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> Going On 4 Days Missing..., I am heart broken
alleria31
post Jul 26 2012, 09:17 AM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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My wonderful cat 'Bubba' got out of my home on Sunday evening July 22nd sometime between 9:10pm and 10:20pm. My other cat Bella also got out, but I recovered her about 5 hours later. Here we are coming on 4 days missing and no sign of my sweet baby boy. I am beside myself with guilt and grief. I feel like a horrible person for this happening in the first place.

What happened was, the place I am currently living has no dryer vent. So the dryer hose is stuck out the window of the laundry room while the dyer is running. The laundry room door is always kept shut whenever the window is open. I am so paranoid about the cats getting lose that I even keep the winter storm window in all year around so I remove it and replace it each time I am doing laundry. Well, Sunday night on my last load of laundry either I did not get the door completely shut or somehow Bubba managed to get it open. Their little box was sitting in front of the door so he could have easily stood on top of the lid. I don't know what exactly happened and at this point it really does matter.

I have looked everywhere I can think of. Posted an ad in the local paper, on Craigslist, gave flyers to the neighbors and hung them around my neighborhood. Offering a reward for his safe return. I have looked every single day after work and on my lunch hour if it allows. I have slept in the laundry room for the last 3 nights with the window cracked enough to hear any movement outside.

The last two nights the wet cat food I had set out was gone early in the evening, during the brief time I actually did fall asleep. Then the last three nights at 4am I hear the glass bowls moving around on the cement and my heart fills with hope only to have me peak out the window and see a possum happily eating the food. So my plan B for tonight is to find myself an observation point and stay away and observe the food bowls no matter how bad my body is fighting me for sleep.

The worst part of this whole situation is we are moving!! I can't even think about that right now, I don't even want to talk about it. I can't just move and leave him behind of there is a possibility he is still out there waiting to come back to his loving family.

Tonight I have an appointment with Hilary Reniassance as I have seen a few others on this board have used her services with success. I am excited and this gives me hope that perhaps tonight will be the night and my baby will be home and I can continue on with our moving excitement. Right now I am cringing every time someone I work with brings it up.

I just want my baby home, and at this point I would give anything.
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moon_beam
post Jul 26 2012, 03:31 PM
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Hi, alleria, please permit me to offer you my sincerest condolences in the missing of your precious Bubba. Our companions are very adept at finding ways of taking unfair advantage of loose doors or cracks in windows to disappear. And of course they do not think of all the dangers that are out there in the world when they do this - - but we - - their caregivers - - are all too aware, and our hearts are bound in fear when they disappear.

I can certainly understand how upset you are about the prospects of moving, and the heartbreak of not having your precious Bubba back home safe and sound with you. I presume you have also contacted the local shelter(s) and veterinary offices just in case someone would come in with Bubba as a rescue. Also sometimes local radio and TV stations make free public announcements. Have you thought about contacting them to ask them to make an announcement about Bubba and the reward? As you have discovered, unfortunately, putting out food does not always guarantee it will provide the results we want - - the safe return of your precious Bubba. Please know your precious Bubba and you are in my thoughts and prayers that you will be reunited.

Thank you so much for sharing your precious Bubba with us, alleria. Once again please know your precious Bubba and you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please do let us know how things go.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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alleria31
post Jul 26 2012, 07:52 PM
Post #3





Group: Pet Lovers
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Member No.: 7,704



I did distribute flyers to vet offices and called all the local shelters as well. I just finished my appointment with Hilary a little while ago, and my husband who didn't believe in that sort of thing now does.

Hilary believes Bubba has passed on, attacked by an animal probably a raccoon. That would make sense as we have coons that are constantly getting into our garbage, but I never thought they would attack a cat. Of course knowing my Bubba, he probably would have went up to a coon hoping to play with it like it was another new friend. The coons here have young, so I have heard they can be even more aggressive then.

Hilary said Bubba was attacked, he got sick and then went unconscious later passing over. The area she described to me where he had went after the attack was behind our shed exactly. (which is right outside the window he escape through) My husband and I tried looking for any remains tonight, it was raining heavily and had rained heavily over the last few days off an on. It is possible they could have taken his remains back to their den as well, since she feels he was attacked the night he escaped.

I am not going to give up on him just yet, but the things she said would explain so much. She told me that Bubba had visited with me, and last night as I was laying in bed I swore I felt like he was there. I didn't think anything of it at the time tho.

