Oakdale, CA Lost Female Cat, Coco Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Jessica A.

3 years ago

Still missing

Jessica A.

3 years ago

Still missing as of March 10th..... With the disappearance of Coco, I feel I need to clarify some things. This may be long but I feel it is needed. Heaven knows if anyone will read it all. We moved on to Valley View February 2015. We have had 4 cats vanish into thin air. . GONE. No trace left behind. Jill missing since April 2019, Ally missing since July 2019, Hopper missing since December 2021 and Coco missing since February 26, 2023. This is not normal or natural. This is most likely a human’s doing. I have been around cats my whole life, as well as dogs. I have been called animal obsessive many times before. Though I am no animal hoarder. I went into pet grooming as I always felt more connected to animals than people. I learned early on in life, what people say and what people do rarely match. I learned to read body language. Animals do not speak like us, it's all body language and energy. My connection to animals has been my strong suit. I have an understanding that most people overlook themselves while dealing with animals.I generally understand animal behavior as much as a person can without being a trainer or veterinarian. Along with pet grooming I have worked in animal rescue as well. I have fostered both dogs and cats and volunteer my grooming to rescues so they can use funds for other services. I have seen, read, and worked with all kinds of animal behavior. With that being said, I understand animal behavior. Especially my own animals. My pets are my children. Even if I could have human children, I would consider my pets to be my children. I know their wants, likes, habits, fears, quirks, pain, illness, and all that is in between. With our cats, I know they did not get lost or wander off. As a child, we did have a couple cats who would disappear for a few days before reappearing. The cats I have here on Valley View were not like that at all. When they first get here, they are young kittens. They have their own room, with litter boxes, food and water with the dogs unable to get in. They have free roam of the house. We do have a doggie door for our dogs to go in and out. We do not let the cats out, they learn to use the doggie door on their own and usually after a couple months being here. And they usually stayed in the backyard area for a few months after that before venturing out past the backyard, over the fence. All of them were cautious and skeptical. Yet they always stayed close to home. Always within calling distance and were in and out all day long. As I work from home, I saw this with my own eyes. They spent the same amount of time indoors as they did outdoors. And each one ALWAYS came home for their wet food dinner at night. Every single night. Once in a while, they were late, but always came home every night to eat. The first night they did not come home to eat, I knew something was wrong. And unfortunately I have been right three times before and now I fear a fourth time. I know something or someone has physically prevented them from coming home. I appreciate all the advice and tips provided by others to help get my babies home. I have done them ALL and in multiple instances as now 4 cats have gone missing. I have walked the neighborhoods, put up posters, made posts on multiple social media platforms, called shelters (when I could get through), called local vets, called the microchip companies, etc. None of these actions have brought my babies home. I have done my research online as well on finding missing pets. In my gut, I am afraid some neighbor has trapped and dumped my kids. I have seen and heard all the cat hate on social media, especially in Oakdale. Few people realize cats are considered “free roaming” animals by law and are allowed to roam neighborhoods without harm or violence. People are allowed to use humane measures to keep them off your property. Trapping and dumping cats is ILLEGAL. Trapping and releasing in the exact spot is legal. In my gut, a person has caused my kids not to come home. I am sure somebody knows what happened and I will never know. This has crushed me. My mental health has suffered each time and this time I don't think my heart can be put back together. The pieces I have put back together each time, missing a piece. Now I believe what's left of my heart is the broken pieces crushed into powder somehow glued together to resemble something of a heart. I have pledged not to bring any more cats home, though I know so many need homes. I can not in good conscience keep bringing innocent creatures home to have harm come to them. The point of all this was to let people know, I know my cats. I know something bad happened to them and not a typical disappearance I have seen on many posts on lost groups. My cats were not indoor only, they have had plenty of outside experience and were always close to home. If you have any info on the whereabouts of my cats, please contact me. Please, no more advice on how to find lost cats. I need info on my babies, exact information. If you read the whole thing, thank you. And thank you for the prayers and good vibes for their safe return.

Edna M.

