missing 1 y.o. semi feral

[jana]

i have been searching for lucia using every avenue i can for 11 days now. her & her sister are normally locked in at night but i fell asleep early and left the cat door open. there are 3 ferals running the area at night and i believe my cats were attacked and lucia ran off to get away. bellina barely wants to leave the back porch now from fear. i saturated the neighborhood w/ flyers offering a foto, discription and a $20 reward for information. i got a few calls but they didn't pan out. a neighbor behind spotted her the 3rd night trying to sneak through the garden after my calling her til 11:00. he came and got me but the other cats chased her off. i kept calling til 1:00 and gave up. again she tried, but once again the cats and the neighbor scared her off. i rented a trap, and have tried every night, sleeping out in a tent to watch. last night, i put bellina in a carrier and had her out there for 1 1/2 hours, crying in hopes to attract lucia. please don't think this to be cruel of me. actually bellina knows whats going on, every night she wants to go out w/ me, she knows i am trying to get her sister back. at 1:30 am, i brought her in the tent w/ me and she laid there and purred letting me know she knew what i was up to. we are going out again tonight. it is the last night w/ the trap. i have contacted the animal shelters, feral cat societys, humane society, and an aquaintaince who works solely w/ ferals for advice, ideas,or information to help me find her. now i am asking any of you who might have any little tricks or ideas that might help. by the way, trapping the ferals is out of the question, as they are taken care of by the neighbors. i have been told! believe me i am angry and i have tried during the night when everyone is sleeping, but they are too smart for the trap. i baited it w/ mackeral and they want it but know better than to go in. at that point i scare them and throw rocks in thier direction and they run. if you think you can help, i'd appreciate your input. jp ps. if you are wondering, do i feel bad for leaving the cat door open, i can barely describe how bad.

[jason]

i cant offer any more advice that what you have been trying....hopefully someone else can....couldn't help not replying, so sorry to hear about this.

good luck, best of care to both lucia and bellina...keep us posted.

[Traci]

I cant add much more, except try tuna, or sardines or even warmed cream in the traps (that is, if you can keep it fresh). If you trust your neighborhood kids, then enlist them in the search, kids can get into places adults can't, and can usually find or spot a kitty faster than anything. Be sure to tell them you offer a reward (motivation)

[jana]

thanks guys, i appreciate your responses. if there is anything i am not thinking of... write me please. jp

[Traci]

I think you've thought of everything Jana, you just have to have faith and not give up!! You've put an ad in the paper, right? If not, call your local paper, give them a detailed description of your kitty, unique markings, location last seen, and be sure to state your phone number or message machine number.

As for the local shelters, do a physical check every day if you can. Shelter staff, no matter what they may promise, are often understaffed and cannot afford the time to physically check FOR you, even if they have your kitty's photo, it's not a garantee the photo will be looked at should someone bring her in.

Heres's sending "come home, Lucia!" vibes and hoping for the best...

[kate & kobi]

Hi Jana,
MA and others had some more ideas on a recent post ...

http://www.cathelp-online.com/phpBB2/vi ... .php?t=424

Good luck!! Here's hoping Lucia finds her way home soon.

[MA]

Catnip works too- spread it around on the ground and when she does come out it relaxes her so you can come up and pick her up and bring her inside- only do this close to where you can supervise and use only a little bit- Good luck-

[jana]

hi everyone... it is day 13 and lucia is still out there. i thank you all for the suggestions. i have and continue to try everything. i don't know how much to trust my instincts at this point, but the last few nights i have felt an empty feeling while searching for her. i feel like she is no longer there and she has not been spotted for 8 days. what could this mean? please tell me this is normal but not real, that everyone deals w/ this "down" after this long a time. i'm not giving up but my hope is questionable. jana

[jana]

i'm wondering about spreading the used litter out there. lucia shared a box w/ her sister and our 2 other cats. is she going to recognize their scents and be attracted to it? or would it just be her own scent she would respond to? jana

[Traci]

You could try scattering the litter, but two problems: will attract other cats,...and weather elements will mask the scent.

Don't give up Jana, what you're feeling is frustration, that doesn't mean that you can't have hope. Sometimes, cats never stray far from home, she may be hiding in a sheltered area, or someone with a good heart may have taken her in. But, again, don't give up hope. Double-check your flyers, the shelter, etc etc.