Suggestions in Finding a Missing Neutered Cat?

I am in the exact same position you're in right now, so let me start off by saying how sorry I am. This is an agonizing experience that I don't wish on anyone! I'm now on Day 15 of searching for my cat. In all of my research that I've been doing, I can most definitely tell you to stay away from this site to find your answers. Though most people are well-intentioned, they're mostly misinformed, judgemental, and not very accurate with their answers in this area (no offense to anyone who's already replied here :) you all are great :)). Do some extensive online research, and I guarantee you will find everything you need to bring him home.

The animal behaviorist is right. Once they're panicked, they tend to stay in survival mode and need a lot of coaxing to feel comfortable enough to find their way back home. This is the hardest part. It takes a lot of patience on your end, but don't give up. He's out there. I found that most lost cats are even found within a 5 house distance of their own home. What's (not-so)funny is that they have absolutely no sense of time in the survival mode and have no idea what they're doing to their poor owners while they're away :)

Anyway, here are a few things you can start off with:

1. Go find a humane trap. This is the most important!! You can purchase them at farm stores for around $30 or most local rescue organizations rent them out. Make it look as inviting as possible. Place a "kitty buffet" with any and every type of food your cat would ever so desire (tuna, mackeral, fried chicken, liver, etc) along with water in your traps every morning and night. Don't expect it to happen instantly and do expect to catch a few critters or other cats every so often.

2. Scatter your dirty laundry throughout your yard, underwear included. This will help him find your scent. Just be sure to replace it with new dirty clothes every day. I've also read that emptying your vacuum cleaner bag along your property line helps them find the scent of home.

3. This one may sound crazy, but I promise you it works. I tried it for the first time this morning, and for the first time since her disappearance, I heard her meow. Faint and distant, but I now have a better idea of where to set my traps and try this method again tonight.

a) set up a blanket with a pillow case or blanket

b) find your patience and just sit quietly on that blanket for as long as you possibly can

c) focus on only him and communicate with him. Tell him it's okay to come home, visualize a way home for him, show him his house and what life will be like when he comes home, and just make him feel safe when you're talking to him. Do this for as long as you possibly can. Multiple times.

d) this is where your pillow case or extra blanket comes in handy. This method works so well, a lot of people said to be ready to catch him when he approaches. Because if he is timid out there, even if he does make it back home, he won't let you just run over and pick him up, you'll have to be ready to bag him.

(If you want to research this one, I think it's called the Bagging Method)

4. Don't give up. A lot of cat owners give up on their cats way too soon. They seem to forget that cats are instinctively smart survivalists who have built-in homing devises.

Good luck to you. Just remember to be patient. Cats are notorious for disappearing for weeks, months, and even years. I know it won't be much longer for you, though <3

Best wishes and feel free to email me. You definitely have someone here who can relate :)

I had a male neutered cat go missing for a month. He tried to find his way home but was blocked by my neighbors fences. I actually found him directly in my backyard neighbors behind their fence. He was in survival mode and ran away when we tried to catch him, but eventually we did. When I found him he was deadly skinny.

Usually when a cat strays they don't go further than a couple of blocks. They may enter a fenced yard in attempt to get home but are confused and blocked off by a fence.

I would ask your neighbors if you can enter their yard to look and ask them to keep their eyes open.

Also many people who find a stray cat like to keep them as their own pets as they think they are "rescuing" the cat or its just a free pet.

Just put up as many posters possible, offer rewards, keep searching your neighborhood and make your local humane society aware of your missing cat, often they can post a picture of the missing cat on their list and found section on their web page.