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Finding a lost cat while away from home
Dachshund
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
What are some ways to help with finding a lost cat?
I will be away from home until late next week. I had found a friend of a friend to feed my cat before my trip started 3 weeks ago. I was told yesterday that the cat was gone. The story that I was told is pretty convoluted:
Disregarding the fact that the story has holes the size of hippos, what are some ways that I can help find my cat? The friend of a friend can't be relied upon to help look. I have another friend who will help starting later today after work.
Here are my ideas: Check neighborhood first as my cat comes home when you call her name, call SPCA, knock on doors in area, post signs at local grocery stores, post craigslist ad. I can't do anything in person due to being on the other side of the country for work.
I will be away from home until late next week. I had found a friend of a friend to feed my cat before my trip started 3 weeks ago. I was told yesterday that the cat was gone. The story that I was told is pretty convoluted:
Watcher went by on Saturday and saw lights on and door ajar. Left assuming I was home. Went back Tuesday to find door locked, so went in and found no cat. Called me Thursday to inform me that there is no cat.
Disregarding the fact that the story has holes the size of hippos, what are some ways that I can help find my cat? The friend of a friend can't be relied upon to help look. I have another friend who will help starting later today after work.
Here are my ideas: Check neighborhood first as my cat comes home when you call her name, call SPCA, knock on doors in area, post signs at local grocery stores, post craigslist ad. I can't do anything in person due to being on the other side of the country for work.
Dachshund on
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Ask your friend to be there around the time you usually feed the cat with the doors left open.
I assume your cat is usually an indoor cat and that you haven't only just moved in with this advice.
Who has keys to your place? I would start with them. Then call neighbors. What you should really be doing is finding out if you were robbed or not. It would be very odd for someone to break in to your place and take only your cat unless they knew you.
I had the complex supervisor check out the place; nothing is missing or broken into.
This is why I say the story makes no sense. I am assuming (which is pretty dick, but hey my cat is gone) that my cat watcher left the door open a bit and kitty pried it open for sweet freedom. The story I was told makes no sense and screams "I am a bad liar and don't want to admit that I messed up."
When did the cat go 'missing'? The odds of someone finding the cat while out looking are really slim, but you could try the humane society or something.
If the cat doesn't know how to hunt and if there isn't someone to feed it, then the chances of it surviving until you get back aren't that great.
Most cats know how to hunt regardless if they were brought up inside or not, it's an instinct. They also usually know how to find their way home... eventually.
This right the fuck now. Call all the local shelters in the area and say that kitty got out, is wearing a collar/microchipped/etc. (You did collar/chip it, right?)
That way if someone picks it up and brings it in, they say "Hey, that looks like the one that Dachshund called in" and hold on to it.
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
Seriously, check there every damn day. Call them until they are sick of you, leave photos with them, visit in person, etc. Most animal shelters are overwhelmed with cats, meaning they put them to sleep rapidly to make room.
Also try leaving a piece of your clothes on the doorstep, it will smell like you and may attract your cat if she's still hanging around in the neighborhood.
Best of luck finding your cat!
My cat got out once. I called around and visited all the animal shelters/SPCA's/etc, put up signs and even stayed up until the wee hours of the night/morning going out and calling for the cat.
He came back of his own accord 3 weeks later. Apparently he had been hanging around the immediate area, just didn't feel like coming back in until he was done exploring.
I thought this was a misconception. I'm pretty sure they don't sit there and euthanize cats every day just to make room for new cats. It'd be easier to just not take in new cats.
I called the humane society once when we found a stray who kept coming to our door and they said they weren't taking strays at the moment because they were full.
It's weird... you'll be looking everywhere, in every possible hiding spot and after an hour the cat'll just pop out from behind a fence and be all like, "Meow?"
Unless the OP's cat is really old and deathly ill it isn't going to be euthanized upon being brought into the shelter.Most shelters give animals a couple months before euthanizing at the minimum. OP does not need to fear that his cat is currently in immediate danger of being put down.