Hamilton Township, NJ Lost Male Cat, Ellie Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Susan S.

2 days ago

Lost cat tips I have been involved with groups that try to reunite lost pets. These are some tips that have been used for cats in the groups I have been with but also tips from other lost animal groups. These are some very valuable tips. If you have a cat I suggest that you save this post. Here are the tips. Use sardines (not olive oil) juice trace up to entrance of house - place sardines inside door and leave door ajar for them to enter. Put something that smells like you, on your porch or lawn. Leave bowls of food out - tuna/sardines, rotisserie chicken. Pour chicken broth up the sidewalk to your front door. SCENT is so important as a tool to find your lost cat!! Do these things right away: • Go out searching after it's dark and quiet. Cats come out of hiding after dark, especially between 2-5 AM. • Bring a bag of treats to shake. Stand in front of your house and call softly. Many times cats will come running. • FLIERS MUST GO UP ASAP TO GET SIGHTINGS. Every pole/tree/neighbors stoops/porches. Offer reward. Give fliers to mailman, UPS drivers, fed ex drivers, etc Local supermarket, dry cleaners, drug store should have a flier. • Report your cat as lost to local humane societies and veterinary clinics and shelters. Go to the shelter etc in person. Do not rely on the shelter as the person on the phone does not know every pet brought in. • Delegate tasks like putting up flyer and posters to friends so that you get them out and up immediately. • Go out and search for your cat. Cats can get stuck in neighbor's sheds and garages and even bats. Look under bushes, in and around sheds, or neighbor's porches with flashlight. A cat's eyes glow so you can spot them. • Don't drive around! If your cat is an indoor only cat, chances are your cat hasn't travelled more than 2-4 blocks away. • Very important to leave a door or window open, no matter what weather, for him to come back in the middle of the night. Use a scratching post or chair in front of the door or window. Put some food nearby . Many cats are scared but will come out after dark and return inside. Most cats return between 2-5 AM. • This is information gathered from various sources and a a study that was done on lost cats: • Cats are very different from dogs when panicked. They are territorial and your cat’s territory was inside of your home. Once a cat is transplanted into unfamiliar territory, fear sets in and it seeks shelter because it is afraid. They panic immediately and look to hide usually near the escape point or within a 5 house radius of their home where they've never been before. Cats that are afraid (and cats that are injured) will seek areas of concealment such as under a deck, under a house, under a porch, or in heavy brush and they will not meow! Panicked cats hide in silence. Silence is their only protective measure from predators. They can stay concealed for days, sometimes weeks! • Just because you don’t see or hear your cat does not mean he or she is not nearby and hiding in fear from the loud noises, etc. Some will not meow! Meowing would give up their location to a predator. Their behavior has nothing to do with whether the cat loves you, whether it recognizes your voice, or whether it can smell you–it has everything to do with the fact that most frightened cats will hide in silence! • This is an interesting behavioral pattern that Missing pet sites have observed with displaced cats. Many of these cats initially hide in silence, but eventually break cover and meow, return to their home or the escape point (window or door), or finally enter a humane trap. While some cats take only hours or a few days to reach their threshold, many others take several days (typically ten to twelve days) before they break cover. We suspect the threshold is reached due to their thirst, although more research needs to be conducted into this behavior. • Some people have tried to sleep out on their porch and their lost cat jumped up on them at 5am to sleep. • In an attempt to capture your cat, use humane traps with sardines in your yard or in your neighbor’s yard where your cat is likely hiding in fear. If you choose not to, place small amounts of cat food (and water) and hopefully you’ll eventually be able to determine where the cat is hiding. • If your cat is microchipped, please call the company to make sure they have your correct info in case someone takes your kitty to be checked and so they can contact you • Also: inquire on the Local Feral Cat rescue FB page it might join a colony and eat with them. Give your location and ask if any group has seen a new cat hanging around. Though ferals will fight him for the food.

Cassie M.

2 days ago

Christina Lazcano I don’t think that’s Ellie but thank you

Vivien C.

2 days ago

Leave an entrance open, even crack window that he can sneak back in under the cover of darkness. Many hide during the day and won't respond to being called , but will sneak back in if possible.

Christina L.

2 days ago

I know east Brunswick is far but I’ve seen cats found miles and miles from home. Any chance this is the same cat?

📷 View photo on Facebook

Dotti H.

2 days ago

*Start asap* all these tips from all of us are really great tips... they really do work... pleaseeee keep repeating...check with your neighbors for any sightings and ask if they have cameras..go out really late at night or really early in am... middle of the night with flashlight and call for him/her and then quietly listen he/she may be hiding scared injured or stuck somewhere ...shine the flashlight around his/her eyes will reflect off of it...keep checking the shelters go in person make sure you're going to correct shelter where animal control would bring a cat from your area... they are too busy to contact you and check all the pets coming in...set up trail cameras near ur home ..they only take pics when something is in front of it moving ..so you don't have to look thru 24 hours of camera everyday... (there are great ppl out there to lend one to you and so many ppl in the community will help you look for him/her) if you can monitor, set a humane trap with really strong smell food to attract and make sure that’s the only food out for him/her…all the tips to find lost cats really really do work please follow them.keep posting and we'll keep sharing and hang lots of fliers talk to as many ppl and hand them fliers...it'Il keep him/her on everyone's mind so they are always on the lookout…concentrate on putting up fliers especially in ur area they really don't go far at all. If they do go outside or are not neutered/spayed may travel further. No litter box please it may attract predators. Prayers for your kitty out there and you find ok on him/her asap!!!

Marcia O.

2 days 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. 🙏🏻🐾

PattyAnn C.

3 days ago

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=388310901737884

Linda W.

3 days ago

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Debby A.

3 days ago

Go out in the dark with a flashlight look around all bushes and buildings and under porches and look for the glow of the eyes

Julielyn L.

3 days ago