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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Yes You Can Find Your Missing Cat

How you go about finding your missing cat depends enormously on your cat's personality. Your approach will be different depending on whether your cat is an experienced outdoorsman or a timid indoor kitty.

If your cat has regularly roamed your yard or neighborhood and suddenly fails to return within the usual time span, it is time be proactive. Begin by letting the neighbors know your cat is missing by handing out flyers complete with a good photo of the cat, and your own contact information.

Local shelters should be contacted and most vets will permit a notice to be posted on their bulletin boards, although the size of the notice may be restricted. You will want to let your town or city's animal control office know as well. In this way, if the worst has happened, you will at least have a better chance of finding out.

If your cat normally responds when you call him, then by all means do so. If your neighborhood is safe, calling your cat quietly in the wee hours of the morning may be most effective because his vocal response can be more audible when not masked by traffic and pedestrian noises, lawnmowers and the other distractions of daytime life.
A newspaper article can also be helpful, but beware scam artists who exploit such ads for their own gain.

Finding an escaped indoor cat is entirely a different matter. If your cat is skittish and timid by nature, she may be especially distrustful once she is outdoors in unfamiliar territory. If she did not come when you called inside, she will certainly not do so outside.

Neighbors may be able to help by giving you permission to look under their bushes or porches and into their garages, but, chances are, your cat will be using her most developed skill, which is to make herself invisible.

Experts tell us that timid cats rarely venture more than a few hundred yards from home, but within those few hundred yards, they are adept at concealing themselves well. Unfortunately, the instinct to hide is so strong that sum may remain concealed long after starvation or exposure begins to weaken them.

The single most effective way to recover a timid cat is to use humane traps.
These are long rectangular cages with a spring-operated door at one or both ends. Food is placed inside the trap, and when the animal enters to eat it, she trips a wire that closes the doors behind her. Humane traps are available on loan from most humane societies and animal shelters. It is best to borrow at least two if possible.
Next, you must find a way to lure your cat to the trap. To do this, you must disguise it. Wrapping the outside with a towel will make the trap seem less foreboding and more like a safe haven. Make sure the towel is placed in a way that does not interfere with the trap mechanism. Next, line the floor of the trap with cardboard, again avoiding the trip wire. By Allo3.

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