# Do elderly cats wander off to die?



## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

We have a 17 year old cat, we had him 3rd hand when he was about 5 yrs old. Before we had him he had been involved in car accident and lost one eye, he never purred or meowed . I had him 4 years before I moved to be with Rich and since we have been here Guinness has been very happy, venturing out to the fields near by ( no main roads and very little traffic) and started purring and meowing. 
We also have a younger cat and molly and Guiness became mates. sleeping , playing ect. but as Guiness has become older he has been more of a stay at home cat only going out to the garden to go to the loo and then spending all day indoors , especially since we have had the cold weather. 
Yesterday morning he went out and normally would be back at the door within 10min. He'd been out over an hour and we needed to go out , we were not worried as we have a cat flap to the garage and there is a bed on there for them. 
We come home mid afternoon, moll comes to greet us but no Guiness. He still hadn't come home by bedtime. We called him but no joy. This morning still no Guiness so we check the garage, no sign, check all round the garden front and back.Asked the neighbours no one has seen him. This is quite out of character for him 
Question is do elderly cats wander off to find a place to die? 
He has been eating and drinking normally.Still fairly agile


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

unfortunately yes they sometimes do, they look for a warm dry shady to dark place, to relax and slumber peacefully away.Have you checked all your rooms and the airing cupboard, and the wardrobe.
behind a sofa next to the radiator.that sort of place.

cabby


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Im afraid they can also wander off right away from their home to die 

On a cat forum-- The short answer is yes 

The longer answer is, first they'll stop eating & drinking & then they'll move off into a quiet place safe from being stepped on or bothered. 

Have you looked under any sheds, porches or heavy bushes in the area? Forsythia's tend to give a heavy cover to protect them from wind and rain, with a comfortable hiding space.

I really hope this hasnt happened to yours its just as sad as having to take them to the vets


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## ramblingon (Jul 15, 2009)

Next door was searching for her cat it was a long haired one they found it deceased caught by it's coat in a hedge. When trapped some animals keep very quiet instinctively.  , have you checked with your vet in case handed in?

A bright torch at night will often pick out the "cats eyes"if it is caught up,
this is how I always search for my glasses when I loose them on the land. 
I hope this has a happy outcome for you, have you checked with your vet in case handed in? ask your neighbours to have a look around for you. My dads cat was found in next doors ceiling. 8O


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## lins (Sep 29, 2008)

Hi lin we had an older cat,he was 14 .We lost him a few weeks before xmas,he was behaving as normal in fact went to the vet tue,by thurs daughter noticed that he was not right,water coming out of nose and mouth.Took him staight to vets ,he was filling up with fluid.We sadly lost him in the eve.He was fine until that day going out ,playing with amber in the hall.Bit more sleepy than usual at night,but no hint we were about to lose him.Big shock,but he passed away in his sleep at the vets.
I have had sevaral older cats,1 was 24 when i lost him and 1 20.Both of those had to be put to sleep ,becuse of fits.
We have now got new cat teddy from a rescue,he was left when previous owners moved house.Really loving cat,think he is worried he may get left though as its like having 3 dogs.he has to be with me all the time.In fact he like to help!!! me on the computer.his typing skills are not up to scratch yet :lol: And visits the bathroom with me,and likes cooking :roll: 
I hope you find yours soon its a real worry.lin.


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

The neighbours across the road when I lived at home had an old ginger tom which would if possible always get in my joiners shop. That was OK but if we went out it would set the alarm off.

The lady came across one day to ask if the cat was in the workshop as it had not been seen for a few days, we checked all round but nothing to be seen.

A few months later I was ordered by Sandra to chop down some Leylandi ? which were getting unruly in the front garden, nestled behind the bushes against the wall was the old ginger tom, it was a nice peaceful place to die I am sure, I told the neighbours who came to collect it and bury it in their garden..


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## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

I have had two cats do this. It must be natures way they just want to be alone and peaceful-sorry for your loss but at least they get to do it there way _ unlike most humans sadly


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

How many neighbours do you have? My mums cat got locked in someones shed for a week. Ask people to look in all their outbuildings just incase.


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## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

Thank you for the replies. We have checked and doubled checked every consievable place indoors and in the garden , up the street, asked the neighbours, no one has seen him. He's either decided to have one last jolly ( where I used to live he had disappeared for 2/3 days a couple of times) or over to the fields to find a quiet spot.