I can only say that right now I am just numb. Attached is a picture of my beautiful baby boy.
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KBLRHG
post Jul 26 2012, 10:55 PM
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Alleria, I'm so sorry for what your going through...but please don't give up hope! It sounds as if you're doing all the right things. Shared wisdom says that indoor cats, if they get outside, tend to stay within 5 houses of their own. You might try hanging something of yours (covered in your smell, like a used towel or pillowcase) outside near an access point for kitty. Also, the best time to go searching and calling for your cat is between 2am-4am when your neighborhood will be at its quietest. Try shaking a can of treats...or scraping a can lid against the opening of the can (if he's likely to come for wet food). Don't forget a flashlight! It also wouldn't hurt to ask neighbors to check sheds, garages, basements if you haven't already done so. I really hope the person you consulted is wrong...and Bubba comes home....and we will have the pleasure of reading a happy update from you!
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KBLRHG
post Jul 26 2012, 10:55 PM
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....and Bubba really IS beautiful!
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alleria31
post Jul 27 2012, 08:17 AM
Post #6





Group: Pet Lovers
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QUOTE (KBLRHG @ Jul 26 2012, 11:55 PM) *
Alleria, I'm so sorry for what your going through...but please don't give up hope! It sounds as if you're doing all the right things. Shared wisdom says that indoor cats, if they get outside, tend to stay within 5 houses of their own. You might try hanging something of yours (covered in your smell, like a used towel or pillowcase) outside near an access point for kitty. Also, the best time to go searching and calling for your cat is between 2am-4am when your neighborhood will be at its quietest. Try shaking a can of treats...or scraping a can lid against the opening of the can (if he's likely to come for wet food). Don't forget a flashlight! It also wouldn't hurt to ask neighbors to check sheds, garages, basements if you haven't already done so. I really hope the person you consulted is wrong...and Bubba comes home....and we will have the pleasure of reading a happy update from you!



Thank you!! I hope so as well. I will try looking tonight between those hours, as now I am finally able to have two free days to devote to nothing but looking for my sweet boy. Everyone keeps telling me cats do come back, or he just went into the woods behind the house. We have had bad thunderstorms off an on for the last few days so if anything maybe those are the cause for him not making his way back home.

Thank you for your reply, and I also hope to be posting a happy update very soon!
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moon_beam
post Jul 27 2012, 12:25 PM
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Hi, alleria, thank you so much for sharing your precious Bubba with us - - what a very handsome young lad he is. When I was a little girl a family cat disappeared for 6 months. He finally came back home on the eve of my birthday. I hope and pray that you and your precious Bubba will be blessed with a happy reunion, too. It is always frightening when our companions disappear on us despite our most diligent efforts to keep them safe, and as time goes on with their disappearance our hearts hurt with the fear that they have come to harm. Please know you and your precious Bubba are in my thoughts and prayers that he will come home to you safe and sound, and please let us know how things go.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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alleria31
post Jul 27 2012, 12:45 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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QUOTE (moon_beam @ Jul 27 2012, 01:25 PM) *
Hi, alleria, thank you so much for sharing your precious Bubba with us - - what a very handsome young lad he is. When I was a little girl a family cat disappeared for 6 months. He finally came back home on the eve of my birthday. I hope and pray that you and your precious Bubba will be blessed with a happy reunion, too. It is always frightening when our companions disappear on us despite our most diligent efforts to keep them safe, and as time goes on with their disappearance our hearts hurt with the fear that they have come to harm. Please know you and your precious Bubba are in my thoughts and prayers that he will come home to you safe and sound, and please let us know how things go.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam



Thank you for your thoughts, it is appreciated from both Bubba and myself.
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alleria31
post Jul 27 2012, 07:32 PM
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Well, we are only about 45 minutes away from 5 days. In these 5 days there has not been one single sighting. Is this normal? Or could Hilary be correct? She said it happened quickly, and shortly after he got out of the house. The pain of not knowing is killing me. I just can't believe there hasn't been one single sighting of him.

My heart is broken.
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Tom's Dad
post Jul 27 2012, 08:04 PM
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alleria31

Please allow me to add my hopes and prayers that you and Bubba are reunited. I had a ginger cat Hobbes who disappeared in a similar fashion years ago. I was doing laundry; the landry room just acorss the way fom my apartment, and he slipped past me. I did see him again weeks later in a yard by a house on my walk from there to the grocery store. He actually seemed to recognize me and had clearly been neutered (something I could not afford at the time I had him) days later a moving van was there and I never saw him again. My hope was that he'd found a home with that family and they took him with them. Your Bubba is sweet handsome looking ginger man cat. I'm so hoping you find him.


PS: My nick name for my current Ginger cat Tang is Bubba.


