Pittsburgh, PA Lost Female Cat, Alice Is Missing

Comments on this Facebook alert

Samantha R.

2 months ago

Nigel Smith Gabi Waters

Barbara L.

2 months ago

Very important! If your cat/dog is microchipped PLEASE double check to make sure the microchip is REGISTERED and up to date with your current information and telephone number incase someone finds your cat/dog and takes it somewhere to get scanned so that they can call you. You should have the chip number in your paperwork from who IMPLANTED the chip in. You will need the BRAND of chip to be able to call them and check to see if it is REGISTERED and up to date. If you only have the number and Not the BRAND of chip you can enter it for free on this national website. When you enter the chip number in it will ONLY tell you the BRAND of chip so that you can call them and check to see if it is REGISTERED and up to date with your current information and telephone number. https://www.aaha.org/for-veterinary-professionals/microchip-search/

Barbara L.

2 months ago

Buy, rent or borrow a humane trap and set it up asap. It must be monitored, kept in the shade and covered on top because of the weather. Tractor supply, Lowes, Home Depot, and Amazon sell them. Certain animal shelters will rent them out. Keep in mind you may catch a raccoon and you need to know how to release it safely

Barbara L.

2 months ago

Put something with your cat's scent on it outside on the porch such as a blanket, clothes, toys etc. Sprinkle cat nip on it too if you have any

Barbara L.

2 months ago

Go knocking door to door asking your neighbors within a 2-3 block radius. Hand them a flyer with a photo of your cat/dog and a telephone number to be reached at. Hang up flyers outside and protect them with a plastic sleeve from the weather.

Barbara L.

2 months ago

Indoor only fixed cats will be close by hunkered down in fear. Look in bushes, under porches and decks, small spaces and sheds. If you look in the dark with a bright flashlight cat's eyes will glow when the light hits them. Wear reflective and bright clothing so cars can see you in the dark.

Jenn H.

2 months ago

Please make sure to go out and look as soon as you possibly can. The ideas that I’ve had shared with me that help people find their lost cats are the following: Look at all yards, especially those that neighbor yours. Ask if you or the owner can look under any deck or porches, in any sheds or garages, in basement windows, or under anything that has a tarp over it like a grill, a woodpile, or a vehicle. Leave out very dirty laundry in your yard. Socks, T-shirts, pants, towels, bedsheets, even underwear. Your cat knows what home smells like, so you said to your advantage. Open up your windows, even though it’s gonna be hot and humid, open them up unless somebody in the house is sensitive to heat and humidity. In that case, only open a few windows that are near the first floor so that your cat can smell your house. If anybody in your house wears a perfume or cologne daily spreads that leading up to your front porch. If you choose to put the litter box outside, make sure that you put the litter box onto a thick towel, a blanket, or an unfolded/flattened Amazon box. The litterbox smell might attract your cat, but it might also attract any animal in the area who is curious about the new cat smell. So if you ever leave the litter box outside, make sure you’re there to watch it the entire time so that your presence/sight of you can scare away any animal that might be attracted to it. Those animals could scare your cat away, but your being there might actually make your cat more confident. This part might sound a little weird, but if you have any other cats in your household, ask them to get in touch with Alice and let her know that you’re looking for her. Tell them to tell her that you’re not mad at her. You just want to make sure she gets home safely so if she hears you calling for her that she should go to the sound of your voice and she should let you pick her up so you can bring her back into the house. If there are no other cats in your household, visualize yourself talking to her, and imagine her coming up to you so that you can pick her up and bring her back into the house. If there are any other cats that live outside of your house, as in feral cats, tell them that Alice is lost and you’re looking for her. Tell them to nicely encourage her to come back home so that you can bring her back inside so that she will not be in their territory anymore. I know that part sounds a little bit weird, but once I had not seen one of my regular feral cats around. Another feral cat had been coming up and I asked him to tell her to please come back, or for him to please get her to come back to the house. She and he are both feral cats, they were born outside, but I like to take care of them. Later that day I was looking outside and he actually chased her up onto the front porch. I can’t promise you that that will work for you, but you never know. Another option is to look for someone who has a drone who can help you find your lost cat. I just saw a story on YouTube today, from the KDKA channel, about a woman who used a drone to find a family’s lost German Shepherd who was paralyzed in both of his back legs. She has a drone that uses heat sensors and AI to find lost pets. She was able to find him in the woods. He was safely, returned back to his people. Google “Pittsburgh Drone Pet Search” and maybe she can help you. Also notify your veterinarian, and any other Vet clinic in the area, that she has lost and being looked for. That way, if somebody does find her and brings her in somebody at the vet clinic will know that she’s being looked for. You might also be able to leave a flyer in their lobby. If she has a microchip, make sure that your contact information associated with that microchip number is current. Whether she’s microchip or not, go to a website called cats in the bag.org, all one word, for tips and tricks on how to find cats based on their background. That includes indoor only, indoor/outdoor, or formerly feral. Also speak with your mail carrier if you haven’t found her by tomorrow. They obviously do a lot of walking and maybe they’ve seen her. When you go searching for her, make sure you bring a flashlight with fresh batteries. Do not rely on your cell phone to have a bright or long enough beam of light to use as a flashlight. Use the flashlight even during the day because when you look underneath decks and porches, anything in the shade, her eyes will reflect to you. You need to be very thorough because her instincts will tell her to remain still and silent. That’s so she does not draw the attention of a predator. You could be standing right next to her hiding space calling for her and she might not move a muscle or make a sound because she feels she needs to be quiet and still no matter what. Also bring a thick towel or a blanket so you can wrap her in so that she can remain safe while you walk home. Cats are often more active during the dark, so your best bet is to look for her during dusk and dawn. When you go out looking, bring somebody with you, but make sure it is not somebody who is easily excitable like a child. If you have a dog that she trusts, bring the dog with you, but make sure the dog is not overly excitable as well. If you do see her try to NOT lunge for her unless you’re absolutely certain you’re going to be faster than her. Being outside will have a cat on edge and any sudden movements might make her run away from you, not towards you. If you decide to try a live trap, make sure you drape it with a towel or a blanket from inside that smells like your house, and make sure to watch it at all times in someway. Either set up a motion, sensing camera or actively watch the trap. You do not want someone to steal the trap and use it for bad things, but you also do not want an animal stuck in the trap for longer than they need to be. In setting up a trap and baiting it with food that she likes you might also get a raccoon, a squirrel, another cat, whatever and you don’t want an animal staying in a trap for too long because it’s very stressful. Also, when you go out to look for her, make sure you bring something that she likes. It does not have to be something stereotypically cat, it could be whatever is very special to her. If it’s food, bring a bag bring a can, tap it, rattle it, whatever. If it’s a toy, bring it, jingle it, act like you’re playing. And when you call for her, make sure you call to her as if you’re trying to get her attention like you do when you’re both indoors. Try your best to not sound scared because that might make her want to hide even more. Best of luck to you and I hope that you’re soon happily reunited with Alice. I know what it’s like to have a cat who is scared of anybody but you, and my biggest fear was always for her to get lost outside. If your girl has never been outside before she is likely hiding very close by, so please get out there and look. Look in every patch of weeds, looking bushes, look everywhere. Cats can fit into some very small places so if it looks like she could fit into something look in it, under it, over it, etc.

Suzanne G.

2 months ago

Don’t give up!

Suzanne G.

2 months ago