Pet Information > ASK Experts > Cats > Cats > Lost cat - now seen but not caught

Lost cat - now seen but not caught

16:13:15

Question
Hi, hope you can help. I just saw my cat that had been lost for 4 weeks. She is
still in the local area and ran away when I called. Obviously seeing me out of
the usual environment has made her wary. She has no apparent injuries, nor
loss/gain in weight. She is sheltering in an area accesed by other cats, so any
food I put out is eaten by them, rather than her. She is 3 years old, Indoor
only, unspayed. Seems to have access to rainwater. What should I do now?
Weather is humid and rainy, not cold.

Answer
Hi Claire and thanks for writing to me as soon as possible!

Yes, she will stay in your area and it's good to know you have found a place to put food and water out for everyone.

You will have to get a humane trap and get this down near this area quickly.  Line the bottom with dish towels (about 3-4) so no-one can "feel" the bottom bars when they walk in.  Get a bungie cord and LOCK the door in front OPEN for at least one week after you put a borrowed trap down.  Every night just before sunset, put out a HUGE feast for all the cats - dry food, several bowls of fresh water, and treats.  The treats you can put right inside the trap.  Let them go in and out and eat it so they all get used to it.

After 1 week, begin by moving the treat to about 1/2 way back inside the trap - again leave it OPEN and let them all go in and out.  After 1 more week, move the treat to the back end and set the trap - this you can do on a weekend (or whenever), so you have time to check on it hourly.

If you don't want to deal with the "other" cats in the area, that's ok!  Once trapped - CHECK very well to make sure it is not YOUR cat, then simply release them - they will be the LEAST likely to go back into the trap : -)

Since it is humid and rainy I would wrap the trap like a burrito with large bath towels, duct taped around the trap leaving only the front and back door unwrapped.  Then get a very cheap shower curtain (Dollar General store, Walmart, etc...).  Wrap and tape the shower curtain over the towels on the trap - This will keep the inside drier.

Feed Stores, local shelters or your local Animal Humane may have traps for you to use - the more you have going at the same time, the better your odds for catching YOUR baby quicker!  10 traps all going at once increases your odds 10 fold!  So don't let them tell you that ONE will do!  Tell them you are trapping for several cats and need several!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this setup!  Yes, I know it is very sad to SEE them and call to them, but they will NOT answer because she feels like she is a "lost cat" now and to survive has to hide and run away from people... even the ones she knew, so you will have to trap her.  

From my Bio you can see a dog cage works great too!  This one setup is especially great if you only want to catch ONE cat from a group.  You only pull the rope that you are holding from a car, or a distance where the cats can not see you - when the ONE cat walks in to eat.

Please let me know any other information or questions ok?  You are in a GREAT time frame to catch your cat by doing some easy, quick nightly feeding stations - but get it all going ASAP including getting traps down in the area to make them become "landscape" - part of the every day stuff around there, so the cats won't be too afraid in a week or so for you to begin setting it!

Talk to you soon I hope,

Debbie