Brooklyn, NY Lost Male Cat, Smokey Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Marcia O.

1 day ago

They usually don’t venture far. It’s probably scared & hiding near by in bushes or an open garage. Most kitties will stay put in their safe hiding spot. ( if they’re not fixed they can wonder further, depends on circumstances) Ask neighbors to check their sheds, decks, garages. They usually venture out at night after 24-48hrs when they start getting hungry. The “witching” hour when they come out is 3am. If you see your pet, don’t try to grab it, it’s still on survival mode and will run. Just sit down maybe with some treats and let your pet come to you. (Remember, never put the litterbox outside. Other cats will mark it & scare your cat away. Just in case, also set some humane traps near by, hide them in the bushes where your pet might hide. Good luck & don’t lose hope. Pray to St Anthony, he hasn’t let me down. 🙏🏻🐾

Donna C.

2 days ago

Scent drag trails all over your yard with clothes, blankets, towels, socks etc ASAP. I used to admin a few Lost/Found Cat pages. Put items of clothes, blankets, gym bag outside with both your scents on them ideally in the spot of exit/escape. Empty the contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister outside (it will have familiar scents). Check your & neighbor’s swimming pools, sheds, garages, porches, decks, dry docked boats, under crawl spaces, & in abandoned or empty homes (especially ones up 4 sale - could’ve gone in during a showing or open house), and look in bushes & up in trees & roof lines with a flashlight. Their eyes will glow when you shine the light on them. Check with delivery companies (parcel, furniture, moving companies etc) that may have been in your neighborhood. Cats are curious and have been known to jump in delivery trucks when doors are left open during deliveries. They will also seek warmth in wheel wells & automobile engines when the temperatures get cooler. If you have a drone with camera, use it to scan the neighborhood, yards, wooded areas. Contact local vets, animal shelters, & animal control. Post pics on all social media pages relevant to town where cat went missing. Inform your postman/woman delivering your mail & give them a flyer. Put a sign on your mailbox if possible. Ask your favorite pizza place to include fliers with their pizza boxes. Keep calling your cat around your neighborhood as often as you can especially early morning and at dusk when it’s quieter so they’ll hear your familiar voice & know they’re close to home. Shake food & treat bag, tap can opener on can of food when you search. Some cats will seek out food supply from fast food chains & restaurant & hotel dumpsters. Check those dumpsters in your area as well as surrounding areas. If you’re not absolutely sure he/she got out: Check behind appliances, in dresser drawers, in closets, shelving, cabinets, boxes, storage bins, luggage/suit cases, holes in walls, attics, basements, crawl spaces & rafters in ceiling; check your mattresses & the lining of your sofas, recliners, & upholstered furniture. From Stella Dan Montuori (Dog & Drone lost pet search): Find nearest water source and make a trail home don’t just leave stuff on porch. Dragging a blanket or clothes on the ground leaves a constant scent trail. Cut blanket or clothes into strips 3” by 12”inches and hang so bottom is touching or close to touching ground.Leave every 20 yards or so a teaspoon of kitty litter every 20/30 yards works also. I did this and cat showed up 1 hr later to the surprise of her skeptical owner .I always use cameras and never had a predator follow kitty litter. From rescuer Julia Toomey: Keep calling, your cat is most likely nearby even if he doesn't come to your calls, they can hear you. They are just scared. Don't stop calling them every day around the clock. Put litter box out so their scent is around (caution in suburbs where predators may be attracted). Talk to neighbors and inform them of his situation. Tell them to call you right away if they see him. Even though they are your cat, once outside they become very scared and may not come to you. Call a rescue group ASAP to see if they can let you borrow a trap. Leave then water and food unless you are trapping him, then the food goes in the trap. Do not act frantic or stressed around them or when you call them, they will pick up on your stress and it will make things worse and they may not come to you. If you see him act as calmly as you can, act like nothing is going on, like your weeding the ground or something and let him come to you and then grab him. Cats will chase a laser toy & is a great way to lead them safely indoors. The more you chase him the more he will run, it's in a cats nature. Just use soft tones with him and he will eventually come to you, be patient. He may not come out until it's dark. You could also leave your door open and see if he will run in but don't stand by the door, it will make him more hesitant. Right now he is in fight or flight mode because he is outside so be gentle. I would definitely call a rescue group RIGHT AWAY so they can help you and also give you advice. Don't wait too long, time is of the essence and you don't want him to leave the area, then things get difficult. If time elapses and he is still not home, make lots of flyers and leave them on peoples doors in a 2 mile radius around where the cat got lost from. These are your best chances for getting your cat back but you have to act quickly. *Tips for trapping* Do not set trap overnight where it can’t be monitored!! Use smelly fish like mackerel or tuna in oil. KFC works well, boneless of course. Cover top & sides of trap (not front where cat enters or back where it can impede traps performance) with a blanket or towel (one that has scent on it if available). Feed outside of trap to get cat used to it, then feed inside trap WITHOUT setting it, then feed inside trap and set once you see cat going in to eat*

Tina M.

2 days ago

First put out a big bowl of water. Then, did you try the kitty litter trick? Take some litter from their box and sprinkle outside leading to your door then call them constantly especially at dawn and dusk and when it's quiet. Kitty will follow its scent and your voice home. It's no doubt scared and hiding. You can also try a stinky can of sardines! Or if kitty is a cuddler, try putting an article of your clothing by your door. Also check area garages, under car hoods, shelters, Nextdoor and Pawboost for found kitties in and near your zip. Don’t give up. And post flyers around your neighborhood. Good luck! And please keep your kitty inside if you let it out!! Between coyotes, diseases, bad actors and cars, there are so many ways harm can come to them. Finally, if your kitty isn’t fixed, please spay/neuter!

