West Des Moines, IA Lost Male Cat, Simon Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Audrey B.

2 weeks ago

From another poster on fb This is the info i was given by On The Run Pet Rescue when my dude slipped out. It worked! 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, t-shirts, and pillowcases outside. Your scent will attract your kitty. 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. If you do have many stray cats in your area, I would not leave food out at all, for the above-mentioned reason. 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 an indoor-only missing 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 last 5-14 days but can last longer. Once their hunger gets to a maximum, they 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 very helpful! A lot of people are successful at trapping their indoor-only cats. If you decide to trap, you must watch the trap closely, predators can a cat in a trap. Borrow a trap from a local rescue. Post on Nextdoor. Most importantly, if you see her, DO NOT CHASE her. Sit down on the ground, bring a carrier, put it upright, with the door open facing up, and wait for her to come to you. You can have some treats or open tuna to entice her to come to you. But please, do not go after her, you will just chase her away. Secure your other pets and children, and leave a pathway for her to come home. When she will snap out of it, she will try to come home. But if she won’t have a way to get in, she won’t ring the bell. Good luck 🤞

Kelli D.

2 weeks ago

Please check neighbors' garages & sheds in the area. This is a VERY common place for them to hide. Also, ask your neighbors to check their outside cameras. Put something outside with kitty's scent such as their bedding. Check and post on other lost & found sites. Praying your kitty returns home safely & soon. 💙 🙏 💙

Cindy M.

2 weeks ago

Let's get the word out for Simon 📢🐾

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