LOST CALICO CAT.

Question
thanks so much! i moved her food and water outside of the trap. the only thing inside is some of her favorite friskies treats, her cat toy, cat nip and some dirty socks. i've even been dumping some contents from our vacuum cleaner bag around the house hoping she'll pick up our homes scent. is it normal for no one to have seen her? i feel like she's disappeared into thin air. =(

has for the weather, i live in southern florida but the night she disappeared it was in the mid 40s. the following night it was in the lower 50s. and since then it has been around 70 at night.




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Hello. Thanks for you reply! It always gives me some hope. No sign of my cat yet. It has been 9 days tonight.

My boyfriend and I purchased a humane trap. We have been leaving water, tuna, sardines and soft food inside every night at sunset. So far i've caught both neighborhood cats that i've witnessed eating the food before getting the trap.

I only leave the garage on when i'm playing look out, and I leave the food in the garage way up by the door that comes into my house. I doubt she would have time to dart out, i've even caught one of the neighborhood cats with this method.


I've also been leaving worn clothes, blankets my other cats have laid on, litter and cat nip outside.

Jenn

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Thanks so much! You're giving me a lot more hope! I put the carrier outside with blankets that my other cats have laid on. She doesn't love getting in the carrier but I have seen her and my other cats investigating the insides of them whenever I leave them out. I think she may go to it if she is not forced. I also put out her regular dry food in addition to treats, canned food, tuna and sardines. I have food stationed at the front door entrance of my house and I keep leaving the garage open slightly with food, water and blankets that smell like my other cats.

One of my neighbors thought he saw her all the way on the other side of my neighborhood. I searched there but found nothing. He has only seen her photo.

I live in southern Florida but we had temperatures in the 40s on Saturday & Sunday night. Could this harm her? She has medium length hair. I was fearful that she might get wet from any sprinkler systems.

Thanks,
Jenn

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Saturday night when I was leaving my house to pick up my mail, one of my four house cats must have accidently went out the door too. I realized an hour later that she was not in the house, and my boyfriend and I went looking for her. I left her favorite canned food and fresh water outside and still no sign of her. No sign of her on Sunday either. I made flyers Sunday night with a photo, description of her, my phone number and a possible reward if found. On Monday I posted the flyers at all three entrances of my community, handed them out to twenty or so surrounding neighbors, went to three local vets with the flyer, posted them on trees on the main street of my neighborhood and went to my local animal rescue.

She is an eight year old indoor cat and that has been spayed and declawed. We live in a gated community that is relatively large and enclosed. We live in the middle, the chances of her getting out are slim but possible.

Monday morning around 11:00am I received a call about one of my flyers from an elderly woman who said her young grandchildren think they saw my cat a few miles away, across a main highway in a busy grocery store parking lot. My boyfriend and I rushed up there to look but found nothing. I have personally seen many stray cats running around that particular parking lot.

Please help! Is there any chance of finding her? What more can I do?

Thanks,
Jenn
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Hi Jennifer, thanks for writing so quickly and getting the food and water out.  Look closer not further, being an indoor only cat for so long, they will NOT go far.  Check every bush, tree (even declawed they climb in fear), sewer duct starting at YOUR house, then make the neighbors let you personally check theirs for 5 houses either side of yours.  Under sheds, etc... anything 6" or bigger she can climb and wiggle into.  

Keep putting not only her favorite food, but her regular food out with fresh water the same time every night and softly calling to her.  She may not come when you call, but still may hear your voice and come later to eat!  

How is she with her carrier?  Afraid of it, or semi-relaxed?  I leave all mine out in the house, open with blankets in them so all my 4 can go in and out as they please, so they aren't too afraid of them.  If she's not, put this out but make sure it's tied open.  Put something that smells like your other cats in there, a blanket or something, then sprinkle some cat nip (a little) around the outside and leave by the water and food.  This will give her, if she chooses, a warm spot to hide in during the night.  I am positive she is VERY CLOSE to where she got out!  I know this after seeing 2 of my lost ones right where they got lost even after 1 1/2 years still hanging around the very spot (and within 1 block).  

When you get a chance, stay up as long as you can after sunset and watch out your window to where you have the food and water stationed.  Hopefully where you can see it?  Keep a notepad nearby as you may spot several cats wandering by.  Keep track of the times, colors and food preference.  Where they came from, where they seemed to go to... This gives us an idea of the "kitty pathways" where your cat also will wander without harm.

A spayed or neutered declawed cat is VERY low on the list for cat fights, so don't worry about this.  She is just terrified and very close hiding.  I bet she will soon sneak out to come get some food.  Usually this only takes 1-2 weeks, so it's good she has food VERY close right now.  She may be sneaking out already, so check the dish for eating.

Please let me know in a day or two (or sooner if you want to talk), what you have been able to see at night and the situation with her carrier.  Let it become part of the outside "landscape" so everyone get's used to seeing it there ok?

Looking forward to hearing from you, don't hesitate to write with any other comments or questions ok?  Hang in there, I KNOW we can get her back!  Think positive ok!

