Diana D.
3 years ago
My 10-month-old Half blind and half deaf kitten went missing in late May 2018, i got her back eight days later using a humane trap and with the help of so many Wonderful people and a professional trapper of lost kitties.. these are the tips and suggestions I have put together that came from everyone that helped me…please follow suggestions:
First, please do not panic, I know how upsetting it is, stay calm, your Kitty needs all of your energy to help bring your him/her home;
First put out the kitties bed or towel and some of your unwashed clothing so that they can catch their scent and yours;
If your kitty is indoor only, you must set a humane trap immediately....(Google local rescue groups in your area to borrow one or call your local shelter and ask them for one) Get lots of cans of tuna in vegetable oil NOT Water, because it is very smelly, and does not freeze in cold weather....if you know the direction your kitty went, SOAK the ground with tuna juice from two different directions, one from the direction your kitty went and one from another direction close by up to the door of the trap & put very little bits of tuna along the way on the tuna juice trail, up to the front of the trap and then very little bits of tuna through the trap to the back of the trap where you leave more tuna on a paper towel.....(on the outside of the trap and threw it leave only VERY LITTLE bits of tuna, you want the kitty to be hungry and go to the back of the trap); this must be monitored and in the heat must be changed out every hour... do not sit close... you want to be able to see it but you want to make sure your kitty comes in close, things should be very very quiet and if it’s getting dark, lights should be low outside and inside the house; On top of the trap put UNWASHED clothes you have worn, i used a T-shirt and socks and on top of that cover it with a towel that you also used so all these items have your scent on it;
if this is an indoor/outdoor kitty you can also use the tuna juice trail leading up to a bowl of tuna… This also must be monitored....
If you have not done so already contact local police departments, local animal control, local vets offices and all local shelters;
90% OF MISSING INDOOR KITTIES ARE WITHIN A FIVE HOUSE RADIUS OF YOUR HOME, Draw a circle around your home and go out five houses in every direction, this area must be searched thoroughly and knock on every single neighbors door...
only people who Your kitty is comfortable with should be searching for her; Everyone should have a BRIGHT flashlight with them at daytime and night time, search every area thoroughly, checking every inch, lost kitties can curl up into such tight balls...look under anything with a tarp on it, pool covers, grill covers, furniture covers, In any kind of a hole or crevice, all the way under porches, Under bushes, in bushes, in trees, all the way underneath sheds within that five house radius, so many kitties have been hiding all the way under sheds this summer... please ask your neighbors if you can search their properties thoroughly, please check all their garages every square inch, under cars, anywhere a kitty could hide, sewers, water basins if they are by you, again every square inch...
Make up flyers with a really good picture of your kitty that is large, put “Missing” at the top and the date.. put your phone number underneath in big bold letters that can be seen clearly and the kitty ‘s name… Deliver posters to as many neighbors as you can, we delivered over 300, also give them out to all local delivery people, the mailman, fed ex man, workers in the area, dog walkers, all of them see so much… Bring them to the local police departments, animal control, vets offices and animal shelters, starting within a 2 mile radius of your home (you may have to go out further later if your kitty is not found) …Also ask all local businesses if you can put flyers up in their windows; put them up for at least a 2 mile radius on telephone poles, etc.;
Go to all local animal shelters at least every other day and call them on a daily basis..You must go there yourselves because they are overwhelmed and there are Night people that may not realize that your kitty has been brought in..
Do NOT put a litter box out as it will attract Feral cats other predators Who will scare your kitty away and will catch mouse droppings and bird droppings and change the scent.
Go out at night and walk slowly, looking for the shine of your cats eyes with a BRIGHT flashlight, usually they are most active half hour before and after sunrise and sunset.. when you are searching call your kitties name softly and then really listen to see if you can hear him.. remember they are usually within a five house radius...
If this is the only furbaby in the home, and you can, leave your screen door open at night & sit there quietly, you’re kitty may come right in the door (that’s what my neighbors kitty did) or leave a window open that your kitty can come home thru... if you have a garage, leave the garage door open slightly... keep the lights low in and outside your house and keep things inside and outside your house very very quiet, so that she does not feel threatened by coming home;
Some kitties come home on their own, some you must search for, and some you must trap with a humane trap… Some kitties who get out Are so terrified they will revert to some feral behavior and hide even though their owner might be very close by and calling...... for these kitties you have to trap them, that’s what I had to do with mine.
Kitties who are indoor/outdoor will also mark their territory with The scent glands from their mouth when they rub their face against a tree, etc. and they also have scent in their paw pads that they will follow to go back home, but when it rains these scents are diminished and then they cannot find their way home because they see in black-and-white & don’t know they’re home from other homes...That’s why it is imperative to begin searching immediately for them.
2/6/19 - Just received this info from Trish Wright while looking for her kitties:
I recently discovered a site called LostMyKitty. They offer a service that does Amber alert phone calls to surrounding houses for a fee. If you decide to use this service, choose the free option first, it then offers the amber alert service at 50% off the price. (Thank you Trish!)
Keep repeating everything and take all of the suggestions, your sweet baby wants to come home, keep the faith!! Praying and sharing