3 years ago

TIPS TO HELP FIND YOUR LOST CAT: - Check the house thoroughly as they sometimes hide in the house in unexpected places. -Check underneath your cars, in the car engine area, wheel wells and around the bumpers. -Ask neighbors all around you to check garages and sheds as they can sneak in undetected. - Put his/her uncleaned litter box, bedding and a piece of your unwashed clothing outside the last door he/she exited the house from. - Hang flyers with his/her picture and post all over your neighborhood & surrounding areas. - Take the flyers door to door asking if anyone has seen him/her. -Walk your neighborhood calling his/her name and listening as he/she may be hiding in the bushes or under something. - Take a flyer to the shelter. - Put a sign in your yard with his/her picture stating he/she is missing. - Check the shelters in person. - Review shelter's found reports. - File a lost report with the shelters. - Post on lostmykitty.com, helpinglostpets.com, petharbor.com, nextdoor.com, Craig's List. - Check found reports at the shelter and on the websites mentioned above. https://www.facebook.com/1191469901/posts/10219412579203789?sfns=mo IF YOUR INDOOR CAT GOES OUTSIDE: Indoor only cats and limited outdoor access cats never go far. They go into survival mode and hide in silence. They will not always respond to you, most don’t. 3 AM is the best time to find a missing indoor only cat. This is the time they become most active and responsive. Place some dirty socks and pillow cases outside. Your scent will attract your kitty. If you have a garage place the items near the garage door and crack the door enough for him to get in. DO NOT leave food or litter box outside, it can attract predators and aggressive Tom cats. Because indoor only cats hide so well they are not as likely to be killed by a predator. Don't give up, it can take weeks to find a missing indoor only cat. Use a flashlight as late at night as you can to look in trees, under cars and in bushes. Try to look for the glow of his eyes. Survival mode last 5 to 14 days. Once their hunger gets to a maximum they snap out of it but this is a dangerous time because they come out of hiding. Make mini flyers and hand them out to your neighbors. Most people don't pay attention to posted flyers. It's VERY VERY important that you look for him as late at night as you can. If you have other cats, watch them. If they are spending a lot of time looking out a certain window, that’s a good indication the missing cat is in that area. Wildlife and motion activated cameras are also helpful. What To Do If Your Indoor Cat Gets Outside For an indoor cat that has never traveled outdoors, it’s very scary to think about your cat going missing. Cats are naturally skittish by nature, so an indoor cat that gets lost outdoors is typically terrified and doesn’t have the first clue where to go or what to do. Often times a cat’s curiosity will get the best of them, and that open door that looks too tempting to resist can equal disaster after your indoor cat quickly finds themselves lost and all alone. Here are some helpful tips to follow if your indoor cat gets outside, and we hope by following these you can get them home sooner rather than later. Check The Outside Areas Around Your Home In A Calm Manner This one probably goes without saying, but if a cat find themselves outside, the first place you should think to look is in the bushes around your home should you have any. Remember: even though it might have seemed like the best idea ever, you’re curious kitty probably realized it was a bold–not to mention dangerous–move once they did it. Your cat knows they are safest when they are with you, even if they didn’t realize it until they found themselves outdoors. This is why retreating in the bushes where they are hidden from plain sight is the best place to start looking. Do your best to remain calm despite the alarming situation. Yelling or shouting their name or calling for them at the top of your lungs will only prove to scare your already frightened cat even more. Try your best to use the tone of voice you would should you be calling them just as you would if they were inside your home. Important: In case you didn’t already know, cats are crepuscular creatures–meaning that they are most active at dawn and at dusk. In the wild, this is when cats will do their hunting. Try searching for your cat during these times of the day to increase your chances of finding them. Get That Food Bag And Some Strong Smelling Canned/Wet Food You may attract all the cats in the neighborhood by doing this, but one of those cats just might be yours if you’re lucky! Get that food bag out and shake it, open a can of canned cat food (the fishier the better!) and start stirring it up outdoors while sweetly calling for your cat. Hopefully they are hungry and come running at the tempting aromas of their favorite food! Put Your Scent Outside — Hopefully This Will Help To Bring Them Home Cats have a strong sense of smell. Take an article of clothing you’ve worn, or perhaps a blanket that you’ve used recently and set it outside. This scent may trigger him/her to come back home should they catch a whiff of it. Another good idea is to set their litter box outside near the door. An indoor cat that is not familiar with the outdoors might be hesitant on doing her business outside without her usual privacy. It might seem like a longshot, but nothing is too out of the ordinary when it comes to getting your indoor cat back inside safely. Let Others Know Your Indoor Cat is Lost In the event that your indoor cat that has gotten out is not nearby, you’ll need to alert others in your area that your cat is lost. You can do this by posting signs around your area with a photo and detailed information about your cat. The next step would be to tell your neighbors who live on your street. Visit Your Local Shelters If your cat is microchipped, there is a much greater chance of them getting their happy ending with you. Any time a shelter receives a lost cat, they will scan for a microchip. (Vet offices also do this for animals that come into their care that are brought in.) Should your cat be chipped, you will be alerted via the contact info listed on their records. It’s always important to make sure that your cat has the correct and current information on their microchip record. If your cat is not microchipped, it’s still important to go in and check your shelters for your last cat. Most cats turned in have a short waiting period before they are deemed adoptable; you don’t want to miss your opportunity to reunite with your lost cat. Also, if your cat is microchipped, you can set an alert on their profile, allowing shelters and rescues to know that they are missing. This key step might help them to get home sooner should your indoor cat go missing. https://coleandmarmalade.com/2019/01/31/what-to-do-if-your-indoor-cat-gets-outside/ Indoor only cats usually run to the nearest hiding spot when escaping because they are scared and don’t know what to do. Check under porches, sheds, in garages, and decks. Check yours as well as your neighbors. Put up flyers so neighbors can be aware and look out for your cat. Also look around at night under bushes and in shrubs with a bright flashlight. It may catch on the cats reflective eyes. Looking at night when it's quieter is good they can hear you calling them better. Looking right at dawn is also good because they may peak out of their hiding spot. Put out clothing that smells like you or the cats bed so they know which house is theirs. NOT the litter box because it attracts predators and they will go after or scare your cat away. Put out water for them. You may have to borrow a have a heart trap. Trappers have said Kentucky fried chicken gets them every time or just put sardines. Good luck. Do these things right away timing is important!

Suzan R.

3 years ago

General Information: Cats (if they are indoor cats) are usually close to home. Be sure to check all possible hiding places in your home. Hang clothes with your scent on it high up outside so that the familiar scent can travel and guide the cat home. Scent only - no food. Check with your neighbors to see if the cat is in their yard or accidentally stuck in their garage OR if they have a Ring camera (if applicable) to see if he/she was spotted on camera. Post fliers with your contact information on it around the area he/she is missing so if he/she is spotted the person can tell you her location. Keep an access point open for him/her to slip back in your home. Look in bushes or hiding spots around your home as if this cat is unfamiliar with being outdoors he/she is most probably scared of all the new sounds and smells and he/she will make himself/herself safe by finding a hiding spot. Check trees as the cat could use the tree as a refuge. Sometimes the best time to find your cat is when the noise level is low - after hours - or early morning hours. Take a flashlight and look for the shining eyes. Good luck.

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