I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO....SHOULD I GIVE UP?

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EADGBE - 08 Aug 2005 12:55 GMT

I have never felt more close AND more far away from my cat!

In the past 2 weeks, I have gotten four...FOUR...definite sightings of
my lost cat Albert all from the same area. This area is five houses
away from me down my street.

For the past four nights, I have set traps in various places in that
area (I got permission from three different houses down there).

I have caught NOTHING. Not even a possum.

To make things worse, there has been rain almost every night. Could
this be part of the problem?

I really think that Albert is either too smart to go in the trap, or
that someone is feeding him so well that he doesn't NEED the food in
the trap.

Either way, I feel like the traps--which were my only chance to get
Albert back--are REALLY letting me down!

I used to catch at least one cat per night, and now NOTHING!!!!

I CAN'T TELL YOU ALL HOW DISCOURAGED I AM!!!!

IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS SINCE I SAW ALBERT!!!

I WANT TO GIVE UP!!!!

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Newbie - 08 Aug 2005 14:24 GMT

: I have never felt more close AND more far away from my cat!
:
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
: that someone is feeding him so well that he doesn't NEED the food in
: the trap.

If only five house away, why not inform all your neighbors not to feed
him? Put up a poster with his pictures again, mention what you are
trying to do, and ask everyone not to feed him. Or to call you as soon
as he comes for feeding, if he has a set place. Good luck.

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L Sternn - 08 Aug 2005 20:54 GMT

>: I have never felt more close AND more far away from my cat!
>:
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>trying to do, and ask everyone not to feed him. Or to call you as soon
>as he comes for feeding, if he has a set place. Good luck.

Yeah - in addition to that, if there is any pattern to the sightings -
like time of day, I would stake out the area personally. I would
probably do that even if there is no discernible pattern.

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Rhonda - 09 Aug 2005 05:49 GMT

Don't give up, it's such an encouraging sign that people are seeing him
in the area. He could have been trapped somewhere or hit by a car, but
you know your boy is there!

What are you putting in the trap? Try tuna or sardines or something
stinky that he might not be getting anywhere else.

Rain could be making it harder, just have patience. When you get him
home, you can tell him what all you've been through and that he is never
to do this again!

Do the neighbors in that area all have your phone number? Give them your
contact info and tell them to call you the SECOND they see him out their
window. Maybe you have a cell? Also, if you are at work or can't get
there quickly, maybe you can get a back-up person who is close and who
Albert knows, who can get there quickly. When you do see him, is there a
favorite toy or something that will bring him out?

We caught a scaredy stray by giving our phone # to people in the area.
We jumped in the car the minute we got the call and ended up bringing
her home.

Good luck to you. You're doing a good job, you just need more time for
an ornery cat.

Rhonda

> I have never felt more close AND more far away from my cat!
>
> In the past 2 weeks, I have gotten four...FOUR...definite sightings of
> my lost cat Albert all from the same area. This area is five houses
> away from me down my street.

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EADGBE - 09 Aug 2005 12:52 GMT

Hi, Rhonda and thanks for your encouraging words.

I have been putting a mix of tuna and dry cat food in the trap. Two
things have occurred to me about this:

1) Albert never ate tuna or fish-flavor cat food at home. He only ate
beef and chicken flavors (but I have even put Kentucky Fried Chicken in
the trap on one occasion...still caught NOTHING).

2) Albert may be too smart or too scared to enter the trap.

I have started a "kitty buffet" in the back yard of a vacant house
that's right in the middle of all the sightings. I will do this for a
couple of nights and then substitute a trap.

I did this for the first time last night. I put out three dishes: one
dry cat food, one wet cat food, and one tuna.

This morning all three dishes had been sampled.

This is my last hope...I hope I can build up his trust and then he will
be more willing to go into the trap!

> Don't give up, it's such an encouraging sign that people are seeing him
> in the area. He could have been trapped somewhere or hit by a car, but
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> > my lost cat Albert all from the same area. This area is five houses
> > away from me down my street.

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