Luckie is missing

I am so scared and worried. When I got up this morning Luckie was not here to greet me. Hubby said he got up in the night to let our dog Sammy out but he did not see if Luckie slipped out the door. We have searched the neighborhood and called and called but no Luckie. If it were Jessie or Nikkie they would have roamed around the yard and then waited by the sliding glass door to come in. But Luckie is so skittish that if he got scared by something he would have just run. This is a very small town and we have been everywhere. I've been crying for hours. He must be so scared and wondering where mom is. He's just disappeared. I don't know how I will bear it if something has happened to him. He was given to me to love and protect and I have failed to protect him. Please pray for him and that I find him.

Deecat

Thats terrible that Luckie is missing. I hope that you find him safe and sound. Have you tried calling the animal shelters, the vet or neighbors to let them know? Good luck finding him!

Sarah,
We have been to all the neighbors. The nearest vet and shelter is over 20 miles away. This is a very very small town. I have already put a missing poster in the window of our little grocery store a couple of hours ago. It breaks my heart to think about how scared he must be.

Deecat

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I am so sorry your kitty is missing, and I hope you find him!

They told me to contact the local radio stations, because they'll put a free ad on the air about it. Maybe they'll do that for you?

And be sure to check all your rescues and shelters... someone put a really good link in my thread about Spawn missing that you might want to check, about the things you need to do...

Good luck.

I'm sending prayers and positive energy your way. Hopefully, Lucky is in hiding somewhere nearby and you'll find him soon.

My heart is with you, Deecat. It's so upsetting that Luckie is missing. We are all rooting for Luckie and Spawn to come home. You know what Hissy recommends. Put a sweaty outfit and a little shelter near the house. Also provide food and water. Prayers for both kitties. Please keep us informed!

It has to be a cat owner's worst nightmare - Puss fails to return home. It is even worse for owners of indoor cats; an indoor cat may panic if it escapes into the unfamiliar outdoors. Though outdoor cats are most at risk of becoming lost, e.g. if chased, abducted and dumped, or by climbing into a cat, indoor cats can sometimes escape, especially if your home is broken into by a burglar or a door is left open when a tradesman calls.

Many people don't bother to search for a lost cat, assuming it can take care of itself or has gone wild. Those cats may wander for days, disoriented and frightened. The lucky ones are adopted or rescued, but others cannot fend for themselves and die or are killed as pests. Some join feral cat colonies. Many are accidentally shut inside shed or garages which are opened only now and again.

A neutered (desexed) cat is less likely to stray than an unneutered cat. A collar and ID tag (or a microchip) could swiftly reunite you with your lost pet. Make sure you have clear colour photos of both sides of your cat and its face (a 'portrait' photo). You may need these for 'Lost Cat' posters or to prove ownership if someone has adopted or stolen your pet. Though you may put 'Lost Cat ... answers to name of Gemma' many cats don't answer to their name if it is spoken by a stranger,

If your cat goes missing, first search all parts of your house. Look in boxes, closets, washing machines, under beds etc. Then search the immediate environs - outbuildings, sheds, garages and hedges. You may need to carry wire-cutters to free your cat if you live in an area where snares are likely. Take some photos with you so that you can more easily describe your cat to people you meet. Check the 'Lost and Found' columns of local newspapers and cards placed in shop windows or on community notice-boards.

Let people know that the cat is missing. You could inform the police if you believe the cat has been stolen they may not take it seriously, but under English Law a cat is considered property. Community policemen will be more sympathetic than the town police station. Inform local vets in case the animal is, or has been, injured and is taken to a vet's surgery. Inform local schools since children are very observant of animals that they meet on their way to and from school. Contact local animal shelters and welfare groups.

Local councils (the 'Cleansing Department' or Environmental Health Officer) should keep records of dead animals they have cleared from the roadside (they may also store the body in a freezer for a short period of time before it is incinerated). If you live near to a railway, the nearest station may have records of animals found on the track. Speak to neighbours who may have seen your cat since it disappeared. It's surprising how many cats have a 'den' under a neighbour's shed or have second homes. Have a word with any delivery people or roundsmen who have regular rounds in your area.

Advertise the fact that a cat has gone missing. Put up posters if possible. Put cards on local noticeboards, in shop windows (a small weekly fee will be charged), church noticeboards (a donation to funds may be required), at the local school and local filling station. Posters and notices are more effective if they have a photo of the cat. Put them wherever people congregate, but beware of any local regulations prohibiting unauthorised notices. Put 'Lost Cat' notices through people's doors, asking them to check inside their shed, garage etc. Put your name and address on all notices.

Contact the local newspapers; most have a 'Lost and Found' section or may be able to print a picture and small article about the missing cat (especially if it is valuable or extraordinary in any way). Contact your local radio station and, if you have one, your local TV station. If you believe your cat may have climbed in a car or truck and hitch-hiked to another area, advertise in a national cat publication. Very valuable cats have sometimes had their stories reported on national news and national teletext services.

If your local animal rescue groups have a lost and found section on the internet, supply a photo for that. A donation may be required. Sites for lost cats exist, but they may not cover your area or even your country. They are also difficult to keep up to date.

Offer a reward to motivate people; there is no need to specify the amount. The drawback of this is that you may be presented with a procession of cats (some taken from elsewhere) by people wanting to claim the reward. These people work on the theory that all tabby cats look the same (or all Siamese cats look the same etc) and owners won't be able to tell the difference. Such people will not return the cat to where they found it, leading to another lost cat.

