Norfolk, VA Lost Female Cat, Cutie Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Jessica P.

7 months ago

This is for Northern VA but you could follow the same steps for shelters/government programs in your area. Other tips from a fellow foster/volunteer with an animal rescue group: - [ ] Look on Pawboost.com to see if someone posted a FOUND listing. If not, - [ ] Create a free posting of your kitty on Pawboost.com with good photos and as much information as you have about where/when s/he went missing. They’ll create a proxy email for you to avoid spammers/phishers. - [ ] Create free flyers from Pawboost that you can print and post around your neighborhood. - [ ] Contact Fairfax (petresourcecenter@fairfaxcounty.gov) and Loudoun county animal shelters ((703) 777-0406) as well in case someone has turned him/her in and file a LOST CAT report. Share your photos with them and when you have time, go to their facilities in person to check if your cat is there. The staff doesn’t always have time to do a thorough check among the cats in house. - [ ] Start walking around your neighborhood after dusk with a flashlight, slowly and quietly, looking under bushes and decks, in open garages, calling for him/her and then listening for him/her to respond. You can bring food with you, but most cats are too scared to come immediately to the smell of food. - [ ] If you do spot him/her, call somebody to bring a carrier over with the food in it to try and attract him/her; do not try to pull him/her out from under a bush or garage or wherever you find him/her. Most cats will withdraw further because they’re scared. - [ ] Last thing, put something that smells like you on your porch. Cats will be attracted back to a familiar smell and this may be a good way to get him/her to come back on her own. Chances are high that s/he’s only within one street of your house if s/he lives indoors normally. Best of luck to you and I hope you get him/her back very soon.

Jessica P.

7 months ago

Please check your house - even “doors no one has opened today” or places your cat “could never get into”. Some tips I always share and what worked for us to find our lost cat who was missing for over two months: Also contact (and visit in person!!) all rescues, animal shelters, and vets in the area to give them pictures from different angles Make flyers and hand them out to everyone you can; not everyone is on social media. Also post flyers around the area. Ask for people to report sightings so you can narrow down the search. (This is what worked for us - found our lost cat after almost 2 months because someone had been seeing the cat and then contacted us after seeing a flyer. We then set up a trap at the sighting location and checked it every 1-2 hours. Finally trapped him 3 days after setting the trap.) Post on social media: - Bring Ace Home - PawBoost - Petco LoveLost - Local lost pet pages - Neighbors (free app by Ring; you don’t need to have a Ring product) - Nextdoor Rescues in the area should also be able to lend you a humane trap. Make sure you check it every 1-2 hours and don’t leave it overnight (unless you can keep checking it every 1-2 hours). Raccoons can seriously injure a trapped cat. Put food and water down at your home every day and have a camera on the feeding station. Good luck ❤️

Val K.

7 months ago

Please try these tips they have definitely helped others. Watch a tip video on youtube about how to find your lost cat,there are several. Post and check on Nextdoor for sightings. Also just heard about this site offering great useful tips so definitely check it out “lostcatfinder.com” your kitty is probably not far away so the sooner the better, put out something of yours or the cats out for scent, putting out the litter box is not recommended as it attracts unwanted critters that could possibly scare your cat off again. SO IMPORTANT…. Look with flashlight early a.m. and/or late at night, calling and shaking food. That part is crucial because those are the quiet hours and your cat would be more prone to coming out of hiding. put up flyers too. If you get any sightings use a trap, sometimes you can borrow from animal control or Amazon has them. I have recently heard some take smelly, oily fish (juice only) (sardines, tuna) and make a “smelly trail” around their house to help with scent. Dont give up too soon , i had one gone for weeks and as i was about to give up, my last night to call her, she was in our yard. Also just heard someone found theirs after 70 days so…… 🙏🏻🙏🏻 EDIT: Regarding looking early a.m. or late p.m. hours I feed a stray and I see him on our ring camera before it gets truly light so when I say early a.m. I mean something like 530 am. Also when searching if you notice any feral cat colonies/feeding stations, definitely check them out /feeding stations, check them out

Sheri M.

7 months ago

Deb BarrYes, so sorry! I realized that and did edit on Pawboost but I guess it did not change the FB post. I will try to fix that b/c you're so right, Pleasant Ave stretches a long way! We live on 19th Bay St. a couple houses away from Pleasant Ave. closer to Pretty Lake and the East Ocean View Rec Center. Cutie is 9 years old, we've had her since she was a Kitten, and we have been in the same place her entire life with us. Thank you!🥰

Deb B.

7 months ago

Can you edit to list a cross street, Pleasant Ave runs a long way. One of the Bay Streets?

Laura F.

7 months ago

❤️🐾🙏

Dianne B.

7 months ago

Call softly late night early morning when it quite out .. For indoor cats make sure they are not hiding somewhere in the house .. check the bat .. the dryer or washer ..under or in a cabinet in a closet behind .. under or in a couch or in or behind the frig. dishwasher ..stove drawer .. under the bed ..dresser drawers .. attic any where he may have been shut up in ... if they got out if there is any way you could leave your door garage door or window slightly ajar if possible they know where they got out .. cats will hide during the day and are more active late evening near dark to early morning , daybreak ... have a spot light to shine to see eyes in the dark .. they are usually close by and will often come back to the door .. or hide under bushes or decks to feel safe ! Also check crawl spaces under houses , garages, sheds of neighbors nearby ... check culvert pipes .. storm drains .. up trees .. and under car hoods with colder weather and tires also ...this can happen and they could be miles from home . 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 set trap may be needed and monitored at all times! Trail cam help to monitor the areas! Post to Nextdoor ... Check with area Shelters, Animal Control, and Vets offices also put flyers ... Am sure you have tried most all of these! Don't give up!!

Sheri M.

7 months ago

Tricia DaubeI am so glad you found your Cat!! This, as you definitely know, has been a worry-filled 2 weeks! Thank you so much for giving me hope! The kiddos and I are headed out with flyers right now, and I will continue to put out Cutie's food, waiting for our fur baby to pop up on our RING!🥰

7 months ago

Sheri McVeighcats usually don’t go far. Most of the time they go into survival mode. Putting out items with their smell and stinky food and flyers can really help. I finally caught my cat who had been gone for two weeks eating the food I put out for him every night on camera. Hang in there. Good luck.

Sheri M.

7 months ago

Tricia DaubeThank you so much for this link! I just sent them an email, hoping they can help. 🥰