UPDATE: Found! Please Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Henry

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by Prince Of Petworth August 26, 2016 at 10:39 am 6 Comments

cat

“Our very sweet cat, Henry, escaped from our house either last night or this early morning. He escaped from Elliott St. NE and we are frantically trying to find him. He is an orange cat who is very nice and approachable, but he is not wearing a collar. If anyone sees him, we are asking that they call (301) 785-8505, (574) 309-1271, or (301) 385-9755.”

Erin

(apologies in advance, this is long & there’s no email on the post)

I’m sorry that Henry has gone missing! The tips below have proven very helpful for lots of people whose cats are lost.

Start looking and using the Calling Method (outlined below) immediately. The sooner you start looking the better your chance of finding them.

* What I have found is that with cats they typically are not lost they are just not coming home so I suggest what I refer to as “The Calling Method”. It sounds crazy but it really, really works! What you’ll need to do is go out at the same time of day as often as possible (especially dawn and dusk when it’s quiet) and call them for about 15 minutes straight. Don’t move around and make sure your voice is calm and not pleading. They are is probably not far from home so check your neighbor’s house/property, under porches, on porches, under sheds and bushes. It’s likely they are close enough to see you. If there are garages close by make sure they did not accidentally get locked inside.

* Place a well-worn article of clothing near where they enter/exit the house as well as the litter from their litter box. They can use the scent to help guide them home.

* If your cats uses a litter box, spread the used litter around the yard, close to the area your cat frequently hangs out.

Cats do this for a variety of reasons, depending on the situation determines the length of time you’ll need to do it. If they wandered a little too far from home they may need help finding their sense of direction. That’s why it’s important to stay in one place so they can pinpoint where your voice is coming from. If they were scared by something and are hiding they will need to know when they can expect you to be there and for approximately how long so they can determine if they can make it to you safely. By doing it at the same time of day and for the same length of time they can make that prediction. In either of these two cases they usually return pretty quickly within hours or a day or two. On the other hand if they are angry due to a change in his situation, this could take longer. Cats DO NOT like change so if you moved, got a new pet/child/roommate, had a lot of company, garage sale, party, remodeled, altered your schedule drastically, or anything like this…they may be angry. If this is the case it may take longer (up to 2 weeks or more).

Indoor cats typically stick to edges and corners when they escape so follow the lines of your house/apt where they escaped and check under and inside everything along the way.

* Post fliers to get reports of sightings or if they have decided to just wander up to someone’s house to hang out for a while. Keep the fliers simple, as large as possible and on bright/neon paper. LOST CAT*COLOR*PHONE NUMBER(S). You can get all the supplies you will need from CVS or Walgreen’s (bright paper, extra-large sharpie, plastic covers, packing tape).

* Put a poster in your yard or on your door (if you are in an apt or condo) with the same info. This will let anyone who might be looking for you, know exactly where they belong. If you are in an apartment or condo notify the manager in case they get a call.

* Post an ad on Craigslist under COMMUNITY then LOST and FOUND as well as under COMMUNITY then PETS.

* Check to see if there is an email group, facebook page, or any type of mass notification available.

* Call any vets in your area in case they were injured and someone found them and took them there.

* Check with your postal carrier and trash/recycling collectors, they are very familiar with the area and are a great resource.

* Take a flier to Washington Humane Society (WHS) as they are the public intake facility for DC.
- Sarah
  
  Ditto on those suggestions. When our cat escaped through an open window last year, I think leaving smelly socks by the house entrances and border of our property helped our little guy find his way home. It sounds weird, but I do think it works! We also let our neighbors know that the cat was missing and offered a prize to some of the local kids if they could find him. It gave us peace of mind to know that so many people were on the lookout.
  
  I hope Henry comes home soon!
Anon

I’m sorry that I can’t be more helpful, but I saw an orange cat last night a couple doors down at 512 Tenn Av. I thought it was not one of the orange cats that I recognize as the alley cats. It was dark and I didn’t know that someone nearby had a missing cat, so I didn’t make anything of it at the time. It was around 9:30 last night and snuck from the house to under a parked car.
- textdoc
  
  You might want to phone the OP with this info, just in case he/she isn’t monitoring this thread.
Laura

I just posted Henry’s pic with your note to our neighborhood listserv (14th Pl Ne). Will keep an eye out for him!
Emily Taylor

Thank you to everyone for putting the word out! Glad to report Henry is back home and doing well!

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