Hanover, ON Lost Male Cat, Peep Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Gisela C.

2 months ago

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. A Lady said she lost her kitty for 6 days she talked to the neighberhood kids and told them there is a reward if the find her kitty. She said some kids found her 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 under 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. 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. You might need a live trap

Lydia T.

2 months ago

Stressful! Please be open to many possibilities. Most 'lost' cats are hiding (or locked in / trapped, prevented from returning home), frightened (especially if chased or injured), possibly disoriented, within about 500 metres from where lost. (Less for indoor cats). Some cats fear making a noise, in case it attracts predators, so might not respond to your calls. They can squeeze into the tightest crevices (sometimes become wedged in), why very thorough searches are required. I am aware of 100's of situations where a cat was accidentally locked in / trapped somewhere (eg in a neighbours shed, garage, holiday home, roof, crawl-space under a home / industrial building). Most somehow survived (eg by eating insects), many others didn't. 😞 Please thoroughly search through sheds, garages, under houses / buildings, bats, decks, neighbours' bins, skips, under bushes, between tall walls and fences, in roof and wall cavities, on top of rooves, in trees, vacant homes / buildings (even neighbours on holidays), construction / storage areas, etc. Ask neighbours to check cctv cameras. Don't trust neighbours to search!!! (Or at least not as thoroughly as you. Some don't search at all). Best ask permission to search yourself, or go with neighbour. If neighbours are unco-operative, suggest you involve police to do a welfare check and to keep the peace. Alternatively, offer a reward (bribe) for unco-operative / uncaring neighbours. 😞 Call down drains (with strong smelling food). If you can lift the grate and enter the drain, even better. (One cat found 500 metres, another 3km away in drain!). And /or create a temporary, stable ramp (eg with rolled towels or a branch of wood) from inside to outside of the drain, with strong smelling food outside overnight. Dusk to 5am walks with strong smelling food (eg Whiskas sardines, salmon & meat flavours, or hot BBQ chicken), cat carrier and torch. When no cars: call calmly, stop, sit, listen, wait. Leave a door open if safe, with strong smelling food inside & out overnight, near exit point. Also, in / near other possible hiding places / where might be trapped. If food eaten, set up a sensor wildlife camera to ensure it is your cat. Next night, try waiting nearby with food and a carrier ... Or if safe, gradually (each night) move the food into your yard / home and close door from behind (while cat is eating). As a last resort (as lots can go wrong), place a humane cat trap on level ground, in a safe, discreet location. Google how to use safely, monitor closely. (Do not leave a trap unattended! Some people release distressed cats, or harm / / steal the trap with cat in it! Remain nearby). 😞 Put a towel over trap, to keep cat calm. Don't open until safe at home (or at vet). Posters with reward tacked high on telegraph poles / noticeboards, in plastic sleeve. Also, circulate leaflets (pay postman). Vets, pounds and animal welfare organisations, regularly with photo. If has escaped a new home (cats most likely to escape / become lost, within a month of a move): begin an intense, comprehensive search asap & leave food out / doors open, starting close to the new home, spreading outwards. Unpredictable what might do next: One cat travelled 26km to previous address, arrived 6 weeks after lost. Another found 500 metres away from where lost, 7 months later. Do all advised at old address, too ... Most cats need to be locked in for 3+ weeks to bond to a new home, otherwise sooner or later might try to head back to previous home / territory (& become lost, or worse). Many cats are escape artists until bonded to a new home! (eg breaking through mosquito netting and forcing sliding doors / windows open. Use dowell to limit opening to no more than 2cm). Spray bottle near door. Preferably not in a room with the door leading to outside. (Better a room, with a couple of doors closed , before reaching an exit door). Cannot stress enough, be extra vigilant !! New / timid cats & kittens are prone to hiding / getting stuck under / behind / in, furniture. So also check in / behind / under drawers, wardrobes, low lounges / beds, recliner chairs (don't move leg rest until double-checked), behind fridges, washing machines & dryers. (Always check inside before using, as cats have in these :-( ). Be extra careful moving furniture! Behind / under kitchen cupboards & rangehoods, or any other spaces. Do all of the above many times (in case your cat moves around). Track down where any vehicles (eg tradies / removalist vans) which puss might have entered: call the driver to ask where travelled to. Check cctv cameras & do all of the above there, too. 😞 🙏 Please consider keeping your precious cat indoors and / or invest in a very secure cat enclosure, or catio. (Research has found it adds 10+ years to average age of cats. Safer for cats and wildlife). As responsible adults, we curb children's freedom to keep them safe, similarly for cats :-( 🙏 Update microchip details / ensure correct. Not all vets are aware: microchips can migrate! (One cat's microchip recently located in arm pit!). Ideally, vets to do an extra thorough, all over body scan. (Don't solely rely on microchip).🙏 Be aware of dodgy scams or people offering to find, or claiming to have found, your cat. Seek independent evidence (eg ask for photos or distinguishing features, do reviews, etc & watch out for AI generated pics, using your cat pic), before providing personal details or money. Don't give up searching (some cats found weeks, months, years later) ... 🙏

Catherine S.

