Run Away Cat
Question:
> I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, > I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them > accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would > think it was dinner time and would come running.
Yes, Michael, great!! I love creative solutions like yours in managing our cats– keeping them coming back to us. Did you cleverly devise the bell-ringing scheme, or did someone else pass it on to you? Personally, I have tried over the years, to domesticate 6 feral cats–many to no avail. (Incidentally, the boys stay on, and the girls vanish!) When the cats do "get away," I still–to this day–keep a big-eye out for them as I am driving or walking in my neighborhood. I have some obscured hopes that the "missing" cats have found desirable accommodations elsewhere…. Katha>>>whose buddies live with her for their lifetime * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would think it was dinner time and would come running. Last summer, I lost an indoor/outdoor cat. There was no way to search because my house is surrounded by dense woods that "Ike" used to explore. I rang the bell (which previously would make him come running) but I can only assume a predator got him. Tiger and Amber will be staying inside!
Response:
All of the advice posted here is great advice. Can’t overemphasize that lost "indoor" cats could be close by paranoid and taking cover–or even picked up by a neighbor, if the cat has lost his collar. Two weeks is nothing; especially if someone is caring for him. If your cat is primarily indoors, he will not have callouses on his foot pads. Therefore, presumably, he will desire to stay in grassy areas, as opposed to walking on pebbles or the sidewalk, or so on. Try to continue leaving out his favorite tasty food in SMALL portions; even if other cats come, "they" may very well lead you to him. Katha’s big tip today is to check in the crawl space UNDER YOUR HOUSE! Once, after I had searched all over h-half acre for my cat, I got an idea to crawl under my house to see if the big boy just might be there. I noticed the door was ajar, so it seemed a possibility–however remote. I got a flashlight and started to crawl in. Soon I flashed on reflecting eyes. I became at once excited and concerned- -he wasn’t coming towards me when I called to him. So I backed out. Thought perhaps it was a tail-less raccoon who I had seen on multiple occasions "cleaning my pool" or lying on his back making himself loose for me. After continually calling him, I decided to–cleverly(?!?)– "board him up," and then after a few moments, I removed the board. Must say, it worked like a charm–there he was, preparing to knock me over to barrel out! Do you see, as long as the door was ajar, he hadn’t minded being there. TRY IT–maybe your cat is somewhere like that, too! Katha>>>who thinks cats are the most perfectly formed animals on Earth * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Great message!!! > I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have > wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it > got to late at night to continue looking. > I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners > voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you > are reasonably close. > Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, > after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He > had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked > all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property > showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. > We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be > out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he > was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally > lifeless in the middle of the street.
I was lucky my escapee was also a Tiger, but he survived without a scratch… sorry to hear about yours…
Response:
Great message!!! I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it got to late at night to continue looking. I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you are reasonably close. Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally lifeless in the middle of the street.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > — > This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last > year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood > and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, > hiding on a neighbor’s patio… > Good luck!
Response:
In the unlikely event that your cat has been trapped outside, rather than just hiding, he still has v. good chances of survival. I knew someone who lost their (outdoor) cat. They called and searched and left food out for some time, but eventually they gave it up for dead and threw out its bowls, bed etc, etc. Fortunately, some weeks later they got a response to a ‘lost cat’ flyer they had put through the letter boxes of their neighbours. It turned out that the poor cat had been trapped in garden shed for 28 days without being discovered! Although the cat was emaciated when it was found it made a full recovery. The vet said that it had probably survived by eating insects and spiders that crawled in and this provided just enough food and moisture to stay alive. I hope this doesn’t happen to your cat, but it really is worth checking with as many neighbours as possible if you haven’t already done so. Geoff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > —
This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, hiding on a neighbor’s patio… Good luck!
Response:
We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban neighborhood.
