Our cat has been missing for six weeks. We have reason and hope to believe that he is nearby. Frustration and bewilderment finally prompted me to seek some insight on the internet today. I found this site and read it for hours with such relief to see "classic complete cover" described. Fender looks very much like Sunshine. I have answered the form questions below...I hope not at too much length. Thank you, Pauline.
Cat name: Fender
Male
Neutered
Age: 7
Breed: short hair tabby, orange, white chest and feet
Personality: Scaredy cat, timid, cautious, mellow, very friendly or dominant personality?
"Scaredy cat, timid, cautious," he is probably in "classic complete cover" mode.
Is your cat friendly to only a few special humans and special cats? or is your cat friendly / neutral to most visitors and new cats? How does your cat behave with strangers or new cats? Seems more bonded to humans or cats?
He is very affectionate with his mom and dad, but stays out of sight with visitors. Our cats get along with each other and a small (15lb) dog, but are defensive about outdoor cats coming around. We have two other orange tabbies; Bailey, 8, keeps to himself; but Pete, an abandoned kitten a year ago, became Fender's pal.
Was your cat feral at one time or born to a feral mom?
He was about a year old when he appeared here six years ago. He stayed in the woods and ate food that others left near a dumpster. He let himself be seen and finally began to come out of the woods when called. I sat by a carrier with food in it for many days before he finally went in far enough for me to close the door. He never let me touch him outside, but he let us pet him that first night in his new home.
Date missing: July 30 2003
Circumstances of cat missing:
Evidently I did not close the back door securely and the cats were able to pull it open. When I discovered this (about 2:30 in the afternoon), Pete was inside at the door, but Fender was out about six feet away. I closed the door while I verified that the others were still inside. I went out and tried to approach Fender in a calm manner, but he kept moving farther away and finally ran into the woods; I could not find him then or searching the woods for days after that.
Has cat ever been outside or missing previously? Describe behavior when outside:
About three years ago, he dashed out the front door late at night. He ran into the woods and could not be found, but appeared the following evening and was coaxed with talk and food to come in the front door. He never tried to go out before or after that time.
Describe the area where your cat first became missing:
We live in an apartment complex of twenty (one story, four unit) buildings that cover an area as big as two or three city blocks. It is on a highway in a rural area and surrounded by woods. Our apartment is in the back corner so there are extensive woods to the side and the back. Between our building and the highway is parking, roads, buildings, and open space. Fender was originally caught at the other back corner, so I look and call there, too.
Describe the area and direction that your cat was last seen heading:
I followed him into the woods to the side of our apartment, he circled around and then ran into the woods at the back.
Any predators in area: coyotes, aggressive dogs, etc?
A coyote was seen several months ago and deer; any dogs barking seem quite distant. Because we are at the edge of the woods, raccoons and possums (as well as other cats) are eating the food we put out for Fender.
Any positive sightings? Does sighting seem solid?
A week after he got out, his dad saw him about 10:30 at night at the edge of the woods to the side and toward the front of our apartment (he originally went out the back), but he ran into the woods when called. He was sighted at night (by other people) four days later and again three weeks after that...probably solid sightings, one where food was put out for strays.
Any health problems?
The only problem he has ever had was a urinary tract blockage requiring catheterization less than a year ago, so we are concerned that this may recur.
What methods of locating cat have you tried so far:
This is the most difficult question because I feel that no matter how much I do, it is not enough or too late or just wrong, like my instinct to try to catch him the very day he went out. We searched the woods for hours every day the first week that he was missing. We put an ad in the newspaper, a notice at the mail boxes, and spoke to many apartment residents. We drove over every road within a mile, which we continue to do everyday. And we continue to constantly check front and back to see if he had returned.
That is why his dad saw him a week later. And that is the first time it occured to me that he might come in an open window. My studio, a very small ground level room at the front of the apartment, is "his" room. He sleeps there a lot; there is a litter box, food and water. I slept in there that night and was awakened at 4:30 to the sound of Fender eating crunchies (dry CD food). I imagined quietly closing the window, but when I made the slightest move, he dashed out the window. He hesitated and hissed at me and then another cat came up behind him. They took off yowling around the building.
We positioned a large piece of corrugated cardboard to slide in front of the open window to more quickly block it. The next night, I was awakened at 2:00, but failed again to move faster than him. We realized that someone had to be awake and ready, so for the next week we took turns through the nights, but Fender did not come inside again. We could not keep this up physically or mentally.
Since then, we settled into a routine of calling him for dinner and again around midnight and leaving food in the studio with the window open. Sometimes I am working in there, other times it is left dark. Often one of us sleeps in there. We put food outside, too, but as I mentioned, it attracts other cats and some pretty tame wildlife. We wonder if they or their scent keeps Fender away. So far, no one else has come inside. Maybe Fender has eaten the food outside, but we have not seen him.
We continue to look for him around the entire apartment area and at the edge of the woods after dark and often again in the middle of the night. It is discouraging to have only a few possible sightings and none of our own in five weeks. But it is interesting to know that there are at least eight outdoor or stray cats that we hardly ever see either. And as I said at the beginning, it was such a relief to read about cats under complete cover. But is he likely still nearby?
