Missing neutered Tom cat

Question
We have a tom cat, he was neutered and is one and a half years old. He is allowed to roam freely indoors and outdoors. However he always returns several times throughout the day for food/water etc or if he sleeps out, he returns early the next morning. Early yesterday morning he went out as usual and nothing has been seen of him since. We have checked all the main roads nearby and posted leaflets through all the neighbours doors.
he is a happy cat and there is no reason for him to run away. is it likely that he would stray despite being neutered and what should be out next step?


Answer
Hello and thanks for giving me a good description of your cat's behavior!  

To begin - Every night set up a routine of putting fresh water and food down just at sunset.  Also check with your local shelter (or Feed Store) to borrow/rent a large humane cat traps.  My favorite kind is the Tru-Catch Traps from ACES (Animal Care Equipment & Services), model #36 - they have a website if you wanted to purchase one.  The most horrible thought (to me!), is the not knowing what happened.  Fortunately the shelters are good about keeping a book listing what color animals they have picked up from roads.  Hard to look through (and sometimes they are not detailed), but another place to look and see if your boy become a road hazard : -(   

Now you have a choice to make.  Do you want to try and help out other stray/or feral cats that you may trap?  If I do this, I take them to the Animal Humane to check for potential microchips in case they are someone else's missing loved ones.  OR you may chose to simply release "other" cats you trap after checking very closely to make sure they are not yours.  Once trapped most cats will avoid going back inside for several weeks, so this will free up your trap to catch yours.

Once you get a trap (or several), put it close to where you have been putting the food and water every night.  This has to become part of your & their "routine" to go out and put fresh water and dry food down nightly.  Let the trap just become "part of the landscape" for about 1 week.  I use a medium sized bungie cord to latch OPEN the front of the trap.  Inside layer several tea/dish towels to pad the bottom.  Since it is not too cold you don't need to wrap the outside.

I know this is alot to think about with the strays and potential ferals around, but something everyone trapping for Lost Cats has to think about ahead of time. This is a  thrill to set up multiple traps and find TNR (trap, neuter, release) groups to help you with the stray, feral overpopulation that may be in your area!

Once a week has gone by (and you have a day or two to stay up and watch), just outside each trap put the dry food and water dish.  On small paper plates, put a TINY taste of tuna in oil.  Do this every night just at sunset, and call for your boy.  After 2 days, add one more small paper plate with tuna just inside the trap(s).  Still leave the trap(s) bungie corded OPEN.  The next step depends on your time schedule.  When you have a couple of days to stay up and sit and watch the traps, move the small paper plate with a couple of chunks of tuna to just at the back of the "step" plate in the trap(s), and set them.

When you see a trap shut, take a large towel to cover it and remove it from that area as quick as you can - this is to keep any other cats from seeing the trapped cat, and also helps to calm down the one inside the trap.  After about 1/2 hour, peek under the towel to see if the cat in the trap has settled down - Normally friendly strays, or those that just stop by for a snack, will settle down.  If they don't, you may have caught a true feral which will still be beating their body and face to get OUT!  

Just be SURE to look very closely to make sure it is not yours before you decide what your going to do with any "others" you may potentially trap.

Please let me know which way you want to go and I can help find groups in your area for Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) or you can check with your local shelter and Animal Humane for the groups in your area.  Let me know the situation with the local shelters renting out traps, or Feed Stores.

I have a really good feeling that you can get your boy back and look forward to hearing from you.  He probably was chased OUT from his territory and we can help him "smell" his way back!

Thank you for asking on AllExperts!

Debbie