Cat escape - hints on cat retrieval?
Discussion
Afternoon everybody,
I'm in a bit of a dilemma regards to recapturing my cat. Here's the story so far...
...Had a few friends round on Friday night for some food and beers etc. The cat is happy all through this, being social and not acting scared. I'm in a 1st floor flat so she is a house cat mainly. We opened a window to get some fresh air in, and the cat didn't notice or seem to care for some time, however an hour later she leaps up to the window sill and jumps into the void. Just like that!
...After going out (it's barely 2 degrees at this point) I notice her run off about 20m to a 7ft fence and dense conifer bushes, backing onto the gardens of nearby houses. She's been in this same space without fail for 3 nights now. I've been down there calling for her, shaking food packets, even meowing - to the confusion of passer bys - and no joy. I've tried climbing my side of the fence and calling her, climbing a chair to get some grip, dropping a food baited cat box down there, and nothing is working. She's completely inaccessible.
The garden owners in her new patch of territory have been kind and let me in to try and tempt her. She's been hiding and running before I can even get close, despite that she's clearly starving hungry. My closest encounter so far involved calling her with food onto the top of the fence, and trying to grab her. Of course being a cat, she evaded me and she's been spooked ever since, no sign or sound of her now.
I'm at a loose end here as the RSPCA said this isn't something they assist with, and I won't bother the fire service due to the trivial and elusive nature of this whole incident. Does anyone have some advice or a similar situation?
So far I'm thinking the only real way to get her back is to encourage her onto my side of the fence with food and grab her when she feeds. I've done this once before in a similar situation and it worked, but seems she's wizened up and is proving far harder to get her to trust me.
Thanks folks.
Tom
I'm in a bit of a dilemma regards to recapturing my cat. Here's the story so far...
...Had a few friends round on Friday night for some food and beers etc. The cat is happy all through this, being social and not acting scared. I'm in a 1st floor flat so she is a house cat mainly. We opened a window to get some fresh air in, and the cat didn't notice or seem to care for some time, however an hour later she leaps up to the window sill and jumps into the void. Just like that!
...After going out (it's barely 2 degrees at this point) I notice her run off about 20m to a 7ft fence and dense conifer bushes, backing onto the gardens of nearby houses. She's been in this same space without fail for 3 nights now. I've been down there calling for her, shaking food packets, even meowing - to the confusion of passer bys - and no joy. I've tried climbing my side of the fence and calling her, climbing a chair to get some grip, dropping a food baited cat box down there, and nothing is working. She's completely inaccessible.
The garden owners in her new patch of territory have been kind and let me in to try and tempt her. She's been hiding and running before I can even get close, despite that she's clearly starving hungry. My closest encounter so far involved calling her with food onto the top of the fence, and trying to grab her. Of course being a cat, she evaded me and she's been spooked ever since, no sign or sound of her now.
I'm at a loose end here as the RSPCA said this isn't something they assist with, and I won't bother the fire service due to the trivial and elusive nature of this whole incident. Does anyone have some advice or a similar situation?
So far I'm thinking the only real way to get her back is to encourage her onto my side of the fence with food and grab her when she feeds. I've done this once before in a similar situation and it worked, but seems she's wizened up and is proving far harder to get her to trust me.
Thanks folks.
Tom
She's there at night, where is she during the day?
You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
ali_kat said:
She's there at night, where is she during the day?
You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Ali, could you post that in the Match.com thread please, it may be useful in there also You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Edited by Ozone on Monday 15th December 15:18
condor said:
Have you tried getting someone else to try and catch her using food as bait?
I've asked my girlfriend to do this on her weekend and she hasn't had any luck either, but I do agree that deferring the responsibility would mean I could relax more. 
No, not tried the mouse technique; not sure how to deliver it with any precision...!
Thanks for the trap cage advice. Borrowed one, baited it and waiting for her to get stuck!!
Ozone said:
ali_kat said:
She's there at night, where is she during the day?
You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Ali, could you post that in the Match.com thread please, it may be useful in there also You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Edited by Ozone on Monday 15th December 15:18
Cat trap is baited with tasty sardines, just gotta wait it out now. Ali Kat, thanks for the pointers, i've tried some of those things with mixed results - this cat is random!
I had a cat who bolted in fright, she spent 5 days hiding in the of someone's garden. She was a very nervy cat she only responded to me calling her on the 5th day because she was so hungry. Even then I had to time it right to grab her (though seriously I think she was too tired to care by then!)
Maybe your cat will come out of hiding in another day or So! It's very stressful but I'm sure it'll be fine.
Maybe your cat will come out of hiding in another day or So! It's very stressful but I'm sure it'll be fine.
Edited by bexVN on Monday 15th December 18:39
Ozone said:
ali_kat said:
She's there at night, where is she during the day?
You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Ali, could you post that in the Match.com thread please, it may be useful in there also You're going to have to be patient - don't rush her, leave a trail of food from where she is to you. She needs to get up close to you & to trust you. What's her favourite? Sit there with it, throw her a bit. Then a bit closer to you, then a bit closer, then a bit further away. Make it a game, with her ending up close to you so you can grab, or with you throwing it into the trap.
Edited by Ozone on Monday 15th December 15:18
Good luck with the cat though
Thanks all for the replies, advice and comedy!
I've baited a humane trap with sardines down one end (spilling them on the neighbour's floor who is a vegetarian in the process!). Idea being she'll smell them eventually, stand on the pressure plate and MEOW, got the mog back.
Not quite resorting to the chicken on a rope technique - i'll let you know if I get desperate!
I've baited a humane trap with sardines down one end (spilling them on the neighbour's floor who is a vegetarian in the process!). Idea being she'll smell them eventually, stand on the pressure plate and MEOW, got the mog back.
Not quite resorting to the chicken on a rope technique - i'll let you know if I get desperate!
Catch it, kill it, eat it......
maybe omit the last two.
As posted above a live trap would work but they are indiscriminate in what they catch so you may end up capturing a neighbors cat or even some wildlife.
If it's been spooked by your guests then I very much doubt that it will come back on it's own accord.
maybe omit the last two.
As posted above a live trap would work but they are indiscriminate in what they catch so you may end up capturing a neighbors cat or even some wildlife.
If it's been spooked by your guests then I very much doubt that it will come back on it's own accord.
GOT HER BACK!
Ok, so i'm really happy as I got the cat back this evening. She avoided the sardine-baited pressure pad trap-cage-thing, and as soon as I spent £25 on a new fishing net on a long pole in a new scheme to catch her... my neighbour phones up to say the cat walked into their conservatory - the quick thinking neighbour shut the door and caught her! One bottle of red wine in exchange for cat later and... sorted. She's home.
Got the cat here now and just thinking... Some neighbours are such good, decent people. If only we had a few more like them in the world - happy to help, supportive and all to a total stranger with an empty cat basket
(yes I will turn into a crazy cat man one day....)
Lastly, thanks for the advice and comments PHers.
Ok, so i'm really happy as I got the cat back this evening. She avoided the sardine-baited pressure pad trap-cage-thing, and as soon as I spent £25 on a new fishing net on a long pole in a new scheme to catch her... my neighbour phones up to say the cat walked into their conservatory - the quick thinking neighbour shut the door and caught her! One bottle of red wine in exchange for cat later and... sorted. She's home.
Got the cat here now and just thinking... Some neighbours are such good, decent people. If only we had a few more like them in the world - happy to help, supportive and all to a total stranger with an empty cat basket
(yes I will turn into a crazy cat man one day....)
Lastly, thanks for the advice and comments PHers.
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff