Missing cat-advice -trapping advice now needed

Legacy_user

Hi all, i have 3 cats and the youngest who is 18mth spayed female has been missing since saturday 19th december evening.

this is what has happened so far,when she did not return home the following morning we started calling her all day.

i then made up posters and put them through about 200 houses.
we had a call on the 22nd to say a cat matching her description had been seen in a couples garden.
we went straight there but she had gone through a fence,we called, looked as best we could nothing.
since then we have been out in the evenings calling and calling for her,
nothing.
i then leave some dried cat food tucked under a table at the bottom of this couples garden.
a day later the food has gone.
i know it could be another animal who has eaten it.
topped up yesterday and they ring me again this morning (10ish)to say she is there near the food (food missing when looked) they try calling her,she looks but goes through the fence into the other garden.

my son has managed to go through the fence on several occasions and had a look.the gardens back onto each other and the people are away at the moment.
we are quite sure it is her as they have seen pictures and she is a dark tortershell and quite unusual,we have not seen another on the estate or heard of one from people we talked too.
the couple said they never saw cats in ther garden,so noticed her. she did appear to be walking slowly on the 1st sighting,but did jump today.
it is hard to gain access to peoples gardens and if she is not coming when called i don't know what to do.
we have tried skaking balls and food
we are going tonight back to this house at about 10pm to sit and call,but if she won't come out of her hiding place what do i do??
i feel i am so near yet so far away,my kids just want her home as do i.
help.advice,ideas please

mrcow

Can you not get round to the other people's garden at all? What about trying to knock on one of their neighbour's doors and asking if they have a key or can get access to the garden.

System

the garden she was seen in backs onto a cul de sac,as well as the gardens either side if your with me, my son got through the fence,but the neighbours don't have keys.
we looked in the garden next to it,but the family there didn't want us back in there this morning when we knocked again and said they would look for us.
the next garden we can gain access from the cul de sac,but is an elderly infirm man,who i would not wanting to be knocking for him or just going into his garden at night and i don't think he would remember if i asked.
the end garden has a dog,so can't see her being there.

Claire_Bear

If she is eating food from another person's garden, could you ask them if it would be ok for you to set a trap for her? Then once you've set it, they could give you a ring once they see that she's inside and you come to collect her. I'm not sure but you might be able to borrow one from a cat rescue centre as they use them to trap ferals to take them for vet visits etc, might be worth asking? Do you have any idea when the people from the other garden that she goes into might be back?

One tip I've heard is to empty your hoover bag or put a blanket or item of clothing of yours outside your back door as she might pick up the smell and come back. Also make sure you're leaving a dish of food outside your house, preferably her favourite treat or something really smelly like tuna so it could tempt her home. Hope you get her back

System

did think about a trap today,i think i will go to my vets tomorrow and ask,hope its not someone else cat!
the neighbour just said she thought they had gone to australia to visit son,so 2 or 3 weeks i would think.
it is hard to explain where she has been seen,but we have our back garden which backs onto one of the houses in the cul de sac back garden,then a field,then more gardens of the other houses in this cul de sac (the one being the one that the people are away) and then those which are back to back with the garden she has been sighted in!
souinds far but its not,i can see them from my bedroom window,its just hard getting access

System

do you think she would smell the hoover/blanket etc from that far?

beks

Oh gosh, thats sounds frustrating. I hope it is your cat. Defintitely try and get hold of a cat trap if you can. Take her favourite food with you when you go and look for her and box of biscuits to shake. Whatever noise you usually make at feeding time. Tapping spoon on bowl etc brings my cat running.
Good luck, I hope your cat comes home safe and sound.

beks

toomuchmess wrote: »

do you think she would smell the hoover/blanket etc from that far?

I have read that on here too, it must be worth a go, she may not just be staying in one garden.

Claire_Bear

She'll probably be wandering throughout the area, plus their sense of smell is better than ours, and it can't hurt I guess just in case she decides to wander close to your house in the middle of the night or something She's probably moving between gardens and the field as large grassy areas will be best for hunting, I'd have a good scour of the field and around any hedges or anything nearby too. Have you knocked on doors and asked people if they can check their garages and sheds? At least it sounds like she's ok and is still around close to where you live, it's just a case of being in the same place at the same time

Apricot

A definite advocate of the hoover bag here - it worked for me when my cat went missing back a few months ago. She had been gone for a few days & i'd previously emptied the litter tray into the garden & put clothing out there but that didn't work. I emptied the hoover bag out about 8.30 - 9 pm and she was back by 11.30. Definitely try it - my neighbours thought I was mad but it worked for me!

Fire_Fox

I think you should be careful trapping a cat in this weather. The cat will not be able to move much (movement creates heat) and won't have any shelter if it rains or snows or from the icy wind.