Berwick, VIC Lost Female Cat, Pretty Is Missing

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Janice A.

1 hour ago

Searching for a lost cat: 11pm and 3-5am walks. Lost cats are frightened and won’t move in daylight. Go out calling, make noises cat is familiar with such as tapping fork on food tin, stop and wait for miaows and also take a high beam torch so you can shine it around and see the reflection of your cat's eyes. Walk around your neighbourhood. Your cat could have been chased a few houses away or gotten lost. They tend to stay within 50m of home for first few days (hopefully you will find sooner than that). Try taking some en or Tuna. In daylight, ask neighbours if YOU can check in sheds, garages and under house etc - more likely to come out for YOU. Good luck. Don’t give up! Most lost cats are found by door knocking (letterboxing can work but the risk is people will not see/throw out the flyer) neighbours and asking their permission to do really thorough searches of their front and back yards, after dark, in a 3-5 house radius - under houses, under decks, in sheds, behind sheds, in garages etc. Some cats are found at shelters, vets or from Facebook posts. It's worth still doing those things, but don't do them instead of searching. For a more detailed 'toolkit' to guide you with each step, check out this website. http://www.scaredycats.com.au/ https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/.../kitty-litter-myth/ FLIERS TO HALVE YOUR COSTS The scaredycats.com.au website includes template fliers for door knocking that will halve your printing costs, and lots of other resources. MAPPING OUT YOUR SEARCH AREA Map out your priority 3-5 house radius search area using google maps. Start with the houses closest to yours, then work outwards. Ask to search their front and back yards after dark, with a good torch, looking for your cat's eyes shining. SEARCHES The searches need to be super thorough - CSI-type, on hands and knees, as if you're looking for a precious lost wedding ring. Check in any gap more than 3cm - under houses, under decks, in sheds, in wood piles, in shrubs, in small gaps etc. DON'T RELY ON NEIGHBOURS 'KEEPING A LOOK OUT' No one cares about your cat like you do. If you ask ppl to search for you, they're unlikely to do it as thoroughly as is needed. If they don't like cats, they won't search at all. THE LITTER TRAY MYTH You might get suggestions to put their litter tray outside. Missing cat experts do not recommend this, as it can attract other cats into your cat's territory, stopping them from coming back or sticking around. 3AM WALKS Cats are much more confident and more likely to be out looking for food when humans are in bed. If your cat is confident, you may be able to sight them in the street or a front garden by quietly and slowly walking along the street at around 3am. THE STARVATION FACTOR Timid cats may stay hidden for up to 14 days, until they're starving. So if you don't find them initially, don't give up! RECOVERING THEM Once you know where they are, you may need to use a cat trap to recover them, especially if they're timid. It's a good idea to source one in advance. Try asking local cat rescue groups. (There is often a long waiting list from councils and shelters). You can buy them from Kennards & Bunnings. DON'T GIVE UP! Even if you haven't seen them, it doesn't mean they're not there. We know of a cat who was under a dense shrub. His person walked within 1m of the shrub and shone a torch into it but didn't see him. He stayed quiet. He was found the next day from a more thorough search on hands and knees. Check with shelters, animal rescues, council, lost dogs’ home etc. Inform Central Animal Records (03) 97063187) that he/she is missing and ensure your details are correct so that you can be contacted. If she was handed in or trapped, get in touch with the ranger, Vets and Animal Shelters (check soon and frequently as they do not keep cats very long). Other steps to take to find a kitty that is still in the vicinity, can be found on this webpage in other posts. If there is CCTV have a look as to whether you can see anything. Good luck. Hope your kitty is back home soon.

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