El Cerrito, CA Lost Male Cat, Buster Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Angela S.

13 hours ago

The best thing to do is to talk to your neighbors during the day to see if they have seen your cat. People can miss your posts on social media. Do not rely on social media. See if your neighbors can leave their garages and sheds open for a few hours. Your cat may not come out right away once the doors are opened. This is because when cats are in survival mode, they may not act normal. Your cat may be scared to come out when others are around. You can also print mini flyers and attach them to your neighbors' doors if they are not home. You can use painter's tape so that it is easy for the homeowner to remove. Also, post on Nextdoor to alert neighbors. Please make sure that your cat has a way to get back into your house 24/7. You want to leave a garage door, sliding glass door or window that they exited from as well as some of your recently worn clothing outside of the entry way. ***Do NOT put your cat's litter box outside as it can attract predators.*** You will have the best chance to find your cat tonight from 11 pm until 6 AM. Cats become most active at 3 AM. Use a flashlight and calmly call your cat. Best wishes! 🙏

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

He is THERE hiding - cats get curious and get outside but instantly know they've made a mistake and go into survival mode - EVEN though hes had outdoor experience - RIGHT NOW he will behave exactly like an indoor ONLY cat that escapes acts like - HIDING , SCARED ...you must be patient and follow the guidance as best as possible and NOT rely on anyone online - remember peolple like me on pawboost live all over and he is there where you live and your actual neighbors next to you that are not seeing any of these online posts...you can find him!! sending you love hope and determination. Also happy to speak over the phone 650-339-6619 free always i just want you to get your sweet elderly cat back home - they don't leave THEY HIDE usually withing 150 feet of the escape door - but they are th stealthiest of hiders and tend to try to get back inside after dark the 1st week....crinkle the treat bag - sit outside and calmly call for him it's Sunday morning very mellow usually compared to work week...xoxoxox damia

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

🚨🚨🚨WARNING🚨🚨🚨 SCAMMERS will claim they found your cat! Or will tell you about a (FAKE) INSTAGRAM Pet recovery service they used - OR WILL SHOW YOU an AI (FAKE) photo of your cat - these are SCAMMERS!!! SCAMMERS will text you saying they’re affiliated with Pawboost or an ANIMAL SHELTER and that they HAVE YOUR CAT and that YOU need to PROVE who you are by giving other phone numbers, your email, verifying google codes etc or to send money to get your cat from the shelter. These are all SCAMMERS! THEY WON'T Send you a PHOTO of your cat (they'll make up any excuse) OR THEY'LL SEND a PHOTO of a similar cat OR AN AI FAKE PHOTO - or a blurry video - but it’s not your cat! Look closely. Google the photo they send it could be a photo they stole from the internet. Please know that If your actual neighbor sees or has your cat they will give you information freely (and will post a PHOTO on your listing and not make you ‘send a code or personal information or money. 🚨🚨🚨There’s a NEW SCAM they will call you saying they are animal care and control and that your cat was brought in but got hit by a car and needs an operating then they will ask you for payment - THIS IS A SCAM!!!! Animal care and control would NEVER ask for money 🚨🚨🚨 ASK TO FACETIME ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE YOUR CAT (TO PROVE THEY HAVE YOUR CAT) AND THEY ARE ASKING YOU FOR A $ REWARD. SCAMMERS are the ONLY PEOPLE WHO ASK FOR A REWARD. 🚨🚨🚨There’s a NEW SCAM on Facebook the scammer will say something like ‘my husband found your cat or your cat was hit by a car please message me your phone number and send $ “ meaning they want you to message them from your Facebook messenger your phone number! 🚨🚨🚨The Facebook SCAMMER will tell you to look up a lost cat search team they used on Instagram or another platform saying their cat was found within hours -it’s a total SCAM. LOOK AT THEIR FACEBOOK PROFILE - you may see many (PAID) followers but they are not following anyone, The profile will have a few photos only, usually just selfies and the profile was created not long ago. You will see no posts / conversations with friends , I report the account to Facebook Scammers are heartless

