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

[danteshuman]

I think a shelter might find him first since it is not his home. Cats instinctively know where home is (gps in their head) & your place is not home. So there is a chance he may try to wander towards your mom’s house.

There is hope! Keep calling & keep looking. Some cats get ‘adopted’ and escape 6 months later. So please do not give up!

I will add my evil JERK of a stepbrother maliciously dumped my mom’s cat 10 miles out & she made it home a week later, thank god! (She was declawed in the front, peed in her sleep from spinal damage and had her paralyzed tail shortened to a tiny nub.) I’m not allowed to curse in this forum, other wise I would about what he admitted to doing!!!!!!

My cat Merlin got out and I found him 2 weeks later when I heard a small thunk and rustling behind the fence. So I went into the ally behind the fence and there I saw him dumpster diving! He came back fatter, unharmed and never wanted to go outside again! So listen carefully and buy some mackerel or sardines or tuna in water to bribe him with.

Lastly when Jackie is in his weekly car rides to and from my mom’s house (his foster home where I raised him) he perks up when we get within a 1/4-1/8 of a mile away. He starts looking outside, swinging his head back and forth and sniffing. So he knows where home is & where Nana’s house is.

 

[solomonar]

Study Google map and Bing map - street and satellite view - to guide your efforts.
Do "squaring" aka mark horizontal and vertical lines and analyse each square, mark obstacles and paths.

 

[catsknowme]

Hello from Inyo/Mono County! (Mt. Whitney, Death Valley, Bristlecone Pines, Mammoth Ski Area). For your flyers, you can ask people to put them in the rear windows of their cars, in case Jet is trying to find his way back to your mom's. (Remember "The Incredible Journey?)
Sending prayers and vibes that Jet is rescued soon

 

[Jcatbird]

From past experience with cats lost far from home, they stayed close by. Although Jet could try for your Mom, chances are he’ll be near where he knew she was staying. I expect you to locate him. Maybe Mom can come back fairly soon to help if he doesn’t turn up quickly.

 

[Pepsi216]

Jet's been spotted! A neighbor down the way saw our gargantuan sign in our front yard and called about a cat she's never seen before who looked out of place and was skulking around driveways this morning. I knocked on a few doors and everyone there has seen him the last couple days. On top of that, one of the houses leaves cat food outside, so I'm guessing he got hungry, wandered out if wherever he was hiding, and found a place to get a free meal. He was seen as recently as 2 hrs before we arrived, and though we didn't find him in our search, the neighbor with the food let us leave two traps in her yard baited with wet food and Mom's clothes (she didn't think the resident cats would approach clothes smelling of an unfamiliar person). The unsettling bit was we watched a coyote run down the street with a neighbor's chicken as we were looking, so he's definitely not safe. But please cross your fingers and send good vibes that he wanders into a trap tonight so we can bring him home!

 

[Maria Bayote]

I am calling all the angels in heaven that this cat be reunited with your family soonest! Please let us know once he is back in your safe arms.

Happy ending is what we pray for the both of you.

 

[FeebysOwner]

 

[betsygee]

Jet's been spotted! A neighbor down the way saw our gargantuan sign in our front yard and called about a cat she's never seen before who looked out of place and was skulking around driveways this morning. I knocked on a few doors and everyone there has seen him the last couple days. On top of that, one of the houses leaves cat food outside, so I'm guessing he got hungry, wandered out if wherever he was hiding, and found a place to get a free meal. He was seen as recently as 2 hrs before we arrived, and though we didn't find him in our search, the neighbor with the food let us leave two traps in her yard baited with wet food and Mom's clothes (she didn't think the resident cats would approach clothes smelling of an unfamiliar person). The unsettling bit was we watched a coyote run down the street with a neighbor's chicken as we were looking, so he's definitely not safe. But please cross your fingers and send good vibes that he wanders into a trap tonight so we can bring him home!

So glad he's been seen. Sending you all the best to find him!

 

[Jcatbird]

Sending everything possible!

 

[mazie]

Can the family that has been feeding a stray, probably and hopefully your cat, set up a cat trap, say, place the food in the trap?

 

[catsknowme]

To deter coyotes, human urine to "mark territory" works great, especially adult male pee. If you can see the coyote scat (their calling cards often have a mix of seeds, fur & feathers that dog poop doesn't), just dribble some pee on top of it. otherwise, "mark" the borders of the area you want to claim.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yes! We know he's out there now! That's great news. Although the coyote is worrisome, I can tell you that iff there are nice, fat chickens for the having, Jet is safer for it! Cats fight back, and climb trees, and chickens don't, and coyotes know this.

