Hampton, VA Lost Male Cat, Vedder Is Missing

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Tricia D.

6 days ago

STEPS FOR FINDING LOST CATS – From Pet Tracker, Inc. Website. www.pet-trackerinc.org Step 1: The ABSOLUTE quickest and easiest way to find a lost indoor-only cat is to open the exit it escaped through for several days. Typically, the cat will return to the home on its own. If this is not possible, crack an attached garage door, enclosed porch, or window (providing something for the cat to step on). This is essentially using part of your home as a “trap”. Turn off the lights outside the house. Keep it as quiet as possible outside the home, especially at night. The key is to create an environment where the cat feels safe to return. Step 2: Put scent items outside the exit the cat escaped, or in the enclosed area you have cracked. Also, place scent items just outside the door of the “trap”. Cats have an amazing sense of smell, and the smell of home calms them and lures them back. Scent items can include (use as many as possible) litter box, slept on sheets/pillow case of owner, owner’s worn clothes/shoes, cat’s bedding, cat tree, and toys. Use items the cat is particularly attached to. Step 3: Post the cat on local lost and found pet sites. Include the cat’s identifying color, area lost (be specific with street name, neighborhood, city), and date last seen. This information helps others find your missing post through searchable keywords. Nextdoor and Pawboost are free and commonly used across the country. Neighborhood sites are also important. For local pet owners, post on Lost and Found Pets Hampton Roads. Step 4: Make sure to visit your local animal control in person. File a lost report and bring the shelter a flier. Find out if your report becomes inactive after a certain number of days, and make sure to update it as needed. Many pets find their way to the shelter months after becoming lost. Step 5: It is extremely important to use fliers for your area. In the case of an indoor-only cat, a flier should be on every door within a 7-house radius. You will need approximately 150 fliers. This is work, but highly effective. Input your address in Google search, and draw a map of a 7-house-length radius around your home. This is the area to blanket with fliers. Step 6: Physically searching for your cat can have some drawbacks. Walking the neighborhood calling can actually lure the kitty further from home, and also keep it more in hiding. Instead, it is best to call from the exit where the cat escaped. Make sure the calls are soft and familiar. The owner should be seated and have all lights outside turned off. This is less intimidating to the cat and makes it feel safe. We do not recommend doing this in the early morning hours, as this can keep the cat from returning home. Step 7: Should you search for your cat, make sure it is someone the cat is familiar with. A neighborhood search can also move the cat further from home and keep it in hiding. The cat needs time to settle down, and movement will continue the survival mode mindset. Search quietly and softly, looking under nearby sheds, open crawl spaces, decks, etc. At night, utilizing a flashlight to look for the cat’s eyes can be fruitful. Again, we do not recommend the search to be lengthy or during the early morning hours, as this can prevent kitty from simply returning on their own. Noises of people walking around and doors opening can actually spook the cat while it is on high alert. Step 8: Place a baby monitor outside the door the cat escaped, preferably a video monitor. This can allow you to hear your cat meowing or scratching at the door. You may also want to use a trail camera. If you should put food by the door your cat escaped, it is highly recommended to have a camera on the food to know what animal is coming to eat. If it is not your cat eating the food, then you will either want to remove the food altogether or trap the animal. Once you have your cat on camera eating, you will want to use a humane trap. Elaine Jones

Nita D.

7 days ago

Pet-trackerinc.org Valuable free advice

Suzan S.

7 days ago

Put an article of clothing with your scent on it on your porch close to where he got out. Cats have a wonderful sense of smell and will come to those items. Leave a window cracked nearby so that you can hear him. Cats usually don’t go more than a few houses in any direction, so post pictures around the neighborhood and on doors. Ask neighbors to keep an eye out and to check garages and sheds. Cats hide, usually fairly close by. They tend to come out after dark, so look for him then. Call and rattle a treat can if he likes those. If you put food out, stay close by, because it will also attract other animals that might scare him away. Don't leave it out very long. Also, go in person to shelters and vets' offices, and leave a picture and phone number there. I hope you find him!