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

❤️ I've reunited over 100 LOST cats - please read my long comments and follow as best as possible. Do not rely on ONLINE. During the day flyer and talk to neighbors door to door - at night CALL for kitty CALMLY at the escape point and spend time there … shine flashlight under parked cars and/or bushes, under stairs, decks …AND LURE TO WET FOOD BOWL with (mini) blink camera aimed ...if no camera yet, start with wet food bowl tonight (prevent ant from invading the food by placing wet food bowl inside a larger bowl and fill the outer bowl with water) ❤️ You will find your sweet furry baby - be patient - stay determined - continue to take action in person - don't let anyone discourage you. Kitty is nearby hiding or stuck - either way kitty is scared and in survival mode and will hide from ALL humans..GAIN access to your nextdoor neighbors from all sides - ask to go out there ALONE bring a flashlight to shine under the decks to catch the reflection of kitty’s eyes. they are the best hiders. When My own cat Sophie (who used to be allowed on our backyard patio) went missing, I called and searched and because of her AIRTAG I found her 2 backyards over (I hopped fences and asked for forgiveness of my neighbors who know me) and found her under a dense shrub she was not budging and acted like I was a predator she was so scared. I brought my carrier sat down for an hour and was able to get her inside my carrier and get her home….SHE WAS TERRIFIED HIDING FROM ME!! EVEn though she was used to the backyard, because she left the backyard she went into SURVIVAL MODE ,terrified and HID in silence. ❤️ . Buy a motion activated camera ($29 mini blink camera on amazon works great and you can overnight it) to aim at the wet food bowl you will put by the escape point at sunset (and ongoing sunsets if you don't find kitty tonight). It took 4 nights for Beanie baby cat to go to the food at night then the guardian set my trap the next night and watched from inside and kitty was trapped night 5. It took 6 nights to spot lost cat Marmalade coming to the wet food at midnight caught on camera! And because she is skittish we had to humanely trap her. It took several tries as she was scared of the trap. We had to get her used to the trap being there.....so we placed the wet food inside the UN-SET trap to get her to go into the trap for 1 night and once she went in THEN we SET the trap and did a STAKEOUT where we watched closely out the window with the lights off until she came. The next night we used a baby monitor so we could see close up and also to scare off possoms that kept coming. (scare them without making noise just by opening the door and shushhing or squirt bottle) . Watch the training video from previous post before EVEN thinking to trap. It's SO helpful. *** place kitty's known WATER bowl outside too ❤️ Don’t rely on online forums 🙏 talk to your immediate neighbors, gain access to yards - FLYER. ask to go into your neighbor's yard ALONE and bring a flashlight to shine under stairs/ decks or inside sheds , in garages, under crawl space....don't give up. You can get kitty HOME ❤️ ☀️ 💦 HOT DAYS: Please place fresh cool WATER in Large BOWL (not plastic) IN FRONT and BACK of where you live (in the shade) for any thirsty kitty 💕 ask neighbors to do the same

