Our Indoor Cat Escaped

[isolde curry]

Sunday morning, I was awakened to find out that one of our cat, Socks accidentally slipped out the door while my Grandmother was out feeding the birds. We live on four acres in a not really urban neighborhood. We also have a small house in the property and a lot of bushes surrounding it about 50 feet from the back door. The cat hung out under one of the bushes most of the day and stayed close to the house, thankfully. We tried calling him and luring him inside with food and also left the screen door open (with our others two cats closed in other rooms) a few times, but never would go back in, going the opposite direction and making a lap around the house

We say outside calling him all day, and he would talk to us. He stayed just out of reach when he came close, and my grandmother tried to get ahold of him, but he squirmed his way out of her arms. He wouldn’t get close enough for my mom to grab him, either. He laid under the bush seemingly calm, but would come to me. This always concerned me since he’s always following my Grandmother around the house and stays too close to the back door for my comfort level.

He’s couple of years old and neutered, which is good. He is also a previous semi-feral that lived outside for about a year and a half before he came in the house last October, so he's familiar with the area. Our concern is predators and vehicle traffic since we live on a pretty busy secondary road.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to catch him/lure him back in the house? We also have two other indoor cats that we've been closing in separate rooms so we can open the back storm door, but he's been hesitant to approach the door. We also can't leave the door open late all night due to the risk of unwanted visitors. This has made all of us pretty anxious that he is doing his own thing and is being stubborn and come inside. Any reassurance would also help. Thanks.

Attached are photos of the back door he went out of Sunday morning, our back porch that I just took with him lounging on the ramp, and a picture I took of him this morning.

 

[Margot Lane]

I have found if you sit near him, talk to him, do not approach and have patience, they’ll eventually choose to come to you— and get ready for the GRAB if so, esp. at the nape/scruff. I wouldn’t have food available, but maybe hold a can in your hands, or a treat. I’m sure a lot of feral cat moms will be chiming in here soon w/ good trapping options too. Also, if you can exactly imitate a mom cat calling her kittens (not play a recording, but BE the mom) sometimes they just come. It’s weird. I do this every night w/ my indoor cat and it always works.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Food placed outside for him but moved closer and closer to the door - a small distance at a time. If you can manage to get him to eat just inside the door opening, and then perhaps beyond, that will be a big win. The more he does that, the more your chances are of grabbing him and or closing the door behind him. He should only be fed when someone is there to watch, preferably one who is capable of grabbing him when the time is right.

If you are successful, your family needs to know that there is no more casual entering/existing the house. He should be placed in a location that denies him access, or it will most certainly happen again. More on that if you get him back inside...

If that does not work, then you will have to start over with a disguised trap and get him used to eating closer and closer to it, until such time he enters it to eat. There are different types of traps that you pull the trigger when he is inside, but many can also be set up to trigger shut once he is inside. I would get one that can do both.

I think he may eventually tire of being outside, but waiting until that may or may not happen is not a gamble I would take.

 

[Margot Lane]

Having a door and a screen door helps. I actually put a big reminder sign on my door “don’t let the cat out,” both sides….be sure to crouch down low, or sit…less threatening.

 

[isolde curry]

Food placed outside for him but moved closer and closer to the door - a small distance at a time. If you can manage to get him to eat just inside the door opening, and then perhaps beyond, that will be a big win. The more he does that, the more your chances are of grabbing him and or closing the door behind him. He should only be fed when someone is there to watch, preferably one who is capable of grabbing him when the time is right.

If you are successful, your family needs to know that there is no more casual entering/existing the house. He should be placed in a location that denies him access, or it will most certainly happen again. More on that if you get him back inside...

If that does not work, then you will have to start over with a disguised trap and get him used to eating closer and closer to it, until such time he enters it to eat. There are different types of traps that you pull the trigger when he is inside, but many can also be set up to trigger shut once he is inside. I would get one that can do both.

I think he may eventually tire of being outside, but waiting until that may or may not happen is not a gamble I would take.

This was totally accidental that he got out. He just darted right out as my grandmother was opening the door, and he was too fast for her to grab. I don't think she was expecting him to be right there.

