Leichhardt, NSW Lost Male Cat, Oscar Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Wendy P.

4 months ago

How dis Oscar get lost? Look and keep looking and calling.

Valerie A.

4 months ago

🙏

Denise L.

4 months ago

Awww poor darling

Fiona B.

4 months ago

Leslie Ellery bot!

Sandra R.

4 months ago

Leslie Ellery it’s quite possible he is a house cat but somehow he slipped out

Lydia T.

4 months ago

Stressful! Please be open to many possibilities. Most 'lost' cats are hiding (or locked in / trapped, prevented from returning home), frightened (especially if chased or injured), possibly disoriented, within about 500 metres from where lost. (Less for indoor cats). Some cats fear making a noise, in case it attracts predators, so might not respond to your calls. They can squeeze into the tightest crevices (sometimes become wedged in), why very thorough searches are required. I am aware of 100's of situations where a cat was accidentally locked in / trapped somewhere (eg in a neighbours shed, garage, holiday home, roof, crawl-space under a home / industrial building). Most somehow survived (eg by eating insects), many others didn't. 😞 Please thoroughly search through sheds, garages, under houses / buildings, bats, decks, neighbours' bins, skips, bushes, between tall walls and fences, roof and wall cavities, on top of rooves, in trees, vacant homes / buildings (even neighbours on holidays), construction / storage areas, etc. Ask neighbours to check cctv cameras. Don't trust neighbours to search!!! (Or at least not as thoroughly as you. Some don't search at all). Best ask permission to search yourself, or go with neighbour. If neighbours are unco-operative, suggest you might involve police to do a welfare check and to keep the peace. Alternatively, offer a reward (bribe) for unco-operative / uncaring neighbours. 😞 Call down drains (with strong smelling food). If you can lift the grate and enter the drain, even better. (One cat found 500 metres, another 3km away in drain). And /or create a temporary, stable ramp (eg with rolled towels or a branch of wood) from inside to outside of the drain, with strong smelling food outside overnight. Dusk to 5am walks with strong smelling food (eg Whiskas sardines, salmon & meat flavours, or hot BBQ chicken), cat carrier and torch. When no cars: call calmly, stop, sit, listen, wait. Leave a door open if safe, with strong smelling food inside & out overnight, near exit point. Also, in / near other possible hiding places / where might be trapped. If food eaten, set up a sensor wildlife camera to ensure it is your cat. Next night, try waiting nearby with food and a carrier ... Or if safe, gradually (each night) move the food into your yard / home and close door from behind (while cat is eating). As a last resort (as lots can go wrong), place a humane cat trap on level ground, in a safe, discreet location. Google how to use safely, monitor closely. (Do not leave a trap unattended! Some people release distressed cats, or steal the trap with cat in it! Remain nearby). Put a towel over trap, to keep cat calm. Don't open until safe at home (or at vet). Posters with reward tacked high on telegraph poles / noticeboards, in plastic sleeve. Also, circulate leaflets (pay postman). Vets, pounds and animal welfare organisations, regularly with photo. If has escaped a new home (most likely to escape / become lost, within a month of a move): begin an intense, comprehensive search asap & leave food out / doors open, starting close to the new home, spreading outwards. Unpredictable what might do next: One cat travelled 26km to previous address, arrived 6 weeks after lost. Another found 500 metres away from where lost, 7 months later. Do all advised at old address ... Most cats need to be locked in for 3+ weeks to bond to a new home, otherwise sooner or later might try to head back to previous home / territory (& become lost, or worse). Many cats are escape artists until bonded to a new home! (eg breaking through mosquito netting and forcing sliding doors / windows open. Use dowell to limit opening to no more than 2cm). Spray bottle near door. Preferably not in a room with the door leading to outside. (Better a room, with a couple of doors closed , before reaching an exit door). Cannot stress enough to be extra vigilant !! New / timid cats & kittens are prone to hiding / getting stuck under / behind / in, furniture. So also check in / behind / under drawers, wardrobes, low lounges / beds, recliner chairs (don't move leg rest until double-checked), behind fridges, washing machines & dryers. (Always check inside before using, cats have in these :-( ). Be extra careful moving furniture! Behind / under kitchen cupboards & rangehoods, or any other spaces. Do all of the above many times (in case your cat moves around). Track down where any vehicles (eg tradies / removalist vans) which puss might have entered, call the driver to ask where travelled to. Check cctv cameras & do all of the above there. 😞 🙏 Please consider keeping your precious cat indoors and / or invest in a very secure cat enclosure, or catio. (Research has found it adds 10+ years to average age of cats. Safer for cats and wildlife). As responsible adults, we curb children's freedom to keep them safe, similarly for cats :-( 🙏 Not all vets are aware: microchips can migrate! (One cat's microchip recently located in arm pit!). Ideally, vets to do an extra thorough, all over body scan. (Don't solely rely on microchip).🙏 Be aware of dodgy scams or people offering to find, or claiming to have found, your cat. Seek independent evidence eg ask for photos or distinguishing features, do reviews, etc, before providing personal details or money. Don't give up searching (some cats found weeks, months, years later) ... 🙏