Response:
He will come back! I had a cat that was inside since a kitten and he escaped shortly before we were planning to move. I was frantic. For three days I put his food dish out on the porch when I got home from work. The same time every day. On the fourth day he was there waiting for his food and I grabbed him and put him back inside. Julie
Response:
If he could find his way back, I am sure he would be with you now. Have you checked with ALL the shelters in your area? Have you called the police? Have you put up flyers in grocery stores, laundromats, convenience stores, etc.? Have you run an ad in your newspaper or checked to see if anyone else has run an ad about a lost cat that they found? Do all these things over and over. Keep the faith and don’t give up yet. Tracy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find my cat. Marti Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out of shear fear. I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" and have learned one thing about indoor only cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius of the owner’s home hiding and living under a deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they went missing in cases where the owners were calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting themselves. What could have triggered this response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog chasing him. So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. Thus your primary way of getting him back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food and attempt to trap him. This is what has worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved their escaped kitties…most of the others eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty to become trapped and unable to return home, it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct to protect (and hide). And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be brave enough to come back home or you need to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all nearby hiding places…even the places where you have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, if there was no place that offered him protection and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are territorial…whereever he ends up that offers protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t do much good…your scent is deposited wherever you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but his instincts are preventing him from responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing cats. Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! — Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail)
Response:
> I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, > I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them > accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would > think it was dinner time and would come running.
Yes, Michael, great!! I love creative solutions like yours in managing our cats– keeping them coming back to us. Did you cleverly devise the bell-ringing scheme, or did someone else pass it on to you? Personally, I have tried over the years, to domesticate 6 feral cats–many to no avail. (Incidentally, the boys stay on, and the girls vanish!) When the cats do "get away," I still–to this day–keep a big-eye out for them as I am driving or walking in my neighborhood. I have some obscured hopes that the "missing" cats have found desirable accommodations elsewhere…. Katha>>>whose buddies live with her for their lifetime * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would think it was dinner time and would come running. Last summer, I lost an indoor/outdoor cat. There was no way to search because my house is surrounded by dense woods that "Ike" used to explore. I rang the bell (which previously would make him come running) but I can only assume a predator got him. Tiger and Amber will be staying inside!
Response:
All of the advice posted here is great advice. Can’t overemphasize that lost "indoor" cats could be close by paranoid and taking cover–or even picked up by a neighbor, if the cat has lost his collar. Two weeks is nothing; especially if someone is caring for him. If your cat is primarily indoors, he will not have callouses on his foot pads. Therefore, presumably, he will desire to stay in grassy areas, as opposed to walking on pebbles or the sidewalk, or so on. Try to continue leaving out his favorite tasty food in SMALL portions; even if other cats come, "they" may very well lead you to him. Katha’s big tip today is to check in the crawl space UNDER YOUR HOUSE! Once, after I had searched all over h-half acre for my cat, I got an idea to crawl under my house to see if the big boy just might be there. I noticed the door was ajar, so it seemed a possibility–however remote. I got a flashlight and started to crawl in. Soon I flashed on reflecting eyes. I became at once excited and concerned- -he wasn’t coming towards me when I called to him. So I backed out. Thought perhaps it was a tail-less raccoon who I had seen on multiple occasions "cleaning my pool" or lying on his back making himself loose for me. After continually calling him, I decided to–cleverly(?!?)– "board him up," and then after a few moments, I removed the board. Must say, it worked like a charm–there he was, preparing to knock me over to barrel out! Do you see, as long as the door was ajar, he hadn’t minded being there. TRY IT–maybe your cat is somewhere like that, too! Katha>>>who thinks cats are the most perfectly formed animals on Earth * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Great message!!! > I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have > wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it > got to late at night to continue looking. > I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners > voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you > are reasonably close. > Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, > after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He > had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked > all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property > showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. > We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be > out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he > was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally > lifeless in the middle of the street.
I was lucky my escapee was also a Tiger, but he survived without a scratch… sorry to hear about yours…
Response:
Great message!!! I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it got to late at night to continue looking. I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you are reasonably close. Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally lifeless in the middle of the street.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > — > This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last > year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood > and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, > hiding on a neighbor’s patio… > Good luck!
