Something absolutely horrifying just happened...

frankthetank

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I just got a phone call, at around 1130pm Sunday night.
Backstory~ my cat Baby got out somehow yesterday morning while hubby and I ran a couple errands. I posted about this in the Cat SOS section so I won't really detail it here.

Since he went missing I have posted fliers around my entire neighborhood, hung a huge poster on my car in my driveway, made posters on stakes to go out on the roadway, canvassed the neighborhood talking to neighbors etc. I also posted on petfbi, petfinder and craigslist all in the classifieds about pets or lost animals, with a picture of my cat.
I put my phone number on the craigslist ad. I shouldn't have but I thought that if someone saw him and went on craigslist to look if he was advertised as missing they could call me right away vs emailing.
Well tonight at 1130 I get a phone call. Here is how it went.
Them: Hi I saw your ad for a missing cat on craigslist and I think I found your cat.
Me (getting so excited) : Really? Where did you find him? Is he there now?
Them: Well I think it's him. Does he have a collar because I am not sure this one did.
Me: No he didn't have a collar
Them: Okay I wasn't sure if it fell off or something. The cat I saw looked like the picture on your ad.
Me: Oh so is he not there now?? Is it tail long white and fluffy?
Them: I am not sure, I can't tell.
Me: Oh, if he is there can you look and tell me?
Them: Well here is the thing, the cat was digging through my neighbors trash and my neighbor hit it with a shovel and the cat is meowing and crying and I can't tell how bad it is hurt and I don't want to look at it but I think it was your cat.
Me: Is this supposed to be some kind of sick joke? You cannot be seriously telling me this.
Them: Why would I call you and joke about something like that? But anyway, your ad mentioned a reward so I wanted to get that reward. Hello? I want to collect the reward since I found the cat.

At that point I was bawling and hung up on them. I am still shaking and it's been 30 minutes since the call. I got up and shut my curtains and turned my alarm on because it creeped me out so bad. I got on Craigslist and someone else had posted to not answer calls from that number because they are calling saying that they killed peoples pets. I can't believe people like this exist in the world. I can't stop shaking and crying. I just can't believe that someone would call random poeple and do this. It makes me so sick to my stomach.
Apparently this person used Google Voice, which is a service you can sign up for to use a supposedly non traceable number to call. I can't even call the number back so I can't find out who did it. My husband got online and send a complaint to google voice with the date/time/nature of the call telling them that it is ridiculous that their service allows people to do things like this. I don't know if the complaint will go anywhere, but at least we made one.

Basically, if you get a call from this number 760-705-8888, it is a google voice call. And if you have any lost pet ads, you might just have someone trying to wreck your emotions. Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to warn others so they don't have to go through this as well.
 

ziggy'smom

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I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. People can be so rotten. They'll do anything to scam people just to make a buck. It doesn't matter what they have to put another human through. I just saw a show on TV yesterday about a family who was looking for their adult daughter they thought had been kidnapped in the West Indies. A man who claimed to be an investigator approached them telling them he could help. He strung them along for two years telling them he had good leads and got them to pay him over $100,000. It turned out that he was just scamming them all along and never looked for the girl at all. The poor parents lost their retirement savings, wasted two years when they could have actually been looking for their daughter and got their hopes up that she was alive and close to being found. How the heck anyone can do such a thing to another person is beyond me. It's just so extremely cruel.

I'm glad you realized it was a scam and didn't go along with it any further. I hope you find your baby soon. He's out there somewhere probably eager to go home. Several people here lately have had cats get out and have gotten them back in a few days so there is definitely hope.
Could you leave a window open for him in case he comes back and put something under the window so he can climb up? I did that once when one of my fosters got out. I closed the door to keep the other cats out and put a latter under the window. The next night the kitty came back and came in through the open window.

I'll keep my fingers crossed
 

kailie

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Oh sweetheart, I am SO incredibly sorry that you had to go through that!
Some people are just seriously sick with too much time on their hands.

A few months back I got a call from a man saying he saw one of my ads for my fosters on Kijiji and he wanted to have one. He then asked how big it was because he was actually looking for food for his snake and if the cat was too big, well then that wouldn't work! I kind of laughed it off thinking it was a friend trying to play a prank to get me going, but no one ever owned up to it, so it was probably the same type of thing you experienced.
 

motoko9

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I'm very sorry this happened to you. Sadly, it's not uncommon; I've heard of people in my area who have posted listings for lost pets on Craigslist and the like and then received the same sort of calls. I can't imagine what would motivate someone to play such a cruel prank on someone he doesn't even know.