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## rowley (May 14, 2005)

17, is of course a good age for a cat. One of our cats has disappeared for 24 hours on two occasions when a dog chased him, when he did come back he was still a bit traumatised. I hope that Guiness has just been holed up and returns soon. Best wishes.


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

Lindyloot, ask them to look, all mums neighbours said have seen one but they didn't physically look. In the end mum knocked on doors and asked to look herself.

The wind of recent days could have spooked him.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*die*

Hello,

Yes they do, as do some breeds of Dogs if they can escape.

Our last cat toddled off to the curtain under the dining room, her favourite spot. She was 21 years old an apart from her dodgy limp, she looked like a kitten. Always clean and despite always being hungry and eating well was only tiny.

Her Mum went when she was 17. She managed to get out and never came back. We searched high and low, put posters up etc. But she had been at the vets a few weeks earlier. She said then, the cat was just getting old.

But you never know, might pop back at some point so don't give up hope just yet.

TM


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

It is indeed a worry.

Our cat disappeared for 6 days a few years back, in terrible weather, very out of character for her. 
I went out searching for her each night with a torch and found her in our car port. 
She was in a very bad way. Broken jaw, dislocated leg, paralysed spine, broken tail. 

Vet reckoned she had been knocked down probably the first day she went missing and it took her the 6 days to come too, get some strength and crawl home.  

She's now 15, got a limp, no feeling in her tail, but very spoiled and contented.

Hope your puss comes home.


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## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

Lin

Hope you find Guiness.

Sonja
xx


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

I don't know the answer to your question but I had wondered this myself. My cats Oscar and Sophie were brother and sister. When they were 11 Sophie had been ill but after treatment she recovered. After a while Oscar was ill and was being treated.

I was due to take him back to the vet in a day or so but he went to sleep on a neighbour's car and fell off when she drove away. He hurt his face, though I feel the reason he wasn't quick enough to land on his feet was because he was dozy, either through drugs or illness. My son and I took him to the vet. As we left the house Sophie was sitting outside and my son stroked her. Sadly the visit to the vet resulted in Oscar being put to sleep, which is what we'd feared. 

We returned home and my son went immediately to look for Sophie for comfort. He didn't find her and we didn't see her again. I have always imagined that she went off to the woods to die, but I'm aware this is the story I've told myself because it is more acceptable than to feel she died through injury.

I hope Guinness comes home soon, but if he doesn't I feel it does help to feel they know when it's their time to go and have found the best place for them.


Chris


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## busterbears (Sep 4, 2010)

Oh its awful when this happens and you just don't have an answer.

Our 'tess' was a runt who came to us by fate at 6months old when i went to collect 2 kittens they had already gone and this sorry little brown stripey kitten came to me, the farmer said they were letting her go to the foxes as she couldn't stand up for herself - so I took her. We moved house when she was 4 and after 3 weeks in the new house she went missing for 10 days, as we hadn't moved far my then 2year old daughter and I knocked doors and spent hours calling her - out of the blue the people in our old house opened the door one morning and she shot in, they kept her till we came for her. After that she never really left the garden again unless going out to the pavement to sit patiently and watch for the school bus coming, she seemd to know that it was only monday to friday as she never did that on the weekend - she liked to see the girls home safely i like to think.

She lived to 19 1/2, eventually she stopped eating and barely moved for 3 or 4 days from the bald spot on the grass in the corner of the garden under the trees, she was never ill, just old and done, I desperately wanted her to just sleep away there but her heart seemed too strong and it was awful to watch her dying. Anyway I coudn't take her to be put down so hubby did - tess hated being handled and never had vaccines or trips to the vet and was only in the cat box once when we first brought her home. On that morning, once we had all said our goodbyes, Ryan got the cat box ready on the back step and went to get a towel, as he did she got up and made her way over to the cat box as if ready, at the vets she had a walk about the table and then lay down on her side when she was ready. She's now safely burried under her bald spot in the grass.
It was awful and i was totally unprepared for how traumatic losing her was.

I really hope Guiness comes back safe and sound, but if not that he has found a nice safe and quiet spot to rest a while.


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## catzontour (Mar 28, 2007)

Whatever the outcome, I hope you find Guiness. It is the not knowing that is hard to cope with.

Catz


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## chrisgog (May 17, 2005)

our beautiful siamese was terminal and we let her out one sunny day and she never came back. About a couple of weeks later after much searching a neighbour found him dead stretched alongside the motor of her freezer in her outhouse.
i Remember my grans cat being found dead under an old disused car.
They know its their time and they dont want those pills we keep ramming down their necks.
Its natures way
Chris


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