I left the car open for more than 1 minute, it is guaranteed she will be in it.
3. In July it is hot and everyone around here parks their car with the windows open.
THEORY
1. Most likely that driver noticed after a few minutes and let her out away from home and she can not get back.
2. Unlikely but possible that she could be anywhere in Europe.
POISON.
FACTS
1. My wife was cleaning the pool and was using a new type of chlorine and spilt a bit on the patio. Cats are good with chlorine because it stinks of toxin. That said she could have walked through it and then licked her paws clean, especially if the chlorine was irritating her skin. People here also use rat poison and weed killer. When looking for Gizmo, I found rat poison in the garage that the previous tenants had left.
2. On the day, my wife recalls that Gizmo made a really pathetic mew that she didn’t finish. Caz picked her up and made a fuss of her and then put her down when Gizmo wanted to get down. She then wondered outside never to be seen again. Caz didn’t think it that odd at the time and just put down to the heat.
THEORY
1. If she was poisoned then it is possible that she crawled off and hid away to die though having said that she would not be far from home and I would expect someone to have found her in their garden by now. There are a few small bits of scrub near us and storm drains and I’ve searched these as much as possible but some it is impenetrable without a chainsaw.
CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER CAT
FACT
1. She avoided conflict with all other cats.
2. I recall hearing cats fighting that afternoon, but that’s not unusual in our neighbourhood and Gizmo is always well away from the action.
3. At the time of disappearances and for some time after there has been much cat fighting. It seems to have now died down.
4. Our neighbour’s cat also disappeared within a couple of weeks of Gizmo.
THEORY
1. Turf war. We moved in about a year ago with Gizmo. Within the last several months some new neighbours moved in and brought 2 cats with them. Since then a few other cats have appeared. It is possible that the original residences have taken exception to the new neighbours and forced them away.
2. Mating. It is possible that an un-neutered Tom in the area would not take “No” for an answer and cornered Gizmo. If this were the case she would rightly feel unsafe and has chosen to move address. Question. There seems to be many 3 month old kittens about at the moment. Is cat mating seasonal? If so this could explain why so many cats might disappear in July when it gets hot. One man told us that many cats disappear at this time of the year, i.e. July at the time.
STOLEN
FACTS
1. Over July about 5 cats in all went missing. 2 off our street. 2 off of another street about ¼mile down the road and 1 more 5 minutes walk further on. All about 4 years old, all very friendly cats, all neutered, tattooed &/ chipped etc.
2. I have seen Gizmo playing with the kids on the street. The kids were all on holidays.
3. I found out recently that “Travellers” were living behind the school over the summer.
THEORY
1. Kids playing with Gizmo some how managed to displace her, e.g. they distracted her away from home or took her to play somewhere else and left her lost. To be fair I find this unlikely.
2. Kids took a shine to Gizmo and “rescued her”. Took her collar off and took her home. Mum puts cat out, cat is now lost without a collar. A more pausable theory.
3. Kids took a shine to Gizmo and “rescued her”. Took her collar off and took her home. Mum agrees to keep cat. This I find unlikely because the posters are up all over town & someone would have said something.
4. Travellers have been out pinching cats for resale, food, fur, dog fighting etc. This again, unlikely because how much are 5 cats worth?
ROAD ACCIDENT
FACTS
1. She was very good with traffic. At home in the UK we live on an estate and the road is busier than the cul-de-sac that we live in.
2. About 50m away, over 2 garden walls is the main road through the town. This is a fast road and busy. In the 1 year here 1 have seen 2 dead cats on this road.
3. That afternoon I recall hearing a car speeding on the estate and the screech of brakes but no “Thud”, “screams” etc.
THEORY
1. She could have been clipped on the estate and hid away to die but would expect her to be in a garden and found by now.
2. She could have been killed outright on the estate, in which case I would have expected to hear something by now. All the neighbours know she is missing and we are looking for her.
3. She could have been frightened by something and bolted for the main road, but I find this unlikely because a cat would find somewhere to hide within 50m
TRAPPED
FACT
1. She liked getting into garages and sheds.
THEORY
1. We spoke to all the neighbours and asked them to check their garages. I crawled under 4 of our closest neighbours houses. If she was still trapped then she would be dead, decomposing and very smelly. I would guess that someone would have found her by now and had the decency to tell us.
FED UP WITH THE WEATHER
FACT
1. By July it was getting pretty hot, i.e. 35 degrees, and Gizmo would disappear in the afternoons to seek shade with the neighbours till early afternoon.
THEORY
1. She got fed up with the weather and has made a big effort to get back to the UK. I find this unlikely. If she did then I suspect she would have given up by now and either come home or tried to find a new address. Given that she would probably still be wearing her collar I doubt anyone would give her a roof over her head without ringing us. Having said that, someone may be feeding her thinking that she is a neighbour’s cat.
