Philadelphia, PA Lost Male Cat, Nacho Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Marie S.

2 months ago

Here are some tips that I found on finding a lost cat...... it is very important that you start immediately. First, please do not panic, stay calm, your cat needs all of your energy to help bring him home. Don’t waste any time, start immediately. Indoor cats don't travel far from home. 90% of missing cats are usually hiding nearby, within a 5 house radius of your home. Draw a circle around your home and go out 5 houses in every direction. This area must be searched thoroughly and knock on every single neighbors door. Install a security camera to see if it shows up at night or during the day when you’re not out looking (if you can’t afford one, see if you can borrow one from someone ). Put food and water outside by the door if you think he got out. Check all possible hiding spots on your property and around bushes. Check storm drains, inside sheds, and garages and look up in trees and under cars. Check the same spots multiple times. Let your neighbors know and ask if they can check their property, sheds and garages or ask if they'll let you check. Cats are most active in the early morning and late at night. At night look around with a flashlight. A cat's eyes will reflect the light. If your neighbors have a security camera ask if they could check it. Put flyers up around the neighborhood too. Let the local vets know and even go to the shelter that takes in animals from your town. Leave a flyer with both. Let your police department and animal control officer know too in case anyone finds him and contacts them. Leave them with a flyer too. Put out the cat’s bed or towel and some of your unwashed clothing so that they can catch their scent and yours; If your cat is indoor only, you must set a humane trap immediately....(Google local rescue groups in your area to borrow one or call your local shelter and ask them for one or ask them to help you trap). Get lots of tuna in vegetable oil NOT Water, because it is very smelly, and does not freeze in cold weather....if you know the direction your cat went, SOAK the ground with tuna juice from two different directions, one from the direction your car went and one from another direction close by up to the door of the trap & put very little bits of tuna along the way on the tuna juice trail, up to the front of the trap and then very little bits of tuna through the trap to the back of the trap where you leave more tuna on a paper plate .....(on the outside of the trap and through it leave only VERY LITTLE bits of tuna, you want the cat to be hungry and go to the back of the trap); this MUST be monitored at all times and in the heat must be changed out every hour... do not sit close... you want to be able to see it but you want to make sure your cat comes in close, things should be very very quiet and if it’s getting dark, lights should be low outside and inside the house; On top of the trap put UNWASHED clothes you have worn, (T-shirt/socks) and on top of that cover it with a towel that you also used so all these items have your scent on it; If this is an indoor/outdoor cat you can also use the tuna juice trail leading up to a bowl of tuna… This also MUST be monitored.... Only people who your cat is comfortable with should be searching for her; Everyone should have a BRIGHT flashlight with them at daytime and night time, search every area thoroughly, checking every inch, lost cars can curl up into such tight balls...look under anything with a tarp on it, pool covers, grill covers, furniture covers, in any kind of a hole or crevice, all the way under porches, under bushes, in bushes, in trees, all the way underneath sheds within that 5 house radius, many cats hide all the way under sheds ... please ask your neighbors if you can search their properties thoroughly, please check all their garages every square inch, under cars, anywhere a cat could hide, sewers, water basins if they are by you, again every square inch... Make up flyers with a really good picture of your car that is large, put “Missing” at the top and the date.. put your phone number underneath in big bold letters that can be seen clearly and the cat’s name… Deliver posters to as many neighbors as you can, also give them out to all local delivery people, the mailman, fed ex man, workers in the area, dog walkers, all of them see so much… Bring them to the local police, animal control, vets offices and animal shelters, starting within a 2 mile radius of your home (you may have to go out further later if your cat is not found) …Also ask all local businesses if you can put flyers up in their windows; put them up for at least a 2 mile radius on telephone poles, etc.; Go to all local animal shelters at least every other day and call them on a daily basis..You must go there yourself because they are overwhelmed and there are Night people that may not realize that your cat has been brought in.. Do NOT put a litter box out as it will attract Feral cats and other predators who will scare your cat away and will catch mouse droppings and bird droppings and change the scent. Go out at night and walk slowly, looking for the shine of your cats eyes with a BRIGHT flashlight, usually they are most active half hour before and after sunrise and sunset.. when you are searching call your kitties name softly and then really listen to see if you can hear him.. remember they are usually within a 5 house radius... If this is the only cat in the home, and you can, leave your screen door open at night & sit there quietly, you’re cat may come right in the door or leave a window open that your cat can come home thru... if you have a garage, leave the garage door open slightly... keep the lights low in and outside your house and keep things inside and outside your house very very quiet, so that it does not feel threatened by coming home; Some cats come home on their own, some you must search for, and some you must trap with a humane trap… Some cats who get out are so terrified they will revert to some feral behavior and hide even though their owner might be very close by and calling...... for these cats you have to trap them. Cats who are indoor/outdoor will also mark their territory with the scent glands from their mouth when they rub their face against a tree, etc. and they also have scent in their paw pads that they will follow to go back home, but when it rains these scents are diminished and then they cannot find their way home. That’s why it is imperative to begin searching immediately for them. There’s a site called LostMyKitty. They offer a service that does Amber alert phone calls to surrounding houses for a fee. If you decide to use this service, choose the free option first. Keep repeating everything and take all of the suggestions. I hope these tips help and you find your cat soon. Your cat wants to come home, keep the faith and don’t give up. See video below. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15zkDNZJnB/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Nancy K.

2 months ago

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