Furious! Where could he be?

[zarate]

Well, I completely regret doing this....but here goes.

DH and I both work 2 jobs and are going through some hard times, and my poor cat was amidst it all and I didn't have the attention for him that he deserves. So after a lot of thinking and crying I thought it would be best for him to go to a home where he'd get a lot of attention and no kids around to bother him. So after careful screening of some people interested we chose a woman with no kids, and that has a 9-5 m-f kind of job. She also had a 15 y/o cat that had to be put to sleep and then she waited a year to see if she wanted another cat. So anyways, when she came to meet him he took to her right away and we thought we'd give it a trial run. So she ended up taking him home. I told her if she has any questions/concerns to call without hesitation, and I made a point to tell her the only condition I would part with him is I want him back if he doesn't work out for her. I don't care if it's a week from now, or a year....I don't want him to go anywhere and if he didn't work out I'd just keep him (He only lacked attention here so I felt guilty and selfish to keep him)
So anyways he left on a Sunday (9/23/07) afternoon, and Monday (9/24/07) morning he got out! I e-mailed her and called her (Starting Sunday night) and she didn't return anything until Tuesday night!! When I asked how he was she casually said "Oh, he got out" and I asked when "Yesterday morning" And she didn't tell me the day after?!?! I was LIVID. Had she called me when it happened I would have left work to go over and call him before he could get too far. So now my main question is....where might I find him?
We've lived in this house for 2 years, and we started letting him outside this past spring. This lady lives about 10, maybe 15 minutes away. We live in a very quiet neighborhood with hardly any traffic and we are almost in the country. This woman lives near the downtown area with lots of traffic. Tuesday night after work I took my cousin and we walked her neighborhood for a good 2 hours trying to find him. We didn't see him at all. The last time the woman saw him was the same night he got out. He's not a shy cat, but I don't know how he'd react to strangers or traffic. We've searched all last week, checked the humane society and we just can't find him. What are the odds of him coming back home? He's nearly 10 years old and I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. I feel like the most terrible person on earth. I don't know why I found him a new home....I thought I was doing what's best for him and it ends up it was the worst decision I could have made. Before here we lived near that womans neighborhood, but he didn't go outside when we lived there because of all the traffic. I'm at a loss and I don't know what to do. I have to find him, this is absolutely killing me. Sorry this is so long, and if you were able to read through this, thank you...I appreciate it. Some kid said they saw him go under our deck really late at night the night before last, but I doubt it, because if he were home he'd come when I call him. He rarely left our yard when he went outside.

[Chessmind]

Hi. So sorry this happened. The best thing to do right now is just to get as many fliers/posters out as possible all over her neighborhood and at local pet stores and grocery stores. If possible a pic in the poster/flier. Let us know how things go. Also keep checking the local animal shelters.

[halaroo]

How horrible. I'm really sorry you're going through this. I agree with Chessmind: flyers, with a picture, up on mailboxes, lamp posts, everywhere. I always stop and read the "lost pet" flyers during my walks around the neighbourhood.

[zarate]

Thanks guys. I forgot to mention I've got fliers up with his pic. But I didn't think to put them in the stores. Thanks for the idea. My entire family has been super helpful and they've been walking around to check for him when they can. He's been gone for 11 days now
We *think* he'll end up back here. I'm hoping anyways...we have train tracks behind my house, and this woman lives near the train depot....so I sometimes wonder if he wouldn't follow those? He loves to go out and mouse on the tracks (he's very successful too, as he's left me many presents on the deck outside the door.)
We walk around our neighborhood as well, hoping he's back but just hasn't made it home, home yet. Neighbors know he's missing, so we've got lots of eyes looking for him.
My mom is coming over later to watch my daughter and daycare and I'm going to check the humane society again. We filed a report with them too, so they're looking....even tho I realize how busy they are and could easily miss him/his report.