Cat Trapped In Empty House

[lizbud]

While walking Maggie this morning we went down a side street
not far from my house.I heard meowing (loud & insistant) . Started
looking around & found the sounds coming from a house that has been
empty for a least a year. There's one basement window that has the
glass broken out halfway. That's probably where it got in. All these
windows are some distance from the floor of the basement. So I think
the cat got inside & now can't get out again. Don't know how long it's
been there, but I'm sure it's hungry & wants out. I called Animal Control
and am waiting for them now. The cat is white, long haired & looks like
it has a blue collar on.Please pray that ACC shows up soon or I might have
to just brake a window to let it out. Poor kitty. :(

[Catty1]

I once had a cat of mine go MISSING - and wandered out one day across the road. I lived in cottage country in Ontario - just on instinct, I called Tosca's name. I felt rather than heard a reply...and found the poor guy in the basement of a cottage! Guess the people had come and gone, and didn't realize there was a kitty there.

I actually 'broke' into the house through a basement window...went up, unlocked the door, and away we went!

Sounds like this kitty has a home, since he has a collar.

I hope Animal Control contacts whoever is in charge of the house, and gets that window boarded up. Hope kitty wasn't hurt!

Bless you for watching over the little critter.

[lizbud]

No response from Animal control . Called again this evening and they
remembered my report but couldn't say if an officer had gone out yet.
Will try again tomorrow morning. I did go back to the house to check
all around for any sign of a phone number, but there was none. I got
a better look at the cat from the front door which has a lot of glass
paines. He/she pressed his face up against the glass as I checked the
inside of the house. Thios does look like a stray that I've seen around
before & the collar appears to be a plastic flea collar. :( Hope the
little one can hang on till tomorrow.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I sure hope animla control gets there soon. No chance of asking a neighbor if they know the owner of the house?

[lizbud]

I sure hope animla control gets there soon. No chance of asking a neighbor if they know the owner of the house?


Sara,

I did ask the guy who lives next to the house & he said he thinks the
owner lives outside of Indy. Doesn't know the guy or his phone number.

I'll try again in the morning, but if I have to break a window, the cat
will get out. I'll probably call the police & explain the problem if I don't
get any response from Animal Control in the morning. I'll find out how I
can get the cat out legally. Maybe suggest I'll be responsible for fixing
the darn window.

[kuhio98]

Due to my tragic experience with Animal Control, I'd go get the kitty and pay for the broken window. Because if they come and get the cat, it will be taken to the pound and if the owner doesn't find it with 3 days (in my area), it will probably be put to sleep. If you get the kitty, you can walk around the neighborhood, put up fliers, etc. and reunite this baby with his very worried owner.

[Karen]

Sara,

I did ask the guy who lives next to the house & he said he thinks the
owner lives outside of Indy. Doesn't know the guy or his phone number.

I'll try again in the morning, but if I have to break a window, the cat
will get out. I'll probably call the police & explain the problem if I don't
get any response from Animal Control in the morning. I'll find out how I
can get the cat out legally. Maybe suggest I'll be responsible for fixing
the darn window.

Indiana has a property database online, but it is closed 10pm to 6 am for maintenance, and of course I thought of that now, at 10:30.

http://www.civicnet.net/property/

You may be able to get the name of who owns the house from there, and maybe some contact info. (Every city seems to be different, so I don;t know what info they'll actually have ...) But otherwise, if Animal Control doesn't guarantee they'll get someone over there tomorrow, I'd probably find the smallest window I could manage to break (so it'd be cheapest to replace) and go get the kitty, making sure to patch the window with plastic so they cannot claim extra weather damage or anything, and leave a note with your email address so they can contact you.

[Cinder & Smoke]

I'll probably call the police & explain the problem
if I don't get any response from Animal Control in the morning.

I'll find out how I can get the cat out legally.

You're going to need a very Helpful Policeman or AC Officer ...
what you're thinking of doing is called "Breaking & Entering"! http://petoftheday.com/i/our_smilies/eek.gif

See if someone can find a 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" board that's long enough to
go through the already broken window and reach the basement floor.
Nail some small pieces of wood across the big board every 6" to act like steps;
then slip your Kat Ladder into the basement and start Callin da Kat.

Might also help to open a can of Stinky Kat Food and put that at the TOP
of the improvised Kat Ladder.

[Catty1]

I know that when I did my B & E for my cat, I openly admitted it and there was no problem. But every place is different.

Any chance you can talk to a friendly cop and find out if that individual can help you?

Hope kitty is ok til morning.

