Mom's cat escaped while visiting our house, help!

[Pepsi216]

My mom’s cats, Jet and Lando, came to visit for Christmas. As my mom was loading them into the car yesterday to leave, Jet broke out of his carrier and sprinted across the yard and around the side of the house where we could no longer see him. We have no idea if he stopped somewhere or kept going, he could be anywhere. Though he’s been at our house for two weeks, he’s never been outside and is unfamiliar territory. He’s an indoor cat. Jet is super skittish even in the house, so I don’t know that he’s the type who will come when we call his name. Many times he’ll only come out from under the bed if Lando comes with him (Lando’s more socially adjusted). Probably the only thing we know is wherever Jet is, he’s scared.

Here’s what we’ve tried so far:
Walking the neighborhood and calmly saying his name and “kitty kitty”
Looking under bushes and in various hidey spots as best we can (many of the bushes are very dense)
Putting out his used cat litter and food
Putting out clothes that smell like Mom and Lando
Putting Lando out in a secure crate for an hour to see if Jet would come to him
Set a havahart trap overnight with his favorite smelly food on the porch
Searched at night with a flashlight to try and see his reflective eyes
Mom sat on the porch for an hour reading and “talking to him”

Of course, most of this only works if he’s in the immediate vicinity, but we have no idea if that’s the case.
Can anyone suggest other things we can try or do? Mom’s understandably distraught, and getting moreso because she can’t stay any longer than tomorrow. We’ll still be looking for him of course since it’s our home, but I’m at a loss as to how to get him back to us.

We have a cat-friendly dog who wanted to play with Jet while he was here; Jet didn’t want to play, but didn’t run and hide from him either. I could take him for a walk and see if he alerts at any of the bushes? I’d be worried about Jet running, but if he does at least we know where he is? I dunno. Any other suggestions?

 

[jefferd18]

You are taking some very productive measures in finding your mom's kitty.

Here are a few other things that may help.


Make sure your neighbors know about Jet and call you local shelters and ask if a cat matching Jet's description has been brought in. Just keep calling, and then listen for a few minutes- listening is the most important because he may have a very faint cry. You didn't say if you were calling him from your own home- please do. Also, I have found that shaking a food bag or opening a can of food when looking for a cat is most helpful. Make sure you check all of the trees in the neighborhood.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

He is almost certainly hiding nearby. Very few indoor cats go far from where they ran, they tend to "go to earth." When walking and calling him, stay in each place for several minutes. Sit on the ground (I know...no fun in cold weather), and give him a chance to come to you. DO NOT chase him. Even if he were YOUR cat, he is in panic mode and would run. Best times to search are at dawn and dusk, when cats are naturally more active. Take a flashlight with you. I cannot tell you how often cats are found because of that eye shine coming from a dark nook somewhere! He is almost certainly hiding in a small, dark, enclosed place (like under those dense bushes...FLASHLIGHT!), but he MAY have been chased up a tree, so don't forget to look UP...at both trees and rooftops. It is amazing where a frightened cat can end up!

Best of luck, and let us know how things are going!

 

[FeebysOwner]

All good info above! And, when you talk to the neighbors, please ask them to check their yards for places that he might have run to and is hiding in.

Keep some of your mom's worn unwashed clothes with you when you search for him - you might even consider recording her voice to use while searching.

 

[Pepsi216]

Thanks friends. Most of what I've tried thus far are things I've picked up while lurking the forums and reading your advice to others. So thank you!

We didn't have any luck this evening. I searched under what seems like every bush and up every tree in the direction we saw him run, met new neighbors (this is our first introduction to many of them, having just moved here recently ourselves!), and asked them all to keep an eye out for a scared black floof. We found a hole under a neighbor's shed that looked promising but sticking a long camera under there revealed nothing. We'll try looking under there again in the morning when there's more light to work with.

It's hard to not feel discouraged and like we'll never find him. We'll keep looking of course but I'm at such a loss over how we'll ever get him back.

