My young stray kitten ran away. Can she survive and come back?

I am sorry this happened to you. Most cats that are outside tend to roam about a 2 mile radius of their house to get back to their territory. So the chances of her getting back home at that distance is decreased. You have done all you can. All you can do is wait and see if someone spots her and keep checking the shelters. Make sure you actually go to the shelters as they are busy and have lots of volunteers that make mistakes on the phone about descriptions and what has been coming in.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends largely on the specific cat though it is common for them to come back if they have been at the same place for a long time so I would say there is a good chance. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi and thanks for posting- I am sorry to hear Gumble has escaped! Cats are very intelligent and also have very good navigational skills, so she may be able to find her way home, but it is hard to say for sure. If she is micro-chipped, anyone with a microchip scanner (vet's office, shelter, rescue organization, or police) will scan her for her chip number which can help bring her back home. I hope Gumble comes home soon!

I hope he's ok! I'd say chances are still good at this point - I recommend keeping food out for him, and set his litterbox outside so he can recognize his familiar scent if he's become a bit disoriented. I hope he finds his way home!

Oh no. That isn't good. Cats are very unpredictable; therefore, I would air on he side of caution and feed the kittens if need be. If the kittens are less than 2 weeks of age you want to make sure they are also kept warm (but don't overheart) and I would recommend wearing gloves when handling them to avoid masking their scent, which can lead to mama cat rejecting them when she returns. It is a foreign place for her so she has an increased likelihood of getting lost or injured while outdoors. You can try to go searching for the Mama cat as well. Take a can of tuna with you to see if you can entice her to return. Also leave a way for mama cat to easily enter the house, if you can, just in case she returns and no one notices. I hope she does come back. Wishing you all the best!

I am so sorry that your friend's kitten ran away! Unfortunately, it is possible that the cat may not return, but I recommend making posts on social media letting people know you are looking for the cat. You can also contact local vet clinics to see if anyone has found him, and to let them know you are looking for the cat. You can put up fliers if they let you in the clinic. Finally, you can contact the local SPCA to see if anyone has dropped off the kitten. I hope your friend finds their kitten!

It is possible she could find her way back home but she might not. You could also go searching for her and see if anyone in that area has seen her. I am not sure why your mother did that but she could have tried to rehome her instead of dumping her in an unfamiliar area.