Yes good luck, we really feel for you. We sat an ‘indoor’ cat who had serious aspirations to be an ‘outdoor’ cat. She was allowed in the back garden / yard but only under supervision which we did really carefully (and anxiously) but of course had she made a dash over the fence she would have been gone. In fact one day thinking she was comfortably settled in a bedroom upstairs I went to say goodbye at the front door which was open for literally seconds and she hurtled down the stairs and out the door disappearing up the road. Luckily she was spooked by a neighbour and came running back and we were able to capture her by the scruff of her neck. So, she made a rather undignified but ultimately safe return. So, fingers crossed for the return of your charge!! Let us know how it goes.
My goodness that is very stressful. Hope kitty arrives home soon.
Your experience has just confirmed for me that I won’t be applying for sits with cats that can only go outside with supervision, I already was thinking that would be too stressful to monitor as they can be so quick. I also notice many sits where the expectation is you take the cat out on a leash and again that is beyond my comfort level.
This sounds like a great idea @SitterSandy. Petsitting an outdoor cat, is not for the faint of heart, as we discovered this year.
In cities it’s common for free-roaming cats to get trapped inside empty areas like garages and workshops. They enter via an open door that is later closed. Putting signs up and knocking on doors alerts those with such spaces to take a look to see if a cat is there. One owner I know took to putting a GPS-locator on the cat so they’d always know where she was.
I have soooo appreciated all your suggestions, resources and support. The cat has still not returned, despite all the strategies. Owners returned home today and want o no further communication with me, which I can totally understand. They will resume the search. I forwarded To them the resources posted herE by the moderator. Agree with others that I won’t apply for cat sits anymore. Too much anxiety for me with this one. The thing I hate most in life is letting down someone who’s counted on me.
So sorry to hear that. Doesn’t seem fair that owners blame you, but I suppose it’s the grief & stress speaking… Hopefully the cat will return and they will see things differently. And here’s hoping your next sit will be less eventful!
Oh @KM2018 that is heartbreaking. That is the shock most likely. I hope they will let you know when the cat gets back so that you can at least start moving on emotionally. Hugs.
I am so sorry you went through this-- I’m sure it’s most of our worst nightmares. I have had indoor/outdoor cats come home a bit later than expected, and even that was stressful! But you have to remember that ultimately they have a mind of their own and unless the owners told you to under no circumstances not to let the cat outside, I fail to see how this is something they could blame you for. A cat can run off in the time it takes for someone “supervising” it to sneeze! I hope that you won’t feel too badly about this. It truly sounds like you did your best!
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Go knock on doors of neighbors and have them check basements, garages, under porches. In case the cat ran in and got trapped in there. Check behind bushes. Go out late at night (or even 12-3am if safe) with his favorite wet food and a flashlight, walk around, call him, check behind bushes, etc. In my area (neighborhood in a city) people leave the litter box outside the door to attract the cat. Does he have a microchip? Microchip company should be notified. Can you contact local shelters to inform them in case he is turned in? A photo and all identifying info on flyers around the neighborhood, if you can. Is there an online neighborhood group (on FB or other)? In my area people post on the FB group for lost and found pets. I really hope he comes home soon!!!
I really feel for you @KM2018 as you have gone over and above in searching for their cat and the stress you have been put under has been huge. I would hope that THS reaches out to both you and those owners to offer support.
I cat sat for a very good friend this year. I got there the night before and the cat was fine. The next day, cat got up, saw me in the kitchen, panicked and fled. He was missing most of the week. My friend was so stressed she wanted to come back from holiday. I tried everything. Eventually he came back on day 5 - he was so hungry. I knew he was hiding at the bottom of the garden and hanging around after dark but was too scared to come in. The owners should in no way at all blame you for this. The cat will not have gone far.
I hope THS have stepped in to help the sitter and homeowner in this situation.
I feel for this poor sitter and hope they are not completely discouraged from sitting.
There are a lot of people following and want to know the outcome here.
I , having owned an outdoor cat , could not blame the sitter and as upset as the homeowners are the sitter needs support too. The sitter in particular needs to know the outcome.
Also whether you are a sitter of homeowner I am interested in the support offered by THS, we could all be in either of these positions one day.
Hi @Brodie we all feel very much for everyone concerned and are directly in touch with the member and I’m sure you can appreciate that we do not publicly discuss individual situations. We all hope for a good outcome and that this furry family member will return home safe and sound.
@KM2018 i think any one of us would feel awful for this happening but the one thing i learned with years of having cats is that they will do what they want to do, sometimes no matter how careful you are.
I really hope the cat makes its way back but i do think that you’ve been really unlucky & in no way to blame.
It is also awful having a sit where you are worried sick for the duration too.
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