 

[Pepsi216]

Sigh. Jet has a pair of doppelgangers. We've staked out two different neighbors who have "seen" Jet, and in both cases it wasn't him. So we're back to square one. Mom came back to our place on the news that he'd been spotted, and is spending her time alternately looking for him and sitting in various neighbors' yards waiting and listening for him. We're going to post more posters on the hope that someone sees him and calls, I think that's about all we can do at this point. I think we've searched every bush, tree, and shed in the immediate area. My gut says he's nearby and unmoving because he's afraid of his own shadow, but I can't fathom where.

 

[Jcatbird]

Take heart. My experience tells me that if things settle and the excitement is a bit less, he will feel more like surfacing. It seems that every time I relaxed my frantic search for a cat, they appeared! Just when we wonder what else we could possibly do and where they could possibly be, they show up right under our noses. Having your Mom sitting out there may be all it takes. When I searched, I walked calmly and called in the dark. Not yelling but as though I were calling them to sit with me awhile. If Jet responds to the sound of a can of cat food being tapped with a spoon, the that noise could do the trick after the neighborhood is quieter for the night. I know she must be tired but sometimes I found them at midnight or later. Sometimes just at daybreak and then you have them do the least expected thing and come at 10 in the morning. Just don’t give up. Your instincts are something you should trust. He is probably very near and watching.
One other tip, sometimes sitting and turning your back on the place you think they are is exactly the thing that will bring them out if they are scared or suspicious. Come on Jet!

 

[walli]

I found my sons cat at the humane society a long time ago, their website has descriptions
I would also post on all the next door apps, lots of found animals that way.
keep calling him, call him late at night so he can hear you.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

If I didn't say this before, check with local Animal Control and shelters on a regular basis! Shelters are so often manned by volunteers who are overwhelmed, and cats can slip through the cracks. Call at least once a week. The worst that will happen is that they will know SOMEONE cares about this cat!

 

[Jcatbird]

It’s actually a very good idea to physically go to the shelters. Having worked with a couple locally to find owners, I know that descriptions are often abbreviated, not very specific and can get mismatched. The intentions are the best but the number of kitties can cause some to get lost in the shuffle. Best to see the cats there yourself. Many resemble each other too. Photos that show specific markings can be helpful, even to you. Don’t forget to check local vets as well. Most vets have a place to put up photos in their waiting rooms. They also have websites. Shelters do too. Petfinders is one that shelters use that shows tons of photos but I know from personal experience that a female cat of two years was listed as a male of ten years. Quite a difference.

 

[gardyloo]

Hello all, I’m the Mom whose cat escaped over 10 days ago ( I'd forgotten I joined this site years ago)

We had a lot of false sightings and I was planning to sadly take the 5-hour drive back home this morning. But last night the front door security camera caught Jet walking around the front door about midnight looking in the food bowls we’d set out. It was definitely him, from the way he walked and his thick plume of a tail. Unfortunately about 20 minutes before, a tailless raccoon had eaten all the food. We saw the security footage when we woke about 5 am, and I went out and called him with no result.

So Hooray, Hooray, he’s still alive and looked ok. But we could use some advice on how to actually get him to come back to us. I put out some of my dirty clothing on doorknobs and more food. We have food at two doors. I’m not sure whether to bait the two traps again. He’s incredibly skittish and may not go inside them after escaping a huge crate in the first place. And we might catch the raccoon and even more wandering neighborhood cats (we’ve caught quite a few in this semi-rural area).
Could you give us your thoughts and ideas (short of sitting out all night in the 34-degree weather)?

We can't thank you enough for all the positive help so far, it’s really helped

 

[Jcatbird]

Yes. I had posted before that I often found feral cats out around midnight. Place the food in the same place you saw him. You could put it up on something or simply replace the bowls before midnight if the food has been eaten. Can you watch the camera from the warmth of the house around the same time he was spotted? Be wary of opening a door if you spot him. The noise may startle him. Is there a window near the same spot? Have it already open just a bit and , Mom, call him softly from there and see if he will stay put. When you go out, keep steadily speaking as you go. Let him know that you are the one approaching.
I have used a grill fire to keep warm during cat hunts and the kitties were actually attracted to the warmth of the small fire. If at first he does not come, try, try agin. He will gain a little confidence if he knows you will not leave him. It’s often repeated efforts that bring wil kitties straight into my carriers and even my arms. I have felt confident this whole time that he is near and just a little confused about what to do next. Your assurance and presence will bring him back. Setting traps can still work, especially since you know where he approached the area. Feed Mr. Raccoon and then set the trap. The raccoon will probably be will to eat a short distance away from where he ate before. Put a water dish near the raccoon food and he will be very likely to go there since they desire to wash their food. You can also put food in Jets carrier to see if he will recognize that as safe haven but feed the raccoon away from that spot. Come on Jet!

 

[Jcatbird]

Does Jet have a favorite treat? Maybe tiny amounts of a treat in a trail leading into his carrier or trap could be ignored by the raccoon but noticed by Jet. Especially if the raccoon had a large dish of food a distance away.