Displaced indoor cat outside in high heat

[sarah430]

I'm distraught. In April my highly sensitive, exclusively indoor cat Navi got outside and it took us 26 days to get her back inside. She was in our yard or very nearby the whole time, most likely. But I only saw her a very few times and that was near the end when I'm pretty sure she finally let down her fear instinct and made herself more seen. I was then able to lure her with treats and scoop her up. I think at that point she wanted to be caught. Back inside she was a changed cat - so much more affectionate and she'd actually sit in my lap and relax into me. Wanted to sit in my lap all the time.

Anyway, early Monday morning my husband accidentally left the door open again. I know, inexplicable and I still have a lot of anger about this. Actually both of our cats got out, but the other cat, Link, doesn't have as strong of a fear instinct and he came around in a few hours and I was able to bring him back in.

I'm doing everything I did last time and she hasn't shown herself yet, but I did see her on the camera a few nights ago. My big concern right now is we are expecting record heat here in Oregon. It's supposed to be over 90 for several days and even over 100 and up to 112+ which is pretty crazy for this area. I've put out numerous water bowls around the yard. Is there anything else I can do? Should I be overly concerned about her ability to survive in the heat? Considering that we just went through this a few months ago I'm pretty traumatized but am trying to keep it together to get this cat back inside. And yes, my husband finally fixed the door that wasn't catching (but I'm still mad at him.)

 

[suzeanna]

Perhaps you could build some kind of small makeshift cardboard shelter next to the house with a cooling pad on the floor and a couple of her favorite toys (and water?) Sorry to hear your little one got out again.

 

[fionasmom]

I am sorry that you are having this issue again. Yes, as much water as you can reasonably make available...you know your property and what makes sense and where she might be. If she will go into a shelter with a cooling pad or shade, that would be good as well.

Since you have unfortunately faced this before, I assume that you know whether or not she could be baited into a Havahart type trap?

 

[sarah430]

I am sorry that you are having this issue again. Yes, as much water as you can reasonably make available...you know your property and what makes sense and where she might be. If she will go into a shelter with a cooling pad or shade, that would be good as well.

Since you have unfortunately faced this before, I assume that you know whether or not she could be baited into a Havahart type trap?

We tried the trap last time for a week and she wouldn't go into it. I'm not opposed to trying it again but we would need to do a much better job of hiding it.

I've put water bowls out in all corners of our yard and we have a lot of bushes for shade so I'm feeling better about the heat. Just hoping that I can at least get some pics of her on the wildlife cameras again soon.

Thanks for your support!

 

[fionasmom]

If it is any consolation, cats are desert animals and can deal with the heat more effectively than dogs. You do have shade and water for her which is vital. My outdoor TNRed ferals, who are entirely unsuited to ever living in a house, survive outside during the CA summer with support from me. They do have an instinct of where to go....of course, I understand that you do want her back in your house.

 

[sarah430]

It's currently 107 and pretty toasty out there but there is a lot of shade and I've been putting ice cubes in the water bowls. It's supposed to be over 110 tomorrow and Monday and then drop down to the 90's.

I haven't seen in her on the kitty cam the last 3 nights. I'm hoping she's just hunkered down and maybe she caught something. A possum has taken residence where she was hiding out last time so we are going to try to trap it and release it in a wild area nearby.

 

[sarah430]

Still no sign of her on the "kitty cam". Possum is still out and about but didn't go in the trap. Something had knocked it over on it's side -- probably a raccoon - so I'm going to put a camera on it. Trying to stay positive.

 

[sarah430]

Still no sign of Navi. It is soo hot I hope she's just lying around somewhere staying cool. The trap was tripped but empty. On the camera the possum was all around it but I didn't see it go in. I think the trap is too small and it may have been able to back out if it closed on it. I've asked my husband to get a bigger one (this one was the biggest they had at the time - but we had a bigger one earlier this spring that caught a possum). Heat is supposed to break tonight and be "only" in the 90's tomorrow. But that will feel a lot cooler than the 112 currently.

 

[sarah430]

Thankfully the weather is starting to cool back down to reasonable and I'm less worried about the heat. But it's now been 1 week since I saw Navi on the wildlife camera. Trying to not give up hope since last time we didn't even have the cameras the first week. While I'd like her back inside my goal now is to see if she's still nearby and establish a feeding station. Problem with that is the possum - there may be two but hoping it's just one. She/he comes out even during the day, whereas the racoons do seem to only be out at night. We got a bigger trap - same size that trapped a possum last time - but he/she didn't go in last night. I'll keep trying so please send me some good possum trapping vibes!

 

[fionasmom]

Possums around here are very easy to trap, even with dry cat food. Invariably when I have had to TNR a possum is always found in the trap. Right now my neighbor is having a humane animal relocation company deal with skunks under her house and I have released three possums from the skunk trap. Certainly sending good thoughts for you to get Navi.