2 months ago

Shared

Blais S.

2 months ago

Get out and walk the blocks! Post posters in several blocks! They don't usually go far! Ask residents to look in sheds garages anywhere they can hide! Look up in trees where they go for safety! Look in bushes Join neighborhood groups! Best time to search is the middle of the Night 3-5 am Put a cardboard box with something with your scent outside! LOOK IN TREES! SHEDS GARAGES ANY ITEMS WITH A TARP on it

Bonnie M.

2 months ago

Look late at night when quiet take a flash light eyes light up also put a piece of your clothing outside with your scent on it good luck!

Laurie W.

2 months ago

Put up posters, put use litter outside so she/he can pick up on their scent. notified vets, shelters, and recuses. Also notified chipped company if your cat is chipped. Check 1-2 blocks each way calling the cats name. .Check close to home like tree's, brushes, and any holes he may fine to hide. Ask neighbors to check their backyards and sheds. Go out late at night when everything is quite calling the cats name while carry a treat like tuna, make sure you stop to listen. Check under cars etc... Do you know if their is a cat colony someone in your area bc you could check with them to see if your baby is there too GL...Also beware of scammers-don't give money and ask them to sent picture NO FOOD it will attack prey

Sharon P.

2 months ago

Go to You Tube and play cat and kitten sounds near sheds, decks, garages and any place that a cat would hide. Ask your neighbours for permission first. Go about 5 to 10 houses in either direction, across the street and neighbours behind. Play the video for about 20 seconds then stop it and listen for a response. Play it several more times and listen then move on to another neighbours house. Keep doing this and go back to places you have already checked as your kitty could be hiding in several places, moving from one to another in the early morning or at night. Make sure before you play the video that it doesn't have sounds of cats being aggressive. You could also put a little sardines in spring water outside your door and watch for your cat. Don't leave them out overnight or you could draw predators. If kitty shows up then please stay calm and don't rush to grab kitty. It will be frightened and will probably run from you. You might end up needing to use a live trap which must be monitored at all times. If wildlife goes in you must release it and reset the trap. Only put a small amount of food at the back of the trap. No food anywhere else if you have a trap set. Cats won't go into a trap if there is other food around. Don't give up on finding your kitty. Good luck!https://youtu.be/mGc0Z7E0U1I

Sharon P.

2 months ago

It's actually best if you ask your neighbours if they mind if you check their sheds because your kitty is very scared and will be well hidden. Nobody will check as well as an owner. People take a look and don't see the cat and say it's not there when it could in fact be in there. Also check behind anything that could be leaning up against a house or shed. If kitty has claws then takea good look up trees in case it was chased up one. The needles on pine and spruce make it harder to see a cat so you have to take a really good look up those. You must stay calm because your kitty might run from you now too. Speak softly and don't make any quick moves to grab kitty. Preferably don't have kids help look as they tend to get too excited and that will make kitty more frightened and it might bolt. Good luck!!

Sharon P.