 

[Jcatbird]

Don’t give up! Cats are often right under our noses! I’ve had cats that live here seemingly vanish only to discover they were watching me the whole time.
Follow all previous tips!
Do you have access to a photo? Post a photo and a “Lost Cat” sign at your driveway and around the neighborhood. Nearby post office too. I have returned more than one cat to their family by doing the same for a “Found cat.”
Ask all neighbors to check outbuildings and garages or any place that has been open lately.
Any homes empty near you? Look around them as they would be a quiet place for a scared kitty. No other humans or animals to make noise.
Do you have a garage or any exterior door you can leave open? If so, do that. Put a litter box there with a bit of litter from his box in it. Keep things with the scent of the other cat on them in the space and with you after Mom leaves. Any chance she would leave the other kitty for awhile? If you put him in a room and open the window just enough so he can be heard from outside, the other kitty may come there. Don’t open it enough so that he can push through the screen.
Can you get a camera? Baby monitors are inexpensive and have cameras and sound as do many exterior cameras. Night vision will help. Keeping a small exterior light on may also encourage him to return. Late night can be a good time to search. When everything is quiet in the area and other creatures are long asleep, many frightened cats venture out.
Keep setting the trap! Keep close watch on it since you don’t want a trapped kitty alone long. Putting a blanket or cover with Mom’s scent in it could help. Put another to cover the trap and make it like a cave for hiding. Putting the trap in the right place can make a big difference. Cats like to travel along pathways that are hidden. Along the side of the house, under a line of shrubbery, etc. Put the trap somewhere like that and use that spot repeatedly. Setting more than one trap is a good idea. Many rescue groups will lend traps. Humane societies often lend them too but may want a deposit. Check these groups for assistance as well as letting them know about Jet. Get a photo to them. Also notify local vet offices. I often take lost kitties there to have them checked for a microchip.I also call with descriptions and to inquire if anyone has reported losing a cat.
Can you keep the carrier there? The scent of the carrier is familiar. Leaving it open outside may lure the kitty.
Do you have any place outside that you can rig up as a shelter? Outdoor furniture with a blanket secured over it.
I use a tarp like a pup tent and kitties find that a good hiding place. You must weight down or tie down the corners so it’s not blown around in the wind. Putting a box or Rubbermaid tote inside makes a good cat bed.
Put food away from the places you hope the kitty will sleep. The cat will feel safer if you do that. I don’t know if you have raccoons or possums etc. there but you don’t want them eating where the kitty goes to feel safe.
Basically following the process we use to lure in feral kitties should help you to convince Jet to show himself. Tell your Mom that you will find him! It may take time but I have been through this exact same thing when I had a friend evacuate with me during a storm. We stayed with my high school buddy and the cat ran the day we were leaving. He stayed and searched. The cat was nearby the entire time but , of course, we all very worried.
Please keep us posted! I know others may have tips as well.
Sending all the cat finding vibes I have! Don’t give up! Jet will be lurking around. They are masters at survival and hiding so it just takes time and patience. I know that’s the hardest part but I feel sure you will find him.

 

[danteshuman]

When my cat (or his brother Nick) escape into the garage I can’t see them. So I just listen,

My advice? Have your mom sit outside in the front yard for 30 minutes calling him in every way she calls him while shaking food/treats. Then 30 minutes in the backyard. Do that every dawn & dusk. Look for the reflection of his eyes.

Print out color pictures of his name, date he ran off, your number & your mother’s number, if he microchipped then list that to. Mention a reward (?maybe $50?). Leave those fliers everywhere in a 10 mile radius. Leave a flier with at every vet and animal shelter within 50-100 miles. Call those vets and shelters every other day. Many shelters let you post lost pet pictures on their website but I would still go in person. I also suggest she leave dry food and water put at both the front & back door. If it gets eaten then be on the lookout from some place hidden from view inside to see who is eating it. Yes you may be fattening up some rats/possums/community cats BUT there is a chance you might be feeding him.

I hope he returns.

 

[solomonar]

Check car and home. I know owners running around for days, just to discover at the end the cat patiently waiting in the basement, beneath the car or in the socks drawer.

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If you are adventurous enough, you can play "cat shoes": look around about linear features (like walls and fences), walk along them, when finished - look for tall grass patches- follow them. Look for objects that have holes to fit a cat, bushes and old trees. Look around running water (if any). Check hunting places: trees that have dense branches and area easy to climb (for the cat, not for you!)- look up, not only down.

