The Vent and Rant Thread

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Sorry you have so much hassle, KK --- but the "Strider is yelling his brains out" has left me giggling! I hope you have enough extra agility now that you can catch Arwen okay.

At this point it's the berry bushes she's in. Without full armour, I vast l cant get her in there

[kindlekitten]

Have done the tuna, no interest. I still have Strider in his harness waiting for the call

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

Have done the tuna, no interest. I still have Strider in his harness waiting for the call

kk:

One note--if it's DRY out, very dry, make sure you do this (yes: it sounds stupid, but...) grab lumps of used litter from their box(es). Preferably pee, which is stinkier. Put it inside a stocking (nylon). Drag it from where she is to your door. Make sure that you create multiple trails around the house, to ensure that it ALWAYS leads back to your door(s).

Yes, I know that this sounds utterly cracked, but in extremely dry weather, cats (who get home by following their own scent trails, from their own paws) can lose their trails, because it dries too fast. This is very true in the desert, where we are. I once had a Himmy get out, and promptly get lost, going to a near-identical house almost a mile away, but he was a scaredy-cat, and wouldn't come to me when I walked the streets at night, looking for him. He'd run from me, like anyone else.

Upon learnign about the scent-tracking, I drug stinky old nylons full of hardened pee (and other) balls made with their clumping litter around the neighborhood, for days. Finally, after he'd been gone nearly 10 days, after 3x of dragging the stinky nylons, that doofus found his way home. I firmly believe that my "scent marking" trails helped him.

Now, I don't know if Arwen will come direct to the door when she's had enough naughty, or go off exploring, but if she does the latter, this method really DOES work, if it's dry out. (if it's moist where you are, which is what I *think* it is, then this is moot). Obviously, if she's in the yard, and can see the door, and won't go walkabout, this has all made me sound nuttier than a fruitcake for nothing, but if she DOES, this is something that's helpful. And if you're like me, with indoor cats and boxes, then you have a "poop bucket" out in the garage, from the 2x-day box cleaning, that you fill with the daily cleanings, then toss 1x a week or so that you could use for this purpose.

Hope she's back already, and I'm writing this for naught!! And not a snarky word from the rest of you: this is one of those things that sounds like sheer lunacy, but isn't.

Hitch

[orlok]

No snarking here. Sounds like a brilliant suggestion - wish I'd known about when I moved a few years back and my eldest cat got out. I spent three nights wandering the neighbourhood calling out her name before she finally showed herself and I managed to nab her. Pee trails would have been well worth a try.

[red_phoenix]

When a beloved pet is missing you will do whatever it takes to get them back. No matter now nutty it might sound.

[Stitchawl]

As much as I hate to admit it, it really does sound like an effective method, and worth a try.


Stitchawl

[poohbear_nc]

My cats are all indoor cats - and panic if they accidentally get out.
When they tussled next to a window, one knocked the other into the screen - which promptly fell out - with the cat. So I had a lost black cat outside in the dark - which promptly hid and did not come to my calls. So I opened the front & back doors (damn the mosquitoes), turned all the indoor house lights on, and waited. She came to the lighted door and crept back inside.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Maple has got out a couple of times and it always freaks me out. Mainly because we've moved to many times I'm worried she'll end up tracking herself to one of those places. She could end up in Edmonton, St. Louis, Aylmer, Ottawa, St. John's, and even a few addresses in Regina wouldn't be odd for her to show up at. Thankfully she generally camps out close by when she gets out, but it still freaks me out. She really likes the outdoors and had pretty much free reign in St. John's when we lived there, but she's an indoor kitty now. There are too many other cats in the neighbourhood here and she tends to be a bully. I know, she looks so sweet, but she is exceedingly territorial.


We've got a nice screened in sunroom so she can hang out during the non-winter times and get some fresh air.

I hope your cat comes back in soon kindlekitten.

[cromag]

I don't know, Hitch. I'm brilliant all the time and my kids still snark at me.

But the former Fish & Game guy here thinks the scent trail makes ... sense.

[kindlekitten]

She's still not back. It's been a very warm/dry summer until yesterday. They do most of their business outside in the catio and it's been rained out I'm sure. Strider and I have walked around the house several times with no luck. I'm sure the feline Disneyland of the dense berry bushes full of birds is more competition than i can match. There's also underneath the house which the contractor left holes in when he ruined the house and I know it's filled with various critters. The house is almost dead center of our 10 acres, I doubt she would wander off, but anything is possible.

Strider is pretty much in klingon mode and his normally talkative self has shut up. I wish he'd go out on the catio and yell. The scary unnerving part is that i lost Kindle kitten when i was rehabbing from the first knee replacement. But i heard her being murdered, i haven't heard anything from Arwen at all. I think (hope) there's enough instincts from the Serval genes to give her more survival skills.

[Hitch]

KK:

My thoughts are with you for Arwen, they really are. Please let us all know the moment she comes back.

To the rest: yeah, it sounds cracked, but it worked for Mr. Bud, who was not a rocket scientist, rest his soul (who managed to live to be 20, Big Adventures in the outside world aside).

Hitch

[kindlekitten]

Got her! !!! She was on the deck behind some construction material! In celebration (I suppose) Strider had brought in a bird. I can't figure out how they get into the catio.

[Katsunami]

I'm glad to hear that you found her. How far away from home was she?

If you haven't done so already, I'd consider getting the cats tagged.

[badgoodDeb]

YAY!!! Lotsa hugs (if she'll allow them!) Anyway, remind her why "Home" is a good place -- free food, etc!

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

Got her! !!! She was on the deck behind some construction material! In celebration (I suppose) Strider had brought in a bird. I can't figure out how they get into the catio.

WWOOOOT!

That's great, KK. I'm super-happy for you. And Arwen. AND Strider, the mighty hunter. ;-)

Hitch