Escaped Indoor Cat Running Away From Me (even Through A Window)

mar1219

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On May 18th at 5 AM, my cat escaped out the door as it was cracked open while I was taking photos of the sunrise. I feel so stupid and awful for this but I am trying not to blame myself. I tried to catch him but he ran back and forth and started growling, then darted off and disappeared. I looked for him immediately, calling his name and shaking a bag of treats, for 2 hours to no avail. Perhaps he is the "complete cover" lost cat personality.



Sightings:

- 1000 feet from my house, May 19th around 8:30 pm

- eating tuna at my front steps, May 20th at 2 AM (he ran when he saw me beckoning to him)

- on the edge of my front lawn, May 20th around 3 AM (he ran when he saw me again)

most of May 20th it rained and stormed, so no sightings

- 800 feet from my house, May 21st at 1 AM

- on my front steps next to the trap, May 21st at 2 AM (I don't know if he sensed that I saw him - I hid and was silent to make sure he felt alone but when i checked back in 5 minutes he was gone and the food in the trap was untouched)





About my cat:

- around 2.5 years old, I've had him for a little over a year. he is ear tipped so I'm guessing he was a stray at some point, but the shelter felt that he was domesticated as a kitten because he is SUPER affectionate. he sleeps next to me or on me, loves grooming me and giving kisses, is always super vocal and affectionate when I come home after being gone for a few hours.

- he wears a collar with an ID tag that says his name, my phone number, my LA address (I go to school in LA but we are visiting home - he has lived here before and travels back and forth with me), and that he is vaccinated and microchipped.

- strictly indoor. has never stepped foot outdoors since I adopted him

- hates carriers

- has never growled or hissed at me before

- no health problems

- fixed



I've posted flyers and many online ads but it seems unnecessary given that we know he's not leaving our neighborhood and comes home for food. However I'm worried because of the rain and that he hasn't eaten two nights in a row. While I do search for him on foot periodically between dusk and dawn, I think the trap is our only hope.



I need him to come home by Friday because we fly back to LA next week, so I'm getting extremely anxious, and obviously I love and miss him so much. I have no idea what else to do. Any advice or consolation would be appreciated.
 

FeebysOwner

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Do you leave any of your worn clothes outside near where you put his food? That might entice him to look for you. He is in an area that he is not familiar with - even if he has been there before, he has never been outside there before. He is most definitely scared and doesn't trust his surroundings.

You might want to consider setting up a place to sleep outside yourself overnight - to see if he will come to you when you are not running after/chasing him. You have a short window to resolve this, so while sleeping outside may seem extreme - desperate situations call for desperate measures.

Also, when you search for him on foot periodically over night, you really need to stay in a certain place for a while as you call for him and shake a bag of treats or food. If you wander about without hanging around in the same place for a while, you may be missing him when he starts to venture close to where he hears your voice. If need be, take a lawn chair and sit in each location for at least 1/2 hour.

He may have ventured away and someone is feeding him since you said he hasn't eaten the past two days. I would be calling local vets/rescue centers and talking to all the neighbors. It is even possible that your long distance phone number might be confusing someone who has found him - and may even cause them not to look for a microchip.
 
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zed xyzed

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I have a tonne of experience on this topic. My indoor boy snuck out and was absolutely terrified of everyone including me. The best way to get him is to set up a live trap. The poor guy has gone into survival mode and everything is a threat. Set up a trap as soon as you can before he expands his comfort area. Make sure you check the trap often. It took me 2 months but he was eventually trapped and brought home. He wants nothing to do with outside any more . Good luck. If you want more advice reach out to me.

-***** update I see you have a trap what kind is it? Set up a trail camera to see if he is going inside of it. You might need to use a drop trap if he is too afraid to go inside a box trap. Not sure calling him will work. But if you still want to try when you see him, Get down low to the ground, when you call him don't stare at him, look at a spot way about 10 to 20 feet above him talk to him in the most calm voice you can muster, don't call out to him in a loud voice. He will sense stress in your voice and the might stress him. Have food and water available to him. If he starts looking for water or food he will venture farther away. Best of luck
 
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mar1219

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I have a tonne of experience on this topic. My indoor boy snuck out and was absolutely terrified of everyone including me. The best way to get him is to set up a live trap. The poor guy has gone into survival mode and everything is a threat. Set up a trap as soon as you can before he expands his comfort area. Make sure you check the trap often. It took me 2 months but he was eventually trapped and brought home. He wants nothing to do with outside any more . Good luck. If you want more advice reach out to me.