Cat name: Fender
Male
Neutered
Age: 7
Breed: short hair tabby, orange, white chest and feet
Personality: Scaredy cat, timid, cautious, mellow, very friendly or dominant personality?
"Scaredy cat, timid, cautious," he is probably in "classic complete cover" mode.
Is your cat friendly to only a few special humans and special cats? or is your cat friendly / neutral to most visitors and new cats? How does your cat behave with strangers or new cats? Seems more bonded to humans or cats?
He is very affectionate with his mom and dad, but stays out of sight with visitors. Our cats get along with each other and a small (15lb) dog, but are defensive about outdoor cats coming around. We have two other orange tabbies; Bailey, 8, keeps to himself; but Pete, an abandoned kitten a year ago, became Fender's pal.
Was your cat feral at one time or born to a feral mom?
He was about a year old when he appeared here six years ago. He stayed in the woods and ate food that others left near a dumpster. He let himself be seen and finally began to come out of the woods when called. I sat by a carrier with food in it for many days before he finally went in far enough for me to close the door. He never let me touch him outside, but he let us pet him that first night in his new home.
Date missing: July 30 2003
Circumstances of cat missing:
Evidently I did not close the back door securely and the cats were able to pull it open. When I discovered this (about 2:30 in the afternoon), Pete was inside at the door, but Fender was out about six feet away. I closed the door while I verified that the others were still inside. I went out and tried to approach Fender in a calm manner, but he kept moving farther away and finally ran into the woods; I could not find him then or searching the woods for days after that.
Has cat ever been outside or missing previously? Describe behavior when outside:
About three years ago, he dashed out the front door late at night. He ran into the woods and could not be found, but appeared the following evening and was coaxed with talk and food to come in the front door. He never tried to go out before or after that time.
Describe the area where your cat first became missing:
We live in an apartment complex of twenty (one story, four unit) buildings that cover an area as big as two or three city blocks. It is on a highway in a rural area and surrounded by woods. Our apartment is in the back corner so there are extensive woods to the side and the back. Between our building and the highway is parking, roads, buildings, and open space. Fender was originally caught at the other back corner, so I look and call there, too.
Describe the area and direction that your cat was last seen heading:
I followed him into the woods to the side of our apartment, he circled around and then ran into the woods at the back.
Any predators in area: coyotes, aggressive dogs, etc?
A coyote was seen several months ago and deer; any dogs barking seem quite distant. Because we are at the edge of the woods, raccoons and possums (as well as other cats) are eating the food we put out for Fender.
Any positive sightings? Does sighting seem solid?
A week after he got out, his dad saw him about 10:30 at night at the edge of the woods to the side and toward the front of our apartment (he originally went out the back), but he ran into the woods when called. He was sighted at night (by other people) four days later and again three weeks after that...probably solid sightings, one where food was put out for strays.
Any health problems?
The only problem he has ever had was a urinary tract blockage requiring catheterization less than a year ago, so we are concerned that this may recur.
What methods of locating cat have you tried so far:
This is the most difficult question because I feel that no matter how much I do, it is not enough or too late or just wrong, like my instinct to try to catch him the very day he went out. We searched the woods for hours every day the first week that he was missing. We put an ad in the newspaper, a notice at the mail boxes, and spoke to many apartment residents. We drove over every road within a mile, which we continue to do everyday. And we continue to constantly check front and back to see if he had returned.
That is why his dad saw him a week later. And that is the first time it occured to me that he might come in an open window. My studio, a very small ground level room at the front of the apartment, is "his" room. He sleeps there a lot; there is a litter box, food and water. I slept in there that night and was awakened at 4:30 to the sound of Fender eating crunchies (dry CD food). I imagined quietly closing the window, but when I made the slightest move, he dashed out the window. He hesitated and hissed at me and then another cat came up behind him. They took off yowling around the building.
We positioned a large piece of corrugated cardboard to slide in front of the open window to more quickly block it. The next night, I was awakened at 2:00, but failed again to move faster than him. We realized that someone had to be awake and ready, so for the next week we took turns through the nights, but Fender did not come inside again. We could not keep this up physically or mentally.
Since then, we settled into a routine of calling him for dinner and again around midnight and leaving food in the studio with the window open. Sometimes I am working in there, other times it is left dark. Often one of us sleeps in there. We put food outside, too, but as I mentioned, it attracts other cats and some pretty tame wildlife. We wonder if they or their scent keeps Fender away. So far, no one else has come inside. Maybe Fender has eaten the food outside, but we have not seen him.
We continue to look for him around the entire apartment area and at the edge of the woods after dark and often again in the middle of the night. It is discouraging to have only a few possible sightings and none of our own in five weeks. But it is interesting to know that there are at least eight outdoor or stray cats that we hardly ever see either. And as I said at the beginning, it was such a relief to read about cats under complete cover. But is he likely still nearby?
Just let the food do what food does best, and that is entice furries. Put out the food, go back to bed. 
Rest and recoup for now and let the food do the work.
