My diabetic boy has been missing for over a week help please!!

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Rogalogadingdong

Rogalogadingdong

Member Since 2020
Hello everyone

My cat Rogan is 9 and was diagnosed in 2017.he is on 2 units twice a day and reasonably regulated. On Tuesday 8 March he escaped through an upstairs window and has not been seen since. He is allowed out as it's quiet where we live, but never after dark.

I am so upset we have posters flyers and he is on numerous local and national websites as missing but so far there have been no 100% confirmed sightings.

My question is, after so long without insulin should I now give up and accept that he will have crossed the bridge and that I will probably never find him. My vet told me that after 8-9 days without insulin there is no chance he won't have succumbed.

Thing is I love my boy so much and will carry on searching the area (lots of houses and wooded areas) for as long as there's hope. His litter tray and house hold smells are all out in my garden to tempt him back.

What does anyone think please? Theres very little on line about how long a cat could survive and my vet is beyond pessimistic. All I want is some realistic advice and if anyone has access to any veterinary knowledge then that would be helpful.

Thank you so much, he is such a special boy
 
Oh no! I hope you find Rogan soon. :bighug:

For many of us, our cats were likely diabetic for a while before they were diagnosed. Looking back, I'm sure my girl was showing signs for a few weeks before getting the diagnosis. And she ended up needing way more than 2 units. I guess the question is whether Rogan is finding food and water.

Have you approached neighbours and asked them to check garages and sheds? With spring time, many people open up their garden sheds for the first time in a while and don't always check before closing up again.

Keep us posted on your progress. @Noah & me (GA) had a pretty incredible story about finding a lost kitty.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Oh no! I hope you find Rogan soon. :bighug:

For many of us, our cats were likely diabetic for a while before they were diagnosed. Looking back, I'm sure my girl was showing signs for a few weeks before getting the diagnosis. And she ended up needing way more than 2 units. I guess the question is whether Rogan is finding food and water.

Have you approached neighbours and asked them to check garages and sheds? With spring time, many people open up their garden sheds for the first time in a while and don't always check before closing up again.

Keep us posted on your progress. @Noah & me (GA) had a pretty incredible story about finding a lost kitty.
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Thank you, I will have a read...

Yes we have spoken to neighbours and posted flyers through doors as well as put posters throughout the estate.

My vet seemed certain that he could not have survived so long but I had read that some diabetic cats could survive for weeks. I don't want to give up on him if there is any chance he could still be fighting to be found but at the same time it is very upsetting to keep hoping and searching if there is really no chance he could have made it this long. There really seems to be very little information out there to say how long a cat could manage without any insulin......
 
Rogalogadingdong said:
On Tuesday 8 March he escaped...I will probably never find him
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You're giving up after just nine days? I'm sorry if this sounds nasty but wouldn't you want someone to look longer and harder for you?
Wendy is right, I have five stories about cats I got back. They somehow squirt out a door or window or some idiot lets them out, it doesn't matter how. You have to think of every last possibility before you write them off. I only have 10 minutes to do this but I'll be back later.
-They're always within 500 feet of their home.
-Almost all of them are absolutely terrified and won't come out until it's dark and quiet, no traffic, no people.
-Most people including your neighbors don't care and couldn't bother to look under decks or in their garage.
-A reward almost never works. I once had someone kidnap their neighbor's cat and offer it to me.
-Children care the most and make great detectives.
-Vets are not obligated to scan new patients for microchips, that's a myth.
-Cats are capable of incredible things but they will not turn feral overnight and survive on mice. That's another myth.
-Get a big flashlight because you'll be out every night after midnight until you find him starting tonight.
Andy is a tiny lap-cat not built for the outdoors. When he escaped we went nuts breaking into neighbor's yards and putting up posters. One photo on a poster just wasn't working but what did work was getting a pro to set up a website. We gave it a simple name, easy to remember and printed up another 200 posters with the site's address on it. That poster saved Andy's life and the woman who found him refused the reward. I'm still in contact with her two years later and Andy is asleep at my feet right now. There was a foot of snow on the ground, his leg was broken in two places and he lost 1/3 of his body weight but we got him back after 88 days.
http://andycomehome.ca/
I'll be back later with things you need to know about incompetent shelter volunteers and where else cats can end up. Go get Rogan, he's waiting for you right now.
 
Most cats are diabetic long before they are diagnosed so don't give up on him after only 8-9 days. Finnegan, one of my diabetics, had escaped from his previous adopter and been lost for more than a month before being returned to the shelter that originally placed him thanks to his microchip. I think he had been getting something like 15 units of insulin. He'd lost weight and was in poor condition but recovered.

I worked in animal control and remember several cats (not diabetic) being found after having been missing for a long time. One, an indoor-only declaw, was found after 3 months less than a half mile from home. Another managed to get locked in a garage for almost 4 weeks just two houses from home. She was found in really bad shape. Both recovered and were reunited with their families.

