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- #41
I tried putting out two different kinds of foods and neither were eaten. Definitely going to try the trap next.
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My cat got outside for the first time since we took her in, what are the chances she returns?
- Thread starter RickCMC
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #42
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #43
Does anyone know what would be the reason for her not coming back? By later tonight it will be 4 days. I just don’t understand why she is scared to come back inside yet she is staying so close under the shed. Was it because she was feral only two years ago when I found her under the same shed? Is it possible she reverted back to being feral and forgot about her home? I’ve been a wreck about this and haven’t been able to sleep well. This is constantly on my mind.
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I'm so sorry -- I know how awful this feels. From my research when my Luna was missing, this is relatively common behavior by displaced cats, and it is partially determined by their underlying genetic temperament.
It isn't possible that she has reverted back to being feral or forgot about her home, but it is very possible that a lot of the mindset and skills that helped her survive when she was feral are forcing her to take, what her brain perceives as, NO chances. She sees the world very differently than a person, and also very differently than a dog would. Dogs are inherently social and perceive their place as part of a pack, they look to the pack for their feelings of safety and security rather than a location. Cats love just as deeply, but for them love & interpersonal / social actions are enabled when they otherwise feel secure, with their feelings of security coming from a knowledge of their territory and knowing locations within that territory that they feel they can hide in away from predators. For a cat, it is top priority when they find themselves displaced to understand and reproduce their feeling of territory and hiding spaces. She does remember you and her home inside and I'm certain she prefers those to her current situation. But she is not familiar with how to pass from where she is outside, to inside, and entryways often have elements a cat perceives as being extremely exposed and therefore dangerous.
It's a profoundly different way of processing the world than we are familiar with, and it normally can be overlooked because when a cat does feel secure and happy, very different behaviors come forward. It is only when a cat is insecure and displaced, that these very different prioritization systems and processing methods become relevant. It can be so frustrating! But she is doing the best she can imagine to do, for her survival and for that matter her return home to you. She's just... wrong, but she doesn't know that and cannot think outside of the systems that are normal to her. We, as people, can think through things from cat's perspective, leverage the academic research on how they understand the world, & use that to help in cases like these. But it is not easy or natural for us either! You're just doing the best you can, as well.
If you use the trap be sure it is well covered I would suggest putting a blanket inside or something comfortable for her to step on except that it's so cold where you are. Also a towel to cover it and decorate so it doesn't look like a trap just suggestions I live in Houston so I haven't had to deal with something like this before. Like
M
MackerelTabbyStripes
said something is scaring her
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #47
Thanks. My worry about the trap is that she hasn’t eaten any of the food I’ve put out so I’m
worried she won’t go near the food in the trap either.
Friskies or fancy feast usually works
Are you able to look under the shed ,the whole area. Wonder what else is in there. Q
I completely agree that the mindset of a cat changes when they have escaped and they do enter a hypervigilant mode which does not make sense to us....and would not happen with a dog. All of my cats are/have been strays or former ferals, mostly ferals, and only two ever got out again. Milo, who had been inside for years, literally circled the perimeter of my property for hours. He knew it was home but the overriding caution he was using would not let him just walk back inside. The other girl hid in the back yard for hours under a bush. I opened the sliding glass door....I mean, literally the wall to the room that she lived in was open for her to enter....and it took hours.
It isn't you and it isn't your cat who is causing anything to "go wrong". Bait the trap with something very appealing and keep trying.
It isn't you and it isn't your cat who is causing anything to "go wrong". Bait the trap with something very appealing and keep trying.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #51
The gap between the ground and the shed is so tiny it’s hard to see too far into it the underneath. She’s not really making much sound or moving so I don’t even know if she still under there, but on Friday she ran underneath the shear and then Saturday night she ran right back under the shed after she was near the back door. It was so cold over the weekend and now it’s actually 60 degrees here so maybe the warmer weather will entice her to wander out more?
You can get a USB snake camera that syncs to your phone. They are small and about 35 dollars. You could then see if she is still there or whatever else is under there. If done cautiously this shouldn't spook her too much.
Something like this: Klein Tools Borescope for Android Devices ET16 - The Home Depot
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #53
Thanks! I might try that!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #54
So I just got two humane traps and am about to set them up. Should I place both of them in the back near the shed where we have seen her twice since she got out or should I place one out back and one on the front porch where she escaped from?
Jcatbird
should be able to help you.
You can also set up your trap nearby a wireless web cam.
I'm using a Ring doorbell that will alert if it senses motion, and you can request a live feed at any time (saves the walk outside every so many minutes / hours).
I'm using a Ring doorbell that will alert if it senses motion, and you can request a live feed at any time (saves the walk outside every so many minutes / hours).
If you can verify that she is under the shed then it might not be a bad idea to block off all access points except the one you want her to use. Then place your trap there with food in it and wait. With an animal that corners itself, you typically have the upper hand when it comes to trapping at that point.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #58
Unfortunately I cannot verify she is under the shed right now. I’m only assuming she is because both times I’ve seen her since she went missing she ran underneath the shed. There’s one little tiny small opening and it’s the only way in and out. I wish I could have stayed up all night waiting for her to come out but I couldn’t. She’s been missing since Thursday night, saw both Friday and Saturday night around the same time and she went under the shed. Didn’t see her last night so that has me worried she might not be under there.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #59
Did not see her again last night after staying up til after 3 am looking out the back. Nothing in the traps. So after seeing her two nights in a row, it’s been 48 hours since I’ve seen her. Pretty worried and not sure what else I can really do at this point. I’ll continue to leave the traps out. I just wish I knew where she was.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #60
Not going to give up hope! Especially after reading others on here with their stories with their cats being gone much longer than mine has and yet still came back. I also read one of the articles someone posted about trapping and that you shouldn’t assume it won’t work if it doesn’t happen right away. Going to give the traps a few more days and see what happens. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.
