Why would a neutered female cat go missing for so long?

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Elo1771 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

Over 3 months ago, we adopted a young female cat from a local rescue (she was taken from a site with about thirty other cats). She settled in really well, especially in the conservatory which is 'her' room where she spends loads of time playing and having cuddles. She has outdoor access too, but she’s never wandered further than the garden, except for once when she came straight back.

Unfortunately, she’s been missing for 10 days now! The day after she disappeared, we spotted her in a neighbour’s garden about 50 yards away, but it was impossible to catch her; she was up high and just stiffened up. It was as if she didn't recognise us.

I’m really confused by her behaviour because she wasn't actually running away. She even walked quite close to us before hiding under some bushes. Another neighbour saw her in their garden just strolling around calmly.

Could she have been chased off by another local cat? There are two neighborhood toms that pester her 😔 But I’d have thought she would’ve come home by now with us calling for her!

Do you think she’s just decided to go off exploring and will come back eventually? Is it possible for a cat to choose to leave home because of other cats outside? What do you all think? 😐

Thanks
Translated from French
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4 answers
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    Elo1771 Icon representing the flag French
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    She’s microchipped in the rescue’s name, and they’ve been informed that she’s gone missing. We’d already spoken to quite a few of the neighbours, and now we’ve put notes through the letterboxes of the others. I just hope she’s managed to find some food and that she finds her way back home.
    Translated from French
    Blue_Cat
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    Hi there,

    Could it be a neighbour's cat that’s had a litter? Even a spayed female can be really drawn to a litter of kittens. It’s just a theory, though.

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    Elo1771 Icon representing the flag French
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    When you mention them going missing, what kind of timeframe are you talking about?

    I was thinking about a week. It’s been 12 days now, so it’s starting to feel like a really long time.

    There is actually a female cat at a neighbour's house (which is where she was spotted the next day, by the way), but she’s very territorial. And I don’t think my girl is in that area anymore...

    The strange thing is that she would have wandered off without knowing the neighbourhood, as she's never been outside the garden before 😧

    Thanks for your reply

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    When you say she's gone missing, how long are we talking about? Half a day, a full day, 24 hours or more? If she’s only been gone for 12 hours or less, it’s not the end of the world. It’s frustrating if it’s out of character for her, but it’s nothing to worry about. Regarding her behaviour, there could be several explanations, and I agree—I think the presence of another animal, most likely another cat though not necessarily, is the cause. It could be a friendly thing; since she’s lived in a rescue with other cats before, she might just be looking for a bit of company. On the other hand, it could be a territorial thing. If there's another female around, you can still get disputes even if they’ve both been spayed. Or if it’s a male, that’s a possibility too, but if she was properly spooked, she’d usually bolt straight back home to you... Personally, I’m leaning towards the second theory, as it explains why she was avoiding you. When a cat is fixated on another one and looking for a scrap, the rest of the world just disappears... even their owner.
    Translated from French

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