Max disappeared from a South Austin neighborhood in September, and his family says they still have not learned exactly where he was left.
AUSTIN, TX — A South Austin family is searching for its missing cat after accusing a neighbor of taking the animal from their neighborhood and leaving him in a rural area near Fredericksburg, a claim that has drawn attention across the Shady Hollow community.
Max, a 9-pound adult male tabby, disappeared Sept. 16 from the family’s neighborhood in the Shady Hollow area. His owner, Patrick Duffy, has said Max was outside near the family’s home when the family left for about 45 minutes. When they returned, Max did not come home as expected. The family initially searched nearby before turning its attention to a neighbor after reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with people in the area.
The family says video from a neighbor’s camera showed Max being called toward another home and entering a garage. Duffy said the neighbor later acknowledged taking the cat without the family’s permission. According to the family’s account, the neighbor initially said Max had been taken to her parents’ farm. Duffy has said an attorney representing the neighbor later gave investigators a different account, saying Max had been left somewhere in Gillespie County. The precise location has not been publicly confirmed.
The family’s missing-pet reports now focus on a wide stretch of Central Texas and the Hill Country because Max may have been transported far from the place where he disappeared. A PawBoost notice lists Fredericksburg as the search area and says Max was last seen Sept. 16. The notice describes him as a brown-and-gray tabby with black stripes, a white chest and belly, and white paws. The family says he is friendly and may approach people, homes, barns or feeding areas.
Duffy also filed a Pet911 listing saying the family believes Max was driven into Gillespie County and left in a rural area around Fredericksburg. Gillespie County is west of Austin, with Fredericksburg serving as the county seat. Because the family says it has not received a confirmed drop-off point, searches have extended beyond a single property or community. The family has said it contacted shelters, veterinary offices, rescues and businesses while distributing notices about Max.
The family has also said the matter was reported to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. A PawBoost notice published by the family lists a sheriff’s office case number and describes the matter as an active investigation. Publicly available material reviewed for this report did not establish an exact location where Max was allegedly released or independently confirm what happened to him after he left the Austin neighborhood.
The dispute also highlights the legal status of pets in Texas. Austin Animal Services says animals are considered property under state law. Its guidance for found pets urges people to look for an owner, check for a microchip and use local reunification resources. The agency also says that witnessing an animal being abandoned or dumped should be reported to authorities. Those general guidelines do not determine whether a crime occurred in Max’s case.
Max’s disappearance has attracted attention from neighbors and online pet-search communities, but the family’s central question remains unanswered: where was the cat taken? Duffy has asked people not to confront anyone involved and has focused public efforts on locating Max. The family has said it cannot independently confirm whether Max was actually left in Gillespie County, making sightings elsewhere potentially significant to the search.
As of Oct. 25, Max remained listed as missing. No verified public information reviewed for this report established his current location or condition, and no exact rural drop-off site had been publicly confirmed. The family’s search remains focused on Austin, Fredericksburg, Gillespie County and surrounding parts of the Texas Hill Country.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 25, 2026.