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Well we are now professional cat trappers! We had gotten 6 traps yesterday, all they had left, and managed to fill them all in about an hour. We did have to let a few already eartipped out once or twice,, they kept going in for more food, and then out we put them! hubs stopped by the place this morning and they had someone cancel so he was able to get a few more traps,, one is in the "wayback" trying to catch a male,, but we may move it into the garage tonight and try for one more of the garage kittens. So I think we only have about 4 more to catch down the road. This feels so good.. I am so tired of endless kittens..
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Gershun, you could get an appetite stimulant for Daniel, or something like the gabapentin for cats (pain control, kept Divo more comfortable in his last weeks) the vet gave me. Whatever you think is best course of care for where Daniel's at. Neither of those meds are expensive. Thinking of you. Been a lot of sick kitties around here lately. So tough.
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Gershun,

How old is Daniel? My cat lived to be 16. She was the sweetest kitty but like Golden says about Pumpkin, she had a big personality! My cat would chase off dogs! LOL

I think that cats have a certain amount of intuition. My cat didn’t like kids. I was young and single when I got her. She wasn’t used to the rowdiness of children. She would run and hide when children were visiting my home.

My husband never owned a cat. He actually asked me to get rid of my cat before marrying him. I told him that we were a package deal! Thankfully, my cat won him over and he fell in love with her. When we started a family, my cat who always ran from children, befriended my daughter. It was like she knew that my daughter was meant to be in our home. Do you feel that cats have a certain amount of intuitive powers?
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I understand, Golden. You’ve accepted the fact that Pumpkin is gone.

Anniversaries, birthdays and holidays are so rough. I’m so sorry, Golden. Many hugs sent your way.
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Thx ali. Pumpkin was headstrong too. She definitely added good things to our lives with her big P personality.

send - thx

gershun - sorry Daniel is not eating That is not a good sign.

need -thx

I appreciate where the well meaning -"don't lose hope" is coming from, but I haven't adopted that attitude. My experience with pets here is that once gone they don't return. I am not saying none do, but none of mine ever have after this length of time. Is there a chance she could return? Of course. Meanwhile Rocky and I are accepting the situation and grieving our loss. She has been keeping very quiet and close to me, and needing many cuddles. I had a good talk with Rocky yesterday about her sister not being here. It really seemed that she understood. We had great eye contact. Last night she was not by my side as much and was playful for the first time since Pumpkin disappeared. This morning she is like that again. Good signs!

I do appreciate you all and your support. This is a tough time of year for me with Gordie's anniversary coming up.
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Thinking of you, Golden.
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Oh Golden, I feel for you so much. I don't know which is worse. Losing a cat as in having a cat run away or what I'm going through with Daniel right now. Either way it just sucks doesn't it?

Daniel has stopped eating the last two days. So, I'm more concerned than ever. I'm hoping it's just the antibiotics bothering him.

Anyway Golden, my heart hurts for you. ((((Hugs))))
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Sorry Golden.
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...
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As a pet owner who has lost pets in the past, I find it is heartbreaking to even look for the pet on various websites. Our hearts skip a beat, and after viewing so many, not knowing, not being sure....then finding the ages, sex, even breeds, and dates lost to be wrong on the websites....

I called the Humane Society and had asked about a dog, who could mistake a white Beagle if they had it? They said no. I went to all the shelters, and found my beagle at the one who told me it was not there!

While I hope and pray that little Pumpkin is found and returned to you, Golden, you must know that I mean no heartache or pain for you in trying to help you find her.
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Golden, I'm so sorry. (((((hugs))))) to you and Rocky. I love your descriptions of Rocky and Pumpkin, and it relates some to Divo and 'Lilah Bean (I renamed Delilah haha). D was fearless, headstrong like nothing I'd seen, and Lilah is more cautious and does that "self-conscious" thing, too. It's a joy getting to know their personalities and having them part of our daily lives... which sounds obvious maybe but having cats for first time for the last 3 years, it's been an experience for me. I'm sure you're doing all you can to cover your bases with recovery, and hope for the best. I'm sure it's so hard not knowing, yet hoping, and fearing the worst all at the same time. Just wanted to tell you I'm thinking of you and your little family.
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send - Yes, I have and given her description to animal control. They don't have her and said they would look for her.
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Golden,
Have you checked the SPCA website in your area for lost & found cats?
Sometimes the cat left outside is impounded, and you could pay a fee to get Pumpkin back.

https://www.calgary.ca/csps/abs/animal-services/impounded-cats-dogs.html
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Oh boy, am I ever missing Pumpkin. We, I should say, as Rocky wanders around aimlessly quite a lot. Pumpkin was such a character and drove my day more than I realized. She was a clown, and clumsier than your average cat. But if she missed a jump she was not the least bit self conscious. Most cats would cover up as if to say, "I meant to do that!" but Pumpkin just carried on.