Response:
In the unlikely event that your cat has been trapped outside, rather than just hiding, he still has v. good chances of survival. I knew someone who lost their (outdoor) cat. They called and searched and left food out for some time, but eventually they gave it up for dead and threw out its bowls, bed etc, etc. Fortunately, some weeks later they got a response to a ‘lost cat’ flyer they had put through the letter boxes of their neighbours. It turned out that the poor cat had been trapped in garden shed for 28 days without being discovered! Although the cat was emaciated when it was found it made a full recovery. The vet said that it had probably survived by eating insects and spiders that crawled in and this provided just enough food and moisture to stay alive. I hope this doesn’t happen to your cat, but it really is worth checking with as many neighbours as possible if you haven’t already done so. Geoff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > —
This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, hiding on a neighbor’s patio… Good luck!
Response:
We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban neighborhood.
Response:
He will come back! I had a cat that was inside since a kitten and he escaped shortly before we were planning to move. I was frantic. For three days I put his food dish out on the porch when I got home from work. The same time every day. On the fourth day he was there waiting for his food and I grabbed him and put him back inside. Julie
Response:
If he could find his way back, I am sure he would be with you now. Have you checked with ALL the shelters in your area? Have you called the police? Have you put up flyers in grocery stores, laundromats, convenience stores, etc.? Have you run an ad in your newspaper or checked to see if anyone else has run an ad about a lost cat that they found? Do all these things over and over. Keep the faith and don’t give up yet. Tracy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find my cat. Marti Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out of shear fear. I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" and have learned one thing about indoor only cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius of the owner’s home hiding and living under a deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they went missing in cases where the owners were calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting themselves. What could have triggered this response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog chasing him. So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. Thus your primary way of getting him back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food and attempt to trap him. This is what has worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved their escaped kitties…most of the others eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty to become trapped and unable to return home, it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct to protect (and hide). And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be brave enough to come back home or you need to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all nearby hiding places…even the places where you have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, if there was no place that offered him protection and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are territorial…whereever he ends up that offers protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t do much good…your scent is deposited wherever you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but his instincts are preventing him from responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing cats. Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! — Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail)
Response:
> I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, > I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them > accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would > think it was dinner time and would come running.
Yes, Michael, great!! I love creative solutions like yours in managing our cats– keeping them coming back to us. Did you cleverly devise the bell-ringing scheme, or did someone else pass it on to you? Personally, I have tried over the years, to domesticate 6 feral cats–many to no avail. (Incidentally, the boys stay on, and the girls vanish!) When the cats do "get away," I still–to this day–keep a big-eye out for them as I am driving or walking in my neighborhood. I have some obscured hopes that the "missing" cats have found desirable accommodations elsewhere…. Katha>>>whose buddies live with her for their lifetime * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
I feed my cats twice a day. When I put the dish down, I always ring a small bell. I figure that if one of them accidentally got out, I would ring the bell, he/she would think it was dinner time and would come running. Last summer, I lost an indoor/outdoor cat. There was no way to search because my house is surrounded by dense woods that "Ike" used to explore. I rang the bell (which previously would make him come running) but I can only assume a predator got him. Tiger and Amber will be staying inside!
