I am starting to lose my mind over my kitty being lost for 3 weeks. However we have spotted him 2x in the last week. But we cannot get him so I need help! I need advice. We adopted Murphy and he was the best cat we could have. A lap cat and super sweet and loved our other cat Alex. Alex is looking all over for his buddy in the house. Murphy WAS skiddish around other people other than us ...as we originally found him outside on our property and trapped him to bring him in during the winter. We originally thought we trapped a feral cat because he was scared but with some work we realized he was just running scared and was an amazing sweet cat that loved people. Murphy got away 21 days ago from our house. We did not let him outside..he was inside only. We do walk our other cat on a leash though. After 2 weeks of looking non stop and flyering and putting him out on the internet ...visiting shelters, calling the police, vet offices...putting his litter box outside, sprinkling the 3 acres we live on with litter, putting traps out...there was NO SIGN of Murphy. I went door to door. Opened people's garages and looked under porches etc. NOTHING. I decided on Memorial Day to flyer a different area 2 miles from our house. Just because I had extra flyers. Within 2 hours of flyering I got 4 calls of sightings!!! I drove over and met one guy who claimed he knew the cat. Come to find out before we brought Murphy in as our cat he was being fed in this neighborhood 2 miles away! He returned there. Because he has such unique features we knew these people were correct in saying it was him coming around. They even said he showed up there the same day he went missing from us. They started seeing him again and thought originally he was dead because he didn't show up there one day over winter...which is when we took him in! Anyway...this past week I was flyering over there just 3 days ago and I SAW Murphy with my own eyes. He looked right at me and stopped and then ran. I cannot get him though --- we have both a live trap and a drop trap out. With instructions to this guy who used to feed him to NOT SET the drop trap...just FEED under the drop trap...he made an attempt this past week to get Murphy anyway against my instructions. Murphy went under the drop trap to feed and the guy decided to try to pull the trap and he missed Murphy. So now Murphy must be completely spooked. We have not seen him in 3 days now. I also have a video of Murphy on a guys porch from last Friday -- one week ago -- where he was awoke by 2 cats yowling at each other and one is definitely Murphy...This guy lives practically in my back yard through a ravine and thick woods over a road. Murphy was at his house a week ago. So he is still traveling 2 miles often! The guy has a camera on his porch and recorded him but he didn't see my flyer until 4 days later. I have a ton of people looking out and it appears he is still alive. He has a ton of chipmunks and other wildlife in hte woods he is traveling in between. He so far has not come back to our house. We have trail cams and our other cat would yowl if any cat approached our porch. I had no idea that Murphy had a previous spot where he was fed which blows my mind now the distance he came to find us originally. My only hope was getting him at that spot but the guy spooked him in trying to get him in a drop trap!!! I am SO UPSET! Will he come back to that area at some point do you think? How should we approach this now in order to get him? PLEASE help if you have gone through this! I am losing it and I love him more than anything.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Lost Cat
- Thread starter jenwahib
- Start Date
Murphy is trap savvy now, so this is going to take some time. If you think he comes into your yard at all, I would set things up so he recognizes his home. leave his litter box outside (on the porch for example). If there is a blanket or toy that smells like him, leave that out too.
You can try tying the trap open and feeding him ONLY in the trap. With all the wildlife, though, chances are he won't go in it.
You might try netting him. A long shot but a possibility if you can get him to come within range.
Vibes he returns to a place close enough where you can assess and successfully trap him.
You can try tying the trap open and feeding him ONLY in the trap. With all the wildlife, though, chances are he won't go in it.
You might try netting him. A long shot but a possibility if you can get him to come within range.
Vibes he returns to a place close enough where you can assess and successfully trap him.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Thanks for the response. He is actually showing up regularly to a yard that is 2 miles from my house. I just saw him tonight. Getting lots of calls of sightings. I have a trap set in one spot where he seems to pass through and knows food will be put out... the guy is letting me use his yard and he's willing to keep putting food out. Should we just feed him near the trap then keep moving the food closer and closer til he's regularly eating in the trap?? I have a trail cam too to watch the trap. I just don't want to set it too soon as he is very trap savvy. Advice?
Make sure that you set really stinky food for him. Cats love that. God knows why. Well...we all know why, but still! I am so glad that there are sightings on a regular basis! NOTHING is worse than a cat who is just...gone...