Advice on finding lost pets:
https://www.maddiesfund.org/what-you-dont-know-about-lost-pets-can-hurt-them.htm
 
Noah & me (GA) said:
You're giving up after just nine days? I'm sorry if this sounds nasty but wouldn't you want someone to look longer and harder for you?
Wendy is right, I have five stories about cats I got back. They somehow squirt out a door or window or some idiot lets them out, it doesn't matter how. You have to think of every last possibility before you write them off. I only have 10 minutes to do this but I'll be back later.
-They're always within 500 feet of their home.
-Almost all of them are absolutely terrified and won't come out until it's dark and quiet, no traffic, no people.
-Most people including your neighbors don't care and couldn't bother to look under decks or in their garage.
-A reward almost never works. I once had someone kidnap their neighbor's cat and offer it to me.
-Children care the most and make great detectives.
-Vets are not obligated to scan new patients for microchips, that's a myth.
-Cats are capable of incredible things but they will not turn feral overnight and survive on mice. That's another myth.
-Get a big flashlight because you'll be out every night after midnight until you find him starting tonight.
Andy is a tiny lap-cat not built for the outdoors. When he escaped we went nuts breaking into neighbor's yards and putting up posters. One photo on a poster just wasn't working but what did work was getting a pro to set up a website. We gave it a simple name, easy to remember and printed up another 200 posters with the site's address on it. That poster saved Andy's life and the woman who found him refused the reward. I'm still in contact with her two years later and Andy is asleep at my feet right now. There was a foot of snow on the ground, his leg was broken in two places and he lost 1/3 of his body weight but we got him back after 88 days.
http://andycomehome.ca/
I'll be back later with things you need to know about incompetent shelter volunteers and where else cats can end up. Go get Rogan, he's waiting for you right now.
Click to expand...


Can I check that the cats you got back were all diabetic?

The ONLY reason I was even considering giving up was because the only advice I received about how long a diabetic can survive without insulin was from my vet, who said there was NO chance after 8-9 days of no insulin..

This is the reason I'm posting on here hoping someone can tell me that's wrong and perhaps give me examples of how long missing DIABETIC cats can survive.

Of course I don't want to give up, I adore my boy and am doing everything I can before I stop hoping
 
Deborah & Muffy(GA) & Wendall said:
Most cats are diabetic long before they are diagnosed so don't give up on him after only 8-9 days. Finnegan, one of my diabetics, had escaped from his previous adopter and been lost for more than a month before being returned to the shelter that originally placed him thanks to his microchip. I think he had been getting something like 15 units of insulin. He'd lost weight and was in poor condition but recovered.

I worked in animal control and remember several cats (not diabetic) being found after having been missing for a long time. One, an indoor-only declaw, was found after 3 months less than a half mile from home. Another managed to get locked in a garage for almost 4 weeks just two houses from home. She was found in really bad shape. Both recovered and were reunited with their families.

Advice on finding lost pets:
https://www.maddiesfund.org/what-you-dont-know-about-lost-pets-can-hurt-them.htm
Click to expand...

Thank you

I have had him go missing before he was diabetic and he returned within 5 days.

I have tried everything I have read on line plus posters, flyers, missing pet websites, phoning local vets, shelters etc and will continue to do all of these things as I love him more than I can say and am beyond devastated that he is not home.

My reason for posting was purely from the angle of how long he could manage without insulin after my vet painted such a negative picture. You have made me feel so much better sharing Finnegan's story, if he managed without his insulin for over a month then there is still plenty of hope for my boy.

Thank you so much
 
Rogalogadingdong said:
Can I check that the cats you got back were all diabetic?
Click to expand...
None of them were but I understand the logic in being realistic about his chances. After a week or two at the most the likelihood of a hypo episode and DKA go way up. It might sound cruel but after a certain amount of time has passed we all have to be realistic, this isn't a Disney movie. I'm truly sorry if I sounded harsh, I've stared out the window too many times crying and wondering where they were. Not knowing is the worst part.
Let's focus instead on the chance someone may have scooped him up, that may be Rogan's best chance. This was our biggest fear with Andy, that someone would think "What idiot would let such a beautiful cat outside, don't they know better?" In that case you should visit all the vet clinics and emergency clinics near you with photos of him and his chip number. Because of a clerical screw up Andy's chip would not have led back to us and it's possible his injuries could have cost $8,000 or more. It's doubtful any good Samaritan or clinic would have paid that for a beat up looking ten year old cat. Make sure these clinics understand this is your cat, you can prove it, you'll pay and you want him back.
Some of the other things I've learned
-Rogan might be on someone's sofa right now but the person that found him knows nothing about cats and zero about diabetes. My wife rang all our neighbors doorbells or left them a poster tied in a ribbon so they'd know we were serious. That's the 'within 500 feet' rule.
-Our city is too stupid to have a shelter so animals found here go somewhere an hour away. They're supposed to take photos of every animal they take in and post them daily but instead gave vague descriptions and posted a stick figure of a cat. When I finally went there the two volunteers wouldn't stop knitting long enough to understand we only wanted to look for Andy. Unless you know otherwise don't trust city run shelters.
-It's an awful thought but our city picks up dead animals and will scan anything that remotely resembles a pet. At least you'll know.
-There's a great Facebook page for lost and found pets specific to your area. We also used findinglostpets.com
-It's very hard to trap a cat but your best option is a Havahart trap, one at each door. Open the box carefully and save the packaging, you might be able to return them.
Cats escape all the time and it's no one's fault. The five I got back were over a 40 year period so my record isn't that bad. There is no better feeling in the world than having them back in your arms. Leroy came back with a broken jaw, he was a real mess but lived to 23. Go get your boy!
 
I REALLY hope you get your boy back!!! As to not being able to survive. Many cats live with diabetes for quite a while with no insulin (either their owners don't know they have it or they aren't treating it.) He could survive longer than two weeks for sure as long as he has something to eat and water to drink. Cats are pretty tough.
 
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