--------------------
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
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alleria31
post Jul 27 2012, 08:25 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 27
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QUOTE (Tom's Dad @ Jul 27 2012, 09:04 PM) *
alleria31

Please allow me to add my hopes and prayers that you and Bubba are reunited. I had a ginger cat Hobbes who disappeared in a similar fashion years ago. I was doing laundry; the landry room just acorss the way fom my apartment, and he slipped past me. I did see him again weeks later in a yard by a house on my walk from there to the grocery store. He actually seemed to recognize me and had clearly been neutered (something I could not afford at the time I had him) days later a moving van was there and I never saw him again. My hope was that he'd found a home with that family and they took him with them. Your Bubba is sweet handsome looking ginger man cat. I'm so hoping you find him.


PS: My nick name for my current Ginger cat Tang is Bubba.



Awww. My Bubba actually started out with the name of Jacob. Then, when my now husband moved in he started calling him 'Bubs' and that kind of graduated to 'Bubba' and it just stuck. lol He knew Bubba more than he knew Jacob.
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DannysMom
post Jul 27 2012, 10:33 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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Joined: 3-February 12
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Alleria, my heart goes out to you. Bubba is such a
sweet-looking kitty boy. I do hope that he is still alive and
that you find him. I'm right behind you in not giving up yet.
Have you thought about "borrowing" a neighbor's dog? You
could let the dog sniff a blanket that has Bubba's scent on it
and then lead the dog out to the shed and let him/her sniff
around and try to find Bubba that way. I've read that racoons
do indeed sometimes attack and kill cats, but it isn't that
common. And why did Bella come back safely? Bubba may
be stuck in someon's shed or garage or something like that. I
do hope so much that you find him and that he returns safely
back home.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
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alleria31
post Jul 28 2012, 10:32 AM
Post #13





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 27
Joined: 25-July 12
Member No.: 7,704



QUOTE (DannysMom @ Jul 27 2012, 11:33 PM) *
Alleria, my heart goes out to you. Bubba is such a
sweet-looking kitty boy. I do hope that he is still alive and
that you find him. I'm right behind you in not giving up yet.
Have you thought about "borrowing" a neighbor's dog? You
could let the dog sniff a blanket that has Bubba's scent on it
and then lead the dog out to the shed and let him/her sniff
around and try to find Bubba that way. I've read that racoons
do indeed sometimes attack and kill cats, but it isn't that
common. And why did Bella come back safely? Bubba may
be stuck in someon's shed or garage or something like that. I
do hope so much that you find him and that he returns safely
back home.



I actually have a dog myself, Abby a yellow Lab who was close with Bubba. Since he has disappeared every time she is outside she is pulling me to the area behind the shed that Hilary described. She is constantly sniffing around the plastic barrels and such that are back there. That worries me a little bit. I spent the morning walking around the property calling for him hoping to hear his meow, but I have heard nothing. I also found out today that there is a fox who hunts in the nearby field. Hilary said Bubba was attacked by a "small animal. Fox or raccoon." I just assumed raccoon since I have seen them around here, I had never seen the fox. The lady who comes to the property to care for my landlady's horses told me about the fox. She asked me how long Bubba was missing and and I told her going on 6 days and she just had that response, you know, that was like "Oh no."

I am still holding onto hope that Hilary was incorrect, and Hilary herself told me she hoped she was incorrect but it's getting so hard. We are preparing to move after the 1st of the month, and that is making this whole situation even worse for me. I hate the uncertainty of not knowing what happened. It's hard for me because one minute you feel like you are grieving for him and then next I am putting food out on the back porch.
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DannysMom
post Jul 28 2012, 11:59 AM
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Alleria, I didn't know you had a dog. Could you just let Abby loose by the area where she is pulling you to and sniffing around? She may track Bubba down. Could he have fallen into one of the plastic barrels? Maybe he got stuck somewhere. You may not necessarily hear a meow. I think Abby could find him if you let her. Wishing you all the best.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
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alleria31
post Jul 29 2012, 10:18 AM
Post #15





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 27
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QUOTE (DannysMom @ Jul 28 2012, 12:59 PM) *
Alleria, I didn't know you had a dog. Could you just let Abby loose by the area where she is pulling you to and sniffing around? She may track Bubba down. Could he have fallen into one of the plastic barrels? Maybe he got stuck somewhere. You may not necessarily hear a meow. I think Abby could find him if you let her. Wishing you all the best.



