How long can a cat live without food and water?

[Bob_McBob]

My tortoiseshell was missing for 2-1/2 weeks. We'd given up any hope that she was coming back, assuming the worst. One day our neighbour came over and asked if we were missing a black cat. A moment later she came bounding inside. Apparently she was locked in the basement under his garage for the entire time he was on vacation. She was absolute skin and bones, her coat was in terrible shape, and the only sound she could make was a weak croak. The first thing she did when he opened the door was rush to his pool and have a huge drink. She had some food and more water at home, had a big wash, and slept on my bed for the rest of the day. Her voice didn't come back for a week or two, but by a month later you couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. It's been almost four years since then, and she's sitting on the chair in my room right now. We're still not sure how she survived for so long. There was no food, and no obvious water sources either.

Right after she came back:

 

[mbriant]

The cat in my shed had the same colourings as your cat, but it didn't look that weak and it's voice was still there. Glad she made it.

 

[roastpuff]

What are you going to do with the cat?

 

[mbriant]

It took off when I went to get food and water for it. I assume it went home.

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisa /img/forum/go_quote.gif The only thing I can think of is that when without water you shouldn't eat because you need water to digest the food. So if the cat didn't have anything to eat that might just have saved it.. but still, two weeks???

I remember seeing in some program on NatGeo that some carnivour animals get an important percentage of their water intake directly from the food they eat, not from drinking liquids.

 

[vYu223]

I hope it's fine now... It's basically a mystery now.

 

[mbriant]

I just spoke to my neighbour and he confirmed that the last time they saw the cat before it came home last Friday, April 20th, was on the morning of Tuesday, April 3 when he and his wife left for work. He said they don't usually let the cat outside when they aren't home, but it had run out the door as they were leaving and they didn't have time to mess with it. He said that that was the first time ever it had been gone for more than a few hours, so that would indicate it hadn't been elsewhere for a while before getting locked in my shed.

The dates he gave me, jives with what I had originally thought, so it would seem certain the cat was in there for 17 days. I just finished taking most of the stuff out to clean up the excrement it left and discovered that it had been attempting to use a small plastic tray from my pop cooler as a litter box. It does indeed look just like a tiny litter box. The poor thing. While cleaning up the shed I confirmed that there was no water leaking in ... although there was a considerable amount of urine on the floor. 17 days worth to be exact.

Anyway, my neighbour says aside from being thin, the cat seems fine. There must be something to that "9 lives" thing after all.

 

[vYu223]

I'm glad to hear that the cat turned out to be alright. Do we have any animal experts here? 17 days is a loooonnngg time.

 

[mbriant]

This one lasted 35 days in a shipping crate filled with motorcycle parts from China.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11497285...storyContinued

So there you have it. No need to board your cat or even leave food and water when you go on vacation. It''ll be fine.

< kidding.

 

[Sovkiller]

Hopefully you will find the hole in your shed, the cat can't survive a few days with no water or food, that is for sure...So he or she must be comming in and out in some way, do a careful inspeaction, and you will find it, remember that cats can squeeze through very small spaces...

But after reading the above story that is scary!!!!

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hopefully you will find the hole in your shed, the cat can't survive a few days with no water or food, that is for sure...So he or she must be comming in and out in some way, do a careful inspeaction, and you will find it, remember that cats can squeeze through very small spaces... But after reading the above story that is scary!!!!

If that were true, the cat wouldn't have been so thin and weak. It would've been fine.

 

[1911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hopefully you will find the hole in your shed, the cat can't survive a few days with no water or food, that is for sure...So he or she must be comming in and out in some way, do a careful inspeaction, and you will find it, remember that cats can squeeze through very small spaces... But after reading the above story that is scary!!!!

yeah..ok..so the cat was squeezing itself back into the shed repeatedly so it could starve??????

anyways if the cat is making urine then it is not totally dehydrated as the body conserves water once the kidneys sense that there isnt enough water in the system.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1911 /img/forum/go_quote.gif yeah..ok..so the cat was squeezing itself back into the shed repeatedly so it could starve?????? anyways if the cat is making urine then it is not totally dehydrated as the body conserves water once the kidneys sense that there isnt enough water in the system.

Maybe it feel comfortable there, who knows...

Ok, yeah the cat put the urine into a cup, and save it, becasue it knows that will be there for 17 days, and drink it little by little, There is no way any animal could survive 17 days with no water or food, something it must be taken, from some place...

The hole could serve also for some small animals to go inside like little mice, little birds, that it could take, or rain water from the roof, or maybe was any receptacle inside with liquid of any kind...at least liquid is essential for life, it can stay with no food longer but no water, is a no no...

 

[mbriant]

I assure you, there are no holes, leaks,mice, little birds, drinkable fluids of any kind, in my shed. The only possible thing to eat in that shed would be insects, and from what I can see, they are few and far between. Apparently some cats derive all their water needs from the food they eat: "Black-footed cats are apparently water-independent. This adaptation allows the cat to go without water in its arid habitat, instead gaining its entire moisture requirement from its food. " Did you not read the other two poster's stories in this thread about similar situations? Or the article where the cat was inside a shipping container of motorcycle parts? Read the last paragraph in that article.

The only thing I can think of is possibly condensation forming at night on the metal tools perhaps.

Here's another occurrence ... a cat locked in an old refridgerator for a month: http://www.local6.com/news/5468399/detail.html

By the way, the cat has made 3 attempts to get into my house through the front door in the past week. And it's as affectionate towards me as all get out. It obviously doesn't hold a grudge.

 

[vYu223]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbriant /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way, the cat has made 3 attempts to get into my house through the front door in the past week. And it's as affectionate towards me as all get out. It obviously doesn't hold a grudge.

Awww...