Anyway, the best thing you can do for yourself is to forget about that person and focus on finding your little guy. Good luck to you.
 

jennyr

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Oh people are so sick. I am so sorry that you went through that, but at least you found out quickly that it was a scam. And it is a good warning to others here, at least. More vibes coming that you find Baby soon.
 

Willowy

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Originally Posted by Kailie

A few months back I got a call from a man saying he saw one of my ads for my fosters on Kijiji and he wanted to have one. He then asked how big it was because he was actually looking for food for his snake and if the cat was too big, well then that wouldn't work! I kind of laughed it off thinking it was a friend trying to play a prank to get me going, but no one ever owned up to it, so it was probably the same type of thing you experienced.
Actually, some large snake owners DO feed their snakes cats. . .especially free cats. On the snake forums you can find advice about trolling the "free pet" ads for food sources (although it's usually young kittens, guinea pigs and rabbits--adult cats fight back and are harder to kill). At least that guy was up front about it. That's one reason we have to be so careful to proerly screen prospective adopters when looking for new homes for cats.

So sorry you ha to go through that! How awful. You have to wonder what kind of cheap thrill that scumbag gets from doing that kind of thing.
 

orangeishcat

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Oh my goodness, that is so, so horrible... ugh, I can't even imagine what makes people do and say the things they do!!! for you and for Baby!
 

kittkatt

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Some people make me sick!
It's no wonder I prefer my cats to most people now-a-days.


I'm so sorry that someone did such an absolutely horrifying thing to you.
Craigslist is a breeding ground for the sickos. If it's any consolation, I'm sure he'll get his just desserts some day. I sure hope your kitty comes back safely to you!
 

feralvr

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I would like to get my hands on that creep
, that is very cruel and I am sorry you had to deal with this on top of the worries about Baby. I don't get people, just heartless.
Hang in there, we are all pulling for you and praying for Baby to be found .
 

kailie

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Originally Posted by Willowy

Actually, some large snake owners DO feed their snakes cats. . .especially free cats. On the snake forums you can find advice about trolling the "free pet" ads for food sources (although it's usually young kittens, guinea pigs and rabbits--adult cats fight back and are harder to kill). At least that guy was up front about it. That's one reason we have to be so careful to proerly screen prospective adopters when looking for new homes for cats.
Oh yeah he COULD have been serious, but I'm pretty sure it was a prank, especially since the types of ads I post for my fosters completely advocate wonderful forever homes, that there is an adoption fee, etc. Thankfully anyone who IS interested in my fosters has to go through the whole application process, adoption fee, etc. so I know none of them are going to end up as snake food. The thought just makes me sick.
 

rubsluts'mommy

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Actually, with Google Voice, you can call back. That's the point of getting a number with them. You have to have it forwarded to another number, like a landline or cell phone. I know, because I have a google voice number. Google can find out the number it fowards to and the person can be tracked down that way. To call out on a GV number is a whole other deal... I don't call out on mine because it costs. Receiving calls is free.

I hope Google helps you track the sicko who called though... big hugs from Portland for you.
 

cococat

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You and the police should have met him for his "reward".
 
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frankthetank

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Originally Posted by RubSluts'Mommy

Actually, with Google Voice, you can call back. That's the point of getting a number with them. You have to have it forwarded to another number, like a landline or cell phone. I know, because I have a google voice number. Google can find out the number it fowards to and the person can be tracked down that way. To call out on a GV number is a whole other deal... I don't call out on mine because it costs. Receiving calls is free.

I hope Google helps you track the sicko who called though... big hugs from Portland for you.
I tried to call the number back but it wouldnt let me and when I googled it the number came up as one that people can use thru google voice so it is completely anonymous. IDK how google voice works but I hope they respond to what my husband sent them because what happened was ridiculous.

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!! BABY IS HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
He was in high up a tree a few doorsd down and the people heard him meowing and finally saw him and called us, and we had some help and he finally went to someone and was able to be brought down.
Thanks for all the vibes!
 

tink80

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Aww I just went from angry to happy so I'll say two things

1) People are sick
2) I am so happy your baby is home
 

aprilyim

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I'm so happy Baby is home!

Sorry that people can be so inhumane...
 

kittkatt

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Oh, I'm so glad Baby came home!
You ought to call that sicko back and tell him that his sick joke just came back to bite him in the butt!
What goes around come around!
 
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