Response:
All of the advice posted here is great advice. Can’t overemphasize that lost "indoor" cats could be close by paranoid and taking cover–or even picked up by a neighbor, if the cat has lost his collar. Two weeks is nothing; especially if someone is caring for him. If your cat is primarily indoors, he will not have callouses on his foot pads. Therefore, presumably, he will desire to stay in grassy areas, as opposed to walking on pebbles or the sidewalk, or so on. Try to continue leaving out his favorite tasty food in SMALL portions; even if other cats come, "they" may very well lead you to him. Katha’s big tip today is to check in the crawl space UNDER YOUR HOUSE! Once, after I had searched all over h-half acre for my cat, I got an idea to crawl under my house to see if the big boy just might be there. I noticed the door was ajar, so it seemed a possibility–however remote. I got a flashlight and started to crawl in. Soon I flashed on reflecting eyes. I became at once excited and concerned- -he wasn’t coming towards me when I called to him. So I backed out. Thought perhaps it was a tail-less raccoon who I had seen on multiple occasions "cleaning my pool" or lying on his back making himself loose for me. After continually calling him, I decided to–cleverly(?!?)– "board him up," and then after a few moments, I removed the board. Must say, it worked like a charm–there he was, preparing to knock me over to barrel out! Do you see, as long as the door was ajar, he hadn’t minded being there. TRY IT–maybe your cat is somewhere like that, too! Katha>>>who thinks cats are the most perfectly formed animals on Earth * Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Great message!!! > I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have > wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it > got to late at night to continue looking. > I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners > voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you > are reasonably close. > Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, > after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He > had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked > all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property > showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. > We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be > out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he > was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally > lifeless in the middle of the street.
I was lucky my escapee was also a Tiger, but he survived without a scratch… sorry to hear about yours…
Response:
Great message!!! I’m really glad you posted this message. I have indoor cats and have wondered if any get out what would happen if I couldn’t find them before it got to late at night to continue looking. I found out a year ago that most cats will cry when they hear the owners voice. So listen very carefully. Sometimes you can’t hear them unless you are reasonably close. Last fall I found my 6 month old feral kitten trapped in a sewer drain, after barely hearing him cry out in the night. It was late, about 8 PM. He had no way out until a grid that was cemented in could be removed. Worked all night and couldn’t budge the grid. Finally someone who lived on property showed how another cat had been rescued many years before. We finally rescued Tiger but that afternoon, he was so excited still, to be out of that horrible cavern like space, that he was running around like he was free as a bird — and a car hit him… I ran out to find him totally lifeless in the middle of the street.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > — > This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last > year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood > and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, > hiding on a neighbor’s patio… > Good luck!
Response:
In the unlikely event that your cat has been trapped outside, rather than just hiding, he still has v. good chances of survival. I knew someone who lost their (outdoor) cat. They called and searched and left food out for some time, but eventually they gave it up for dead and threw out its bowls, bed etc, etc. Fortunately, some weeks later they got a response to a ‘lost cat’ flyer they had put through the letter boxes of their neighbours. It turned out that the poor cat had been trapped in garden shed for 28 days without being discovered! Although the cat was emaciated when it was found it made a full recovery. The vet said that it had probably survived by eating insects and spiders that crawled in and this provided just enough food and moisture to stay alive. I hope this doesn’t happen to your cat, but it really is worth checking with as many neighbours as possible if you haven’t already done so. Geoff – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should > ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties > back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. > If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only > kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find > my cat. > Marti > Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD > that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. > Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that > he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing > to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out > of shear fear. > I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" > and have learned one thing about indoor only > cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius > of the owner’s home hiding and living under a > deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they > went missing in cases where the owners were > calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were > hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason > the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting > themselves. What could have triggered this > response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog > chasing him. > So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. > Thus your primary way of getting him > back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food > and attempt to trap him. This is what has > worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved > their escaped kitties…most of the others > eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty > to become trapped and unable to return home, > it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a > "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they > don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct > to protect (and hide). > And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less > likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed > by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an > outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in > terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be > brave enough to come back home or you need > to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to > tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before > you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all > nearby hiding places…even the places where you > have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they > do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that > might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, > if there was no place that offered him protection > and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are > territorial…whereever he ends up that offers > protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee > and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is > has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t > do much good…your scent is deposited wherever > you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but > his instincts are preventing him from > responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on > over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily > basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing > cats. > Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely > alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! > —
This is excellent advice. One of my cats escaped at the end of last year. I and some friends spent an entire day combing the neighborhood and passing out flyers. He ended up being about 100 feet from the house, hiding on a neighbor’s patio… Good luck!
