Lost cats - how to get them back home?

This morning both Avery and Bailey went missing.  I recently learned (this afternoon) that Cooper knows how to open the door from the garage into the house and last night I forgot to shut my garage door (live in a very secure area, and just forgot to close it).  Cooper, opened up the door last night, caught a mouse and brought it to the kitchen to show me when I woke up in the morning.  I don't know if Avery and Bailey got out when he got out or went out when he came back in.

Avery is super shy around people, has never been outside and in the past has actually been afraid of the outside.  I don't know why he would go out (curiosity got the better of him?).  If anyone approaches him he will take off, whenever I have company over he hides the entire duration (even when I have people stay over night) and only comes out when they're gone.

Bailey is a new addition, hasn't even completely warmed up to me yet but has to the rest of the household (animals).  Because of this I would imagine his reaction to a stranger would be very similar to Avery's.

Both were inside when I went to bed at midnight, at 9am when I woke up I knew something was off because Avery sleeps in bed with my Chocolate Lab.  I have looked everywhere inside, also Avery comes when I shake his treat bin, so when I shook it and only Cooper came I knew he wasn't inside.

I have only been in this house for 3 weeks.  I have talked to my neighbors and they are on the look out for them.  I have placed used litter, wet cat food and tuna around the house.  I am keeping my garage door open.  Also all morning up until noon it was raining/drizzling, neither are all that fond of water so I can't see them walking about while raining.

Where I live there are woods all around, so if they got exploring I don't know if they could find their way home.  Also the neighbors who had pets (which is most), ALL of them told me that the animal catcher people (sorry brain fart as I type this, can't recall their official name) are non-existent out here.

What else can I do?  I have been walking around all day with my dog (Avery things Dakota - my lab - is his mother, has tried to nurse from her in the past, he is extremely bonded to her and she to him) shaking the treats.  I am hoping that Avery and Bailey are together but that could just be me hoping for the best.

Cats when they first get out, they usually come back right?  So there is a good chance for both of them coming home?

I wouldn't panic yet.

I think that they are more likely try to come home in the middle of the night when it is dark and quiet.

Don't forget to look up in the trees. 

Call and then be quiet so you can hear any meows.

Sometimes they get themselves trapped in other people's garages.

You may need a trap for Bailey.

you should call the local animal shelter to make sure they don't have them, though.

Are they microchipped?

Where I live there really isn't any local animal shelter, there is a local vet (not my vet) that I did call and leave a message with.  I kind of live out in the sticks so I figure people would be more inclined to call the local vet if they see anything.

Bailey is chipped, Avery is not.

My younger brother came over earlier to help put up signs - I guess I am in panic mode but that's only because Avery has never set foot outside and Bailey is new.

I will admit the very first time Cooper got out was at my old place and it took him 3 days but he eventually did come home by himself.  I'm hoping this will be another of those situations.

On a plus note, there really isn't any busy roads around, so that is somewhat calming to me right now.  And Cooper is being super sweet (maybe he knows I'm all nervous?).

Still not a sign of either.  Just came back from walking around at night here and Cooper was out and he was rolling around on the drive way and the curb.  Is this some type of scent marking?

Avery was in the garage this morning!  I'm not sure who was more excited to see him, my dog or me but we're happy to have him home!

Now as for Mr. Bailey, I haven't seen him (but I didn't see Avery either).  He prefers his dry food so I'm going to put out food and water in 'his' bowls and also put out his litter box and his favorite scratch pad in my open garage tonight - he sleeps on this scratch pad so good chance if he's in the area like Avery was that he'll sleep on it.  Of course then the hard part is catching him but I guess step one is to see him to make sure he's still in the area then try to figure out a way to get him back in the house.

yay!!!

Have you considered renting or buying a trap to catch Baily?

I'm looking at buying one (no place to rent one around here).  Would prefer to at least see him to make sure he's still in the area first.  He is chipped, local vet and the nearest rescue group have been contacted.  I just confirmed that all his chip info is up to date (which it is).

i hear they sell them (traps) pretty cheap at harbor freight. Or if you know anybody doing the tnr thing in your area - they might lend you one.

I bet that cat is right under your nose.

Thanks for the tip on Harbor Freight!  I actually just ordered one from them, the ones I was looking really expensive so was going to see if he could come back on his own.  But I figure if he comes back before I get my order then I'll have it on hand for any just in case needs.

Oh I'm so sorry! GREAT news that Avery is home. Vibes for Bailey to find his way back!

Sound like you may need to install another kind of latch on that door.

Did you ask the vet if they have a trap available? Most vets in even somewhat rural areas do - though whether it's available or not is a different story. Moot now, though, as you ordered one.

Apart from putting up posters around - and leaving one with the vet, if your community has a FB page, you might want to post there and keep bumping up the post.

If you want to consider looking for him with friends and family, you might want to read this article on it first (it discusses how to approach the cat once he's been located). Forget the first page, you know he's out, but it has excellent advice: http://www.lost-pets.org/content/view/3/1/

News?

No sightings of Bailey, something is eating both dry and wet cat food, tuna and drinking out of the water dishes I have put around the house.

My trap comes in Saturday so that night is my first chance at getting him.  I'm guessing I'll get a few squirrels that I'll have to relocate (other wise they'll just keep on getting trapped!) but after reading some online articles about lost outside indoor cats my hopes are high that he is around and just hiding.

I don't think it's a raccoon, only because as I mentioned I recently moved to this house and there was some misunderstanding of trash day, to make a long story short I've had an overflowing trash bin for over a week and I would imagine that would be heaven for a raccoon yet nothing was disturbed.

With that info, I suspect and really hope it's Bailey you'll be trapping! We've been trapping for over 10 years, and we've trapped coons and opossums, but never a squirrel.

Small mini update...

So at night I have been leaving out Bailey's dry food, wet cat food and tuna.  Each morning both the dry food and tuna are gone.  Bailey doesn't eat wet cat food (was in the slow process of transitioning to wet) but loves dry and tuna.

This afternoon I came home for lunch (a little after 12:30pm) and decided to leave a can of tuna just off the back door.  When I got home around 5:30pm it was gone....

This rules out raccoons (unless rabid, possible but not all THAT likely), another lost/stray cat (haven't seen one out and about and the neighbors I went to talk to when this ordeal started didn't mention any stray or feral cats that they have seen) and I don't think squirrels or chipmunks eat fish?

So, to me this might be a good sign that it is him and when I get the trap on Saturday I'm not waiting until the evening to bait it with some tuna.

Bailey is back!

I forgot to put food out last night so this morning when I woke up I found him in the garage looking around for his dish.  Took him in and he gave him something to eat and put him back into his room to start the introduction process again.

Wonderful news!

yay!!! silly kitties.