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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

24.0. "FINDING LOST CATS" by MUTTON::BROWN () Mon Nov 25 1991 15:00

    Many thanks to Linda Gogolin for starting this topic in the original
    Feline.  Since the information is so useful I thought we should
    relocate it here...
    
    
    
    There are a lot of notes scattered through this file with *great* 
    suggestions for things to do and places to look when your cat is lost. 
    Some suggestions are the obvious ones you would think to do, and others
    are more creative, that might not occur to you while you're in a tizzy 
    over your lost kitty.

    I think it would be helpful (not to mention more efficient) to put all 
    those suggestions in one note. Whenever someone posts a "lost cat alert" 
    we could refer them to that note for ideas that might help them find 
    their cat. 

    I propose that THIS be that note.

    Please feel free to reply with whatever suggestions you have. It would
    probably save a bit of time to just move existing replies here... if
    anyone remembers where to find them. 

    Linda
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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24.1hints for finding lost catsMUTTON::BROWNMon Nov 25 1991 15:0234
    Tilly was out over the weekend.  She got out on Saturday night and
    we didn't find her until Monday morning.  We were sick with worry.
    Some of the things that we did were:
    
    1) Walked the neighborhood shaking a Pounce treats can instead of
    calling her.  It was late at night, and the calling would have woken
    the neighbors.  Every cat in the neighborhood, other than Tilly,
    came running when they heard that sound.  :^)
        
    2) Talked to all the kids in the neighborhood on Sunday, and showed
    them her picture.
        
    3) Checked at all the neighbors that leave food out for outdoor
    cats.  Figured that when she got hungry, she might turn up there
    for a free meal.  It is amazing how many neighbors leave out food
    for strays.
    
    4) Went out looking at night with a flashlight and checked under
    all parked cars, bushes, shrubs, and up in all the trees.
        
    Had we not found her on Monday, my next steps would have been: 
        
    5) A lost ad in the local paper     
                                              
    6) A call to all local vets telling them that she is missing, and
    that she has a skin condition which requires medication. (I figured
    that if anyone found her and was thinking of keeping her, they might
    take her to the vet for her skin problem) 
                                              
    7) Door to door search of the neighborhood
     
     
    Jo
    
24.2more hints for finding lost catsMUTTON::BROWNMon Nov 25 1991 15:0222
              <<< VAXWRK::$1$DUS6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Meower Power is Valuing Differences >-
================================================================================
Note 4139.2              Hints for Finding Your Lost Cat                 2 of 21
BOOVX1::MANDILE                                      15 lines   6-NOV-1990 13:49
                          -< Spread it around...... >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Notify:  All animal control officers, police stations, shelters 
    and vets in at least a 30 mile radius from home, including, of
    course, your own town.
    Post flyers/ads in local supermarkets, drug stores,in local papers,
    donut shops, wherever a large amount of people might pass through.
    Colored pictures are a big help w/posters.  As detailed a description
    as possible, too.  
    Notify all neighbors, (especially children in the neighborhood!)
    for in at least a three block radius.
    Check in all surrounding basements, sheds, barns, garages in the
    neighborhood.  Cats do not always make noise.  The one locked in
    my husband's apartment basement was there at least a week, and
    never made a sound.
    
    
24.3even more tips on finding lost catsMUTTON::BROWNMon Nov 25 1991 15:0446
              <<< VAXWRK::$1$DUS6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Meower Power is Valuing Differences >-
================================================================================
Note 4139.5              Hints for Finding Your Lost Cat                 5 of 21
PROSE::GOGOLIN                                       39 lines   6-NOV-1990 16:40
                              -< Here's a couple >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    When my indoor cat Cubby escaped from the house a couple of years ago,
    I walked all over the neighborhood calling his name and clinking a 
    metal spoon against his glass food dish. I think that helped bring him
    back home. He was gone for about 12 hours but showed up at breakfast 
    time the next morning, just after I returned from looking for him. 

    Here are some other ideas for searching for a lost cat:

    When you write up your "lost kitty" ad, include the sex, age, color 
    of cat, coat pattern, whether long or short haired, type of build, 
    how long missing, any unique characteristics, and a good picture, 
    if possible. The unique characteristics and picture are probably the 
    most important, since many cats fit the same description. 

    Make lots of copies of the ad to:

	pass out to all your neighbors, and to as many houses outside your 
	neighborhood as you can handle. 

	post on telephone poles in your area, on bulletin boards at 
	supermarkets, churches, at work, the humane society, veterinarians. 
	My condo development has a little house for all the mail boxes; 
	people post notices there.

	give to the Animal Control Officer in your town.

	I would probably give the police a copy, too, though it's probably
	unlikely that the cat would turn up that way. 

    Put ads in the newspapers in your area, and maybe adjacent towns. 
    Sometimes cats wander if they're not spayed/neutered, or they climb
    into open cars and go for a ride.

    Don't give up hope!

    Linda

    P.S.  Jo, I'm glad you got Tilly back, especially with that nut in 
          your neighborhood.
24.4TENAYA::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Tue Dec 03 1991 12:296
    I'll just add the importance of asking your neighbors to check any place
    the cat might have been accidentally shut in, like a basement, garage,
    shed, etc.   Sometimes this is complicated by the fact that it's
    happened as neighbors leave for a trip and so the cat is missing for
    some time before they return.
    
24.5WILLEE::MERRITTMon Jan 06 1992 11:0513
    Well I would like to add a new suggestion to the list.  This suggestion
    is based on our finding Pacer (sister's cat) after he was missing
    for 24 hours.
    
    Check the roofs of all houses.   Poor Pacer was stuck up on our
    neighbors roof in the pouring rain.  I believe it was very simple
    for Pacer to get on the roof from the back porch...but because
    it was raining and he probably didn't feel to sure footed...he
    just wouldn't come down by himself and spent 24 hours up there.
    Thank god we were walking the neighborhood looking for him...
    and we heard a faint "meow".  Boy was he happy to see us!!
    
    Sandy