2 months ago

Written by Janice R. Richard This is an awesome article dispelling a lot of crappy "myths" on what to use to find your cat. Litterboxes? NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF IT WORKS... just because you used it and your cat came home? So what... doesn't mean the litterbox brought your cat home. Yes... you can find many articles supporting this method...and just as many NOT supporting it. I tend to go with scientific proof... not word of mouth with no evidence. Understand that predators, specifically coyotes, have a better sense of smell than your cat and better than domesticated dogs. He can detect that litterbox a lot faster than your cat can...hence you have now made this a dangerous place for your cat to return. Anyways... please read this. It's an excellent read and may help you find your own lost cat :) "Should you leave out a scent lure for your lost cat? Facebook is a great venue to post about your lost cat, and you can maybe get some leads on a possible sighting, or get valuable tips and resources. If you post about your lost cat on Facebook, inevitably someone will post that you should leave your cat's litter box outside so that your cat will smell it and know which way is home. Please don't. A litter box can attract unwanted attention from other cats, and one of the main reasons lost cats don't simply come home is because of territorial disputes with other cats. It is disheartening that every single post about a lost cat on Facebook is answered with this little nugget of bad advice. When I say the litter box is a bad idea, many people will say that their cat came back when they put their litter box out. That only means that your cat came back while the litter box was out, not because the litter box was out. Is there something else you can put out as a scent lure to attract your cat? If so, is there any scientific basis for this recommendation? First, let me say that putting out a scent lure is not a high priority for a lost cat. If your dog is missing, then I would definitely recommend putting out an article of your clothing at home or at the point your dog was last seen. Dogs do navigate by scent and I have strong evidence, in hundreds of cases, that a scent lure from a dog's owner is a useful tool for attracting a stray dog. Cats are far less likely to navigate by scent, in the sense of finding their way back home. The main way cats interact with scent is by establishing territories. A cat will stay away from an area where a dominant cat has left his scent. Cats also recognize the scent of their homes and their people. Mostly, cats use scent in avoiding certain areas, not navigating to something. Food. I recommend leaving food out in some cases and not others, and I can't make a general recommendation to leave out food for your lost cat. If you do leave food out, it is best to have a camera watching the food, so you know who ate it. Also, if you are setting a humane trap, then it should of course have food in it. I would not recommend a feeding station if you have one or more dominant cats that are claiming your yard as their territory. Food can also attract wild animals and predators. I would want to learn more about a particular cat's situation before I would recommend leaving food out. Clothing. In most cases, it may help, and it probably wouldn't hurt, if you put out some clothing you've worn. If you are setting a humane trap, I definitely recommend placing a shirt you've worn on the floor of the trap. Your scent is a specific lure for your cat, and it is unlikely to attract unwanted attention from other animals, such as neighborhood cats. As far as I know, there have been no scientific studies that show that lost cats are lured back home by dirty T-shirts. On the other hand, there is no evidence that the presence of your worn clothing would attract the wrong animals or keep your cat away. So, worn clothing may be an attractant for your cat, and won't attract the wrong sort of animal attention. I almost always recommend putting out worn clothing, not because it has a great chance of success, but because it at least won't make matters worse. The lost cat's bedding. Quite often, I see the recommendation of placing a cat's bedding out on the porch. This isn't necessarily a bad idea, but before you do this, you ought to consider whether or not you should preserve your cat's scent for the use of a search dog. Lost cats have been found by search dogs in some cases. In most instances, it was a cat-detection dog that was able to find the cat. In a few cases, a scent-trailing dog was able to follow the scent trail of the lost cat. If you may want to try a scent-trailing dog, then you would want to preserve something that has the scent of your lost cat. So, putting your cat's bed outside isn't a bad idea, but you might not want to do that if it is the only thing bearing the scent of your cat. Leaving it outside could contaminate it and make it useless for a search dog. If a cat is going to be attracted to the scent of his own bed, then he ought to be attracted to the scent of your worn clothing. Also, something with your cat's scent, such as a bed, may cause an intruder cat to spray it, and mark the territory as his own, which would negate the function as a lure for your cat. Putting out your cat's bed isn't a terrible idea, but I still wouldn't recommend it in most cases. Urine. Many sources on the internet recommend that you urinate in a spray bottle and then spray your own urine in your yard and around the neighborhood, to help your cat come home. This is nonsense, for a number of reasons. While many people will claim that they did it and it worked, they would have no way of proving that their cats came home because of the urine sprayed around. The most they could say is that their cat did come home after the urine was sprayed, not because of it. Further, your cat would definitely recognize your personal scent, in most circumstances. Everywhere you walk, you deposit your scent whether you want to or not. This is the reason fugitives and missing persons can be tracked by trained dogs: a human leaves her scent everywhere she goes. As you walk around the neighborhood looking for your cat, you will be depositing your scent, which is great. No need to spray any urine. Sprays and liquids from the pet store. Some, such as Bach Flower Remedies, are just nonsense. Others, based on chemical ysis of actual feline pheromones, may have some logical basis for having an effect. However, to date their has been no clear scientific evidence that these products have any effect at all. I would not recommend anything of this nature. In conclusion: Don't spray urine, don't leave out the litter box, leave food in some cases, don't put your cat's bed on the porch, and no Feliway or similar sprays. Go ahead and leave your worn clothing out because it may work, and it shouldn't hurt anything. It is not a high priority, and there are many other effective ways of finding a lost cat which should be a higher priority. People will keep recommending the litter box and spraying urine because they want to be helpful and because these seem like quick and easy ways to get your cat back. I wish there was a way to stop these memes, but all I can do is try to get accurate information out there. The truth is often more complex than these quick and easy memes, and so it doesn't get shared as readily. "

Elsie G.

2 months ago

Hope he is found quickly and kept indoors

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