Judy N.
2 years ago
The Tip that Nobody Believes
"Your lost cat is nearby." That might be the single most difficult tip to believe when a lost cat's owner has carefully searched the vicinity and found no trace. And it certainly was for Cheryl when her cat Peaches got out.
During a move, Cheryl crated her cat Peaches in the car. When she stopped in a church parking lot on the way, she opened the door just to see Peaches bolt. She had somehow escaped her carrier!
Peaches immediately ran for cover in some trees and shrubs at the edge of the parking lot. Cheryl searched everywhere, but it was as if she had vanished from the earth. She posted Peaches as lost on an online site and decided to sleep in her car in the parking lot just in case she showed up later.
Luckily, Kim saw the post and offered to loan out her humane trap. She gave her great tips too. After helping her choose a covered location nearby to set the trap, she advised Cheryl to door to door with flyers and to borrow a wildlife camera.
Two days after Peach's vanishing act, Kim drove out to help her assess the area. The property next to the parking lot had hiding places galore. Still, there was no sign of Peaches even after a careful flashlight search. She did, however, see a coyote cross the lot and had already been warned by neighbors that she was likely taken by a predator. Kim explained to Cheryl that lost cats are rarely taken by predators because they typically "shelter in place". You can't catch a concealed kitty!
While sheltering in place keeps cats safe from predators, it does NOT help their owners find them. So Cheryl continued to bait the trap and sleep in her car. She also walked the area frequently with Peach's best friend-- the family dog.
Over the next days, she walked a larger area and passed out more flyers. Neighbors called about a look-a-like cat spotted a distance away and across a busy road. It didn't seem likely, but she followed up anyway. And she continued to sleep in her car...
After a week with no sign of Peaches, Cheryl set food in other locations so she would stay in the general area. Eventually, lost cats will break cover and look for food. Confidant cats or cats with outdoor experience may do this relatively soon, but most take days or weeks to leave their shelter. When they do venture out, they rarely travel far and choose to do so under the cover of night.
On day 10, Cheryl caught a glimpse of Peaches in the property next to the parking lot, but she ran off. For the next 2 days, no food disappeared and there were no more sightings. Agonizing! But with Kim's encouragement she remained hopeful and continued to sleep in her car and get out every couple hours to walk around. It felt better to be doing something, so Cheryl put catnip in the area and thought it looked disturbed when she checked it the next morning.
On day 16, Cheryl took Kim's advice and borrowed a wildlife camera from the CCC. And look what she saw! Happily, day 17 ended with Peaches going in the trap! How far was she from where she bolted from the car? 40 feet.
Losing a cat is devastating and it is so easy to give up hope when days pass with no sign of the missing cat. Remember, lost indoor only cats or displaced cats are nearly always found nearby. Believe it!
