I am so sorry. I hope they find their way home. Speaking of which there are some things you can do to help. Lost, scared, confused cats tend to lay low during the day and move around at night. It may help if you put some clothing you &/or your wife have worn or a towel you have used outside by the entry to your property. If there is a gate, keep the gate open and put the clothing or towel near it. Also put the articles near the door to the house, especially the one they used to go in & out. In the quiet of the night they might catch the scent of their people and find their way home.
It's worked for me a time or two. One time our inside only kitty somehow escaped and she was gone almost two weeks. It was spring time in Texas so there were a few very stormy nights during that period. I was so worried & heartbroken. We awoke one morning to find her laying on the towel by our back door. She was a bit skinnier and had some fleas but otherwise not much worse for the wear. The funny part about that cat, she never once tried to escape from the house again.
If you are out looking for the cats, I would also suggest doing so at night. Don't walk around calling their names, move very slowly from place to place and sit in one area for a while softly calling. Sometimes if they are in the area, moving around and the sound of your voice moving, confuses them. I found my sister's cat that had escaped, when they were loading up to move out of state, several days later by sitting in their old driveway calling his name every night equipped with an open can of tuna. Oh sure, the neighbors thought I was some crazy cat lady but it worked! The only problem then was I had to listen to him howl on the four hour drive to deliver his silly self to my sister's new house.
Good luck.... I hope you get them back and if you don't give up, you just might!
Cat
(Jim just reads the forum once in a while)
Our toys:
2003 Damon Ultrasport 3873
(picture on profile)
Boat = ProCraft Fish & Ski
Working our way toward retirement...wishing it was soon.