She was an intense little creature. A cat with a purpose! If she wanted out she would do everything in her repertoire to get me to let her out - scratch the furniture, jump on the sofa and race across me, scratch the door frame, scratch the sidelight glass... If she wanted to cuddle she was insistent about it, if she wanted to eat, it was "I MUST EAT!" If she wanted in, she scratched on the outside of the door and stared at me as if in desperation. Though a small bundle physically, she was supersized in her actions. Her purr was huge.

The house is so quiet. Rocky is a polite cat who recognizes boundaries - rare in a cat I know. She asks to be let out or to cuddle but is not put out if I don't oblige, though I oblige a her requests for cuddling these days. She is much more self contained than Pumpkin was. Pumpkin was not the center of the universe in her own eyes, she WAS the universe, so everything, naturally, was to revolve around her. When she set her mind on a goal she went for it - without consideration of other things. Rocky observes, and checks things out first. Such different individuals!

Pumpkin had personality with a capital P. She was not the smartest cat I have had, and could be reckless and a bit of a nuisance at times with her insistence at getting her own way, but a very lovable nuisance. For all that, I miss her greatly.

My experience with losing cats here is the smarter ones have survived. Pumpkin was not one of those.
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Thank-you Golden!
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gershun - I am sure he knows you are helping him but he doesn't have to like it. I know it is a difficult decision between $$$s and quality/length of life. Dd has a dog who has had 2 surgeries and has a slow growing cancer, is on thyroid pills and isn't that old - 9 yo maybe . Her hub has said no more surgery as it's expensive. Prayers continue for Daniel and you.

Pam - good for you dealing with those ferals. It's hard to explain -just a feeling I have about Pumpkin. Some cats are definitely smarter than others. Rocky is very smart and was the dickens to catch as a kitten. Pumpkin not so. On the farm where R is and where my kitties came from, cats keep disappearing and almost certainly it is predators. But there usually are 2 females that keep breeding so they have extras to give away each year.

I guess what I am saying is that | have a different experience. I and dd have lost a few cats before and they never came back.
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Golden,keep your hope alive,, I have had cats (feral) disappear for weeks,, then just show back up, and we are very rural with foxes and eagles,, you name it.

Tomorrow we get 6 more traps from the feral rescue and will try to trap more cats, that have not already been fixed. If we catch the ones already done we release them and hope to catch ones that are not,, but these stinkers are smart! I am thinking we will catch the fixed ones first.. my luck! I am over all these kittens!After they fix them they return them to us, and we agree to feed them and not remove them. I am OK with that,, just don;t want they to keep multiplying!
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Golden, I'm so sorry about Pumpkin. I guess it's been a few days now and you are losing hope but you never know. She may come bounding in the house again. I pray for that for you.

As for Daniel, I can't honestly say how he's doing. Today will be day 12 of the antibiotics. He still coughs. Mostly during the afternoon, then he seems like himself in the evening. We are taking him in for another x-ray on Tuesday to see if what appeared as possibly a mass has changed at all. Then we can say it was pneumonia that is getting better. If the mass is still there, on to a CT scan, then treatment for whatever that shows it to be. I'm always the one who administers the medicine so Daniel and I are having a bit of a standoff right now. I think he knows I'm just trying to help but he sure isn't happy with me about it.

I hate to talk about money when it comes to my beloved pet but this is all expensive. We've already spent thousands on Daniel in the past. So far this time we've spent a thousand and it is going to keep going up. When do you decide to not treat and just keep him comfortable? We've not reached that point yet but one has to be realistic. I've heard that if we had pet insurance it probably would not have covered any of this so either way it's costly.

Please keep him in your prayers!
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Just wrote a long post and lost it.

Thanks to all for suggestions and prayers. I have done some of the suggested things to no avail. This city is in the bush. I have seen coyotes, foxes, deer bear and once a wolf within yards of the house. The local wisdom is that she has been taken by a predator. Rocky and I are adapting and changing our routine a bit. I am letting her upstairs at night and out in the mornings only now and maybe not at all later. She doesn't stay out long and sleeps more than any cat I have had so it doesn't affect her too much. I could not have kept Pumpkin in. What she wanted she insisted on and moved like quick-silver to get out sometimes such that you didn't see her and wondered when you saw her wanting in how she got out. Not just me - my dd too when she was here.

