Cat mutiny.

[Alan Wheeler]

We sadly lost our cat of nearly 14yrs today. We were anchored in a small cove with some very strong wind gusts. I had got up to tie done a couple of things. Slight tangent here, but isn't it alsostrange, that when you are up, everyhting is tied down and silent. No sooner than you are just about to nod off, and some line or chain or what ever, starts to clang in the wind. Anyway's, the cat was on board and asleep at about 4AM. When I awoke, my guest, whom excitedly got up at 5.30AM to fish, reported seeing a cat just like mine on the jetty, some 50m(150ft) away. Nah, won't be ours. She wouldn't go near the water. Well I couldn't find her onboard. We searched everywhere and came to a horrible conclusion that....but....how the ??..... We went ashore and searched and searched. She must be uttlerly terrified of her ordeal. Somehow, she must have got blown off the deck in one of the huge gusts.
A person lives in the small cove, so I hope the cat will get hungry and lonely enough to come to their house. My wife was in tears and I felt a little upset. I know, she is just a cat, but I kinda got attached after 14yrs.

[NoTies]

No such thing as "just a cat" after 14 years Alan. Hope some one finds it.
It begs the question. It wasn't Maude Island was it? Hope not

Wheels, I am very sorry to hear your cat went out to party. Fortunate thing about cats, they eventually get lonely and come home. Just have to make the means available. We are very attached to our cat as well. Usually want to throw her in the drink, but she has a knack of pushing just to the edge, than acting like a kitten. So damn cute, you just can;t hate her. Ours has been a family member for 8 years. I'm sure you cat will eventually realize the food doesn't taste near as good on land.

[BC Mike]

Sorry to hear that Wheels. I am typing this one handed as I have a 1987 model cat clinging to me and ocassionaly licking my ear. It is my Xs cat but it likes me. My own cat went missing a couple of years ago. Hopefully your guy will show up sometime soon.
Michael

[CaptainK]

Sorry to hear about you losing your pet cat, Wheels.

Cats are a starnge creature. They have their known knacks of just taking off when they want. And return whenever they want.

Hopefully, in your case. Maybe the cat will come back?

[Alan Wheeler]

Thanks all. Just to let you know a bit more about this Cat. She is called Squeek, cause that's kinda all she does when she meows. So if she was calling from the Bush, I wouldn't be able to hear her. She is the Female replica of Garfeild. In just about every way. So one good point about this, is she will most likely loose some weight. But she is the type of cat that just isn't bothered about wandering and is certainly not adventurouse. It's just like to much energy folks. So we will head back out there this weekend and see if she turns up. It's just a four hr trip each way, but oh well.
No not Maud isl. That's a wildlife sanctury folks. But wee were just a few miles away from there, in Waterfall bay, Port Ligar.
I don't think the wildlife will be under much threat. The only way this cat can catch anything, is to sleep with her mouth open, and some little creature would climb in thinking it was a small cave to hide in.

Good luck Wheels. Of course, when you get here back home, you wil have to spend some time convincing her that she is not "Queen of the jungle".
Our cat is "Shep" our faithful elephant. To hear her cruise around deck, you would believe the name to be well earned. She is alos a major clutz, and we often hear her miss her landing. Fortunately, her hatred of water excedes her clutzyness.

[NoTies]

I'm not sure about the homing instincts of cats vs dogs but, the pig dogs that go missing in the Sounds invariably seek some remnant of civilisation such as a road, house, wharf, whatever. Have you considered borrowing a cage type trap? (DOC would have one and love to lend it to re-capture a wayward cat)
Bait the thing with lasagne and leave at the end of the wharf where the cat was last seen/last saw you. At the end of the wharf you will be a lot less likely to catch a possum or other unwanted critter.

[mudnut]

Untill dogs either go in the water or thrown in they dont know that they can swim.Our cat SPACE-C"the C standing for cadet"loves water .when she was a youngen it wasnt strange to see her at the bottom of the shower behaving very un-cat like,in the water sense,Wheels if your guest saw a cat like yours on the jetty,it probably was.Keep looking as a family member like that dosent stray too far.Best-o-luck.

[Boracay]

Having searched for one or two cats in my time may I suggest that when you go back that you :-
-Put some water out in a bird feeder arrangement (upside down 2l bottle over a bowl).
-Leave a heap of dried cat food near the water, protected so it will stay dry.
-Leave a note on the wharf that is laminated or weather protected giving your contact details and asking anyone seeing the cat to contact you. This could be done at other places.
-try to contact any possible inhabitants of the island and ask if they have seen the cat.
You could also ask around to see if anyone else has visited the island and if they have seen your cat.
Once the fright ears off and they become hungry cats become much more rational.