Thank you. I tried leaving Abby loose however, nothing really came of this. I think it confused Abby, she has really never been out doing the hunting thing. Abby is more of a, chill all day and relax type of dog lol. I did check in all the barrels, several times over the last going on 7 days now. I can't find a thing. Me and my hubby went looking last night from 2:30-3:30 am. I had a few excitements, in the field behind our house I saw two sets of eyes in my flashlight and got very hopeful because they weren't up high enough to be one of the horses or a deer. So hubby shined the car headlights on them, turned out it was deer laying down in the field. Ugh! I keep opening the back door half expecting to see him standing there waiting to be let in.
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moon_beam
post Jul 29 2012, 11:09 AM
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Hi, alleria, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. I am so sorry that your hopes were dashed with the deer. I do know the burden that is in your heart with your upcoming move and the prospects of not having your precious Bubba with you. However, even if this worst case scenaro should happen, be sure to update your information on your flyers, craigslist, local vet offices and shelters so that you can be contacted just in case your precious Bubba should become a rescue. And as hard as the move may be not having your precious Bubba with you, remember that your Bubba's love goes with you wherever you are - - for love is eternal.

Thank you so much for sharing your precious Bubba with us, alleria. Once again please know your precious Bubba and you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how things go.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam


--------------------
In heaven's perfect garden there is no grief or pain, and all of God's creation join the angels' sweet refrain.

The most blessed way I have of knowing God's comforting love and grace is to look into the eyes and heart of God's creatures' sweet angelic face.
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DannysMom
post Jul 29 2012, 01:43 PM
Post #17





Group: Pet Lovers
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QUOTE (alleria31 @ Jul 29 2012, 11:18 AM) *
Thank you. I tried leaving Abby loose however, nothing really came of this. I think it confused Abby, she has really never been out doing the hunting thing. Abby is more of a, chill all day and relax type of dog lol. I did check in all the barrels, several times over the last going on 7 days now. I can't find a thing. Me and my hubby went looking last night from 2:30-3:30 am. I had a few excitements, in the field behind our house I saw two sets of eyes in my flashlight and got very hopeful because they weren't up high enough to be one of the horses or a deer. So hubby shined the car headlights on them, turned out it was deer laying down in the field. Ugh! I keep opening the back door half expecting to see him standing there waiting to be let in.



Alleria, this must be so hard for you, but please don't give up. I do hope you find your Bubba. I'm sorry you had your hopes dashed with the deer. Could Bubba be stuck somewhere, under the house or someplace?


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
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alleria31
post Jul 30 2012, 06:34 AM
Post #18





Group: Pet Lovers
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QUOTE (DannysMom @ Jul 29 2012, 02:43 PM) *
Alleria, this must be so hard for you, but please don't give up. I do hope you find your Bubba. I'm sorry you had your hopes dashed with the deer. Could Bubba be stuck somewhere, under the house or someplace?



We checked there. There really is no way to get under our trailer. There are 2 access doors on the foundation, but they are both secure. Just to humor myself I opened them and looked anyway. I got a call last night and I got so hopeful, a lady at one of the shelters I called had a friend that found a cat matching his description. She directed me to her Facebook page to see a picture of the kitty, and unfortunately it wasn't him. This boy had black mixed in his striping, which my Bubba does not. I sure hope this boy finds his home though.
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DannysMom
post Jul 30 2012, 05:36 PM
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Alleria, I am sorry that you haven't found Bubba yet and that the facebook lead turned out to be a different cat. I know you were hoping so much it would be Bubba. I know this is so hard for you, and I do hope so much that you still find him. Stranger things have happened, and if you feel in your heart that he is still alive and out there then he may very well be there, just waiting to be found by you. Please don't give up just yet.


--------------------
Danny: March 4, 2001 - December 28, 2011
Tina: October 27, 1997 - April 28, 2012


To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
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alleria31
post Jul 31 2012, 04:20 PM
Post #20





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 27
Joined: 25-July 12
Member No.: 7,704



QUOTE (moon_beam @ Jul 29 2012, 12:09 PM) *
Hi, alleria, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. I am so sorry that your hopes were dashed with the deer. I do know the burden that is in your heart with your upcoming move and the prospects of not having your precious Bubba with you. However, even if this worst case scenaro should happen, be sure to update your information on your flyers, craigslist, local vet offices and shelters so that you can be contacted just in case your precious Bubba should become a rescue. And as hard as the move may be not having your precious Bubba with you, remember that your Bubba's love goes with you wherever you are - - for love is eternal.

Thank you so much for sharing your precious Bubba with us, alleria. Once again please know your precious Bubba and you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how things go.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam



Thank you very much for your post! It is getting harder and harder as the move looms closer, I can barely bring myself to keep packing in hopes that if I can delay it just a few more days thats a few more days I have to look for him. My current landlady lives next door to my place and she promises she will call me if he turns up. I just hope she holds true for that, my husband says she probably will as she isn't going to want a cat hanging around a place she is trying to rent.

But I am hoping he may still show up before we move. Miracles do happen.
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