MISSING SIAMESE CAT!!!!!

Question
I HAVE RECENTLY LOST MY CAT THAT I'VE HAD FOR 7 YEARS!!  HE HAS BEEN AN INSIDE CAT AND HAS RECENTLY STARTED URINATING ON EVERYTHING!!  MY FIANCE FOUND URINE ON OUR NEW COMFORTER AND PUT HIM OUTSIDE WITH FOOD AND WATER.  IT IS COLD AND THERE IS SNOW ON THE GROUND!!  ABOUT 4 HOURS LATER I WOKE UPI AND WENT OUTSIDE TO GET HIM BUT HE WAS GONE!!  HIS FOOD DISH WAS EMPTY AND HIS WATER DISH STILL FULL. IT HAS BEEN 2 DAYS AND I'M WORRIED SICK!!!  I'VE CALLED THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND HAVE WALKED AROUND CALLING FOR HIM EVERY DAY AND NIGHT.  I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER SIAMESE THAT IS ABSOLUTLEY DEVISTATED AND DEPRESSED SHE CRIES FOR THIM NIGHT AND DAY!!  THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 5 YEARS AND ARE INSEPERABLE. PLEASE HELP!!!!  ALSO DO CATS LOSE THIER SENSE OF SMELL IN THE SNOW?  

Answer
Nicole, first may I say how sorry I am that you also have to go through this.

But let's get the odds up on getting him BACK!

Routine things (every few days):
1 - Go to every shelter and actually look, and when your ready to, peek at the road pickup listings.
2 - Hang and Keep Flyers up according to your towns rules, Best in wet weather inside plastic or laminate.  
3 - Gather up all the small bowls and put in each one plenty of his favorite food, smelly food he may like (Jack Mackerl and sardines smell for quite a distance), and Tuna in Oil saves well with the oil better for holding up in the weather.
You have to remember to pace yourself and enlist every friend and member of a club you may belong to for most everything, except that wonderful kitty feast set up nearest to the point you belive, or can tell where he was set out.  Also refresh and clean this every day just before sunset, get that into your routine (after works usually is a good time, and call for him even though in scaredy mode they won't answer, they DO hear at least and get used to your walking around sounds, calling his name, and being out whenever you can safely, walking about a 1/2 mile radius.

This is also where I would concentrate the flyers - don't clog it up get to the point

LOST CAT

VERY LARGE REWARD (you decide what this is worth/&can afford for your animal

BEST PHOTO YOU CAN GET


BIG PHONE NUMBER (put one in that someone could call almost anytime).  Don't forget to remind anyone who reaches an answering machine to Please leave their call back number, the address where they may have seen your animal, THEIR description of how he was acting, anything to keep them talking and giving you information.  If you go to take a look at an area you don't know, take someone with.

Please don't underestimate keeping several bowls of treats and dry food and lots of fresh water stations around your yard!  At this time of the year, they will be hiding during the day underneath unmoved cars, anything 6" or later, a drain pipe, drainage ditches, etc.

Check your yard extremely close, then work your way out to the yards of your nearest 5 neighbors on all sides.  Check close on any fences, branches, grass for signs of lost fur.

Please let me know how your getting on with all this - It does seem overwhelming at first, and we all love to push ourselves harder than ever to help our lost ones.  But when your sick, or forget to freshen the kitty feast that's more of a lost opportunity, then pacing yourself, getting as much help from family and friends, and making a few times a day/early evening a "habit" unti your lost one comes home.

I'll wait for you answer and through it's the most awful thing, we can make it through and increase the chance of recover with every step, every day.

Bless you,

Debbie