Check with neighbors whether they own pet birds and check around.

On other words, instead of randomly ranging around, do what a cat would do.

 

[walli]

Call his name when it's really quiet, keep calling him, don't stop

 

[Uncled]

We had a cat escape once, we found him under a neighbor shed practically in our back yard,he was gone overnight before we noticed he was not in the house, don't give up, look under sheds, wood piles ect.

 

[danteshuman]

I will add that Jackie who visits my mom every weekend (& was raised there!) just started letting my mom pet him........ after she cat sat him for a week! He also is harder for my mom to catch then for me. So your mom will have a better chance of him coming to her. You can try playing an hour long recording of her voice at dawn/dusk but it will be more difficult. (She never cuddled him a wee baby, she cuddled her kitten instead.)

 

[Pepsi216]

Still no Jet. But I've enlisted some awesome neighbor kids who showed me so many hiding spots my head spins. He wasn't in them, but admittedly I couldn't check most of them thoroughly before the kids were running off to show me another spot they knew of. I'll check them more thoroughly tomorrow.

I've moved the trap to a bush next to a hidey hole under a neighbor's shed. There's a good chance we'll catch a skunk since I smelled one in the area, but I'll take that chance of it means we might catch him instead. We baited it with some stinky food and put some of mom's clothes on top.

We have some pretty bright porch/house lights. Do you think it's better to leave them on so he can see the house, or turn them off if he wants to get closer and is in hiding mode? Or it may not matter.

We're fortunate to be in California where the weather isn't so cold. However, it's supposed to rain tomorrow, so Jet will probably be damp and miserable. Is there anything different I should try in the rain? Can't think of anything off the top of my head, but figure it's worth asking. The rain's only sticking around for a day before going back to partly cloudy and cool.

 

[sabian]

I haven't read through the post thoroughly, just scanned them but, I seen a lot of good advice and, don't really have a lot I can add. I can only reinforce what others have said. Chances are he's still close by and he could very well be watching you as your looking for him.

When I first got Manny he was a shy cat and, had obviously been abused. He was scared of everything! After about 6 to 8 months I started leash training and eventually took him outside. He had no problem with the leash but if something spooked him he would take off running and he did a somersault a couple of times and I was afraid he was going to hurt himself. I noticed every time he would take off running he would run to the basement door so, I ditched the leash and just started walking with him with out the leash. I would leave the basement door just pulled to so he could push it open. That all worked out well but, he can disappear in a second.

One night early on he disappeared and I looked for him for about an hour. I finally gave up and went inside hoping he would show back up. Luckily he did about an hour later but, I was worried sick about him.

My neighbors across the street had a cat that was mostly an outdoor cat and Manny had seen him and he liked to sneak over there an sniff around so, I had to keep a close eye on him. There cat has since disappeared but he still likes to sneak over there sometimes. Once I was looking for him and I found him behind some bushes just sitting there looking at me. One night we were on the back porch and he went under the grill cover while I was standing there. It hangs down to the ground and I would have thought he would have had trouble getting under it but, he slide right under it and, apparently by the way he done it he had done it before. I wondered to myself how many times I was looking for him and he was probably right there.

Now, two years later, he pretty much comes when I call him and stays close to me. He still will try and sneak over to the neighbors house now and then but, I know that if I can't find him that's where he's at. I normally keep a close eye on him but sometimes I get to doing something around the yard or in the garage and he'll sneak over there when I'm not looking.

So my point is....don't take anything for granted when it comes to a hiding place. He could be and, more than likely is, right under your nose and scared to come out. Check under anything that's covered like, a grill, a car etc. Under decks, out buildings anything you can think of. Also shine your light in the trees. He could be in a tree and can't get down. Try and think like a cat. I would also let any neighbors within 100 to 200 yards at least know that your looking for him and post on any kind of social media that you think may be helpful. We have a thing called next door in my area and people post lost and found pets all the time. I don't know if you have that where you are at. Animal control won't pick them up unless someone calls them. They don't just go around randomly picking up animals. At least not around here.

I wish you the best of luck and, hope you find him soon!

