Diana E.
3 years ago
Kseniia Litvishko, I'm so sorry. Are you absolutely sure it was your little dumpling on the opposite side of the fence? That is very unusual for an escaped cat. When he got outside you saw him running? Did you chase him? If he did get that far from home, the best way to get him back is to find a location where he's comfortable eating overnight, then trap Burrito at that spot. Setting a trap before you establish a feeding location is not likely to yield the result you're after. Unfortunately, an escaped cat will not come when called, so shaking treats will not dislodge him from his hiding spot. What time of day did you see him head for the woods? Escaped indoor cats usually do not emerge until dusk. Have you looked at a satellite map to see how he got to the second location and where he may have gone into the woods? Are there any residences there or places where he would find food? I've recovered many escaped indoor cats and will share a prioritized set of instructions, below. These can be implemented at home, or in a secondary location. I would alert nearby neighbors in case Burrito is hiding somewhere in the area where he could be spotted -- under or near parked vehicles, shrubs, stairwells, or in a garage, shed, or carport, etc. -- then search for him during the day using a flashlight, but be quiet and discrete so as not to frighten him (shhh! tip-toe around and sneak up on him) -- check every crack and crevice, look in, under and around sheds, vehicles, furniture, under foundations and porches, into trees etc. — but suspend searching just after dark to give him the chance to come out of hiding to find food. If there's thick brush, you could try using a thermal imaging camera (borrowed from a contractor or rented from Home Depot) -- Burrito's body heat could glow in the monitor revealing his hiding spot. Put some comforting, familiar items in strategic locations outside (bedding, worn clothing, etc. (NOT a litter box) to give Burrito the confidence to come out of hiding, and place tempting food in various safe and quiet locations at dusk (this is a bit of a challenge if he's actually entered the woods, and I understand you wanting to set traps at the outset, but you're likely to catch wildlife -- if you can borrow or rent some trail cameras to monitor the food you put out overnight, you can identify Burrito's location and then set a trap. Your little boy's instinct will be to come out after dark to eat and if you can figure out where to feed him you can get him back home. Please see my complete instructions (click on the link to the PDF, below) and let me know if you have any questions. Hang in there and let me know how it goes. https://www.dropbox.com/s/e63sos0yc7znlej/EscapedCat.pdf?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR1x5gw2G_RoxuSs2vJQ9ym-6PIC-5u10U5UPUO6IRaBaIRT40A_mozvkX4
