Garden Grove, CA Lost Female Cat, Maxine Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Ruth O.

21 hours ago

Lost Cats‼️ Indoor only cats and limited outdoor access cats never go far. They go into survival mode and hide in silence. Most of them will not respond when they are in survival mode. 3 AM is the best time to find a missing indoor only cat. This is the time they become most active and responsive. Sit and quietly call for your kitty. Try to stay low, standing is intimidating to cats. Place some dirty socks and pillow cases outside. Your scent will attract your kitty. If you have a garage, place the items near the garage door and crack the door enough for her to get in. DO NOT leave food or litter box outside, it can attract predators and aggressive Tom cats. Because indoor only cats hide so well they are not as likely to be killed by a predator. Don't give up, it can take months to find a missing indoor only cat. Use a flashlight as late at night as you can to look in trees, under cars and in bushes. Try to look for the glow of her eyes. The best chance of you being reunited with your cat is to do a methodical search of the area. Most indoor only cats will be within 160 feet of your home. Survival mode lasts 5 to 14 days but can last longer. Once their hunger gets to a maximum they can snap out of it but this is a dangerous time because they come out of hiding. The majority of cats will try to make a break for home on the 5th night. In addition to posted flyers, make mini flyers and hand them out to your neighbors. Some people don't pay attention to posted flyers. It's VERY VERY important that you look for her as late at night as you can. If you have other cats, watch them. If they are spending a lot of time looking out a certain window, that’s a good indication the missing cat is in that area. Wildlife and motion activated cameras are also helpful. a lot of people are successful trapping their indoor only cats. If you decide to trap, you must watch the trap closely, predators can a cat in a trap.

Dawn F.

21 hours ago

Time is of the essence. Cats don’t go far from home. Don’t wait for social media to bring your cat home, you need to be proactive. Leave the door/window the kitty exited from open 24/7. If unable, then crack garage door open 24/7 enough to get in. Hang worn clothes and/or your pillow case in a tree or on top of shrubs to create a scent trail. Knock on neighbors doors with a picture asking them to keep an eye out. See if they can check Ring cameras for any sighting. Post signs with kitty’s picture as many as possible, include surrounding neighborhoods. Go out late at night with a flashlight, shaking a bag of food, calling kitty’s name, looking under shrubs for their shining eyes. Post on Ring, Nextdoor and check shelters. Don’t give up. 💕

Meredith K.

23 hours ago

If s/he is not accustomed to being outside, s/he is probably close to home. Most indoor only cats don't go more than about a 5 to 6 house radius from where they got out. S/he is probably hunkered down, hiding somewhere close by. Search low and high, go search under cars, in the bushes, at night with a flashlight and look for her/his eyes. Ask your neighbors to look in their garages and sheds. Go out very late at night or very very early morning, stand in one place near home and call her/his name in a calm voice. If you have another pet such as a dog or cat that is friends with the missing cat, bring it along with you and see if they smell or call the missing cat. Be sure to have the dog on a leash. Be sure to have the cat in a carrier. Bring an extra carrier with you. Don't put out the litter box, it will draw predators. You can create a scent station - put out her/his favorite bed, blanket, toy, or your worn clothing. If it is safe to do so, you can also try securing your other pets and leaving a door open a few inches and see if your cat comes back in. If you have confirmed sightings but the cat is skittish, you can rent a humane trap, set & bait it with her/his favorite food and put your used bed sheets over it. NEVER LEAVE THE TRAP UNATTENDED. Be sure to check it every every 30 minutes or so. Post everywhere you can (Pawboost, Lostmykitty, Lost & Found Pets pages for your city & county, Nextdoor, the Buzz page for your city, etc.) and be sure to put up flyers in the neighborhood, and in everyones' mailboxes or under door mats, in a several block radius. Not everyone is on social media. Be sure to include the cross streets, City, time and date the cat went missing on all flyers and posts. This is critical information! People can check their cameras. People may recall seeing the cat in the area around that time/date. Also check your local animal shelters to see if s/he was found and turned in as a stray. Many of them have websites with photos of the cats. If they have a deceased pets page, check there too. There won't be photos. The color, & approximate age will be listed, as well as city & nearest cross streets. Don't give up. A neighbor's cat escaped 30 minutes after he was brought home after being adopted. They did many of these actions, and a few people reported seeing the cat, but when they went to look, no sign of the cat. The cat was found exactly 3 months later, across the street, 5 doors down. He came into the neighbor's garage and she had kept the flyer, so she was able to call my neighbor and the kitty got home safely. I hope you find her/him safe and sound really soon!!

Joseph S.

1 day ago

Check in bushes and under cars near your home, and check on the next street over, especially in the evening with a flashlight, calling out to her and making a familiar sound. And ask neighbors if she may be trapped in their garage or shed. I hope she is found soon🙏🏻

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