Hello,
There is a sick stray cat that came to my yard several times to eat, as I leave food for cats there. I had hoped to take him to the vet and possibly also adopt him. The last time he came, I motioned to him to come to me but suddenly I had to go inside the house, so I left him outside. When I went outside again, which was sometime later, he was gone and hasn't returned. I have a security camera outside of my front door and one of the camera recordings showed this cat waiting outside for me on the day we had the exchange. He even came close to my door and it's clear that he was looking for help from me. The problem is that he has not returned since then and I am grief-stricken at not knowing what has happened to him. I've put up flyers and joined online groups that help you find pets, but have had no results. I am almost 100% sure that he doesn't have an owner because when he came to my yard to eat, he was very sick on one occasion so I don't think anyone looks after him . I am wondering if he felt let down the day I motioned to him to come but I wasn't around when he did, and he now feels I can't be trusted or relied on for help, so he feels that it's now pointless to visit my yard. I am very upset at the whole thing because I really wanted to help him and give him a home where he would be safe and recuperate. The only thing I plan on doing is to still roam the neighborhood to find him. There was a lot of suffering reflected on his face and I don't think it was all physical. I am worried that his health may have worsened or that someone trapped and removed him from the area. I just know that I need to find him. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your kindness in caring for the sick stray cat. I’m sorry to hear that he hasn’t returned for a while. I understand how difficult it must be not knowing where he is.
Perhaps a caring person took him to the vet, which gives us a glimmer of hope. Please continue to do everything you can to search for him. If you can, conduct another thorough search in your area. Bringing a hot roasted chicken might help; the smell can travel and attract him. Alternatively, you could leave some cooked chicken outside your door—it might lead him back home.
Talk to your neighbors and visit local vets to let them know about him if someone brings him in. It would also be a good idea to reach out to local animal shelters and rescue organizations—they often have valuable resources and can watch for him.
Stay hopeful, and try not to dwell on the worst possibilities. If you have a photo of him, consider posting it in an animal communication Facebook group. The community can be incredibly supportive and might be able to provide leads on his whereabouts.
I hope you find him soon and can safely bring him into your home.
Please keep us updated on your search. Sending you lots of love and healing vibes during this challenging time.
Melina
@melina-grin Thank you so much for your suggestions. The reason I'm very worried is that the kitty looked very ill, as though he had already been sick for a while. Also, two doors from where I live lives a man that traps cats and wildlife that enter his yard and he then goes to dump them at Mt. Diablo Mountain, which is filled with coyotes, mountain lions, you name it. I'm in the process of filing a report about him with the local police - I'm just awaiting some self-defense equipment that I bought online to protect myself. I'm going to "patrol" the neighborhood to see if I find him. I just hope that I'm not too late. Here's a photo of the kitty.
Hi @avalisme
I hope he is just getting fed by another lovely person and has not been trapped by the awful man.
I also wanted to mention that you’re welcome to review the webinar by Alley Cat on how to TNR https://www.alleycat.org/resources/helping-cats-in-your-community-webinar/
Fingers crossed, he returns safely.
Melina