Donna M.

2 days ago

🙏🏻

Nayak S.

2 days ago

📷 View photo on Facebook

Keith S.

2 days ago

I copy and paste my tips so I realize some of this might not apply. If you have a garage crack it enough so he can get in and out. Put out some food and water so he doesn’t go searching for it. Heated bowls if it’s getting cold. You can try shaking a bag of food or snapping a tab on a can, if he’s hungry enough he may come running. If you’re searching at night make sure you have a good flashlight. The light will make his eyes glow. Keep in mind cats like to stay in the shadows so they will walk close to or hug against buildings, homes, garages, bush lines etc to avoid being seen. If he’s never been out before he won’t go far. You can try putting out cat nip and a bell toy. If he finds it you may just hear the bell. Make sure to let your neighbors know and pass out flyers with all the information they need to get in touch with you including his picture. He’ll know your voice compared to others so keep that in mind as well. You should also get a trap and see if you can catch him that way. Some of the rescue shelters will loan them out. If you’re worried about the cold, you can build a cat shelter out of a tote or foam cooler. Just make sure you fill the shelter with straw not hay. Hay holds moisture. Also, ask your neighbors to check their garages and sheds to make sure he didn’t get stuck in there by mistake. I hope this helps and he comes home soon. cats are most active at dawn and dusk. 9pm or so and around 5:30am. Also, someone in another post recommended a cat chum line. You can look it up on google. As there is more to it, But here’s a bit of it. "Cat chum line" likely refers to a method used to attract cats, particularly lost or stray cats, using a scent trail or line of chum. This involves creating a path of strong-smelling substances like tuna, sardines, or even cat litter, leading back to a trap or a familiar area. The goal is to guide the cat back to safety or a place where it can be captured and returned home.

Judith L.

2 days ago

Hope you find ASAP. Wondering if you have correct address

Red C.

2 days ago

Here's tips for finding lost cats. If the cat was adopted from rescue, notify them immediately and ask if they can offer help and suggestions. If no one saw cat leave house, search thoroughly inside using flashlight to see eye reflection and open and check closets, cabinets, drawers, attics and basements - make sure he or she didn't get stuck in ceiling by pushing tiles open, or anywhere else. Also use information on sites for neon poster format (with Do Not Chase - Call with Sighting added), resource links, and pet detective services. If your cat is indoor only and spayed/neutered, he or she is probably hiding nearby and staying within 5-10 houses or if further, 5-10 blocks in either direction or less unless chased out of territory. Normally they hide first few days and then venture out at night or early morning for food when quieter. They usually find a specific place to access for shelter like in or under sheds, decks, porches, or garages, or by bushes establishing this as base to leave from looking for food and return to for safety. Inside only cats are usually more scared, hide longer, and stay closer to home. Conduct searches starting at home and expanding in circular radius from starting point to thoroughly check and cover areas. Repeat as necessary. Put supervised only trap with food in it in your yard or by last sighting dusk, evening, and dawn. Keep in mind setting 3 traps spaced out in triangle increases chances. Never leave trap set when no one is there. May be better not to leave food overnight to avoid attracting wildlife, etc. Make sure each trap is covered top and sides, supervised at all times, and checked often. Throw out food and close trap after each trapping session. Put 1/2 of dry food feeding and water out daily after 2nd or 3rd day and away from trap to keep in area. Put something that smells like you (worn socks) and cat (toy, bedding, etc.) in yard and smaller item(s) in trap or nearby - add catnip if likes it. Use www.pawboost.com it’s the best and comments on Facebook posts update on pawboost, www.petamberalert.com, www.helpinglostpets.com, and/or https://www.lostmykitty.com/ for poster and notification services to neighbors, vets, shelters, and rescues in area. Kimberley Freeman may still offer consultations www.lostcatfinder.com. Put up posters ASAP, and notify non-emergency police and animal control in surrounding area and bring posters for them to put up on bulletin board. Enlist daily help by giving posters to neighbors, joggers, walkers, dog walkers, public works, mailmen, and older children who are out regularly in area to keep eye out for your pet. Make sure to speak to and give posters to anyone feeding cats in your neighborhood. Leave garage, shed, or porch open for cat to access, when possible. In wintertime, put out shelter, igloo with straw etc. Use baby monitor to hear if crying during night, and you can purchase security camera and/or wildlife camera with IR night vision to monitor activity in yard and by feeding station. Ask neighbors if you can check yards, garages, porches, and in and under sheds and decks. Go at dusk, evening, and before dawn with a good flashlight to see reflecting eyes. Check trees, as well. Do not chase, or call unless you are in your yard or pet is in sight. Ask area rescues if they can assist with searches. Remember indoor only cats may hide first few days but venture out when hungry coming out of hiding when quiet so call only from yard during evening, middle of night, and dawn hours to keep in area. DO NOT CHASE! (Put this on all flyers!). If searching away from home, call very softly and listen for response. If hiding place is found, set supervised only and covered traps with permission in that area. In extreme hot or cold weather trap must be watched when set. Check www.petfinder.org for cats in rescue and shelter, and go to local shelters in person daily. If cat has microchip, call the company to report lost and ensure chip is registered and information is correct. Don't ever give up hope, keep searching, and update posts!

Elena A.

2 days ago

🙏🙏🙏🐈‍⬛❤️🆘🆘🆘

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