Tinkerbell is missing

[dragonchilde]

He's been gone for two days. It's been some pretty nasty weather recently, too, so that's two days in off-and-on severe thunderstorms. He's been having seizures of late, and I'm deathly afraid he's lying somewhere, paralyzed and unable to move, needing me.

He doesn't have a large range (he's 16 years old for pete's sake) so I'd like to find something. Him, alive or dead. I'd really prefer alive, though, because this is my baby. I've had this cat for 16 years, and he's just very special.

This is what I have been afraid of, every time he goes outside. I'm always scared he's going to go out, and not come back.

And now he has. I call, and call, at the wee hours of the morning, probably driving my neighbors insane. I took the dog into our back yard today, hoping maybe he could find... something. No dice. He did chase one of the neighbor's cats, but no Tinkerbell.

I feel selfish asking for prayers for a cat, but this cat is so special to me that I don't know what I'm going to do if he's gone. So I'm going to BE selfish, and ask for prayers, that Tinkerbell makes it safely home, or I at least find something, some closure. I don't think I can take not knowing although, you know?

I think I already do.

[King Spartacus]

I'm so sorry to hear that Tinkerbell is missing... we shall keep him in our thought and prayers. Hopefully he'll show up on the doorstep, asking to come in very soon! It could be that he's just decided to go out on a little adventure.

Please let us know how it goes.

Soft purries from Spartacus, and a big hug from his mamma.

[furrykidsmother]

Maybe due to the bad weather he has found a nice safe shelter and is just hiding out until things improve. Good thoughts and prayers that Tinkerbell is home with you soon. Please keep us posted.

[kuhio98]

Please go to the shelters in your area and fill out a lost pet form. While you're there, review all the found cat forms to see if any could be Tinkerbell. Then, tear the shelter apart and make sure you look everywhere. You have to go there, don't rely on a telephone call. If Tinkerbell is ill, he could be kept in the shelter infirmary. Make you check there too. Do a door-to-door search and ask if anyone has seen him. Kids usually are a good source of information.

I don't mean to scare you. Sadly, we were too late to save Kuhio when she was taken to the shelter by a well-intentioned neighbor. I don't want to see another family go through that.

Please keep us posted. Prayers are being said in Alaska for Tinkerbell.

[mumpkees]

This topic was discussed on the No More Homeless Pets Yahoo group last week. I hope the information below will help you find your baby. /mari

From: "NMHPForum"
Date: Wed Jun 8, 2005 11:47 pm


Question from Kim:
On May 19, my inside cat got out. One of the other cats opened the screen door and a group of them got out. One came back that night. The other early the next day. The one that is still missing was on my deck the next morning and I opened the door for him to come in. He was very frightened. I went out to get him and he took off. I found him in a neighbors yard and that is the last time I have seen him. There are a lot of woods behind my house. I have been calling him and putting food out for him everyday. We have contacted both local shelters and have signs up in the neighborhood. What else can I do?

Response from Kat:

You have an excellent chance of getting this kitty back home! I know that it does not feel that way, since three weeks have elapsed, but it is TRUE! Your cat is really not “lost” at all – it is displaced into unfamiliar territory. The instinctive response for cats displaced into unfamiliar territory is for them to HIDE and be SILENT. So just because you do not see or hear this kitty does not mean that he is still not near by. It likely feels like you are looking for a “needle in a haystack” but the reality is that it is more probable that your cat is currently hunkered down within a ½ block radius of your home and is simply not visible. When you utilize the baited humane trap system (which is a service that we now call “TAR” for “trap-and-reunite”) then you are increasing the odds that you will recover your cat. And just because three weeks have elapsed does not change the fact that your cat is still out there and likely to still be hiding within a ½ block radius of your home. We’ve had people humanely trap their displaced cats six months after they escaped (the cat was living under a neighbor’s house four doors down)! Your cat would only be inclined to travel if was chased by something (which caused it to run and hide further out of the area) or it had a bold, gregarious and fearless temperament – and that is NOT what you have described to me. So start trapping close to home and then expand outwards.

You mentioned that you are putting food out for him – unless you are putting that food into a humane trap, you are only facilitating his displacement. In other words, your tactic should be to REMOVE all food that is outdoors and replace it with food that is inside a humane trap. Otherwise, you are only feeding your cat and given the choice between eating food that is on a plate or entering a humane trap to reach some food, the cat will opt for the plate!

