Tascha's missing!!

[Cougie Wechsler]

When I got to work today Tascha's owner left a message on my voicemail saying that Tascha was missing again (Tascha was the cat I took from my office). She wanted to know if I had seen her around the office or known someone who had taken her. :( :( :(

She told me that she was keeping her indoors during the day and let her out at night for a few hours. When she went to call her in, she never returned. This time I have not seen her and if she was coming around at night, I am not here to see if she was here.

I called my friend and she immediately broke into tears. I know it was right to call the owner the first time but now things like this make you second guess yourself! :( :( :(

[purrley]

Cougie - I guess now you can be convinced that Tasha's owner isn't that responsible. Hope you find her and give her back to your friend - Tasha's owner doesn't need to know anything about it. Second time's a charm!!!

[Former User]

Yup, hopefully Tasha will be found soon, and your friend could take her. Obviously her owner isn't responsible enough.

[Logan]

Oh Cougie.......I hate to hear that. But what did the lady think she would do? Of course she ran off, just like she has so many times before. I hope she shows back up at your office. I can understand the owner's problems with keeping her indoors, when she has always gone in and out. I would have a mess on my hands if I tried it with Mimi and Butter, but if I knew that they were hanging out in a place where they might be taken to the pound, I'd force them to stay inside.
Oh, I hope Tascha is found. :(

[AmberLee]

Oh, dear - :( I'd really hoped the original owner had learned. I hope little Tascha makes her way back to your office again. You must be so distressed and worried. You did the right thing giving her back to the owner the first time, but I agree with several previous posters that returning her to your friend would be the better move now. Do keep us posted. I'll be holding you both in my prayers. {{{Tascha and Cougie W.}}} Hang in there, you are not alone.

[tatsxxx11]

I pray little Tascha will find her way home soon. I'm not up on all of the specifics of this post. From my own experience, I found it is very difficult to acclamate a once "outdoor" cat to an indoor one. Perhaps the new owner is a good and loving one who may simply need some guidance and advice??? I just hope that little Tascha, when found, will find her place in the home of the one who will keep her safe. My heart goes out to your friend. Be safe little one.

[Cougie Wechsler]

Thank you so much everyone for your support, prayers, and encouragement. Both Stacy and I became attached to her while Stacy had her. Stacy came over for lunch and we looked around the neighborhood and we plan to do the same thing tonight. We are both upset and it hurts that she may be lost for good. And as wrong as this may be, Stacy is set on keeping her if we find her. Again, she does have an owner but we are thinking about her welfare. Thanks for your prayers! :(

[yorkster]

Oh-no! I am so sorry to hear this- I was hoping for a happy ending. Good luck tonight finding her, and FOR SURE don't give her back to her owner- she just didn't learn I guess. It is difficult to change a cat to being indoors only when they have been used to going outdoors, but it is possible. It takes time and a bit of hassle, but it's worth it. I have had to do it a couple times. Please let us all know what happens!

[Cougie Wechsler]

Well, we went to my office tonight and went around the neighborhood again with no sign of her. We called her owner who did not have any luck either :( This is hard on both of us, more so for Stacy who fell in love with her. The thing about this cat is that she seemed to do fine indoors all day for the time she was with Stacy. She never cried to be let out or bolted toward the door. She was content looking out the window. We told the owner that it was not a hassle to keep her indoors.

Thanks again for all your support. I will let everyone know what happens. I know Stacy now thinks we should have never made the call to the owner....

[purrley]

Cougie - you and Stacy did the absolute right and honorable thing at the time - after all the posters were put up and you really had no choice but to return Tasha to her owner. I'm praying every day you'll find her again and posters or not - no returning her this time. I know outdoor kitties can be made indoor kitties because I have one. My Panda spent all her kittenhood outdoors as a stray wild baby. Now I have her, even though she bolts toward the door once in a while she now seems perfectly content to be inside with me and my 3 other cats. Good Luck finding dear Tasha - I'll be praying.

[Ila]

I hope you find Tascha. The worry you must be going through. My sister lost her cat once and she found her way back to her. So we only hope and pray Tascha is safe and will return. Hope your search tonight is successful. Good luck!!!!!!!!