Catty1

[lizbud]

We got him out. :D I called the police & they sent ACC to the address.
When I passed the house on my way to the store, I noticed a violation
notification taped to the front door. :confused: What the heck help was
that. The owner lives in Brownsburg Indiana. As I pulled away in my car, I
spotted a police cruiser driving down the street & flashed my lights &
motioned for him to stop. He did & then followed me back to the house.
With a screw driver from my trunk he magnaged to pry open an unlocked
side window. We both called the cat & up & out he came. :D I always
carry cat food in my trunk so I poured out some which he gobbled up.
He's still eating from the canned food I brought back from the store.
That kitty was overjoyed to be out & purring around my legs.I might
try to have him checked out at the Vet & maybe join Mamma & Baby
kitty in the garage. Man, I am pooped. :D

[Killearn Kitties]

Well done! I am so pleased that you have got him out ... and without being arrested. :D Lucky cat.

[kuhio98]

Lizbud ~ Thank you for doing all of this for that poor baby. He sounds like a great, socialized kitty. I best someone is really missing him. Your vet can scan him for a microchip. You can take a photo of him to the shelters and fill out a "found cat" form. That way if the owners are desperately searching for him, they may have half a chance of finding him. Unless the shelter is a "no kill", I'd advise against taking him there.
Also, ask kids in the neighborhood if they know where the cat lives. That's how we found out that Kuhio was at the shelter. We were too late to save her.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Mission Accomplished!!!!

You are my hero Liz!

[Randi]

Liz, I'm SO glad you got the kitty out - well done!! :)

[lizbud]

Thanks for the compliments but you all know you would do the same
to keep a cat from starving. ;)
I can't tell you how emotionally draining rescue work can be. I just
become obcessed with the problems involved until I can see a way
around them. I don't know how people do this full time.

[Killer Kitten]

I can't tell you how emotionally draining rescue work can be. I just
become obcessed with the problems involved until I can see a way
around them. I don't know how people do this full time.

I do a lot of rescue. (Mostly I rescue them from the high kill shelter that for some masochistic reason I volunteer at.) This probably explains why I am on the internet at 2am with a belly full of heartburn and a lap full of sneezy kitten that was supposed to be put down this afternoon.
At least HE'S sleeping!

[Cataholic]

Great job, Liz!

As an aside, it wouldn't be breaking and entering- you don't have the requisite criminal intent (mens rea). You would have a complete defense....just like someone rushing in to save a person in the event of a fire. Sure, the 'emergent' circumstances are not exactly the same, but, I would wager any 'reasonable' judge would see it like I do. I am not saying you wouldn't be charged...just that you wouldn't be found guilty.

Just my $.02.

[moosmom]

GREAT JOB!!!!!

What I don't understand is what took them so long??? So Liz, are ya gonna add her to your crew?? I'm sure she'd love that.

I would've taken the chance of B&E for an animal ANYDAY!!!!

You are my hero, Liz! ;)

[Donnaj4962]

Great job Lizbud! I am so glad that you were persistant about helping the poor little kitty. Can we see pictures anytime soon????? :D

[Medusa]

What an awesome, heartwarming story! Hooray for happy endings and especially hooray for you, Lizbud!

Blessings,
Mary

[catmandu]

It sounds as though your Good Intentions have been rewraded by the Lord giving you a Brand New Friend.
That thread touches me as Moose once got into an empty house,and was gone for almost 2 Months,until the real estate agent must have let him out.
Thank You for helping that Poor Cat,and we pray that he has Found A Home with you.

[moosmom]

Hey Liz,

I forgot to tell you...in MY rescue organization, that automatically earns you your "Rescue Halo"

Congratulations!!

[lizbud]

Hey Liz,

I forgot to tell you...in MY rescue organization, that automatically earns you your "Rescue Halo"

Congratulations!!


Well, better hold up on the halo. :( The white cat is nowhere to be found.
I couldn't get him into the Vets until the next morning and felt bad about
keeping him/her in a carrier overnight, so I made up a place for him on my
porch.He was gone in the morning.he's not back in the house, I checked,
but I haven't spotted him since. I keep telling myself, at least he's not
stuck in that empty house anymore, but still, I'm disappointed that I didn't
get him checked out as I planned. I'll keep looking. At least he had a full
stomach. :(

[Catty1]

He might have gone home...he had a flea collar, so he had a place to go. Keep your eyes peeled in the neighbourhood...you'll spot him, I'm sure.

Is there a way to find out if "Cat Lost" notices have been posted anywhere - calls to the shelters, etc?

[Killearn Kitties]

If he needs you, he'll come back. Best of luck! Make sure you have food out. :D

[lizbud]

If he needs you, he'll come back. Best of luck! Make sure you have food out. :D


I really think I will see this one again. I feed 3, sometimes 4 cats that
just happen to come by every day & I think that's where I've seen this
cat before. I've walked the dogs around this area every day, so I'm
thinking (hoping) I should see him again.

[moosmom]

Oh yeah, cats stay around their food source. I'm SURE he's probably somewhere in the permimeter of your place. Try to keep an eye out for him. You haven't seen the last of him. ;)

[jackie]

Way to go on getting the kitty out, I am sure he went back to his family!