The earlier you report a missing cat, the more likely you are to find it. Be aware of your cat's habits, e.g. what time does it normally return from hunting expeditions or visits to neighbours?

When you are reunited with your cat, inform any authorities who were asked to look out for him. Remove any posters or notices, especially those which offer a reward otherwise you will end up paying out money to everyone who finds your cat sitting on your doorstep.

Don't give up to soon. Cats have been known to return home after long absences, having been adopted as a stray or after hiking long distances home after accidentally riding in a car. I know of one cat which was reunited with its rural owner after being found at a London Railway Station - the cat had decided to explore the guard's van when the train stopped at its local station; luckily it was microchipped and had a collar. I have reunited a Havana with its owner after a separation of 6 months. This indoor-only cat was trapped during a trap-neuter-return campaign at a factory the other side of town. The owner worked at the factory. Somehow it had managed to get into the garage and had travelled to the factory in the engine compartment of its owner's car.

Dee - I am sooooo very sorry! I am sending kitty capture prayers your way for little Luckie.

You might want to call for him in the wee hours of the morning as well. Skiddish cats will be more receptive when the world is quiet.

The old sweaty sweatshirt plan is a good one too (thanks to Hissy) - dance, do housework, etc and get it as sweaty as possible - then place it outside in your yard or by the door - with food and water. Luckie may get your scent and come home!

I wish you all the best and please keep us posted!

Thanks everyone. Jin, my thoughts are with you. I know you will all understand if I say I'm not feeling any better. I break into tears every few minutes. My sister's girls are coming over in a little while and we are going to cover the neighborhood with flyers. I don't have any pictures of Luckie but he is very distinctively marked and since the town is so small we will be able to cover it all. I don't believe he has been stolen. I think he probably got scared and ran. He has not been outside since we found him 3 years ago. I've said a hundred prayers that he hasn't been hurt.
Thanks again for the comfort. I will let you know as soon as I know anything.

Dee

Good luck in your search, I hope you find him quickly!

Deehome, am sending "come safely home Lucky, right NOW" energy... and sympathy for you and yours.

Hissy's advice is really great... and I'll add one more thing... sometimes the very activity round the house in seach of a lost cat can actually deter them from returning if they are hiding nearby, especially if they're the timid type... People sound and look different to cats when they're outdoors. When our Bugs got out and disappeared (he's a timid cat), he didn't come out for a whole day until I sat for an hour on the back step of the downtown apartment building we lived in, not calling, but just sitting quietly.

Longest @#$&*# day of my life, but I was sure glad to see him!

Just to clarify- I took the information above from a Humane Society website. I am not the author. If you do make fliers, (or is it flyers?) Anyway, don't put them in mailboxes or the post office may take action against you if you do. A mailbox is considered federal government property. I learned this the hard way last year when one of my cats vanished for awhile. BTW Scatter was gone 2 weeks before she came home. So don't give up hope! And this may sound corny, but I put a picture of the kitty on my door as well- the outside, a kind of good luck please come home omen type thing....

Jin and Dee, I know you may think this sound silly but honest to goodness, I have no idea how many times this has worked.

Say a prayer to St.Anthony, the finder of all lost things. It works every time and maybe, it can work for both of you too.

Good luck.

I'll say a prayer at my end for you also!:angel2:

Funny thing with St.Anthony though is that whatever is lost, always seems to be found in the strangest places.

We have just come back. So no one has seen him. This being such a small town everyone has been wonderful. We were allowed to put a flyer in the window of the grocery store, resteraunt, bank, video store, gas station, feed store, liquor store, post office and even the one tavern. Waitsburg is so small that we don't have mail boxes in town. Everyone has a post office box. This is onion and wheat country. The girls did remind me of something though. There is a cat who has been visiting us for weeks. It looks just like a siamese. It looks very healthy and sleek but we have thought it was feral because you cannot get anywhere near it. And for the past couple of weeks off and on it (I don't know if its a male or female) has been coming to the sliding glass door in the kitchen (the deck is there) and lays up against the door. Both Jessie and Luckie have been laying up against the glass inside and they have been patting paws and kissing the glass inside and the siamese has been doing the same on the outside. Do you think its possible that when Luckie got out he may have found and taken off somewhere with the siamese cat? I don't know whether to pray for that or not. At least Luckie would not be alone.
Dee

Dee, you and Jin both have my sympathy and I'm still sending out plenty of prayers and positive energy.

You said the Siamese cat has been making repeated visits to your home so it might be a good thing if Luckie is with this cat. Maybe the next time the Siamese visits he'll bring Luckie back with him.

Gosh Lori, I'm hoping Luckie is with the siamese. Its 8:30 here and just after dusk. This is the time that the siamese has been showing up to play but so far he/she has not shown up. Maybe Luckie is just taking a short vacation and the siamese is showing him the sights and he will be back in the morning. I'm praying.

Jin, have you heard anything about your baby?

Dee

Dee, I'm sendng good thoughts and prayers you way for Luckies safe and SWIFT return home!!

Dee! I hope your baby comes home soon!

Sending hopes & prayers for your kitty's safe return. We take care of a stray that has now not been by since Thursday morning (she comes every day). I know how gut-wrenching this is - times 10 because she's your baby and an indoor cat. Again, love, hugs, hopes and prayers.

I know some of you didn't notice, but there is a thread that Luckie is already home safe and sound. Check it out here