Bothell, WA Lost Male Cat, Gus Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Bobbie B.

3 weeks ago

It’s every pet parent’s nightmare: Your dog or cat has gotten loose and you don’t know where he or she is. Don’t panic—there are steps you can take to locate your pet. Swift action, coupled with major neighborhood networking, will increase the odds of having your furry friend back in your arms. The key is to get the word out to as many people in as many places as possible, so don’t be shy about enlisting the help of your friends and family in the search efforts. Remember, identification can be a lifesaver for a lost pet. It’s a good idea for all your animal companions—even indoor-only pets—to always wear a collar with an ID tag that includes your name, current phone number and any relevant contact information. If you’ve chosen to microchip your pet as a means of permanent identification, keep in mind that microchips are only as good as the information provided to the chip’s company. If you’ve moved or changed your phone number since registering your pet’s chip, be sure to submit an update as soon as possible. July 1 is National ID Your Pet Day, which serves as an annual check-in to make sure your pets’ identification information is up to date. If your pet does go missing, below are actions you can take to begin the search process. Search Your Home and Alert Neighbors As soon as you notice your pet is missing, talk to your family members or housemates and ask where they last saw your pet. Search your home carefully—under beds, in closets, dark places, small places, behind bulky furniture—in case your pet may be hiding or sleeping somewhere. Shaking a food dish, treat jar or favorite toy will sometimes lure animals out of a hiding place. If you are sure your pet is not in or around the home, take a slow ride or walk around your neighborhood. Bring along a recent photo of your pet and ask neighbors if they’ve seen him or her. Check under porches and shrubs, and ask neighbors to check in sheds and garages in case your pet was accidently locked in. Work the Phones Calls should be made to the local animal control agencies, veterinary hospitals, shelters (both municipal and private) and rescue groups in your area. One of them may already have your pet in custody. Check in with shelters daily—and pay these visits in person with photos of your pet to distribute to shelter staff. If there are no shelters close to your home, contact the police. Tell Your Social Media Networks Send an email about your lost pet to local friends, colleagues and family members and ask them to pass on the information to anyone they can. Then, be sure to share the news with your social media networks. Most communities have local “Lost Pet” Facebook pages where they will post information about missing pets. Reach out to those page administrators and see if they will share information about your pet. You can create your own Facebook page or digital card for your lost pet and share it across your social networks—and ask friends and family to spread the word to their contacts. Create a “Lost Pet” Flyer You’ll want to create a flyer that will stand out and get noticed by people who may have seen your pet. Repeated viewings of a consistent message are more likely to stick in people’s minds, so we recommend sticking with one design for your flyer. Start with a big, bold headline that people can read from a distance, like “LOST DOG” or “MISSING CAT.” Include a clearly printed, recent photo of your pet and list the breed, , coloring, age, weight, any distinguishing features and when and where he or she was last seen. Provide your name and two phone numbers: yours and a friend or family members in case you cannot be reached. Blanket the Neighborhood Good places to post your flyers include dog parks and runs, pet supply stores, pet grooming shops and veterinary offices. Various commercial establishments like grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, laundromats, bars, cafes and restaurants are other good high-traffic options. Cover lampposts and trees near where you think your pet was lost, and around busy commercial and pedestrian sections of town. Put up flyers around schools or at kids’-eye level. Children can be more observant than adults, especially when it comes to animals. Don’t Give Up! This one is important! Remember that many lost animals have found their way back home. Where to Report Found Animals If you’ve found a lost pet or stray animal in your area, contact your local shelter for guidance on the best steps to take. For those located in New York City, you can find more information on how to report a stray animal on NYC311. Residents of Los Angeles can reference the LA Animal Services website. When coming across stray kittens outdoors, be sure to review the ASPCA’s online resource about the best course of action to take to avoid unintentionally orphaning kittens who are being cared for by their mother.

Shar W.

3 weeks ago

Shared

Angela S.