 

[Jcatbird]

Most places have Next door on line. It’s a good place to put his info. The neighbor kids might well spot him. Just make sure they are quiet when searching and don’t chase or run at him if they see him.
Anywhere you can put a tarp during the rain could attract him as a dry spot. Cats usually go back to the place they know. They also like seeing friendly cats in some cases. If anyone near you has a cat, watch around their place! Even if their cat never comes outside, it could attract Jet. Just keep doing what you are doing. When you see Jet, try to get him to come to you. Does he let you hold him? I always wear think long sleeves during searches like this. They can be nervous and hold tight when you hold them. Carrying a towel draped over a shoulder might help too. You don’t want to hold it out so that it flaps around and seems scary but having it over a shoulder keeps it close in case you need padding or to wrap it around him in order to hold on. He may just be happy to be back in the arms of someone he has seen before but he may be a little jumpy too. Don’t give up. Jet is near.

 

[solomonar]

Open a tuna can and knock metal forks to a plate. In my childhood, whenever we cooked fish, at least one or two cats appeared instantly at the kitchen door from nowhere :-).

 

[danteshuman]

I’m going back to your mom making you a video/recording of her calling him and then just talking softly (if she has gone home already.) Cats identify their owner’s voice ...... they just don’t always come running!

If you have some extra tubs I would tip them on their side with the lid duct taped to the top to make an over hang (& maybe something heavy on top.) That way he can stay dry in the rain. However my mom’s formal feral stays dry wherever he hides when it rains and comes in barely wet. He doesn’t come out unless it has stopped raining or is only sprinkling.

I would suggest enlisting the kids help to ‘hunt’ him by trying to find him and get a picture of him on zoom (so you know where he is hanging out.) Bribe the kids with token cash for trying (1-5$) but with a big reward (possibly $50 if it leads to you catching him or 10$ for each new picture/location of where he is?

You might try turning off your lights after Dusk for a bit or leaving the light’s off. Then shine a flash light under bushes etc. His eyes will reflect back in the dark.

Your best bet is the fliers/shelter visits/calls. Speaking from experience if (& when) I have found an obviously pet cat my first instinct years ago was fliers. Last time I took him to my local shelter to see if he was microchipped to try to get him home ASAP! If he hadn’t been chipped I would have taken him home and kept looking for his family. So often a Good Samaritan will feed a lost cat and pop them over to their vet or local shelter to get them scanned in hopes they have a chip. I would also put fliers up in my local grocery stores, laundry mats & telephone poles. (You could laminate or seal your flier in a gallon ziplock bag so the rain will not ruin it.) I would also post an add in the newspaper if need be, I would post under lost pets on Craig’s list & would post on the shelter’s list pet web page if I could.

BTW I live in Ventura County, CA. Our local county shelter as a lost pet page so it should be worth looking into.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

And DON'T GIVE UP! We've had cats show up safe and sound after weeks, sometimes months, missing!

 

[walli]

Can your mom call his name? call his name really loud at night when it's quiet, when it's raining call his name!!!
Hopefully he is in hearing distance, you may have to get in the car and drive around and call his name

 

[Pepsi216]

Both hubby and I now have recordings of Mom calling on our phones to play as we search. Still no luck, but we've moved the trap to an even more promising location (though there's an even chance I catch the neighbor's cat... Oops). I have the day off tomorrow, so I'm planning to crawl under as many bushes as I can to try and find him. I have two giant yellow posters to put up in our front yard too, offering a reward for his safe return. We're on a quasi-busy street (I'd call it busy, but anyone who lives in a city would laugh at me), so a lot of people should see them. I also have little posters too.

We've posted on Nextdoor, the neighborhood FB group, and the local lost pets FB group (Hello from SLO county danteshuman!) . We've gotten lots of well wishes, and I've seen a few neighbors out hunting for him too. If I've learned nothing else, it's that I've moved into a pretty great community.

 

[solomonar]

Is Jet a male?

If positive, then be aware that toms can roam far away. I read a study: out of some 20 cats colony, all ranged about few hundred meters (say less than half mile [imperial]) away from colony, except one tomcat, who was found 5 km away (around 3 miles), and still got back to the colony. I do not remember in how many days, but certainly not less than 2.

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If rains, then after the rain stops, to help the cat to smell the path, you may drop some of your clothes outside, on the potential cat's paths.