Initially, your strategy should be to rent (or purchase) at least two humane traps – setting and placing one in your own yard and one in that neighbor’s yard where you last saw your kitty. Set the trap in obvious areas where a cat might be hiding – near the entrance under a house, deck, or near heavy brush. Cats don’t runaway like dogs do. They slink (or bolt if startled) and they look for the first place to dive into or under that offers concealment and protection. They will typically remain in that same spot as long as they feel safe. As they huddle there, they deposit their scent – they urinate, defecate, and THAT new area becomes their new territory. Eventually, they will slink out to get food and water, usually during the quiet hours in the middle of the night. So if you set a humane trap and you are not successful then it only means that you have not placed the trap within the immediate area of where the cat can smell the food. You should then move the trap into the next yard or to the next potential hiding place. You can either sit and monitor the trap during the evening hours (lawn chair, mug of coffee, binoculars, cell phone, flashlight, blanket) or you can set it over night and use a baby monitor. The baby monitor will allow you to clearly hear when the trap has been triggered and you have captured something.

If you have a cat that you are certain will not go into a humane trap, then you might need to switch to a Drop Trap – a system where you place odiferous cat food underneath a giant net held together with PVC pipe that is propped up with a short stick with a long string tied to it. You would sit and monitor the trap and if your cat came out of hiding and went under the netting, you would pull the string and the trap would drop and trap your cat. This really only works if you have seen your cat and know the general hiding area but your cat just will not go into the humane trap. Alley Cat Allies www.alleycat.org has great instructions on how to build a drop trap if you need to go that route.

Traps are available from www.animal-care.com or from most hardware stores (sold as wild animal traps). The best web site to answer trapping questions for indoor-only cats that have escaped outdoors is www.catsinthebag.org. The creator of this site is Pauline Phung. Her kitty Sage escaped out a window and was displaced, just like your cat. I instructed her to start setting humane traps and to keep a trap set in her own backyard. She successfully trapped Sage twenty seven days after her escape, in the trap she had set in her own backyard! Pauline has since encouraged (through a discussion board) thousands of cat owners who are in your same situation.

Good luck and DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE!

[dragonchilde]

Trapping is just plain not an option around here, unfortunately. Too many cats. I have two other outside cats myself, and there are around half a dozen owned by my neighbors.

At any rate, Tink's not displaced, though. If he could come home, he would. He's an old hand at this outside thing (16 years of habit). Most likely, he's sick and hiding under someone's house, at the shelter, or dead. If he was hungry, he'd be sitting on the front porch, licking his paws and waiting patiently to be let in. If he hears me call, he ALWAYS comes, no matter what he's doing (this includes being territorial with another cat; I've stopped fights just by calling him). That's why I'm really worried, because if he heard me, he'd come. He's either too far to hear me, sick, or dead.

I'm looking, hard, and thanks for your suggestions, Kuhio. I'll check the shelter.

[catmandu]

PLEASE DONT GIVE UP HOPE.MOOSE,WAS GONE,FOR TWO MONTHS,ONE TIME,AND I HAD GIVEN UP HOPE,TOO.BUT I PRAYED.AND THE LORD GUIDED MY BIG FRIEND HOME.WE ARE ADDING OUR PRAYERS,TO YOURS,THAT TINKERBELLE,COME,BACK,TO HIS FURR EVER HOME,WHERE HE BELONGS.

[rg_girlca]

First off, NEVER feel selfish asking for PT prayers.

Big time Prayers on the way for your precious Tinkerbelle.

Please keep us posted and keep looking in every nook and cranny that you can think of.

((((((HUGS)))))) for you as you must be going out of your mind with worry.

[NoahsMommy]

I hope you find Tinkerbell soon.

Hugs,
Kelly

[momcat]

Don't ever think twice about asking for prayers. Our pets are very special gifts from God and are deserving of our prayers. My prayers are being prayed that Tinkerbell will be on your doorstep before I even finish this post. Please keep us updated?

[Soapets]

Thoughts and prayers from Nebraska. Please keep us updated. I sure hope you find him............

[cruisetime]

Any updates???? Hope he has made it home safe! Debbie

[ramanth]

Hoping that Tinkerbell is found soon. Do you have a good raport with your neighbors? Could you ask them if they've seen him?

[momcat]

Any sign of Tinkerbell yet? You keep looking and I"ll keep praying!

[dragonchilde]

Thank you so much for all of your prayers. I think that was just what we needed.

I left this morning to head off to jury duty at the courthouse, and who should walk up to the house, looking bedraggled and wet from walking through the jungle of our back yard, but Tinkerbell!

He's now going to be an indoor only cat, no matter HOW much he protests and fights. I can't take another day of worrying about him. He just sleeps all the time, anyway! I'm sure he just found himself a nice cozy spot and parked it.

He's getting a big bowl of gooshy food tonight for dinner, and well earned it is. Even if he was a bad kitty for making mommy worry.