3 weeks ago

TIPS TO HELP FIND YOUR LOST CAT: -Ask neighbors around you to check garages and sheds as they can sneak in undetected. -See if your neighbors can leave their garages and sheds open for a few hours. Your cat may not come out right away once the doors are open. This is because when cats are in survival mode, they don't always act normal. Your cat may be scared to come out when others are around. - Put a piece of your unwashed clothing outside the last door he/she exited the house from and leave that door open at night so that they can get back inside. - Hang flyers with his/her picture and post all over your neighborhood & surrounding areas. - Take the flyers door to door asking if anyone has seen him/her. -Walk your neighborhood especially at night calling his/her name and listening as he/she may be hiding in the bushes or under something. - Take a flyer to the shelter. - Put a sign in your yard with his/her picture stating he/she is missing. - Check the shelters in person. - Review shelter's found reports. - File a lost report with the shelters. Indoor only cats and limited outdoor access cats never go far. They go into survival mode and hide in silence. They will not always respond to you, most do not. Between midnight to 5am are ideal times to find a missing indoor only cat. 3 AM is the best time to find a cat as this is the time they become most active and responsive. ***DO NOT leave litter box outside, it can attract predators and aggressive Tom cats.*** Place some recently worn socks or shirts outside your home, & especially around the point the cat exited the house from. Your scent will attract your kitty. Leave a way for your cat to get back inside 24/7: If you have a garage, place your recently worn clothing items or shoes near the garage door and crack the door enough for the cat to get back in. If your cat exited a window, leave the window open for your cat to get back inside. 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 weeks 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 the eyes. Calmly call your cat. Make mini flyers and hand them out to your neighbors. Most people don't pay attention to posted flyers. It's VERY important that you look for the cat 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. You may want to leave some wet food just inside of the door as well. Kibble tends to attract raccoons so it's not recommended. If you get a camera that is pointed at the door, you can see if your cat is coming to feed at night. One lady's indoor only cat was missing for 3 weeks and it was coming to eat the food but was too scared to come inside. She didn't know that it was coming back to the house until she got a camera. She had to get a trap to get the cat back inside. If you decide to trap, make sure that you do not leave the trap unattended as doing so makes the cat very vulnerable to being attacked by predators. Sending prayers for your cat's swift and speedy return. 💕🙏💕

Angela S.

3 weeks ago

I hope that your sweet cat comes home. I'm so sorry to hear that he is missing. Unfortunately, cats with a lot of white fur stick out to predators. Also, white cats that are outdoors are more likely to get sunburned and to get skin cancer. They do not do well outside due to their coloring. I pray that he is found. 🙏💗

Angela S.

3 weeks ago

The best thing to do is to talk to your neighbors during the day to see if they have seen your cat. Do NOT rely on social media. The best way to find your cat is on foot by talking to people during the day and looking outside very LATE at night. See if your neighbors can leave their garages and sheds open for a few hours. Your cat may not come out right away once the doors are opened. This is because when cats are in survival mode, they typically do not act normal. Your cat may be scared to come out when others are around. You can also print mini flyers and attach them to your neighbors' doors if they are not home. You can use painter's tape so that it is easy for the homeowner to remove. Also, post on Nextdoor to alert neighbors. Please make sure that your cat has a way to get back into your house 24/7. You want to leave open a garage door (including the door that goes from the garage to the house) sliding glass door, or window that they exited from as well as some of your recently worn clothing outside of the entry way. ***Do NOT put your cat's litter box outside as it can attract predators.*** You will have the best chance to find your cat from 11 PM until 6 AM. Cats become most active at 3 AM. Use a flashlight and shake a bag of their favorite treats while CALMLY talking (in a normal voice) to your cat. This website below ⬇️ has fantastic tips for locating missing cats from a woman experienced in cat rescue as well as templates for missing cat flyers. 🐱 ✅Go to top of page where it says, "Click here for Important Tips on how to find your Lost Cat." www.happycatlady.com Best wishes! 🙏

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