Chattanooga, TN Lost Female Cat, Bella Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Lori O.

2 months ago

First I will say if you aren’t the one who is out persistently looking chances are you won’t get your baby back. The following tips will help you in your search…. If you didn't see your cat get out check all spaces in the house .. deep dresser drawers / behind curtains/ under kitchen and bathroom cabinets / behind or in the washer / dryer / that may have been left open / attic door left open / in closets / under beds / behind the frig. / any place a cat can get in or hide behind . Go outside near your house and call softly late night early morning when its quiet out .. For indoor cat if there is any way you could leave your door, garage door or window slightly ajar if possible where they got out .. cats go back to the spot they left the house from …..cats will hide close by outside during the day and are more active in the very late nighttime to early morning at daybreak ... have a bright flashlight to shine to see their eyes glow in the dark .. they are usually hiding close by and will often come back to the door they got out of.. or hide under in bushes or decks to feel safe ! Check crawl spaces under houses, garages, porches, sheds of neighbors nearby ... check culvert pipes .. storm drains .. up trees .. and in colder weather they will get under car hoods for warmth and on tires also ...this can happen and then they could end up miles from home. Cats though most all of the time are right near your house/apartment hunkered down and scared and waiting to be rescued by you. Cats in a new home need at least 30 days to adjust to a new area and may and will travel to get back to their old home .. A cat trap (from tractor supply $35 they work) may be needed and monitored! Trail cam help to monitor the areas! Post to Nextdoor app and ask neighbors to check their Ring Doorbells... Beware of loose and roaming dogs in the area as they will chase and your cats! For automatic garage doors please place a 6x6 block or cinder block so that the door will not come all the way down and trap your pet as they can be injured! Check with area Shelters, humane society, Animal Control, ARL, and Vets offices also put up flyers with a picture on all surrounding poles ... I Am sure you have tried most all of these! But Don't give up!! The most important thing I will tell you is to stay persistent and don’t lose hope. Then #1 best thing to do is get a super bright flashlight and go out searching between midnight and 6 am or at least when it’s dark outside and shine light into bushes right around your home and you will easily see your cats eyes glow. So easy to spot their eyes through the bushes in the dark. Nighttime searching is much Better than day time searching. Cats mostly stay right next to your house possibly under a shed or your own house or anywhere right close by. They don’t go far at all. Usually no more than 5-6 houses away/or next block over. They almost always hunker down right near your home and stay quiet during the day. They almost never come out to a your call during the day because they are scared and wait until the world is quiet at night. Don’t forget to check your outdoor cameras and or your neighbors cameras. If you don’t have cameras you can buy some $10 ones on amazon and easily put outside around your house and monitor them. Cats personalities do change when they get outside and they become scared and they almost always do not come out even when YOU call them during the day. When you spot them, you need to have their favorite treat with u to coax them over once you spot him/her. But check up in trees and inside/under things in your yard. Search garages, sheds, under decks and bushes, in crawl spaces, behind AC units - search anywhere a cat might be trapped or hiding. Try calling and try either shaking a can/bag of treats or carrying an open (smelly) can of cat food or fish with you. Put something w/ yours and your cat's scent on the porch (cat bed, scratching post, sofa pillows, litter box, recording of your voice) and your scent like dirty towel or clothes - Keep your garage door up enough (cinder block) to allow entry. Best to open the door wherever they escaped. Keep out fresh bowls of water. Put up large missing cat posters (neon poster board works well), talk to all neighbors (leave info for those not home), post on all local social media groups for lost pets, neighborhood sites and make sure to check with local animal control at least once a week or more (much better to go in person but at least call and send them a photo). If not found at (best time) NIGHT 12-6 am with a bright FLASHLIGHT, go out during early morning, before dawn, as many/most cats are active around that time. Another important thing to do is to buy a trap. You can get a trap from tractor supply or maybe borrow from the humane society or a rescue. Cover the trap with your dirty towels so your smell is on them and place your dirty sheets over trap and inside at the back of the trap place a can of tuna. It should be a big enough trap so your cat can completely walk inside before the trap door closes. Traps must be checked multiple times each day without fail. Posting flyers with their picture up to a few blocks away from your home makes a big difference because many people don’t look online, particularly elderly. Trust me, this suggestion is from personal experience when helping someone get their cat back. The Cat was seen the next block over and so the trap was then taken to that neighbor’s porch because it was living under the neighbors shed during the day and came out to eat from the porch at night. Indoor only cats and cats with limited outdoor access go into “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 and a pillow case or dirty sheets outside. Your scent will attract your kitty. If you have a garage, place the items near the garage door and crack the door enough for them to get in or back porch or where they escaped from. indoor only cats hide so well they are not as likely to be ed by a predator. Don't give up, it can take months to find a missing indoor only cat. Use a flashlight late at night as you can look in trees, under cars, sheds and in bushes. Look for their eyes to gleam brightly in the dark. The best chance of you being reunited with your cat is to do a methodical search of the area nightly. Most indoor only cats will be within 160 feet of your home. Survival mode lasts 5 to 14 days but can last longer. Once their hunger gets to a maximum they snap out of survival mode, but this is a dangerous time because then 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 them 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. But any $10 camera can be easily purchased and put out around your house. They are hugely helpful!!!! A lot of people are successful trapping their indoor only cats. If you decide to trap, you must watch the trap closely, predators can a cat in a trap. Cover the trap with your dirty sheets or bath towels with your smell to attract them home. Put a can of tuna inside and the trap needs to be big enough that the door can close behind them once inside it so they can’t escape when done eating. Sometimes it takes awhile to get a cat back. So don’t give up, he/she is worth it. I will be praying you find your baby 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Gidget M.

2 months ago

jesus please let them get bella back

Grace K.

2 months ago

Melanie Gramatikos Walker 🤣 Yes and extremely well

Melanie G.

2 months ago

Grace Koman awww that’s great though!!! He was just hiding lolol

Grace K.

2 months ago

Melanie Gramatikos Walker we thought he got out while the carpet cleaner was here. Hours and we couldn’t find him. He was in the cabinet of our island. Totally new thing for him 🤦🏼‍♀️ The frantic looking was terrifying 💙

Melanie G.

2 months ago

Grace Koman did you find yours?

Grace K.

2 months ago

Melanie Gramatikos Walker hopefully soon 🤞🏻🙏🏻

Melanie G.

2 months ago

Grace Koman I haven’t so far

Grace K.

2 months ago

Melanie Gramatikos Walker hope you found yours