Hollister, CA Lost Male Cat, Carl Is Missing

Facebook Community Response

Kaylene R.

2 years ago

Post on all your local animal groups and keep a daily eye open at your local pound. Put some of your dirty clothing outside for him to smell your scent home.

Lauren E.

2 years ago

I lost my kitty Nicholas at an Irvine apt complex 15 years ago. At that time I could find no information on how to find him. After I found him, after three days, I put these tips together to help others find their lost babies. TIPS TO FIND YOUR CAT: 1. Kitties usually stay close by their home, they hide in a bush or some small dark place and just sit and wait. Even if you call them, they may not come because they are freaked out and scared. 2. A cat's world is centered around scents. They will not be familiar with the outdoor scents because they have never been there before. To help them smell their way home, put things outside that smell like home, like you. A used towel, dirty shirt, dirty shoes. Leave the items out and sit with the door open as much as possible. If the kitty comes back in the door just remain calm and talk to the kitty normal until you can close the door behind him. 3. Do not put food out, you will attract other animals that may keep your cat away. You can walk around with smelly food or shaking treats, but don't leave it outside. 4. Walk around the neighborhood calling your kitty normally. Don't use a panicked voice, it will scare the kitty more. Best to only have people whose voice your kitty would normally come to. They will not come to a kind stranger helping you search. The kitty will catch your scent and hear your voice, and follow it back to your house. Most cats are within 200 cat yards. Which means if there is a fence, you couldn't get over, you would go around, but the cat could go right over. So keep that in mind when checking out 200 yards. 5. Pass out fliers to neighbors and talk to everyone, especially kids and dog walkers. It is a great idea to offer kids $20 if they find your cat and can tell you where he is. Kids love money and a challenge. 6. Check closed garages. Listen for meows when you call. 7. Use a flashlight under bushes and dark places, even during the day. The light will reflect off their eyes. This is how I found Nicholas, in a bush I walked by at least 20 times and didn't see him until I used the flashlight. 8. Sleep with the windows open, you may hear them crying at night. Lost kitties feel safest coming out late at night-early morning. 9. Check the shelter every day. 10. If your lost cat has a cat friend at home, take the cat or dog you have at home out in a secure carrier or on a leash and walk around with him or sit with him outside. Hopefully the other lost cat will hear and smell him. Dogs are good at finding lost cats. 11. Social Media - Facebook, Nextdoor, CraigsList, and PawBoost Lost & Found. 12. Vets have told me that indoor kitties that get lost are too scared to come out of hiding, even for food. It could be at least 10 days before your kitty gets hungry enough to come out of his safe hiding spot, so don't give up too soon. Once kitties do come out they will make a big circle around the area trying to find something that smells like home. So the more you walk out from your house and back, like a wagon wheel formation, the more your scent out there for kitty to follow when he gets brave. 13. If you have a garage, leave it cracked open, kitty may find his way back in. 14. Be careful of scammers. There are terrible people out there that pretend they have your cat but can never find time to meet up with you to return the cat. They are trying to make you frantic to give them money. 15. Check trees too, just found my cat 20 feet up a tree, couldn't get down.

Mary M.

2 years ago

Prayers!

Valerie C.

2 years ago

I hope handsome Carl is home soon 🙏🏼 A person shared with me that they recovered their lost cat after 3 nights of using Step 2, from the suggestions below. Another owner of a lost cat posted that after 4 days she found her cat, trapped in a neighbor’s garage. (12. a. — below} And just recently I saw an owner had put their cat’s bed and kitty litter box outside. Their cat came back home after 3 days. It might have been thanks to the bed and the kitty litter box. Here are suggestions from Pet MD. Maybe you’ve thought of or tried some of these ideas already but I’ll share them all here just in case there’s something new you haven’t thought of. Finding a Lost Cat: Here are a few tips to help you find a missing cat and bring him home safely: 1. Take a large cardboard box and flip it over. Cut a cat sized hole in the side and place it outdoors with some soft bedding inside. Weight the bottom down and make this a safe place your cat can return to. Place water nearby. 2. The best time to search for a lost cat is when the world is asleep. The best time-frame is around 2:00 a.m. Go out with a flashlight and food. You can take a few cans of cat food with you, stand out in the open and pop the cans, or shake a treat jar. You will be surprised how the sound can travel in the quiet of the morning, and oftentimes your cat will appear within minutes of the first can being opened. Enterprising cat owners have also recorded the sound of their can openers opening a tin of food, and played the tape over and over while looking for their lost cat. 3. Make up fliers. Include a picture of your cat and offer a reward as incentive. Post these fliers in grocery stores, at vet offices, feed stores, anywhere you can. Post them at eye level. DO NOT stuff them in mailboxes. You can get into trouble for doing this. Walk your neighborhood with these fliers, put them on telephone poles, and talk to the kids of the neighborhood, the paper boy the UPS driver, the mailman anyone who walks your neighborhood. 4. Call the local papers and place a lost cat ad. Call the local radio stations, many of them will run free air spots for lost critters. Call your vet and let the staff know your cat is missing. Tack up a flier at all the vets in your area, and take one over to any rescue shelters nearby. If you have recently moved and brought the cat with you, check out your old address as well. 5. Locate a Havahart trap and set it in a safe place near your home. [My local shelter has loaned these traps in the past, with a deposit.] You may trap another cat, or perhaps a possum or even a skunk (depending on where you live) but you might also trap your cat. *Note: Don’t leave unattended so that you can immediately release any unintended captured animal. 6. If you see a dead animal on the road near your home, remove it with a shovel and take it to the side of the road. There have been instances where domestic cats will become curious about road and go out to investigate, only to become fatalities themselves. 7. Keep a list of everything you do to find your missing cat. Get on cat boards and ask for ideas if nothing seems to be working. Businesses such as Pet-Detective-dot-com and Sherlockbones-dot-com have great tips on their websites and are available for hire or advice. 8. Check your newspaper for the lost and found ads daily. 9. When you can work outside putter in your garden. Or just sit out near your home, talk in a soft voice, sing, or chatter so if your cat is close she will hear you. If she has a canine friend, bring the dog outside, or take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood to see if the cat will come out and join you. 10. Check the trees on your property. 11. Make a map of where you place your posters and or fliers. Check every 3 days to be sure they are still there. Keep tape, pushpins or thumbtacks, black felt markers and white poster board in your car, so you can make up any that might go missing. 12. Go door-to-door with a photo of your cat. Talk to all the inhabitants of the house, kids especially. Past experience has shown that little girls make the best finders of lost cats..... 12. a. 🐈 My own addition to this suggestion... ✅... I’ve been seeing stories of cats reunited with owners after they were found trapped in a neighbor’s garage. 13. Keep the hope alive. There are countless stories of people who have lost cats for long periods of time, only to have the animal show up at their door one day. . Reason to hope. .

View Full Discussion on Facebook