Response:
We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban neighborhood.
Response:
He will come back! I had a cat that was inside since a kitten and he escaped shortly before we were planning to move. I was frantic. For three days I put his food dish out on the porch when I got home from work. The same time every day. On the fourth day he was there waiting for his food and I grabbed him and put him back inside. Julie
Response:
If he could find his way back, I am sure he would be with you now. Have you checked with ALL the shelters in your area? Have you called the police? Have you put up flyers in grocery stores, laundromats, convenience stores, etc.? Have you run an ad in your newspaper or checked to see if anyone else has run an ad about a lost cat that they found? Do all these things over and over. Keep the faith and don’t give up yet. Tracy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > We have had a cat for three years. He is neutered and stayed inside all of > the time. He managed to get outside about two weeks ago. We have not seen > him since. What are the chances that he will return? We live in a suburban > neighborhood.
Response:
Jim, I saved this from a post on this NG last summer just in case it should ever happen to one of my indoor cats. It has helped get other indoor kitties back. Hope yours comes back, too. Let us know. If this helps anybody else…please all, for everyone with indoor only kitties, SAVE THIS MESSAGE! This is the message that helped me to find my cat. Marti Because your kitty is an indoor only kitty, the chances are VERY GOOD that he is near by, hiding but has gone into a protective mode. Especially if there are loose dogs in your area…the chances are that he is not willing to respond to your voice, not willing to come out of hiding and not willing to leave his new "territory" out of shear fear. I have spent the last 2 years conducting research on "lost cat behavior" and have learned one thing about indoor only cats. The majority of the time, they are found within a 3 house radius of the owner’s home hiding and living under a deck, porch, or in heavy brush. This is often up to 7 weeks after they went missing in cases where the owners were calling for them and searching for them in the location that they were hiding, but the cat never responded. The reason the cats do not respond is again, an instinctual behavior of protecting themselves. What could have triggered this response in your kitty was just one encounter with a neighbor dog chasing him. So I would encourage you to THINK CLOSE…that he is nearby but hiding. Thus your primary way of getting him back is going to be to obtain a cat trap with yummy canned cat food and attempt to trap him. This is what has worked in over 70% of the indoor only cat owners who have retrieved their escaped kitties…most of the others eventually returned home. While it is very common for an outdoor kitty to become trapped and unable to return home, it is not that common for an indoor only kitty. Because they are in a "scaredy cat" mode while they are outside, they don’t have the curiosity to climb into trouble…they have that instinct to protect (and hide). And because they are hiding and protecting themselves, they are less likely to be killed by a car, poisoned, or killed by a predator. It can happen, but is less likely to happen than with an outdoor kitty. So please have hope and think in terms that he is NEAR BY, very afraid and just either needs time to be brave enough to come back home or you need to trap him. Without my seeing exactly where you live, it is hard to tell you where to place any traps. Make sure before you put the traps that you belly crawl with a flashlight and check all nearby hiding places…even the places where you have called him 1,000 times! Also, because cat’s are territorial, they do not tend to travel too far. The only thing that might cause him to travel is if a dog or something were to frighten him, if there was no place that offered him protection and if there was no source of food or water. Also, because cat’s are territorial…whereever he ends up that offers protection and food is where he has been depositing his scent (poop, pee and his shed hair & scent) thus wherever he is has become his new "territory." Leaving your clothing outside doesn’t do much good…your scent is deposited wherever you walk and the chances are that he can already smell and hear you, but his instincts are preventing him from responding. Of course these are just my opinions, but they are based on over 2 years of talking to cat owners on a daily basis and using my search dogs to search for (and locate) many missing cats. Your kitty is somewhere and the statistics show that he is most likely alive but afraid….so have hope!!!! — Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail)
Response:
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