📷 View photo on Facebook

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

💖🐱LURE KITTY WITH WET stinky fish based CAT food placed in bowl near escape point (2 hours before sunset /ongoing) NO DRY food / it attracts raccoons - ONLY WET FOOD and NEVER leave food in the can - it will SLICE the TONGUE and mouths of hungry cats. Get a $29 mini blink camera (order on amazon overnight)aimed at that food bowl - it will send your phone movement notifications and video clips - this is KEY because scared cats HIDE from all humans - even from YOU! the human kitty loves. ——— 💖🐱2 hours before sunset (ONGOING)Place bowl of wet food inside a larger bowl then fill the outer bowl with water to prevent ants from invading the wet food (NO DRY FOOD - you want kitty to smell the food and not attract raccoons who love dry food) 💖🐱 💖🐱INDOOR ONLY cats and LIMITED OUTSIDE ACCESS cats never go far. They go into survival mode and hide in silence. Most of them will not respond when they are in survival mode. 3 AM is the best time to find a missing indoor only cat. This is the time they become most active and responsive. Sit and quietly call for your kitty in your calm normal voice. Try to stay low, standing is intimidating to cats. Be patient. Do your best to remain calm despite the alarming situation. Calling for them at the top of your lungs will scare your already frightened cat. Scared cats are the best hiders. 💥💥 DO NOT LEAVE THE LITTER BOX OUTSIDE💥💥 It will attract Predators that will scare your cat away 💖🐱Put Your Scent Outside —.Place your dirty laundry - Tshirt, socks, pillow case or blanket you’ve used - place near the escape point. If you have a garage (and that’s the side kitty got out) place the items just inside the garage door left cracked open 5” - just enough for kitty to get in. 💖🐱Most INDOOR ONLY cats will be within 150 feet of your home HIDING (or stuck) . INDOOR cats that get out are immediately terrified and find the 1st place to hide and HUNKER DOWN sometimes for days at a time. DO a methodical search of the area. Check the house thoroughly. Check nearby bushes, underneath cars, in the car engine area, wheel wells and around the bumpers, check under your building, crawl space, drain pipe area. It's VERY VERY important that you look for kitty as late at night as you can.. Use a flashlight as late at night as you can to look in trees, under cars and in bushes, under porches, in crawl spaces. Try to look for the glow of the cat’s eyes. Because indoor only cats hide so well they are NOT as likely to be ed by a predator. Don't give up, it can take days. weeks or even months to find a missing cat. 💥💥 HUNGER ALWAYS WINS 💥💥 place wet food just inside the escape door and get a camera aimed AT WET FOOD - to receive phone notifications of any movement. Wildlife and motion activated WIFI cameras are extremely helpful in spotting scared cats that come out to eat when no one is around. It can take many nights before hunger takes over enough to come out of hiding (if not stuck) Keep replenishing wet food each sunset…it took 2 weeks for lost cat Reesy Puff to get caught on camera eating the food at night ( we trapped her 2 nights later) It took lost cat Sophie 6 weeks to show up on camera - trapped the next night! Some cats remain at a neighbors to scared or unable to get back - wherever your cat gets sighted get a camera aimed at wet food there asap and rent a trap… Mini Blink camera : https://a.co/d/00x4Gs9H Blink wireless: https://a.co/d/6LnRHNM 💖🐱PRINT flyers and hand them out to all your neighbors. Knock on doors. ASK neighbors to check Ring cameras and allow you to check crawl spaces, bats, sheds.. 💖🐱If kitty is spotted on someone's RING camera or in someone's YARD but STILL HIDING when you call calmly over and over THEN I'd highly recommend setting a trap at the same time kitty was spotted on camera. The trap must be monitored every single second it is ‘set’ to trap. A lot of people are successful trapping their own cats. If you decide to trap, you must watch the trap closely, predators can a cat in a trap. In a recent case, while using a baby monitor to monitor the trap from inside the home, the guardian’s cat came to the front door at 5 AM and she was heard on the baby monitor. 💖🐱RENT/BORROW A HUMANE TRAP - Ask Nextdoor ‘cat owner’ group or other pet groups if someone can loan your a humane trap to lure kitty with stinky wet fish based food. You can rent from your local SPCA/animal shelter though it can take a few days to access so sometimes reaching out to cat groups on nextdoor and facebook will be faster. If you live in San Francisco I am happy to loan you one of my traps. Traps WORK well to lure scared cats out of hiding before Dawn or after sunset. 💖🐱I use a baby monitor → https://a.co/d/bcuK17m as part of the STAKEOUT to monitor the trap door opening non-stop livestream (or you can add your wifi camera to your iPad or mini-ipad and use the pad as your live stream monitor OR SIMPLY watch LIVE FEED from your wifi camera (mini blink works great!). When you set the trap, you place stinky fish based wet cat food as bait at the far back center of the trap BEHIND the ‘trip plate’. I would suggest getting the help with someone experienced. OR watch the training videos below. It’s crucial for you cat’s safety. You must monitor the trap at a close distance and/or watch the baby monitor live feed without distractions. 💖🐱NEVER leave an active trap unattended/unmonitored for even 10 seconds. You don’t want to trap another cat or worse, a raccoon. If you come across any stray cats coming to the food, please find out if kitty belongs to someone else by posting online ‘IS THIS YOUR CAT’ on facebook, nextdoor etc and take the cat to determine if micro-chipped. There are so many lost kitties and you would hope someone would do this for your kitty. *** WARNING: if you don't watch the trap and your cat gets trapped they will thrash around trying to get out and will call on predators that can a cat in a trap. Watch the trap every minute and be ready to cover the trap with a blanket once your cat is trapped - will calm kitty until you can get kitty inside the home. *** 💥💥BEFORE TRAPPING: MUST-WATCH HOW-TO VIDEO Trapper Tips and Tricks! Presented by Neighborhood Cats : https://youtu.be/DtXyrD6w0bk LINK to Graphic showing Trapping Stakeout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vTnF0r1693YiOYLhqJGvf0KtQQ3X17Qy/view?usp=sharing