 

[sarah430]

Real life Navi sighting! At about 8:30 pm my son saw her outside his window that faces the neighbor's yard - probably about 10 feet away from him in their yard. I looked through the window and saw her there too - kind of wild eyed and scared like she is in my avatar pic. I went out with the treats and called to her gently from about 25 feet away. There's a lot of foliage and a big hedge on that side but it's sparse so you can see through it easily if you try. After about a minute she ran further into the neighbors yard. I couldn't tell if I had frightened her - my son thought she was chasing something. But it was so good to see her! And it's a start. I walked along the property line and found an opening in the wire fence and put some chicken out with the camera facing it.

I suspected she was over there since the other side has dogs and the back of our yard seems to be the possum territory. So I'll focus my efforts over there. It was so good to see her and I have hope again! I'm picking up some color flyers tomorrow and will take one over to those neighbors (we don't know them as well as our neighbors on the other side and across the street who already know about Navi) and will ask them to try not to scare her farther away if they see her.

 

[sarah430]

She is still hanging out in the neighbor's yard. I think they are gone but we left a flyer at their door and will talk with them when we see them. I didn't see Navi yesterday but this morning I went out to leave some food near the fence where I cut back the wire and she "yelped" back at me. So we had a little conversation and I almost thought she was going to come to me. She did get closer so I could see her but didn't actually come over. I left out a can of cat food inside a low tupperware filled with water so the ants wouldn't get it and I put out the wildlife camera. Came back about an hour later and the can was empty but was out of the tupperware a few feet away. Unfortunately for whatever reason the motion detector hadn't set off on the camera so I have no idea what ate the food. I'm hoping it was Navi - I think she could have possibly picked up the can in her mouth once it was mostly empty, trying to get out the last bits. But it's also likely a racoon. Anyway, I feel good that she's still around and also that she answered back to me. Baby steps...

In other news we still haven't caught the possum. It walks around the trap but doesn't go in. We'll try another spot tonight I think.

Thanks for anyone reading and following along. I'm trying to keep my emotions at an even keel and remember that even if I don't see her she's likely still close and one of these days we'll be able to lure her back. It helps to write about it here.

 

[fionasmom]

An important part of this is that she is staying around your house and has not take off for parts unknown. I would guess that she plans to stay there, outside at least, so you do have a good chance of getting her eventually.

 

[Bubblesmom2014]

sarah430 I’m so sorry your going through this again! Today makes 5 weeks my kitty has been outside. We were VERY close to catching her Tuesday morning but our excitement got the best of us and we pulled the trigger too soon and she ran into the brush where she’s been hiding. Now it’s been raining since yesterday and they hide when it’s hot and rainy.
I feel your pain. I wish I could bring both our kitties back.

 

[sarah430]

Keep sending positive kitty come home vibes. It looks like I may have established a trusted feeding station by the fence. I went out late evening to put out some food and she was sitting on a stump about 2 feet into the neighbors yard right by the hole in the fence and the feeding station. I talked to her and she looked at me with large eyes and started to back away. I put down the food and set the camera. Came back a half hour later and she had eaten the food. I also set up the camera there for the night (without food) and she came around at midnight - came through the hole, sniffed and then left into our yard. This morning I put out food and the camera again and she came to eat. So I'm feeling hopeful!! Plan is to continue the routine and work to establish her trust until we can lure her closer. I may be able to catch her again if I can get her to come to me for a treat like last time.

(Silly possum still hasn't gone into the trap but I'm less concerned now that I have a place I can feed her that she gets to first).

 

[suzeanna]

That's a wonderful update! Sending return home vibes

 

[fionasmom]

So far, so good!

 

[sarah430]

So it seems we have established a routine. There is a stump about 2 feet into my neighbor's yard near the hole in the fence and she has been waiting there morning and evening when I've been coming out with food. She just yowls at me the whole time. I'm working on moving the feeding station (a wood board with water all the time and where I put her food bowl for about 30 minutes) farther into our property. I also sat with her this morning for about 20 minutes trying to coax her with a treat. Now that I know she'll come out regularly for meals I'm going to start underfeeding her slightly in hopes that I can get her to take a treat from my hand (this is how I was able to scoop her up last time).

This picture is from my phone this morning after I left a treat and hid around the corner of the house. A side door is only about 10-15 feet from where she is. Last time I had to run across the yard with her in my arms and she ended up biting me just as I was about to set her down inside.

 

[Bubblesmom2014]

Looks like you are having a lot better luck with your cat than I am. I sure hope you get your baby back soon! At least you know where she’s at. I have been trying to find my kitty and establish trust if she would just come out in the light so she can see me

 

[sarah430]

So frustrating Bubblesmom2014 !! I hope that your kitty has a light bulb moment and remembers the good life with you and wants to come home. Last time it felt like Navi was ready to be caught and once she was inside she definitely was happy to be home - she just didn't know how to do it. Right now it feels like she's being a little stinker, hanging out on the other side of the fence. So close but yet so far! But she's just working on pure instinct with some vague recollection that she knows me and I can be somewhat trusted. The yowling seems to signal that confusion to me. So I'm just going to try to work with her like she's a new stray/feral that I need to coax back over. This pic was from the wildlife camera after I set out her dinner for her and left.