lost cat

Persistence Pays – The Story of Recovering a Lost Cat

Today we received a thank you message from a woman named Rosanna. She used our cat attracting tips and sheer dogged (why don’t people say”catted”?) persistence to recover her lost cat. Here is the story in her own words:

I lost my cat in Astoria Oregon on May 6th at 6pm at the Astoria Oregon Co-op grocery store.

cat in repose

Stella

I am from Seattle Washington but I have a vacation home in Gearhart Oregon, about 25 minutes away from the co-op where  I stopped  to buy groceries. I did not notice it at the time, but my cat Stella jumped from my car when I was loading the groceries.

When I got to my home in Gearhart, I was horrified to discover that Stella was missing from my car! I immediately went back to Astoria with my friends and looked everywhere for Stella.

The neighborhood around the co-op helped a great deal as did the employees of the grocery store.The local public radio station KMUN 91.9 began broadcasting announcements about Stella being lost.

In the meantime I was given your website from my daughter who lost her cat in Columbus Ohio.  I followed your advice and began doing all the things you recommended.

I got up at dawn,  went to Astoria and began searching for Stella and looking everywhere in the vicinity of the co-op. I scoured the community and put flyers everywhere and talked to many people. They were so helpful. I went to the area dawn and dusk. I printed flyers, put them up with her photo and posted on local FB pages.

I went every night to the co-op. I parked in the same place where I had lost her. I put out her scratch pad, cushion and a towel with my scent on it. I put out sardines and smelly tuna fish, to lure her back to the front of the store. I did this every day!

Items to lure a cat back

Items left to lure Stella out of hiding: her scratch pad, tuna, towel with Rosanna’s scent

I did not sleep at night. I was pretty exhausted and depressed. Stella is like a member of our family. She is very important to my youngest daughter who is a freshman in college. I had to find her!

I did this for four days and nights. On the fourth night I got a call from the Clatsop County Animal Shelter saying they had a sighting of her. I went to the spot, talked to the people and left photos and food.

I thought to swing by the co-op to see if there was any activity. There were sightings of Stella at night around 9:30. Then I saw two employees by the dumpster. They recognized me. They said they had heard a cat meow…they closed the gates of the fenced garbage area  and Stella came came out!!!!! We could not believe it!

woman and lost cat after recovery

Stella and Rosanna, happily reunited

I followed your advice and even went further and tried to be there waiting for her. The lesson I learned was not to give up – you were right – cats do not go far from where they are lost.

Thank you for your helpful advice. It worked!  I reached out to the community and they helped so much!  But it was by being tenacious that I found Stella.

Thank you, PET FBI!

Warmly,

Rosanna

10 Month Old Sally Enticed To Return With Familiar Scents

cat and little girl

Sally and her little girl

This beautiful kitty was the darling of a little girl. When Sally went missing the little girl resisted going to school. She wanted to stay home to await Sally’s return. Mom was desperate, suffering for both Sally and her grieving little daughter. Then she posted on the Pet FBI Ohio Facebook page. The picture and the situation tugged at the heartstrings of our ace admin, Char, who contacted the Mom. Char explained that most cats don’t go far, especially during the first few days, and the best strategy is to try to attract the cat back. She encouraged her to appeal to Sally’s sense of smell by using familiar and fragrant scents to entice her to return. There are some good tips on our web site page “Tips-to-lure-a-cat-back-home”.  It worked! Ten minutes later the Mom texted Char  that Sally had come out of hiding. When the little girl got off the school bus there was her Mom with Sally. You can see the love in her sweet face!

Cat Reunited After Two Weeks Thanks to Pet FBI Database

Lost Cat Reunited

“Ean” Surfaced Many Miles From Home

Missing for two whole weeks, thankfully Good Sam filed a report for him on our free lost & found pet database! www.petfbi.org

Good Sam was convinced he had a family missing him because he was a lover boy. Turns out his Mom & Dad are grad students from China and were unaware of Pet FBI. Just as they were losing hope someone suggested they search our database and there he was!

Ean had somehow traveled many, many miles and would have had to cross many busy streets! Thank goodness for www.petfbi.org!

OBJECT LESSON:
Most cats are found very close to home. Inside cats especially are unlikely to go far – at least for the first week or so – and will probably be found hiding very close by. BUT, it is not at all unusual for lost cats to turn up far from where they went missing. Sometimes they get there on their own; sometimes they have been picked up by someone and then gotten away; or maybe they were spirited off unknowingly while exploring a pickup truck or a van. When searching for a lost cat or dog be sure to extend your search beyond the immediate area. Check shelters in nearby counties and put posters up at major intersections beyond your neighborhood. Extend your search as time passes.

