our lost cat

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tina! I don't know whether DebbieC is still available. I
have read all of her articles and they give me lots of
ideas, and I don't know whether anyone else has the same
expertise. She seems to be the expert. Our indoor only cat,
who is also extremely shy, has been missing for close to a
month now, and it has been horrible! The configuration of
where he is missing is not very conducive to trapping, and
we are very extremely anxious and concerned, especially with
the cold weather we are having now. Any help you can offer
is appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Natalie K.
Washington, DC

ANSWER: HI Natalie,

Have you seen your cat? Chances are he is hiding nearby - cats who are shy and scared can hide so well and keep so quiet. Are you leaving out food and water? Make sure to put out smelly canned cat food to attract him. Talk to your neighbors and have them check sheds, wood piles and other buildings just after dark - the best time to find a cat. I'm not sure what the limiting configuration is for trapping, but a trap is probably your best bet - if your cat is nearby and eating in the same location each day. You get him used to eating in the same place, then introduce the trap. However I get the feeling that you have not seen your cat, since you say he's been missing - not just outside and you can't catch him. Unfortunately if you don't know where he is, setting a trap is not very useful. Have you spent lots of time outside at night looking for him, or very early in the morning? Walk around and try meowing to him rather than just calling, sometimes they will "talk" back. Their eyes will reflect a flashlight making it easier to find them in the dark. Good luck!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Tina, thank you for your answer. My son has actually spotted
him at one in the morning about a week ago, right outside
the basement apartment where he escaped from. I started
putting food out around that place, but it attracts other
cat, and my son found a rat in the trap. My son fears that
with his cat being so scared (he is a very fearful and shy
indoor cat), the other animals coming to the area and
leaving their smells deter his cat from coming back. This is
really difficult because it's getting very cold and we are
worried sick about him. Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Answer
Hi Natalie,

That is great that your son has seen your cat, so you know she is alive and OK. You will definitely need to trap her to get her back, and to dot hat you need to put food out the same time and place each day. I recommend you consult a local rescue group or feral cat care group with experience trapping cats.  You can find resources local to you at:
http://www.alleycat.org

or try calling your local ASPCA