 

[FeebysOwner]

This was totally accidental that he got out. He just darted right out as my grandmother was opening the door, and he was too fast for her to grab. I don't think she was expecting him to be right there.

I totally get that! Didn't mean to infer anything by what I said. Accident, a onetime fluke, or whatever, just means that he learned that he can find a way outside if he so chooses to do so in the future. Cats can be 'tricky', especially one who was once an outdoor cat, not that long ago.

 

[isolde curry]

I totally get that! Didn't mean to infer anything by what I said. Accident, a onetime fluke, or whatever, just means that he learned that he can find a way outside if he so chooses to do so in the future. Cats can be 'tricky', especially one who was once an outdoor cat, not that long ago.

It's all good. No worries.

 

[isolde curry]

We tried to get Socks in just a few minutes ago. My grandmother couldn't hold onto him long enough to get him in the door when I opened it and he squirmed out of her hands. Hopefully he'll forgive her and we can try again in the morning when he comes for breakfast.

How do you grab and hold onto a husky cat that doesn't really have much scruff?

 

[FeebysOwner]

How do you grab and hold onto a husky cat that doesn't really have much scruff?

Can you all use a blanket or large towel to wrap him in? Might take two of you to do that. Maybe wrap a blanket around the waist and when Socks is in hand, pull the blanket over him? Just throwing stuff out there that might make you think of something you have that might work similarly??

 

[CarmiesMom]

Can you all use a blanket or large towel to wrap him in? Might take two of you to do that. Maybe wrap a blanket around the waist and when Socks is in hand, pull the blanket over him? Just throwing stuff out there that might make you think of something you have that might work similarly??

Pet Carrier?? Grab him by the scruff shove him in lock the door let him out once inside try getting his attention with a teaser toy or just a can of food. my Mignon has been out the grand total of three times the first one was a family member who doesn't believe cats belong in the house and she just let him out the door we found him one day later under the vacant house next door using a teaser toy and a can of food I was able to grab him by the scruff of the neck and after having to do it all over again because he squirmed out of my arms and tore me up got him in a pet carrier and then inside the house vacant houses catty corner from us across the vacant lot. The next time he got out, what's on accent we were bringing something in the house and that time he was out for 5 days the longest five days of my life I eventually found him in my grandfather's garage/workshead as I was living caregiver for my grandfather at the time he was very glad to see me and all I had to do was call his name the right way oh mignon and then do my mimic meow back at him that I've been doing since he was a kitten as I've raised him from the age of one week. The last time he got out he fell out a window that I didn't realize the screen was loose on he was napping in it like he usually does we have wide window sills so he was taking a nap in the sun enjoying the fresh air and he fell out thankfully he was waking up to avoid my grandfather's bicycle bone pile that was right below the window which is a full story and a half drop to the ground again I found him in my grandfather's garage but this time he was hiding from the feral females we were feeding he got down they tried to attack I grabbed him held him against my body as close as I could holding his hands and feet to where he couldn't scratch me much he tore up my shirt but I got him in the house safely with minimal damage to me. Now at 9 years old he's more likely to hide from the door LOL he likes it inside where it's cushy. so what I'm saying is I highly recommend a pet carrier to bring him in the house best of luck getting your kitty back.

 

[isolde curry]

Day 3 of Sock's outdoor escapades. Mom heard a brief cat scuffle this morning before I got up and wasn't sure where they went. I called Socks up to the porch from the garage which is probably 50-75 feet down the driveway. Our garage seems to be a popular hangout spot for stray/feral cats as evidenced by the cat paw prints that are left on the windows of my grandmother's car. Socks, too, has decided that's his hangout spot.
He seemed to be no worse for the wear as he casually strolled up the driveway, sitting down on the steps about 5 feet from me, so I'm guessing he emerged the victor in running the unwelcome visitor off (there was a smaller black cat seen wandering around last night, and I'm sure it's the same one I've seen roaming around before).
Socks just casually sat and wouldn't come up to me, so I left him a small amount of food. Grandmother came out and sat and talked to him for a couple of minutes, but he wouldn't approach her either, not quite forgiving her for last night's fiasco (which I received a nice size scratch on my foot from).
We're accepting the fact that this process is going to be on his terms and will involve regaining his trust in us. I'm just always saying a prayer every day that he continues to stay safe while he's outside.

