cat behavior, specifically lost black cat behavior

Question
I don't know where to begin.  My small black cat "Tam" went missing over a week ago. She has never run away, but had been on the streets before she came to me at her age of two.  She is 6 now. There is no reason medically that she would wander, she's healthy, shots updated and spayed. I have scoured the internet and am actively looking for her using live traps in an area close to home where a black cat was seen (no black cats in my traps yet, but i did see one that night, just wasn't sure it was her and it ran off).  I'm flyering the entire neighborhood, but the problem is that I live in the country and I assume something chased her off her territory one night and she hasn't been seen since. This is a large area with lots of places she could have run to.  I know there are many possibilities, including injury and "silent mode", but my particular question is "Do black cats have a tendency to leave home and come back for no apparent reason? Is there a possibility her leaving home has something to do with a possible inherent trait in small black cats?"  A friend said they read a book on the nature of black cats and they tend to go missing for weeks, even months at a time just because that's the mystery of them. But out here in the country, it's doubtful she randomly found another porch with food on it and is hanging around there (maybe later when she comes out of hiding, but hasn't as of yet). Could there be another way I could try and find her, besides shelters and vets, posting ads in papers and missing pet sites, flyering all the neighbors and talking to them, baiting traps with tuna and cat food where she may be, putting litter, food and other smelly things associated with home on my porch and searching and calling for her late at night?  I'm doing everything I can think of short of hiring a pet detective. Now I'm just trying to understand her behavior.  I know she may be very frightened and disoriented right now.  It has been ten days, she's got to be hungry and I clean those traps every morning to rid it of other animal smells and I rub my other cats hair and scent all over it. I'm desperate, any suggestions or insights into lost cat behavior or black cat behavior.  No, she's not of any specific breed, but is clearly the runt of a litter and her normal behavior is very smart, brave and tough for her size, while being sweet and affectionate as well. She's very bonded to my other cats, so I doubt one of them could have chased her away. Please help!! If you need any other info on her, I will gladly provide it.
Thank you,
   Claire

Answer
Claire,

In my experience there is nothing different in terms of feline behavior based on the color of their coat. In terms of differences in cats that are due to coat color my vet does have a theory that cats of certain colors can sometimes be more likely to have certain health issues. I would suggest that you check in with local animal control, animal shelters, local animal hospitals and I would certainly go about looking for your kitty the same way that you would any other cat. You should be aware that in rural areas there are more predators that prey on small domestic animals so there is a possibility that your cat may have been attacked or even killed by a predator such as a dog or even a fisher. Unfortunately predators are color blind in the sense that they will attack and kill smaller animals of any color. I think that this kitty wandering off has very little to do with what color her coat is. Somebody may have thought that your kitty was stray and decided to take her in as their own. I really stress that if your kitty has no permanent form of identification such as a tatoo or microchip that you consider using one of these tools to identify her permanently so that if she is picked up by any animal rescue/animal control agency you will be informed. I would also like to suggest that you check the nearest shelters and vet clinics for their DOA records in case she was injured and either died before reaching help or shortly after. I am somewhat concerned about the fact that your kitty has been gone so long. It sounds like you are doing all of the right things to encourage her to come home. She may be hurt, disoriented or worse. It is possible that this story won't have a happy ending, but I am really hoping that this kitty hasn't used up her nine lives just yet. I am really rooting for you and your kitty. I hope that your precious little wanderer comes home healthy, happy and safe. I do hope that this information has proven helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.