[Cynthia]

Hey Cougie, I'm so sad to hear about poor little Tascha. If it's any consolation, I have a friend whose indoor kitty, Sylvester, escaped through a screen and was gone for five days. On the morning of the 5th day, Pat was out on her deck and kind of sighed and said "Oh, Sylvester" because she missed him so much and had almost lost hope. To her great shock, she heard an answering meow. So her husband went and looked under the deck and there was Sylvester, bedraggled and smelly, but back home! I had a similar experience with my Emmett (indoor kitty, born feral). He spooked one day and ran into the woods in front of my house. I was lucky and overjoyed to find him (with the aid of a flashlight, a bowl of crunchies, and a lot of calling his name) the next night at the edge of the woods. So don't give up!! By the way, neither Sylvester nor Emmett has attempted another adventure since! Good luck and hang in there.

[tatsxxx11]

Still praying that little Tascha will find her way home. Maybe trying Spencer's idea about the trap??? Sometimes they can be right under our noses, and still we don't see or hear them. Prayers for Tascha, sweet girl. :( Be safe.

[Cougie Wechsler]

Thanks so much for all your posts. Yes, we are going to give Spencer's idea a try. My friend is going to buy a trap today and we will set it up for tonight. I talked to Tascha's owner earlier today and she has not had any luck tracking her down either. I am still upset but making it through. I only knew Tascha for a short time but both Stacy and I believe that she is a special little cat. Her owner doesn't know the gift that she has. Manxcat thanks for your experiences. They are comforting and how awesome it must have been for you and your friends to get your babies back.

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: Cougie Wechsler ]

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: Cougie Wechsler ]

[4 feline house]

Yes, it is hard to make a previosly feral or stray cat a strictly indoor cat, but there is still a difference in a cat bolting for the door and escaping, and "being let out". And even if you feel you must let your cat out, if you know she roams and gets lost, why is she being let out at night for a few hours, instead of in the daytime, for a few minutes? I, too, have a previously stray "bolter", but the only time she is allowed out is during the day, when I'm home, and no longer than an hour. This decreases her bolting urges and I have made her outdoor excursions as safe as they can possibly be made. Too bad more people don't try to learn about cat behaviors, especially once they realize they have a problem. Poor little Tascha, I pray she turns up safe and can be "readopted". I do feel sorry for the owner, but she has a choice on whether or not to learn how to be a responsible pet owner, Tascha has no choice.

[ October 25, 2001: Message edited by: 4 feline house ]

[purrley]

Dear 4 feline - you are so right about bolting cats and runaways - my Panda is a bolting cat since she was a stray and used to being outside, but she always stays in the area and I never leave her outside for very long and never when I'm not home. The other day she bolted and was gone for 5 minutes and back in again. It was too cold outside I guess :D . Tascha is just another example of how a cat adopts you, you don't adopt the cat. Obviously this cat doesn't want to stay with her owner. Sure hope she's found and remains safe in the arms of Stacy.

[Cougie Wechsler]

Hello everyone, no news from the trap. Stacy and her husband had to go retrieve it early so we don't draw the ire of the building owner. No cat in the trap and the tuna had not been touched, which is kind of good news since it means that no other cat wondered around the office. Oh but my heart aches for Tascha. She has been missing now since Monday. The owner has not found her at the shelters. I just hope and pray that if she was picked up by someone, it was a caring compassionate person that was just as irritated seen this beautiful and special kitty roaming around the streets. We are going to call Albuquerque Cat Rescue today in the off chance they might have her. They advised us not to call the owner after we found her the first time. Thanks again for all your encouragement, advice, and prayers. It is so good to have this site to share with others and to vent. God Bless all of you.

[thelmalu99]

Hi Cougie,
So sorry to hear about Tascha. I'll be praying for her for her safety and for her to be found soon.
When I adopted Elvis, they told me that he had been adopted before, but that he somehow escaped and ended up roaming the streets again. He was lucky to have ended up back at a shelter and not at the pound. They made me promise that I would never let him outside because next time he might not be so lucky. Elvis occasionally sneaks out into the hall when we open the door, so I'm really careful. Once, he got out into the hall when my friend walked in and she didn't notice (I wasn't home). A few minutes later, when she realized that he wasn't in the apartment, she opened the door and saw him on the other end of the hallway. When he saw her, he came running back into the apartment. I live on the sixth floor of an apartment building, so it would be pretty hard for him to actually get outside, but we're still very careful.
I hope you find Tascha and your friend gets to keep her so that she's indoors and safe.

[tatsxxx11]

Praying so hard for Tascha's safe return...Love, Sandra, Mr. B and Oliver