Miracle Reunion!

Lost and found Kitty

The lucky Miss Kitty:
Dumped, Rescued, and Traced Back to First Mom

Our dynamite Facebook Admin, Char, posted the following:

“Friends this is one of the most amazing conclusions our page has ever experienced.

Our Facebook friend Cat (yes, that’s her name) has utilized Pet FBI Ohio a few times over the years when she has lost or found a pet.

She posted the plight of her cat Miss Kitty mentioning she knew it was a long shot, but she had to give it a try. Miss Kitty had been missing since September 2015.

Miss Kitty was being fostered by a ‘friend’ during Cat’s move and while she transitioned into her new place. The two women had a falling out and the awful ‘friend’ took it out on Miss Kitty by not only dumping her out to fend for herself, but also tossing her from a moving car! Hopefully karma will work its magic on this vile woman the rest of her life.

Once I posted Miss Kitty’s plight I gasped in amazement 8 hours later. Stephanie commented that she was pretty certain she had adopted Miss Kitty from Friends for Life rescue group at a Petsmart – about 60 miles from where Miss Kitty was last seen – in October 2015.

Her new Mom was so gracious and she invited Cat to visit to determine if her new cat was indeed Miss Kitty.

IT WAS! Can you believe that?! I still can’t. It’s just mind blowing. Thank goodness for our pal Randi for being such a good friend of our page. New Mom Stephanie saw our post thanks to Randi’s share.

Miss Kitty’s new name is “Cinder” and Cat is so relieved knowing she is safe and very much adored and loved. Cinder’s new Mom has extended the invitation for Cat to visit anytime.

Anyone else have a tear in their eye?”

OBJECT LESSON:
1 -Never give up! It’s never too late to post
2- Do not underestimate the power of Facebook! Our Pet FBI Ohio Facebook page has 30,000 likes and a reach of 300,000

“Jack” Home Again, Thanks to Pet FBI Database!

Lost cat reunited

If only Jack could tell his tale of adventure!

Almost a month had gone by when Jack turned up eleven miles from where he went missing. An unlikely reunion – but it happened thanks to the Pet FBI database.

Dave & Andrea are Westerville Ohio residents that first noticed this kitty on 1/5/16. They struck out with a microchip and their search did not turn up  any lost cat flyers. They then searched the Pet FBI lost & found pet database (www.petfbi.org) and couldn’t believe their eyes. There was kitty’s lost cat report! He went missing on 12/11 and was found 11 miles from home!

Our lost & found pet database has been a central location for pet owners and finders to exchange information since 1998. It is a free service sponsored by our all-volunteer non-profit organization.

 

Personal Advice From Char + Runaway Cat Attracting Tip = Recovery!

Safia, lost cat recovered and Mom

Safia and Mom Happily Reunited! Warmed-up Tuna Fish Did the Trick!

Our Pet FBI Facebook Ohio Administrator, Char,  is behind hundreds of happy reunions thanks to her personal attention. There were over 80 reunions on Facebook Ohio just in November!

Although we give detailed advice and step-by-step action plans on our internet database at petfbi.org, there is nothing as effective as personal encouragement from a dedicated volunteer like Char.

Safia’s Mom took her friend’s suggestion and posted her missing kitty on our Facebook Ohio page. Char immediately texted her our cat attracting tips.

Here is a note from a very grateful Mom:

“Safia is home safe! Words cannot express how grateful I am for the help and tips given to me from Pet FBI Ohio . I would more specifically like to thank Char. She contacted me almost immediately after I posted that she had been lost (around 7:40 pm this evening). She got information from me and gave me tips that helped lure my kitty back to her home. I warmed up tuna and put some in a dish just outside the door to the garage AND just inside the actual garage door. I waited a little bit and rewarmed the tuna as instructed. I even placed her kitty bed with my pillowcase out in the garage. Sometime a little after 9 pm, I was going to place a “poo” bag I had scooped out of the litter box out in the garage, and as I opened the door, Safia came running inside. I would have posted this sooner, but I was hysterically crying once I realized she was home safe. I also notified my neighbors.

My lovely sister updated my post and Char again contacted me to let me know how happy she was that my kitty had been found and even called to speak with me. THANK YOU PET FBI. I am one happy cat lady.”