PSA - Finding Lost Pets

[LAJennifer]

I recommend all of us pet owners bookmark the following site: http://www.k9sardog.com/missing.html

My cat, Electra, escaped over the weekend (DH accidentally left his bathroom window open after showering) and was missing for around 48 hours. This site was very helpful when I was planning my search.

Some tips from the site that I wouldn't have thought of - how to leave a scent trail, posting signs in English AND Spanish, contacting the microchip company and alerting them that she is missing. Also, not to give up and diligently search for 8 weeks.

I found her yesterday evening. Actually an intact, feral, male cat found her for me - he led me right to her after having witnessed me searching for her the previous day and night. I've been leaving out food and water for him for the last several months (named him Stewart). He usually runs from me, but not when he found my cat. I would imagine that she and I share a lot of the same scents - he was my own personal little bloodhound. I think he deserves something extra special - I'm so grateful.

She was hiding completely in a hedge bush about a half block away. I don't believe she would have come out on her own, as she has some bloody abrasions on her belly (I think she skinned herself trying to jump a wall - or perhaps trying to jump back into the window). She heard me talking to Stewart, as he and I were standing right in front of the bush - I was asking him why he wasn't running away from me. She started to meow softly and then the bush started to move. I bent down and she climbed right into my arms. She is now at the vet - and doing just fine. They wanted to keep her for the day (shave her belly and get a good look at the scrapes - also x-ray to check for internal damage). She didn't have a fever and we think she will be fine.

I would never have imagined that she would be hiding because she is very bright and capable of taking care of herself. But an injury changes everything. NEVER just assume that your pet will return on their own.

Anyway, I just wanted to share and hope this info may assist others in future searches.

 

[soocool]

My dog is microchipped and registered at the homeagain website. Whenever a pet is lost they send out emails alerting people & vets in the area.

 

[tyty333]

I'm so glad you found her! And now I think you should adopt Stewart! You might not have found Electra if it werent for him .

 

[lilyfoot]

I am so glad you found your kitty. It is so heartbreaking to think of losing a pet

 

[LAJennifer]

Socool - modern technology is great, isn't it? So glad we have these tools.

Tyty333- Stewart really came through!. I'm going to work on getting him trapped and neutered.

lilyfoot - I am so relieved to have her back. My other 2 cats (Seth and Wellington) were basketcases! Order has been restored.

Electra is back from the vet and is ok. We were very lucky. Turns out she was bitten by a dog. She has a puncture wound and a lot of bruising, but no internal bleeding. Neighbors reported seeing her late the first night outside my patio in the grass. I was very surprised that she ran away but now it makes sense. We have a new tenant in the building and she has a dog. Now, I don't want to be accusatory but there is dog poop everywhere in this complex - it is disgusting. Several tenants have complained to the landlord in the last day or so. I bet you anything that she lets the dog out without a leash and unsupervised to do his "business". I have no doubt that this dog bit my cat. Electra has gotten out a few times before and she has never gone far from my front door.

Also the x-ray showed she was shot 3 times with a BB Gun! What the heck is wrong with people? She was outside less than 48 hours, in a nice neighborhood in West Hollywood.

Now I know why Wellington (formerly feral) is such a good house kitty - it is a battle zone out there!

 

[soocool]

Socool - modern technology is great, isn't it? So glad we have these tools.

Tyty333- Stewart really came through!. I'm going to work on getting him trapped and neutered.

lilyfoot - I am so relieved to have her back. My other 2 cats (Seth and Wellington) were basketcases! Order has been restored.

Electra is back from the vet and is ok. We were very lucky. Turns out she was bitten by a dog. She has a puncture wound and a lot of bruising, but no internal bleeding. Neighbors reported seeing her late the first night outside my patio in the grass. I was very surprised that she ran away but now it makes sense. We have a new tenant in the building and she has a dog. Now, I don't want to be accusatory but there is dog poop everywhere in this complex - it is disgusting. Several tenants have complained to the landlord in the last day or so. I bet you anything that she lets the dog out without a leash and unsupervised to do his "business". I have no doubt that this dog bit my cat. Electra has gotten out a few times before and she has never gone far from my front door.

Also the x-ray showed she was shot 3 times with a BB Gun! What the heck is wrong with people? She was outside less than 48 hours, in a nice neighborhood in West Hollywood.

Now I know why Wellington (formerly feral) is such a good house kitty - it is a battle zone out there!

Reading this I got tears in my eyes! How cruel. A couple of years ago a neighbor came back from the weekend to find that someone shot his cat in the front leg. The leg had to be amputated. He knows who did it, he just can't prove it. The ASPCA had posters out looking for the culprit but no one came forward. There are a lot of hunters in our area and it scares me that someone could be out trying to shoot someone's pet or make a mistake and shoot someone's child.

I am glad you got Electra back and that she will recover from her trauma.

 

[ForteKitty]

I'm so glad you found her! Poor Electra's gonna be traumatized for a long time.

LA is full of nasty f@*%heads who will harm animals.. there are some real messed up in the head people here. How can they tell she was shot w/ a bb gun? was it embedded in her skin somehow?