📷 View photo on Facebook

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

LEAVE the escape door open 4 inches now and whenever you're home. Tonight especially - plan to spend time AT the escape point as the sun is setting and onward sweetly calling his name like nothing is wrong over and over. YES CATS get curious and will often sprint outside but they don't LEAVE - they freak out and go into survival mode and HIDE VERY CLOSE to the escape point in survival mode hiding from all humans. Call for him now and tonight - and LURE WITH FOOD and get a mini blink camera aimed ASAP - place the wet food 2 hours before sunset tonight and ongoing.....

HappyCatLady .

16 hours ago

💖 *** RIGHT NOW **** ( It's still EARLY + QUIET) GO OUT to kitty's ESCAPE / EXIT point and CALL For kitty in a very CALM, NORMAL voice. Keep calling gently. If kitty likes the sound of crinkling a treat bag, try that again and again. It’s best to stay near the escape point and calmly call kitty for 30 minutes at a time. *******REPEAT AT SUNSET and again TONIGHT AND LATE NIGHT 🙏****** set alarm for 12AM & 3AM. ****** Starting at sunset - Leave escape door open 4 inches and porch lights off / dimmed - sometime they run back in after dark on their own . Be patient sometimes they will hide in one place for several nights before trying to come back to the escape door and/or Wet food you leave out with a camera aimed to record movement! 🐱💜Dear Guardian. Please know you can find your sweet kitty by taking various actions to cover ALL possibilities, whether kitty is HIDING or STUCK. #1 mistake is Waiting. Glad you posted. Taking ACTION IN PERSON IS KEY. Here is exactly what to do 🙏 🐱 INDOOR-ONLY CATS (or INDOOR / OUTDOOR cats that get spooked and/or GET OUT into NEW location ) THey will find the 1st place to HIDE and HUNKER DOWN in SILENCE. They tend to remain VERY NEAR, typically within a few houses and often right next door or even UNDER your house. Kitty is in survival mode and meowing would give away their location to predators. Scared Cats in a foreign environment will often NOT meow - though Kitty needs to hear your voice. Kitty May come forward on your 40th or 400th call! Be patient. Scared cats are the best hiders. 🐱 INDOOR and INDOOR/OUTDOOR cats HIDE and GET STUCK in garages, crawl spaces, under porches, under buildings, in storage areas and roofs. Most lost cats are found within the block - though keep open to the possibility of further out! 💥💥 DO Not put out LITTER BOX - the scent will attract aggressive animals 💥💥 💥 IMPORTANT 💥 SEARCH & CALL for kitty calmly AT NIGHT when cats are most active and feel ‘safer’ to move. Set alarm for 12pm, 3AM, 5AM call for kitty in your sweet voice. Many cats come out of hiding LATE NIGHT (or you may hear meows if trapped nearby. 🐱 LEAVE A WAY BACK INSIDE 24/7 in case kitty sneaks back LATE NIGHT. Leave the ‘escape’ DOOR/WINDOW wedged OPEN 4” with wet food and water just inside. Place your dirty laundry by the escape point like a shirt or pillow case. If kitty escaped from the front (and you have a garage) leave garage door OPEN 4” with WET food placed just inside the opening with camera AIMED at the food bowl to send movement notifications to your PHONE. THEN place kitty’s BEDDING deep inside the garage (FAR AWAY from food) . If no garage, leave wet food and water near escape point - out of plain sight of humans walking by. 💥 IMPORTANT 💥 PLACE A CAMERA AIMED at WET FOOD bowl (NO DRY FOOD) ) you leave by the escape point (if possible wedge door open 4” with food inside ). The food may attract other cats in the neighborhood, but one of those cats might be yours if you’re lucky! Replace wet food every sunset (raccoons LOVE DRY cat food so only offer WET) You can't believe how often a cat will return home at night and has no way of getting back inside (or is too scared to go inside ) Without the camera aimed at food, guardians would NOT know kitty is AROUND. Once spotted on Camera, BUT still hiding from you, THEN the next step is to humanely TRAP your kitty. I can Loan you a TRAP if you live in SF - You can RENTa trap from any shelter. 