Burke, VA Lost Male Cat, Smoky Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Linda L.

1 month ago

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼👼👼👼👼👼👼👼✨ Psalm 91

Robert P.

1 month ago

Sending prayers for Smokey to find his way back home

William L.

2 months ago

Praying for Smoky's safe return home.

Janene P.

2 months ago

Please check out this article I copied from a person’s page: Helpful Tips for Finding a Missing Cat From my experience of Coaching/Recovering over 2000 cats as a Lost Pet Professional, I have found that Escaped Indoor Cats are extremely predictable and are not lost per se- just displaced from their inside territory and hiding close by- Waiting to get back in but can't open the door. Right after dark search with a flashlight looking for eyeshine in all the hiding places around the outside of your house and garage - starting at the escape point working out to a 3-5 house radius where the cat could hide including up a tree or on a roof- especially if there are dogs around. Let the flashlight do the work- don't invade hiding places or the cat may move or run. Always leave the escape door open during this search because if the cat runs- it will likely be to that door. Search any bat opening that may be accessible thru a broken window or open door etc. If seen, sit and calmly coax- let the cat come to you- DO NOT approach - be patient. If it has rained -the cat would move to a completely dry hiding place which may include open garages and sheds where they may also get closed in. If not found in the searches- speak calmly to the kitty near the escape door -NOT frantic stressful calling - and make the noises you do at feeding time- crinkle treat bag - open a can etc . It's not about food- it's about a familiar sound. If no meowing answers or no kitty appears after a while- go inside and leave the way in open. Repeat talking before you go to bed. Leave the door the cat escaped thru ajar from late night to dawn and it will likely return- no lights inside or out. No food in the first 5 days as the cat knows there is food in its territory. NO LITTER ever -that's a dangerous myth and clothes do not help- cats do not navigate by smell - they have internal gps. If the door the cat left from can't be left open- leave the garage door up cat height and an inside door open or a place to wait up high like a cat tree.. Most will show themselves when you open the door early morning with the same feeding time noises and talk Also all of this is step for step in my expanded article in the "files" section here on Recovering an Escaped Indoor Cat along with the next steps to take along the way as you may eventually need to feed/film/trap after the first 5 days and put out signs. Cats have no system to recognize their owner's scent... - in fact in a study to see if cats recognzied the owner's scent or sought comfort from it...Cats ignored the Owner's scent as expected. Cats mark human friends and cat friends.... with their own pheromones..in a system called "bunting"because they have no system to recognize an Owner...Cats evolved for thousands of years without owners....- they rely on scent only within their species to communicate and to mark their territory and friendly safe items in their territory..Cats are very, very predictable if you understand their physical and mental systems. Cats use GPS/magnetoreception to navigate to their territory anyway- not scent. They will move toward an Owner's calm voice but have no way to identify a human's scent.....Those are dog ss and behaviors. Cats use scent primarily to differentiate - not to navigate and their scent range is very limited...in the 15-20 ft range unless a scent is on the wind. In cats, scent determines ual status and is used to communicate, to interact socially, and to identify territory - not to navigate or find home or owners... Please do try putting clothes out with your scent on them. It does work. Prayers.

Sandra R.

2 months ago

Prayers

Karen C.

2 months ago

Go to the shelter in person to look for him & bring a flyer, post one at your local convenience store and library. Post on nextdoor.com More people will see this. Praying he's safe and home REAL SOON 🙏 ❤️

Veronica S.

2 months ago

Still missing! Please share!

Sandra R.

2 months ago

Prayers

Paxie W.

2 months ago

I am not an expert, but after ours went briefly missing I have a few tips to share. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Look in storm drains. Bend down and look, dont assume they can hear you calling for them. Even if you are next to it calling out, they may not hear. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Walk the surrounding areas during quite times of the day, especially in late at night and early mornings. Take treats to shake or cans of food to tap. Cats are most likely to be active and venturing out of hiding during those times. Cats are naturally more active during dusk and dawn, and may be less likely to be seen during the day. Additionally, many cats will attempt to return home within the first week, often in the middle of the night. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Don't put out their litter, but do put out a load of your laundry. Your baby knows your scent. Litter might attract territorial aggressive strays or ferals that might fight or chase away your baby. They won't care about your laundry though. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Tell your neighbors. Ask the delivery people, garbage & recycling people to keep an eye out. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Notify the microchip company and make sure they are still in their system 🐈‍⬛✔️ Use free online sources like Canva to make flyers to put up. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Contact the local shelters to alert them. They will check the pets that came in and will be on the look out for yours when new ones come in. They also have resources/suggestions, and can loan you traps. **if you use a trap, check it often as raccoons will injure trapped cats. Do not leave it alone over night. ⚠️ Set your alarm to wake up to check it 🐈‍⬛✔️ Contact the vets in the surrounding area. Someone might take your pet in to see if they have a chip. Leave your info with them just in case someone does. 🐈‍⬛✔️Reach out to local rescues to alert them. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Register them on websites like Petco Lost Love and PawBoost. One will create a flyer for you to print out and both can be used to share on social media. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Check out websites like 24PetConnection , nextdoor neighbors, and the shelters periodically to see if they have been listed as found. 🐈‍⬛✔️ Don't give up.

Dale M.

2 months ago

🙏🐈🙏