Missing For A Week Now...., Cat lost in Maine woods/ predators, lost Options

[oceanpets]

My cat Toonces was out last Tuesday night July 24th and he usually only stayed really close to us. Very skittish, hated when i had parties or lots of company he didn' t know, he would hide on the basement step and watch the action. Once in awhile he would go outside at night and stay out. This worried me a lot. It was also a bother ( one I would love to have right now) for he would meow to be let in anxiously about 4or 5am, when his adventure was over. This time he never came back. I knew by 9am he was a goner, in my gut. But then we had landscapers come to the house and I had to deal with all that. Big machines, etc... ( which made me worry later that the noise frightenend him away, but really , now I think he would have run around the other side of the house, his usual side, and come to the back door like usual frantically. Plus I left it open as usual. It was safe for him to make his way back....) Anyhow, I have searched, called, cried a river, gasped in pain,...... and printed up flyers with his picture for neighbors, made some posters for the highway . We live down a long dirt driveway, with ocean and lots of woods near us. The road is far, there are many houses nearby but it's wooded between. I have looked thoroughly in outbuildings, basements, garages, etc...
( except for one basement of a neighbor I could check.....) and nothing has turned up. It's been a week now. I can't sleep good, feel the preoccupation all the time, my stomach isn't happy, and I dont' have much energy for my kids. Not for long stretches. Keeping up the efforts is hard. I did manage to get ads in my local papers placed, witha picture however. I will post the rest of my posters around town. It's hard though. It is painful to do!
I have found the websites enormously helpful, and reading the stories anbd sharing on this site have helped me alot. I talked to a pet detective ( in CT, closest to me, who can come up if I'd like tommorow, still unsure if it's worth it. ) I made contact with Hilary from calmpets.com a pet communicator, after reading about her on someone's post, and have an appointment today. I figured I have to try everything. I just don't know if I should bother with the extra help of having Marge come up with her dog to search or now, plus I want to know if I should try to resolve my pain or keep searching. It's killing me. We are supposed to go back south, ( school year residence) and I don't think I can go if I don't find Toonces. Also, I can't even begin to think about preparing for that seasonal move.
I would apprecitate any any all support. My baby is missing and it hurts so much. It is comforting knowing others feel the same. He was only 3, and my boys first really closely bonded to pet. We all loved him. Even my husband who claims not to like cats. He played a lot with Toonces. I will attach a picture if I can.

[oceanpets]

thanks Barb. We had quite an adventurous trip with Jax. He wasn't the docile creature that Toonces was in his carrier on the airplane, but he settled down after awhile. I had to put the carrier on my lap for a lot of it, despite protests from the flight attendants, as this seemed to calm him down. He is NOISY even now at home. At the moment he is happily playing with my son who has one of those play fishing poles with a fake bird attached to it. When he's not doing that, he found the one toy Toonces left behind, a ball with jangly bell in it. He meows like a true siamese around the place, but still cuddles like nobodys business. He even leans on your foot lovingly when you least expect it. So this has been very healing. This is why we got him- he was so loving and cuddly. He seems to like our home down here, it's smaller and we're all on the same floor by day. Kids rooms down, as well as main areas, so he can go from food/ boy room to all of us at will. My husband fixed some screens that were needing it outside on the screen porch and we let him enjoy some fresh air for the first time. He liked it but only if we were there. He's inside for now. ( But this is how we started Toonces..... ) We'll see.... it's a lot of work keeping them from running out, you're on patrol and high alert everytime you come/ go, someone visits.... it's a lot of work. But until I get a collar and id tag, etc... and he's older NO WAY.
As for flyers in Maine, I do have them up still at a couple places... not sure how long they will stay up for though. As you may recall from my post log, I did contact Hilary, the pet communicator, who told me that Toonces was in the spirit world. This was my gut instinct on Day One actually, and I feel that after three weeks, he would have found his way home, if still alive. I know things have happened, but we searched the neighbors thoroughly and with the predators out and about, it's just a questions of one of those days they don't come back after an evening sojourn... I don't think I could have stopped it, unless he never went out. It's the chance you take. The pet detective woman I spoke to early on told me that it's not my fault. It's hard keeping them from their desires to want out, she even lets her dog go without a lease, knowing that the price of freedom potentially is harm, but it's a risk sometimes we take, when we let our animals have their instincts to explore. I should not beat up on myself she said, and that seems to feel right. You don't know when your children will be at harm, but you can't keep them off bicycles, etc... there are risks in life. We do our best. Sometimes it's just never enough. Heartache is hard. If onlys can really do a number on you... It's amazing that I am not really blaming my husband. I know that it's all our fault, not one of us anticipated the last night of Toonces, so we weren't extra careful to let him in at dusk. That was always my goal, and when I remembered I did it, but sometimes I just didn't, and it was very dark before he came to be let in or we called him. Most nights he was already in of his own volition, so we weren't always needing to do this... you just never know. You can go back in your mind and drive yourself crazy. I am trying not to do that.
I am trying to move on. Jax is never going to be Toonces. But Toonces wasn't the others before him either. It must be a lesson in love while you can, appreciate what you have when you have it. And be safe with pets too... and as for the courageous bathing.... I'd do it again. 've always bathed my pets since I was an adult anyhow. ( I also give myself pedicures and give my family haircuts) It's not hat we can't afford it, we just do it that way. I like being able to get them used to it. It will be awhile before I brave it with noisy Jax though... he might remember it and be pretty spastic again. I think it was the two times that got him though.. he was good up to a point. Face the second time around was the clincher. He's a sweetie.
I got another call about a gray cat and I think it's the same one , same area that the gray cat calls have been . I didn't call back yet. I have the message on my machine still. Ad in paper. Other than that, we'll see.
take care all.
Joani