 

[lulu]

I'm so glad you found your baby. One of my dogs was once shot with a bb gun.There are some bad people out there.

 

[LAJennifer]

Socool, Fortekitty and Lulu - Thank you so much for the well wishes. It is truly unbelievable the cruel things that some people do. If I ever find out who shot her, trust me, they will have a VERY BAD DAY!!! My neighbor across the street called me last night for an update. She and her husband live in an amazing bungalow and have an indoor/outdoor bengal. I told her about the BB gun shots and she was LIVID! She is going to do her own detective work. I'm sure it is probably one of her neighbors who doesn't want cats in his/her yard (there are several free roaming cats in the neighborhood - mostly feral). She and I really made a personal connection though this ordeal, and will most likely be lifelong friends.

Electra is doing great! It sucks to see that puncture wound along with the bruising - but she is on pain meds and behaving like her normal self. Seth will not let her out of his sight. Wherever she goes to sleep, he lays in front of her and just watches her. He loves her so much - it is touching to see how these animals truly care for each other.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

It makes me so, so, SO sad to think that anyone would intentionally harm a defenseless animal... especially a domesticated one! I'm sorry you and Electra had to go through this unfortunate event but am thrilled to hear she's home safe & sound!

I try to not act spitefully, but I home karma gets whoever shot your fur baby with a BB gun

 

[LAJennifer]

How can they tell she was shot w/ a bb gun? was it embedded in her skin somehow?

Forgot to answer this - yes, the bb's showed up in her x-ray (one on her shoulder and 2 on her back). The vet said not to worry and they don't need to be removed as they are just in the skin. She said she sees this in almost all outdoor pets (especially in rural areas - she is originally from Florida). They don't even make an entry wound. So, while annoying, it certainly could be worse.

PilsnPinkysMom - Thank you so much for thinking of us. Yes, it is very hard for me not to wish the worst on the perpetrator. Let's hope that karma is a bitch. As for the dog - I have no ill will towards the dog. There are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners and she seriously sucks. I am tempted to pick up all the dog poop laying around and smear it all over her front door and doorstep.

But for now, I'm focusing on the positive - that she is back, safe and sound - and that it could have been much, much worse.

I'm going to attempt to tame Stewart. Kitty *DUST* that he is responsive.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Oh my gosh, LAJennifer, I am SO glad that you found Electra. What an awful ordeal! And I cannot believe that not only did a dog bite her, but somebody shot her with a bb gun!!!! I'm INFURIATED for you. WTF?! What is wrong with people? Thank goodness Electra is okay!

 

[Nashville]

Wow, that's so great that your pet was returned! Thanks for the info, we're considering a pet for our daughter soon and maybe this will help if something ever happens.

 

[LAJennifer]

Thanks NEL and Nashville. It is nice to know you are thinking of us and that the info may be helpful to you.

*UPDATE*
So I totally went all "CSI" and was investigating around outside. Our apartment complex cannot be entered without a key or being buzzed in. There is one long sidewalk that everyone's apartment entrances open up to. Each downstairs apartment has a patio and each upstairs apartment has a balcony that overlooks the sidewalk.

I found blood splatter and droplets consistent with the size of Electra's bite wound. The droplets are in the grass and on the edge of the sidewalk next to my patio and underneath my kitchen window. Witnesses saw Electra both on my patio and in the grass next to the patio early Sunday morning. There is dog poop in the grass a few feet to the right and left of the blood splatter. Last week my husband saw the new tenant's dog peeing under our kitchen window without being on a leash.

What would you guys do regarding this information?

 

[tyty333]

Thanks NEL and Nashville. It is nice to know you are thinking of us and that the info may be helpful to you.

*UPDATE*
So I totally went all "CSI" and was investigating around outside. Our apartment complex cannot be entered without a key or being buzzed in. There is one long sidewalk that everyone's apartment entrances open up to. Each downstairs apartment has a patio and each upstairs apartment has a balcony that overlooks the sidewalk.

I found blood splatter and droplets consistent with the size of Electra's bite wound. The droplets are in the grass and on the edge of the sidewalk next to my patio and underneath my kitchen window. Witnesses saw Electra both on my patio and in the grass next to the patio early Sunday morning. There is dog poop in the grass a few feet to the right and left of the blood splatter. Last week my husband saw the new tenant's dog peeing under our kitchen window without being on a leash.

What would you guys do regarding this information?

Wow...you are good! Is the property where you found the blood/dog poop your property? I don't really think you can
assume it was this animal that did it (unfortunately). If this person is letting their dog out without a leash though I think
you should call animal control and see what they have to say. Where I live they will send a letter to the owner stating the laws.
If they still dont listen then they will send someone out to the house. Eventually they will be fined. So...my advice is to
call animal control and find out what can be done.

Your kitty sure went through a lot in 48 hours. I'm so glad Electra is feeling better.

Oh...thoughts on BB guns...any pre-teen younsters around your neighborhood who could be the culprit?