💥 CAMERA: Mini Blink WIFI camera $29 : https://a.co/d/00x4Gs9H 💥 OR WIRELESS/ waterproof Blink camera : https://a.co/d/cDeKLXz 💥 IF NO WIFI: Wildlife/Trail camera (battery operated) Check footage manually https://a.co/d/07RCVBjR 8 AA lithium batteries (buy extra) + Micro SD Memory Card: https://a.co/d/44AXvel TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS 🐱Your ACTUAL neighbors on your block will NOT see these online posts. And they won't do anything if they see a cat unless they know YOUR cat is missing! This is why you must go door to door with FLYERS and post up flyers on lampposts 1-3 blocks in all directions 💜🙏 🐱 KNOCK / RING DOORS, starting with the first 5-10 residences in ALL directions from you. Looks for gates she could have slipped under or through (if she got out from the street side) Take notes on a PRINTED Google map of your block - note which neighbors you spoke to and those who weren’t home so you can return later - keep trying until you talk to all your neighbors around your block. 🐱RING CAMERAS - ASK neighbors to check CAMERAS, Garages, sheds, storage units, crawl spaces, under porches, pipe drain area. Kitty could be STUCK (happens all the time!) and talking to neighbors HELPS to engage them. 🐱 GAIN ACCESS TO YOUR NEIGHBORS YARDS: USE a flashlight EVEN during the day to catch the reflection of kitty’s EYE under decks and crawl spaces, SEARCH ALONE. 🐯PRINT A GOOGLE MAP OF YOUR BLOCK: BELOW is an example of taking notes on a map as I go door to door KNOCKING. If not home, tape a FLYER directly onto front doors using painter’s tape (won’t harm) . I write down names (or smiley face) which folks I spoke to. F = flyered (not home) The goal is to talk to all your neighbors to best engage them - ASK them to CALL if they THINK they see your cat ( + take a photo!) Keeping track on a map is a HUGE HELP - I keep returning until I talk to everyone and again a few days / 1 week later to remind folks! 🐱💜 PRINT 150+ FLYERS for giving out door to door and also POST FULL flyers on both sides of every lampposts 2 Blocks out in all directions. Place FLYERS (that you post up on lampposts) inside a clear “protective sheet cover” with the opening facing down so weather doesn’t ruin them. Google: “clear sheet protector” Buy on amazon or at a FEDEX PRINT store. You can submit print order online for pick up even if FEDEX is closed. Once open, ask if they can PRINT right away. Fedex Print stores sell ‘clear sheet protectors’, packing tape & duct tape for posting Flyers on lampposts and blue ‘painters tape’ for adhering flyers onto front doors and mailboxes. Download a FLYER ‘template’ on www.happycatlady.com Offer a reward $ for a PHOTO of your Kitty And NOT to approach. SEE TEMPLATE:: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M2tvbJlvnL3NoLl_c6ulKxCLo5PSpOoL/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102845077284118854428&rtpof=true&sd=true ONLINE: (please do not rely on posting online) 🙏💜DON’T GIVE UP! (INDOOR-ONLY) Lost Cat ‘Clementine’ was FOUND after 29 days only 2 backyards away! Her guardian had to trap her because kitty was in survival mode and kept hiding in the bushes. (INDOOR / OUTDOOR) LOST CAT ‘Lina’ was spotted on camera 2 weeks later, eating food left by the open door but she would NOT come inside. Her guardian coaxed her for several nights to get her inside! Without a camera she would have NEVER known Lina was around. Cats act different when in survival mode - be patient. Sending LOVE & unwavering determination 💖🙏 damia foti 💖🙏 ( www.happycatlady.com) 💖LINK TO LOST CAT FLYER / GOOGLE MAP GRAPHIC: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cYfhp2o-m2C_OKPvdEriHZxYscDmeL5U/view?usp=sharing —--