-***** update I see you have a trap what kind is it? Set up a trail camera to see if he is going inside of it. You might need to use a drop trap if he is too afraid to go inside a box trap. Not sure calling him will work. But if you still want to try when you see him, Get down low to the ground, when you call him don't stare at him, look at a spot way about 10 to 20 feet above him talk to him in the most calm voice you can muster, don't call out to him in a loud voice. He will sense stress in your voice and the might stress him. Have food and water available to him. If he starts looking for water or food he will venture farther away. Best of luck
I think it is a drop trap, and I agree, calling him isn't working at all. I tried also just talking calmly to myself to attract him. My issue is that I need to find him this week before I fly home :(
 
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mar1219

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Do you leave any of your worn clothes outside near where you put his food? That might entice him to look for you. He is in an area that he is not familiar with - even if he has been there before, he has never been outside there before. He is most definitely scared and doesn't trust his surroundings.

You might want to consider setting up a place to sleep outside yourself overnight - to see if he will come to you when you are not running after/chasing him. You have a short window to resolve this, so while sleeping outside may seem extreme - desperate situations call for desperate measures.

Also, when you search for him on foot periodically over night, you really need to stay in a certain place for a while as you call for him and shake a bag of treats or food. If you wander about without hanging around in the same place for a while, you may be missing him when he starts to venture close to where he hears your voice. If need be, take a lawn chair and sit in each location for at least 1/2 hour.

He may have ventured away and someone is feeding him since you said he hasn't eaten the past two days. I would be calling local vets/rescue centers and talking to all the neighbors. It is even possible that your long distance phone number might be confusing someone who has found him - and may even cause them not to look for a microchip.
I think I might try sleeping outside tonight. Honestly I haven't been sleeping at all as I'm so distressed about him. I told some neighbors to not put food out as well. My phone number is actually local and the tag says he's microchipped, I don't even know if his collar is on him anymore though. Trying KFC chicken and plain human tuna in the trap tonight.
 

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I cannot even imagine what you are going through. I am so sorry. That's good the phone is local and that it says he is microchipped! Very helpful! And, yes that is true about the collar being missing.

He is hiding away during the day because he is so scared. As suggested above, did you talk to the neighbors about sheds/shrubbery/etc. that perhaps he can hide in, but maybe still get in and out of on his own?

When you sleep outside, are there any treats/toys that you can have on hand to maybe help him approach you? I wouldn't make any abrupt movements if you do see him - talk softly to him and try to get him to approach you.

My thoughts are with you tonight, and pray that tomorrow you will tell us you were able to get him to come to you. :vibes::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers::crossfingers:
 
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mar1219

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Whatever you decide to do, at least line the trap with clothing with your scent on them, as well as any kind of towels/blankets with his scent on them as well.
I will put my clothes on top of the trap. I am wary about placing his blankets outside as they have been in his carrier, which as I mentioned, he absolutely hates, so I wonder if they have a "stress" scent to them?
 

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If he only has blankets/towels related to the carrier, then I can understand your hesitancy. But, does he have any other items that he would find comforting - maybe some bedding he likes to lay on that is not affiliated with the carrier?
 
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mar1219

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Saw him multiple times last night, twice near the trap, but he's not really interested in the trap. He didn't look scared. I think he likes the outdoors, but I miss him a lot :(
 

FeebysOwner

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Did you sleep outside, or at least go out there multiple times? If you did so, did he see you? Did you call to him?

Indoor cats aren't typically immediately transitioned to liking the outdoors better. Something else is going on... Other cats leaving their scent in and around the home?

Maybe place a little bit of food just in front of the trap, and more food - something he really likes in the trap - to see if he eats the food outside of the trap and that entices him to want more and therefore go inside the trap to get the 'good' stuff?
 
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mar1219

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Did you sleep outside, or at least go out there multiple times? If you did so, did he see you? Did you call to him?

Indoor cats aren't typically immediately transitioned to liking the outdoors better. Something else is going on... Other cats leaving their scent in and around the home?

Maybe place a little bit of food just in front of the trap, and more food - something he really likes in the trap - to see if he eats the food outside of the trap and that entices him to want more and therefore go inside the trap to get the 'good' stuff?
I didn't sleep outside, but I went outside a few times both in a car and on foot. He didn't see me, but he's a smart cat and when I parked my car after seeing him, he sprinted away.

I did see another cat come up to the trap 15 minutes after he walked by it, but not leaving their scent and that was the first time this happened. I'm considering bringing his litter box back inside as it's been outside in the rain and unused for a while.

I have been trailing food into the trap. I might move the trap somewhere more hidden away tonight but the problem with that is I won't be able to see it unless I sleep in my car parked a few feet away.
 
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