Deb
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YEAH your doing wonderful!  I think your indoor cat has not traveled across your neighborhood, and it MUCH closer to your area.  Good for you keeping the garage a bit open.  If you were to see your cat go into the garage, how can you get it shut before she dashes out?  We need to get prepared for this so begin thinking about how fast you could do it.  

Also put a long clothes line type rope tied through the back of the carrier up to the front closing door.  You'll need to test how hard to yank and get the door closed tightly to hold the rope and walk up to latch it, when she is ready to go inside some night.

OH I just know she is very close to you!  I know how hard it is to think of keeping the food and water going, when all you want is her back...but you are doing what needs to be done to make this happen!  

Will look at your latest replies to see what else has been going on - Great work kitty mom!

Deb
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Great work!  Is is cold where you are?  Cold for a cat I mean LOL like below 40's at night?

If so, you may want to wrap the trap in a bath towel like a burrito leaving the end that captures them - open. With the towel around the trap, you can try this a couple of ways.  The burrito style all wrapped up except the locking door - duct or clear tape the towel tightly around to keep the inside nice and warm.  OR some cats prefer to have the back open too - to look out.  Test this too.  Wrap the towel just around the cage and leave both ends without the towel.  I put a bungie cord around the handle and around the section that latches, to keep it open until you can see more cats going in and out for eats and treats : -)

Move the water dish back outside - you don't want anyone to go without water!  I would also recommend that you don't set the trap, yet... Move the food to just outside to make sure everyone traveling on your areas kitty pathways (including your own!), is going to see they can come eat for FREE at first.  

Best case scenerio is that we want you to see YOUR cat come and eat without having to go inside this "scary" place!  After that, every few days move the food about 1/2 foot further in.  

Your cat may be watching you catch other cats!  Since they tend to stay in groups when lost, and will move around with "everyone" in the neighborhood you will see your cat, I think pretty soon.  It usually takes about 2 weeks or sometimes more (depending on how freaked out they got when accidently Outside!), so the timing is very close now.  That's great news!  But I am only trying to caution you not to scare her off because the food AND water is inside, and we need her to NOT get too scared to come around again and again!

I used to wear socks for several days (ugh I know), but then put them under the towel in the trap for "my scent".  

Does your cat like sardines?  If not, give chunked canned chicken in water a try.  I know they all like this, especially if you ever buy HOT fresh chicken!  If you happend to get some KFC or any mild kind of fresh hot chicken, tear the skin off and yank small chunks off to toss into the trap just before dark... the smell drives them crazy :-)  

I have also used to great success fresh hot french fries... something about the smell of the fries and grease - even just the empty bag that held the fries I've put in the back end of a trap and caught them.   

Keep up the tuna in oil, your treaty food but also put your cats normal dry food outside perhaps by the water.  You want them to come eat, and only have to go inside the trap to get treaties.  Once you see YOUR cat come eat - the next night move the food closer to the trap and then night by night just little by little more inside.  It is a test of patience I know, but this makes sure you don't make your cat afraid of the trap!  

It sure sounds like your keeping your eyes on the cat population of this area!  

Either way leaving your scent, catnip and the food is great!  I see what your saying about your garage door - great plan.  Some folks got to use this to capture THEIR cats!  

No matter what method you use, make sure before you touch any cat you have gloves on.  Your own will be freaked out to the point of trying to get away from you at first when caught.  Someone on here had to go to the ER this year from that :-)  They forgot their cat is NOT "their" cat when they first caught it and it scratched them up like heck!  

Also make sure you take the trap inside for a really good close look before letting the neighbors cats out! Two people I know trapped their cats, didn't recognize them enough and let them out without looking VERY close - don't want this happening to you all!  Remember she won't "look" the same, they quit grooming themselves and right now, she only cares about her safety, water and food and staying hidden by day!  

Your in just the right time frame where maybe this weekend or sooner, you may see HER come to eat at your food station.  Make it safe for her to eat outside the trap and as non-scary a place.  She can sniff the catnip and your scented stuff and the items your other cats have laid on inside the cage and go in if she likes, but "the hardest part I know" is to let her WALK back out!  The first time we want her to feel VERY safe about your trap.  After that set it and move the food closer to the opening, but NOT directly under the trap top.  Cats don't like looking up to that wire top, so food outside that area, then to just inside the cage, then 1 foot further in each night until she takes the bait!

Oh I feel you are getting SO close to seeing her now!  Keep me posted.

Debbie


Answer
Hi Jennifer,

I'm doing a Happy Dance for you!!!! I bet your little baby girl is SO happy to be back at home YEAH!!!!  Thank YOU for being a great kitty mom and sticking with it.  You probably helped keep her close to your area with the food and water out right away and keeping it up!  Now I hope you get all the love you deserve from your girl cat.

She may be a bit freaked out at first, but really, she will settle back down in less than a week.  If you see any odd symptoms, you may want to run her for a check up at the Vets.  Mine never go outside, but I do keep up on their rabies shots, but not on the FIV/FIVL.  But I would probably test them if they got out to make sure they didn't pick up anything more strong than fleas : -)

Oh I am SO happy for you!  Congratulations on YOUR great work hon.  Enjoy!

Debbie *doing the happy dance* Yahooooooooooooo(tm) LOL
Debbie