Jeannie N.

4 months ago

HOPE HE FINDS HOME SOON.🙏👍❤️

Tanya L.

4 months ago

📷 View photo on Facebook

Fiona B.

4 months ago

💖🙏🐱

Rebecca F.

4 months ago

Amy Waters Arthur & Co Pet Detectives are very good at finding lost pets https://www.facebook.com/arthurandcopetconcierge?mibextid=LQQJ4d Helpful hints from the Marrickville Cat page HOW TO FIND LOST CAT Most people are heart broken when they lose their pet. The good news is that most of the time, your cat is not lost at all, but hiding in a top secret hiding spot and waiting it out. Your cat has probably been spooked by something in the environment, OR your inside cat has gotten out, become overwhelmed, and found themselves a nice & dark hiding spot where they feel safe. The mistake that 98% of people make when they lose their cat is that they wait to see if their cat will come back. Please do not delay, do not waste time, and DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR CAT. She is waiting for you to come and find her. There are the usual things that you can do to find kitty, like call all the shelters, use social media, look around your yard, etc. This is my advice: - The moment your kitty is out, the MOMENT you realize, you must get out there and start looking for your cat. Look around the immediate surroundings. Look inside your house. Look in your yard, in your neighbour's yard. Your cat is very probably either in your yard somewhere, or your neighbour’s. It is unlikely that it will wander far in those first critical moments. Get a torch and look at night. Ask your neighbours to keep an eye out, show them the picture of your cat. - Leave food out for your cat at the exit point. Do this every night, no matter where you think your kitty is. - Print posters of your cat. Do this immediately. Find a clear picture of your cat, with a large font saying “LOST CAT” - something that someone that is walking past, or a passing car, can notice. State description of cat and last sighting, and your details. Now this is the most critical point – PRINT 100 COPIES OF THIS POSTER AND SATURATE YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH IT. Put it on every pole within a 200 meter radius of your house. The posters need to be up straight away, ie, the day that you lose your cat. Put them at the local supermarket, vets, bus stops, major intersections, schools, crossings, train stations… - Get a humane cat trap. These can be bought for $30-$40 online, or you can hire one from Kennards. Watch some youtube clips on how to set it, practice setting it – then set it in your yard. Do this every night, and keep an eye on it. Apologise to any other cats you accidently trap. - Do the usual stuff as well – calling shelters, vets. Call them every few days to see if they have picked up your cat. Don’t just call once. Keep calling them. These things are essential for you to know: - Your kitty might be able to hear you, but probably will not respond if it is scared. They are surprisingly silent when out in the unknown. - Most cats break cover at the two week mark because of hunger and thirst, and will start to become more visible. This is when most sightings happen, and when you will start to get calls. You will not get calls if you have not put posters up in your neighbourhood. - If you are not looking for your cat, and not leaving food out for it – it will start to wander further and further away from the exit point to look for a food source. This is why it is so important to start this process immediately. - IF the reason for escape is a new pet, like a dog – you must contain that pet, or keep it under close supervision until your old cat is back. - If you have moved house, or if your inside cat has escaped, it is probably still very close to the exit point. Do not be fooled by its silence and reluctance to respond to you. - Do not give up on your cat. I have found cats 2 months after they have gone missing. It takes an average of 2-4 weeks to find them, and it all depends on your persistence. If you do nothing, the chances of you finding your cat are about 5%. They usually do not just walk back in the door themselves. Your cat is waiting for you to find it. - People will tear down your posters. Cat haters, council workers, other posters, etc. Go for walks every few days, and replace your posters. Do this over and over. You will get news from someone, somewhere. - Keep going, keep calling, keep putting those posters up… sometimes it takes months. Hopefully it will not, for you🤞🤞🤞

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