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Scamper the Wild Wanderer
Three Weeks. We did not see Scamper for three weeks. Yes, we thought she had been done in, gone to the big Rainbow Bridge in the sky. It’s pointless to look for a missing feral cat. If we knew where they went, they probably wouldn’t be feral…
She had disappeared for 3 days and then 5, coming back only to eat a quick bite and then disappear. Some of it is probably the hot weather. She likely has a place she goes every summer and by golly, it got hot, so that is where she went. Obviously she gets food somewhere too. Maybe with school activities starting back up, routines are changing and whatever food source she was getting the last three weeks became less reliable. Who knows. She showed back up and rang the cat doorbell at 11 at night a couple of nights ago. She’s been coming back at night for three nights in a row. She doesn’t stay. She rings (what would we do without that handy invention??? I guess that would be why Husband invented it…) She eats and she disappears into the night.
Feral cats are…feral. They are mysterious and not accepting of a cool air conditioned home. They must check other places that have food and shelter. They are survivors.
It’s not easy caring for a feral cat.
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Three weeks! How scary. Is that the longest she’s ever been gone?
Many moons ago, I had an Akita that went missing for three days…three very long, agonizing days. A friend found him only a couple of miles from our house at an extremely busy intersection. He saw a dog that he thought looked like Kato run into the small copse of woods there with what looked like a white bag in his mouth. There just happens to be a McDonald’s at that intersection. He pulled over and tried to call him, but couldn’t coax him over. Long story short, my husband brought him home that afternoon.
I know the relief you must have felt when Scamp finally showed back up.
Comment by Trina — August 13, 2011 @ 2:30 pm
When we first started feeding her it would be several days between sightings. At that time I don’t think she was getting food elsewhere, but she obviously had some places where she got food now and then. I think she spent all her time checking. Once she figured out there would always be food for her here, she came every day. She hasn’t missed many days at all–usually two or maybe three. Five was a long time. Then 3 weeks? We thought for sure she was gone for good. Someone either feeds strays or feeds their cat outside in the mornings or days and Scamper knows this location and is able to at least sometimes get food there!
Comment by Maria — August 13, 2011 @ 3:50 pm
I’m really glad you were able to find your Akita. What gets INTO these pets????
Comment by Maria — August 13, 2011 @ 3:51 pm
They are as crazy as us humans!
Comment by April V. — August 13, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
So sorry about scamper.
They have some nerve not telling us where they are going,
or when they will be back.
I do remember telling you our sad story about Cuddles.
A feral cat almost made it to have a home with us.
Fate took her away.
Hopefully, scamper isn’t socializing too much with the wrong crowd.
Comment by Heather — August 14, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
Hi Heather, nice to see you!
Yes, we caution Scamper frequently about where she hangs out and tell her to stick around and play with Junior. She looks at us with those big eyes and twitches her whiskers…and goes on her merry way. That stubborn cat does exactly what she wants. If it weren’t for the bell, we wouldn’t even know she was around. We do what we can, but she sure plays it hard.
Comment by Maria — August 14, 2011 @ 12:50 pm
ummmmmmm…
Is she fixed?
Comment by Heather — August 14, 2011 @ 12:58 pm
Absolutely!!!! We had to trap her and take her to a special vet who deals with feral cats. She is fixed and has her ear clipped to show that she has been fixed.
Comment by Maria — August 14, 2011 @ 1:00 pm
well, there goes my theory!
Just a thought.
Comment by Heather — August 14, 2011 @ 1:14 pm
We live in a rural area and were adopted by our first stray cat not long after we moved here. In his younger years, he would be gone for days, especially in the summer – even after we had him neutered.
When he first arrived, I asked around in the area to see if we had someone else’s cat. The guy at the dry cleaners asked me to describe him. Seems there was a “community cat” who wandered from home to home and was “owned” by several different neighbors. They didn’t know they were all taking care of the same cat until the vet recognized him from a visit a week or two earlier. Turned out the same cat had been getting “annual” check-ups and shots from several different “owners”. Our cat is black so he didn’t fit the description.
So, perhaps Scamper is visiting her other “owners” when she’s gone.
Bo
Comment by Bo — August 14, 2011 @ 6:04 pm
Hi Bo,
We have heard such stories, but when we adopted Scamper she was…well, past lean. I’m not sure she would have lasted much longer in the wild. She was so pitiful. Plus she hadn’t been fixed so we were pretty sure no one was intentionally taking care of her. :>) Nowadays, she seems happy enough although she sure confuses the heck out of us!
Comment by Maria — August 14, 2011 @ 6:12 pm
Maria, I know what you mean about “past lean”. We’ve got another female cat that showed up on what may have been her last day on earth if she hadn’t found us. We took her in (of course), fed her, had her neutered, etc. We named her Annie and she has a forever home here on “Paw Paw Ridge”. Wouldn’t you love to know what Scamper’s doing while she’s gone? Bo
Comment by Bo — August 14, 2011 @ 6:43 pm
Bless you, Bo and paw-paw ridge!!!
I’m not so sure it’s a good idea for us to know what Scamper is up to. It would probably scare us to death! As it is, we imagine all sort of dangers–coyotes, owls, hawks…mean people…yoi. She was sticking around so nicely and then one day…she wasn’t! But that is the nature of ferals. We understand, but it’s kinda annoying.
And cats do like to be annoying!
Comment by Maria — August 14, 2011 @ 7:01 pm