It feels like there is an epidemic of lost kitties at the moment. I had a very chilling experience recently in the Mission where I arrived at one of my sits to find a neighborhood kitty that had been mauled and killed by coyotes. He looked like one of the cats I was caring for at first glance and my heart stopped. Luckily, for Bubs, he was safely inside. Unluckily for this other poor kitty there are coyotes everywhere these days and they are looking for food. Please don’t let your kitty become their next meal.

When Cat Folx cares for your kitty we require that they are not given access to outside as we are unable to monitor them fully. During visits we can sit or play with them on a balcony in the sun as long as they are microchipped and wearing a collar (preferably with a GPS tracker). There are many cats that are indoor/outdoor cats and I see cats roaming around outside at dark a LOT. It makes my heart break every single time. All cats should be brought inside no later than dusk and shouldn’t be let out until after the light is high in the sky. This protects them from predators and also stops them from becoming predators to birds and other small animals themselves. Unfortunately in cities rodents are routinely poisoned and if your kitty catches one they can also be poisoned. Then the traffic… yikes I hate even thinking about it. If you must let kitty outside during the day please make sure they have GPS trackers on their collars and are microchipped. Best practice would be to be outside with them.

Then there are the Door-Dashers (Escape Artists), Indoor cats that get out somehow and are lost. This is a distressing situation for all concerned. Don’t panic and get onto putting these tips below into action immediately upon realizing.

You have to let your neighbors know.

There are so many cats that wander around your neighbors may just think your kitty is ok to be there. Put up a post on NextDoor, Pawboost and any other social media you are on straight away but don’t stop there. The best way to get the word out there is with Flyers and door knocking/ ringing door bells. Start with the first 10 residences in every direction from your place and slowly work outward in following days if kitty hasn’t come home yet. Leave flyers under the mat or through the letter slot, or even by taping one with removable painters tape that won’t damage their paintwork directly onto the door. Flyers are great but in-purrson chats are even better. *Keeping a track of whose door you knocked on is important because if no-one answers you should try to go back at a later time.

Ask if you can look around their yard alone. Remember Kitty is in survival mode and scared will most likely hide if a stranger is with you while you check. Cats that are afraid (and cats that are injured) will seek areas of concealment such as under a deck, under a house, under a porch, or in heavy brush. Cats are excellent silent hiders. Have you ever lost kitty in the house and not be able to hide them and then voila! They come out of the closet you checked 6 times all sleepy eyed and wondering what all the fuss is about. Sometimes you have to check the same location more than once. Ask your neighbors to check their ring cameras too!

In apartment buildings, ring on bells and talk to folks and/or at least get inside so you can leave flyers inside near the mailboxes or even outside each apartment door.

Flyers

150 flyers should be a good place to start. Give them to each neighbor as you knock on doors and also post flyers on both sides of every lamppost along the way, around your block and across the street to start, then expand out 1-2 blocks out in all directions. Placing flyers on poles into a clear protective plastic cover is especially helpful for our foggy San Francisco weather. Don’t skimp on the tape or even better yet use a stapler on wooden poles. Check daily and put up more if they have been removed.

Online

Post on www.Nextdoor com under your neighborhood and also post under the ‘Cat owners’ group with your exact address (or address range i.e. 1000-1050 kitty street, near meow avenue)

Report Kitty Lost on pawboost.com

Post on Facebook group for lost pets: For San Francisco: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lostpetinsanfrancisco/.

Report kitty lost to your local shelters - check online for found cats and go there in-person every 4-5 days because some cats are not shown online.

And don’t forget to contact the microchip company to report kitty lost and make sure kitty’s info is up to date.

Indoor cats are easily spooked once out in the Big Wide World

The first big noise or encounter with something they’re not used to and their immediate reaction will be to hide. Oftentimes this first hiding place will be where they hunker down and stay for the duration. This means that most of the time they haven’t gone far. They won’t call out or meow as they don’t want to attract unwanted attention from perceived predators so it’s up to you to do all the calling. They tend to remain very close by the escape point. Cats that are scared and in a foreign environment will often not meow or respond to calls from the human they love (or they may, but not until after the 100th call) Kitty still needs to hear your calm voice and needs to keep hearing you. Kitty will decide when she thinks it’s safe to come forward. Don’t stop calling out in your calm normal voice but don’t expect them to call back. Remember that being outside is scary for an indoor cat, with all the unfamiliar noises and smells. It's important for you to be patient and consistent. Kitty is most likely out there somewhere and most likely way closer than you think!

Don't give up!

Your kitty will be close - most likely closer than you think!

Most indoor cats that get outside will remain very close to their escape point in a hiding spot. They will stay there in silence and while they may come to you during the day most will only come forward after dark when it’s more quiet and they feel safer. Indoor only cats are most often found within 1-5 houses. Many times kitty will be hiding within your own property like in the basement or the laundry room or under the nearest bushes! Wawa got out once and she hunkered down in the crawl space under our kitchen. Use a flashlight even during the day to catch the reflection of kitty’s eyes. There are exceptions of course - Some cats are found several blocks away so you must plan to post flyers on lampposts well beyond your block in all directions in order to cover all possibilities.

Call for your kitty at night

When it’s dark and quiet - cats feel ‘safer’ to move out of hiding. 3AM is when cats are typically most active. Set your alarm for 11pm, 1AM, 3AM and 5AM. Go out through her escape point and calmly call for kitty in your normal voice. Your kitty will sense stress in your voice and may perceive it to be unsafe and stay where they are. Shake or crinkle the treat bag if that is something kitty normally responds to.

Always leave a way back inside

Leave the ‘escape’ door or window wedged open (at least 5 inches) so that they can come back inside again once they feel braver. Imagine how stressed they would be if they went to come back inside and the way in was closed?! Leave some wet food and water just inside the escape door. Don’t leave dry food as this will attract raccoons. Placing kitty’s bedding within smelling distance but not right on top of the food/water can also help.

Aim a motion activated camera at the food source and/or the escape door/window.

Aim the camera at the wet food bowl at sunset. The water bowl should be at least 15 feet away from the food bowl. Be consistent, especially for the first week. Cats will come home and eat but if they have no way of getting back inside the cat will disappear back into the night....or the cat is in survival mode and just won't walk back inside (this happens more than you would think and why many cats need to be humanely trapped by their guardian) NOTE: You may see other cats, raccoons and other animals eat the food.... that's ok.... just replace the food and start again. It can take several nights before a scared cat will come out of hiding to search for food. Ask on the Nextdoor ‘cats owner’ group or other pet groups if someone can loan you a humane trap to lure kitty with stinky wet fish based food. You can also rent from your local SPCA/animal shelter although this will take longer. Traps work best to lure scared cats out of hiding before dawn or after sunset. Never leave an active trap unattended/unmonitored otherwise you may trap someone you don’t want to trap.

Lastly, be consistent and keep trying. Scared kitties can really hunker down and are purrfect silent hiders. Good luck!