De Soto, IA Lost Male Cat, Bert Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Mary A.

2 months ago

Prayers

Jan H.

2 months ago

I apologize as this is a lengthy read and there may be some repetition. I’ve copied and pasted 2 posts with some great tips I’ve seen others post in the past: Leave the door or window that he escaped from slightly open or at least be close to it or use a baby monitor so we that you can hear him should he return on his own. Put smells of home nearby (your used pillow/pillowcase, dirty laundry). If you have a garage, leave the door open about 8". Sprinkle the contents of your vacuum bag around the door he escap no ed from and wherever direction you think he went. Cats are most active at dusk and dawn and get more brave when there is less noise and people. The vacuum contents, dirty laundry (used bedding has lots of scent) will help to get him back into home territory Physically search your yard and your neighbours yards. Cats move along the edges of buildings, hedges and landscaping. Start looking both left and right of where he escaped. Search under hedges, bushes, long grasses, under decks, porches, sheds and BBQ and patio furniture covers, ditches, under or up inside trailers and cars. They like to huddle on the inside edges of tires and are hard to spot there. Indoor only cats typically hide in SILENCE. You could be standing right next to them and calling and they will most likely not come out. They instinctively hide to protect against predators and aggressive cats. Cats have detached collar bones, so if a cat's head can fit into a gap (about the size of your fist), so can the rest of the cat! Look for gaps under porches and decks. Use a flashlight to search hidden areas even in the daytime. If you can't see inside (under a deck for example) put your cellphone inside the hole and take a video of the whole area inside or use an inspection camera. Cats move around so be sure to continue to search the same hiding spots. Mine was found under a bush by the door even though I had checked there often! Kitties are more brave at night when the sounds of traffic and people quiet down. Actively search at night with a good strong flashlight. Their eyes make excellent reflectors at quite a distance! Don't forget to look up in the trees. Most are found after dark between dusk and dawn. Use the daylight hours to let all the neighbours know and ask permission to search their yards and sheds. Remember that cats can easily travel under and over fences, so define your search area to include a radius of 2-3 houses surrounding where she escaped to start and expand the area if he isn't found. He may have snuck into a shed or garage. A scared cat may hide and not meow or come out, so you need to actually look under, behind and on top of shelves and equipment. Ask to do this yourself, as your neighbour may not be thorough. Don't frantically call your cat. Instead go outside at dusk or later in your yard and your immediate neighbour's yards while talking on your phone or with a family member. Bring a plate of smelly food or treats. I use tuna or sardines with a bit of hot water on it to make it extra stinky. Walk around slowly. Don't go too far or move too fast. Stay in each area for awhile and turn every few minutes so your voice carries in a different direction. Listen periodically for faints mews. Hopefully he will be reassured and come out of hiding. If you see your lost cat, do not chase or try to grab him. Sit down on the ground to make yourself smaller. Try to lure him closer to you with food. Keep your voice soft and don't make any sudden moves. He will be very anxious and may not recognize you right away. Be sure to let him smell you before you attempt to pet or pick up. If you decide to pick him up, be sure to hang on tight and don't let go no matter what! Here are some good tips people gave me when they found their lost cats: I know this is a lot to read but please read it it will help you find your kitty Don’t wait until your kitty comes home. The most important thing is go out there right away talking to neighbors and ask if you can check their garages and sheds under sheds, under stairs, decks, trees and uonder bushes and your own backyard, under cars and up trees another cat was found in a garage also check everywhere in your house. Also check in your house in drawers under couches some were found inside the couch behind the fridge and in bat. Cats don’t make a sound when they are scared. your kitty might be locked in somewhere. and putting up posters everywhere even a few streets over and on the end of your drive way with a picture of your cat and your info not everybody is on facebook. . Put a piece of clothing and shoes that you have worn and a cardboard box and food put it outside leave your garage door and bat window open a bit. Have a trail of treats going to your house. Contact Trackers Edge they are on facebook and helped many cats get back home. Use a toy on a string cats like to play and a laser pointer. Some cats came home between 2 am and 5 am. Take posters with your info to all shelters even outsite your area and vets in person and check them every few days; they may identify a male cat as a female cat at shelters and check kijiji and check and join every facebook site in your area people share and comment on them. Not everybody likes cats and they will not check their sheds and garages nor post lost cats. When cats are scared, they don’t make a sound Check construction sites some cats were found in unfinished bats. recently lost cats were found locked in a shed, a garage, stuck under sheds, decks stairs and crawlspace and couldn’t get out. on a window sill, and in a neighbour's bat, in the attic and in a neighbour's car engine , window wells in empty houses and under cars under tarps one was found locked in a camping trailer one was found in a mattres in the house. Someone found her cat DOWN IN A 5 FOOT DRAIN ON NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY. Some cats get disoriented and can’t find their way home extend your search a few streets over. best times to go look for your cat are dusk or first light. Take a flashlight with you, cats' eyes will reflect back at you. BE CALM ..POSITIVE ..CALL LIKE YOU SEE THEM ..CALL VERY SOFTLY ... CALL OFTEN .. SHAKE TOY TREATS. . Some cats came home between 2 am and 5 am. Some people said the cat came home when the emptied the vacuum cleaner on their lawn. Cats were found between 10 and 20 km away from home please extend your search a few streets over with posters. Some cats were gone for weeks and month and were found so please don’t give up your kitty is out there waiting for you. Also every town has a TNR they feed feral and stray cats find out where they are and check a lot of cats were found at the feeding stations. Good luck I pray your will find your kitty. Is there any places they can get into the ceilings? Or even open vent work? Also check closets or washer/dryer if there is any chance it was left open just a bit. Couches and box springs are another popular place for them to hide. They can be very sneaky! This is what this lady said--- Wow so thanks to everyone advice I literally shook the contents of the vacuum into the air in the backyard softly called her name and sat down shaking some treats 5 mins later I hear a faint meow and she appeared. I now swear by the vacuum at dusk trick. Thank you everyone. Hopefully my neighbors dont think I'm crazy. I've been in their backyards all day. And then shaking the contents of the vacuum into the wind. Lol i cant thank you all enough. A lady said she used my tips and found her kitty under a shed. Another lady made a scent trail with an old smelly tshirts to lure him from the ravine to the front door. This lady said I did the vacuum thing and shook the treats. 3 mins later I heard meowing. Sprinkle catnip around the yard. PLEASE NEVER GIVE UP. I pray you will find your kitty

Erika S.

2 months ago

Hopefully hiding nearby. Night time walks are super important