 

[isolde curry]

We had a friend bring a trap they used to catch their cat over a little while ago, so I'm hoping it'll work for Socks.

 

[Margot Lane]

Save something extra special and tasty for the trap you aren’t currently feeding him…tuna, yeast pills, maybe a small smorgasbord.

 

[isolde curry]

Socks was waiting for his breakfast this morning. He even let Grandmother love on him some, so I think he's forgiven her for his indiscretions a couple of nights ago, so that's good. He's been eating next to the trap with it closed yesterday evening and this morning and didn't seem to perturbed by it thus far, so I'm going to start acclimating him to it without fully setting so he gets used to eating near it. I'm also going to find a calming supplement that will maybe help calm his nerves some, too. It's getting time for his vacation to come to an end.

 

[DeesCats]

You might want to try latching the trap door open so it can't trip and leaving the food inside the trap since Socks is more comfortable around the unset trap. I used a zip tie or cable tie to secure the actuator arm so it wouldn't close the door of the live trap when I was trapping some feral cats for TNR.

 

[isolde curry]

Today was day 5 of Sock's outdoor escapades. He's still coming around regularly for his meals (Same times as when our other indoor cats get fed), like clockwork and good at coming when called. His fur was a bit damp this morning due to the rain last night. I dipped my finger in his wet food and wanted to see if he would be willing to lick it off. He sniffed at my finger, but didn't want to lick the juice off. I zip tied the door to the trap open and he ate next to it. He didn't seem to be wigged out by it. He came back by later before I went to go feed our steer, and he let grandmother pet him for several minutes, thoroughly enjoying the attention. Grandmother said he was sniffing around the door, which I'm hoping is a good sign. When Mom came home from work yesterday evening, he was just a few feet away from her and peered inside when she held the door open and asked him if he was ready to come in yet. With him peering inside the open door and him sniffing around the door, I'm praying he's starting to consider coming back in.

I told grandmother My preference is for him to come back in on his own like he did before. I've told her to keep loving on him as much as he'll let her, and I'm sure he'll let us know when he's ready.
I've taken to hanging out at the back door to monitor the whereabouts of the other cats and keep them away whenever Grandmother goes outside and whenever someone's holding the door open. Makes me nervous.

Here's him chilling on the porch near the trap, and the trap itself. Now that I think about it more, I'd really rather not use the trap unless absolutely necessary and he'll make the decision on his own terms to come back inside. This trap was used by a friend to catch their cat and I'm not sure Socks would really fit his 10lb butt in it anyway, since it looks more kitten sized. Just keep good thoughts and prayers coming for his continued safety and that he'll start getting the desire to come back in soon.

 

[IndyJones]

I think the idea with tieing the trap opened is to put the bowl inside it so the cat isnt freaked out by it. I could be wrong though.

Bowl should be placed as far back in the trap as possable because kitty needs to step on trigger plate to activate it. You might want a bread pan or long bowl so kitty cant just stretch his neck over the trigger plate.

I have only used the tunnel style traps with two doors but do have the same single door trap you have. Was bought for groundhogs tunneling under the house though not cats.

 

[isolde curry]

I did zip tie it open, and he seems to be fine eating next to it so far. I'm going to start moving the bowl closer and into it over the next few days and see how he reacts to eating closer to/in it.

 

[IndyJones]

Thats a good start. You want to set it only once hes comfortable eating at the very back of the trap past the trigger plate. The trap will be quite loud when it goes off so you will likely only have one chance at this.

While this site specificaly talks about feral/strays, much of these tip are aplicable to any trapping situation

Trapping Instructions — Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon

 

[isolde curry]

Day 6 of Sock's escapades: He was waiting on the back porch this morning for breakfast according to grandmother (I slept all day as I work night shifts). She said he ate in increments and got pets and loving in between bites. She also said he put his front paws on the door sill of the open back door and looked inside when she snapped her fingers (his come here signal), and did that a couple of times, but got distracted by a squirrel. Grandmother said Mom wanted to grab him, but she told her no, as she didn't want to upset him. We're making progress in the right direction, though which is good. This makes me happy.