My cat is missing - how long is too long?

he will come back :3

Go by your instinct. 4 days isn't too long in most circumstances, cats are social creatures and like wandering around finding new places and people to play with. He'll more than likely come back when he's ready. Having said that though, I used to have a cat who went missing and from day 1 my mum was adamant something was wrong. We kept trying to assure her he'd be back but after 3 days she went wandering around the neighbourhood one evening calling out his name. She eventually heard a faint miaow and kept calling him, following it. She found him trapped behind a shed in someone's garden with a broken hip. It seemed he'd fallen and couldn't move. The people who lived in the house were old and hadn't heard his cries. We don't know how long he was there, but if my mum hadn't have gone looking that evening, we'd never have found him as he would probably have been too weak to reply to her calls if we'd left it any longer. Luckily he was OK. In bandages for a couple of weeks but OK!

I'd continue with the leaflets if I were you. Better safe than sorry. Good luck :)

You say he's been missing for 4 days now. I'd wait another 3 days, just to give it enough time for your cat to come back. if he doesn't turn up by then, then I'd start to put up a few posters and call your newspaper to arrange an ad to be put it. Its very effective, as I have been through the same thing not so long ago.

Hope this helps.

Cat,s go walk about sometimes for weeks he may have got locked in someone,s garage hut etc also tell as many people as you can to watch out for him you may also want to check with the police and vets incase there has been a accident im sure if he is okey he will return soon best of luck.

my cat was missing for 10 days over a year ago now, he turned up one morning crying on the doorstep. He had lost a lot of weight and I guess he had been locked in somewhere. I was so worried and did everything to find him. cats usually dont stray too far so concentrate on your very local area. I now have 2 cats and have bought a loc8tor for their collars so I can track them down. Good if they dont lose their collars! Im sure your kitty will turn up soon :o)

two weeks ago my cat went missing then the neighbours cat went missing, the neighbours cat got hit by a cat, and mine was still missing she turned up after a week i think she was trapped in a shed or something as neighbours to check and phone the shelters and vets as they keep a lost and found register in our area we have a web site that deals with lost and found cats look and see if there is one in your area, your vets should know if there is. good luck in finding your kitty :-)

You never know, he may come back even if you stop searching. None of cats have been in this situation but my friend lives on a boat and one of her three cats disappeared. She gave up looking, but then four months later he re-appeared on the other side of the river!

Cats will often take off for days at a time then show up out of the clear blue. In the mean time keep looking for him and put up fliers in the neighborhood describing him. Good luck!

Get all your neighbours to check their garages, sheds and green houses. Cats are naturally curious and get stuck in such places.

Also, check any nearby green spaces. My previous cat disppeared for 2 days and I eventually found him in field stuck quite a way up a tree. He'd probably been scared there by a fox or dog.

Sorry your cat has gone missing. Many people just pick cats up and take them to the RSPCA have you checked there, or your local vets, someone may have found him and put a card on their lost/found board.

I checked all the above when my tom went missing. Hope he turns up soon :(

your cat is either missing or hiding in a cupboard.it your cat is missing, then he will come back because they know that you feed them and you his owner.

when i thought my cat was missing, she was gone for 2 days and so i was really sad and then my dad bought a new cat, then the missing cat came out of a cupboard, then we had two cats! they mated and we eventually ended up with 5 kittens and two cats. DON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE LIKE I DID!!!!

check by the vet. your kitty is probably chilling out there.

good luck