How to find a stray cat that came to my yard for food

[Noah]

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.

[mitch]

I know from my cat biology-ecology research that urban male cat territory is 500-1000′ diameter and 50-100′ for females. The cats are always scared and hide. Hard to find. I recently adopted 1 yr old mom cat with 4 healthy kittens. Got them all fixed and with shots but only kept the mom. Loving cat obviously a past pet.

I collect “Home Again” lost cat notices. Average lost cat age is 3 years which is why, to me, outdoor cats are primarily lost abandoned pet cats. I truly hope you have found your back yard friend.

kindest regards, mitch albert

[mitch]

Sorry, I misspoke the territories. The distances are NOT diameter but square feet which is much smaller. They usually never go far but remember cats get thru 3-4″ holes and want protection from above.

[mitch]

one 2018 research paper. I have several.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/1/5

<b itemprop=”name”>Search Methods Used to Locate Missing Cats and Locations Where Missing Cats Are Found

[Kay Swanson Torrence]

Mitch

A friends cat has been missing for about 6 weeks she accidently got out, they have done flyers posted on lost pet websites in our area, do you have any websites or info that I could share? I have sent her the link you have posted here as well, I am hoping the cat didn’t encounter a Eagle or owl.

• This reply was modified 5 months ago by  Kay Swanson Torrence.

[James Harrison]

If he’s come before, he’ll likely return for food. Keep putting food out at the same time every day and stay nearby but calm so he feels safe. You can also leave a small shelter or blanket to encourage him back. If he’s sick, consider contacting a local rescue or setting up a humane trap to safely take him to the vet.