6-year-old cat Elsa vanishes during apartment move and survives 3 weeks without food, then returns home saffely as vet confirms: 'She is still overweight'

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Sep 3, 2026 6:15 PM EDT

Sometimes, it pays off to be a little chonky.

Cats are pretty resilient creatures, so in most weather circumstances they can get by, but dehydration and hunger can be the scariest when a cat is lost outside. Elsa, our 6-year-old cat below, escaped during her pawrent's move to a new house. Her hooman came back and searched for her for days, but couldn't find her. Weeks later, she got a call from the new tenant asking if she lost a cat - Elsa was hiding there, not making a sound, for 3 weeks! With only the toilet for access to water, she was able to survive, but Elsa didn't eat for 3 weeks.

Luckily, Elsa was a bit chonky before she got lost, and that probably saved her life. Upon her safe return home, her pawrent took her to the vet, where he said something surprising: she was still a little overweight! We like to think Elsa just forced herself onto a crash diet or a water fast for 3 weeks.

The impurrtant thing is that Elsa was found, is now safely snuggling with her pawrent in their new house, and Elsa is healthy. She will also be going on a real diet, with the vet's help, soon. Until then, we're thankful that Elsa was chonky, and if she can be a little chonky, then maybe we can too and not judge ourselves too harshly for it.

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  • 01

    Elsa, pre move

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    via MonoDilemma
  • 02
    This Elsa. She is 6 years old, a bit shy around people, but very cuddly when she warms up. Three weeks ago, we moved to a new apartment. The plan was to take her to the new apartment before the movers came, but came the morning of, and she was nowhere to be found. I tried
    via MonoDilemma

  • One of every cat owner's worst nightmares is their cat bolting out the front door and getting lost. It happens more often than you'd think, despite us doing everything in our financial and emotional power to make their lives purrfect in our (their) home. Cats are curious creatures, and some cats just can't resist the call of the wild. However, the problem isn't them going outside - it's them getting lost and not being able to find their way home. Indoor cats, no matter how many of their evolutionary instincts remain, are not built for living outdoors. It can be dangerous to them without proper access to food or water, and they can also destroy local prey populations outside if left unchecked.

  • 03
    looking for her, but then the movers were there, and we just had to get going. I continued looking for through the day, but nothing. I was at the old apartment two days in a row afterwards to clean out, with no signs of her anywhere. Eventually, I just came to the conclusion she
    via MonoDilemma
  • 04

    It happens to the best of us, especially with sneaky cats

    must have gotten out while the movers were coming in and out. I went looking for her in the woods by the old apartment, sent pictures of her to all my friends, made Facebook posts, and whatnot.
    via MonoDilemma
  • 05

    Elsa sleeping in her new home

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    via MonoDilemma
  • 06

    Cats are very hard to find when they don't want to be found

    She had not. Three days ago, I got a message from my old renter asking if I was missing a cat. Apparently, the new owners had found her while doing renovations. She was hiding under the kitchen bench. I'm still not sure how she got there. Guys, I was there all alone for two days in a row, and she never made a sound.
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    Anyways, she was still alive. Luckily, she had access to water in the toilet and was a bit overweight, so she had a bit to get on. But 3 fr king weeks. Without food. I took her to the vet, she spent one night there for observations. They did
    via MonoDilemma
  • 09

    Still chonky

    bloodtests, and yes, she was dehydrated and some other stuff, but overall, she was still in pretty good shape. The vet told me she was expecting a half de d cat when I called to make the appointment. I told her that she was a bit fat before all this, and you know what the vet said? She still is. She is still overweight after 3 weeks without eating.
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  • 10
    She is home now, it's a new place and she had been through a horrendous ordeal so I was expecting her to hide for a while before feeling at home at the new place. And hid she did, she found a small opening by the kitchen
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  • 11

    What a wholesome turn of events!

    kabinets and hid, and I swear to god I almost started crying. But she did not stay hidden when I woke up this morning, she was sleeping by my feet as she usually does. She is laying by my side right now and getting all the cuddles II got a huge
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  • 12

    A vet bill means nothing in comparison to your cat being safe

    vet bill from the whole ordeal, but it doesn't matter because I'm so happy to have my girl back again, safe and sound. So next time somebody calls her fat, I'll just tell them that that saved her life, so let her be her cute chunky self.
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    Elsa, post move

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    Edit: this post exploded so I feel obligated to clarify some points of • my post: she was hiding under a cupboard, not visible without removing a piece of wood, which is how she was found when the new owners removed it when renovating. English is not my first or even
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  • 15
    second language so I did not know the right word to describe it. . the new owners did not move in as they are renovating the apartment first, so there was no food or anyone there, except for a few hours a day . when renovating. ⚫ she is going on a diet plan made by the vet after she
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  • 16
    has fully recovered. I'm also going to have her checked for thyroid as some have mentioned in the comments. She has always been big, almost twice the size of her siblings since a kitten. I do not overfeed her, she usually gets one
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  • 17

    Always listen to your vet's advice!

    small portions of food a day. She is not fond of exercise though. I do not think an obese cat is wither cute or healthy, I want her to live a long and happy life. I was obviously not succeeding in getting her weight down, but i promise I'll be more diligent this time and follow the vets
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  • 18
    advice. I did have a plan of taking • her to the new apartment before the movers came, got up two hours before they got there and had everything ready to go but she had already gone in to hiding by then. I know better now, thanks to a lot of helpful advice from a lot of you
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    guys, and I will plan and execute it much better next time if I ever move again. I did not abandon her, I genuinely thought she had gotten out and was desperately looking for her in the weeks she was missing. If I had even an inkling of suspicion she was still there, I would have looked harder and informed the new
    via MonoDilemma
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    owners. There are a lot of things I could have done better in this situation, and trust me, I'm beating myself every day about. I feel horrible that she had to go through that. ⚫ and last but not least, I do think she found at least some insects and/or rodents to feed on. I
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    understand now that my title is misleading, but I can't do anything about it now. I do not think this was a good way for her to lose weight and I wish none of this had never happened.
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    She is doing good now. She is in the new apartment and has been exploring the new place. She is getting a lot of cuddles but no treats, at least not yet. I appreciate all the good wishes and have been laughing and crying reading your comments. There are lots of similar
    via MonoDilemma
  • 24
    stories, so I hope this post at least helps in some way from keeping this from happening to someone else. I know I'm not perfect and that I did not do everything right, but i do love her very much, and these three weeks have been h_I, not knowing
    via MonoDilemma
  • 25
    where she was or how she was doing. We are very happy to have her home and hope to cherish many years with her still. I'm probably forgetting something but I'm tired now so this will have to do. Thank you so much for all your well wishes.
    via MonoDilemma
  • 26

    Sassy Elsa

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    via MonoDilemma

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