I am grieving more for Pumpkin than I expected. I think because she was a young cat and this was so sudden. I have put down many pets after illness, and you have time to prepare. I didn't have that with Pumpkin. She wasn't the smartest cat but she was lovable. She had just started cuddling on my lap and the other day I had both of them on my lap. We miss her. (((((😽)))))

gershun - how is Daniel? Hope he is resounding to the antibiotics..

send - glad that Tweety is doing better.
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Was wanting to post about my Tweety-bird, parakeet. But I delayed.
He has started molting again, and does not feel very good, so I added the usual molting vitamins to his food, after his behavior changed.

On July 22, the night before the full moon, he would not go into his cage. Then the night of the full moon, same. It always takes me awhile to find a correlation to different behaviors.

It could have been the full moon, or the start of molting.

Watching our pet's behaviors will help us care for them when there is a change in their behavior.

Tweety has perked up since yesterday, and went into his cage as usual last night. 🐦
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Good advice Luckylu!
I am on a lost & found pet site and when one goes missing, the admins immediately post how to find your pet.

Hope that was helpful to Golden, we all want the best for her and Pumpkin.
Poor Rocky will be missing her sister. 😿

Golden, sorry that Pumpkin is missing. Maybe a neighbor has taken her inside during the storm. Don't give up.
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Today,when I was thinking about Pumpkin,I googled Where to check if your cat is missing and several sites came up and there were some good tips.
It said to check Lost and Found pets,The Pet FBI,Craigslist and Facebook and that you could make flyers to hang on posts nearby.
It said that you could sprinkle flour on the ground to check for pawprints or to set a trap.
Maybe even set up a video camera.Visit local shelters and the Humane Society.
A whole bunch of stuff.
I know you love Pumpkin so much Golden.
I hope he returns soon~
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Need, we have coyotes in Chicago even. There are quite a few local wild animals I wouldn't think would want to be in the city, but lord knows there are enough rats for them to catch, and some open spaces to nest in.

Bro/SIL have a cat now that loves to go out at night to hunt birds and mice and whatever else she does. So far, so good. But I know they've had another one disappear and they figured she'd been attacked by a coyote.

Keeping fingers crossed for Pumpkin.
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Ali,

There are sections of our city that have coyotes. It’s awful! People have to keep a close eye on their small pets. I hope Pumpkin is okay, but I can’t blame Golden for being anxious thinking about a predator snatching Pumpkin. I hope it didn’t happen 😞.
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Is Pumpkin still gone, Golden? I fear you're right, and she's been snatched by a predator. My bro and SIL have a cat that loves to go out but they have coyotes and other animals in the area that have presumably gotten other pets of theirs. It's always somewhat a risk in any area that has small prey predators. I hope she surprises you and comes back soon, though. <3
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Thanks Barb and Need, Any cat I have had here that disappeared for a couple of days never came back. I put a litter box with used litter in it outside. Apparently the smell travels for about a mile and helps them find their way home. The problem here with bush across the street is predators. This may be the exception. We will see. Meanwhile I am not letting Rocky out at night and may slowly change her into an indoor cat. It's much safer for her.
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Golden,

My cousin’s cat got out in the dead of winter, snow on the ground. He lives in D.C.
He truly felt that he would never see him again. The cat was gone for weeks. Then one day, his cat returned home. He was a bit thinner and was meowing all night long! My cousin said it was like he was trying to tell him the whole story of his adventure.

His cat lived to be 23 years old! He got him when he was living in New York. He was a very friendly cat. When I went to NY to visit my cousin, I met his cat.

I hope that Pumpkin will return home. I will say a special prayer for both of you. Hugs!

I had a cat as a child that used to roam around. She went missing. I was riding my bike when I noticed a little girl playing with my cat in her yard. I parked my bike and ran up to her, and told her, “That is my cat!” The kid said, “Nope, we found her and my mom said that we could keep her.”

I went home and cried to my mom that I wanted my cat back. Mom told me to let her have the cat. She said that the little girl loved her like I did and the cat was happy there, and I had another cat at home to love. I was very upset with my mom for not going to get my cat back for me, but I had no choice but to let it go.
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Oh, Golden! Hoping hard for Pumpkin's safe return!
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Thx Glad and Gershun

There are, of course, garages around but most are leave their cars in the driveway.
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Oh Golden I'm sorry. I'm definitely going to send out prayers for Pumpkin.

Keep the faith though. When I was young I had a cat go missing for a month, then she suddenly appeared again. Are there any neighbors who have garages she could have gotten locked in?

Wishing Pumpkin and you well!
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