Cookie Dough got out.

[JenW]

I am really bummed right now. I could not find our 9 month old cat in the house and then I saw one edge of the front screen pushed out. I got the treat jar and have been shaking it outside in the yard. No luck.

This cat has not been outside since she was 8 weeks old last September when we rescued her. I have looked all over the yard and just don't even know where to go from there. I hope she is smart enough to make her way back here, eventually. My DD will be heartbroken when she gets home from school. Any insights into cat behavior? She us up on her shots and fixed, so I am really only concerned with cars and her coming back.

UPDATE: She was under our porch in the back of the house. I am starting to wonder if that is where she was born..........since we found her right by the spot to go under there last September. I had to dig her out because she is considerably bigger now. I have no idea how she weasled her way under there! Anyway, all is good!

[Cupcake]

Young cats have a strong inquisitive instinct. Cookie Dough has been indoors most of her life? Then she also has a strong sense of where home is. I don't know what your location is like, but if the worst happened like she got spooked by traffic noise and bolted, her sense of smell and instinct for home will almost certainly prevail and help her return. On the other hand - and most likely in my experience - she will jolly well come home when she's good and ready and if you don't like it, tough! In her head, she's a stroppy teenager who has decided she's old enough to choose when she goes out and where she wants to play.

When she comes in, really over-do making a fuss of her to the point of treating her like royalty. If she comes home and gets barked at for running away, or picks up your panic and anguish, she'll not associate it with being out but instead of a stressful atmosphere to return home to. I've had cats for 30 years and have fostered, adopted and worked with rehoming charities (CPL) etc. I'm not an expert, but I've heard every excuse the cats try to give

You'll know best if she's a sensible cat, or a bit skittish and easily spooked, so how much freedom you give her should be in line with how much you trust her. But also give her a chance to show you she's trustworthy - to her, that means that she's gone out and will come back in like a good girl. Trust me on one thing, they aren't really getting your point of view on this the first few times. I fostered a 16 year old ex-farm cat and had to keep her in while she adapted. One night she made a break for freedom and sat outside until nearly 3am looking at me like "I will come home when I'm ready, now go away as you're cramping my style". Wandering around the building calling out her name while dressed in pajamas and waving around a flashlight... well, as my neighbour is a police station, I got some odd looks.

I know you're worried - and big hugs for that - but give her a chance to trust her and more than likely she'll be back soon. If she's not, leave a trail of familiar smelling things she'll recognise outside in your yard so she knows her way home (if she hasn't been out, she hasn't scent-marked her territory yet and might forget where she is). And make a fuss of her - cats believe they deserve this by right upon returning home, anyway.

[pinkpomelo]

UPDATE: She was under our porch in the back of the house. I am starting to wonder if that is where she was born..........since we found her right by the spot to go under there last September. I had to dig her out because she is considerably bigger now. I have no idea how she weasled her way under there! Anyway, all is good!

Oh Yay!!

My Jelli has a habit of leaving our apartment and exploring the big world beyond. Twice she went missing. The first time, I called out "Jelli" and heard a plaintive "meeeew" one floor up. The second time, there was no response. It was 1am in the morning. But there I was, climbing 16 storeys, stopping at each level, stage-whispering as loud as I could "Jelli!". My hubby was waiting at our door and when I made my way down, he just calmly said "I think she's in the neighbour's house downstairs". Apparently he saw the SPCA van pull up and the guy exiting the elevator on the floor right below us.

Turns out she had run into the apartment directly below ours. Not surprising cuz the last time she went missing, she was miserably sitting outside the door of the apartment directly ABOVE ours. She knows the right door, just not the right floor.

So she had dashed into our neighbor's apartment, and finding it totally foreign, tried to find the quickest escape route and took a leap out the window (their apartment is on the 3rd floor). So by the time we found her, she was huddled in the corner of the ledge that was only a foot wide. She was so freaked out. But the SPCA guy was quite calm. He got my hubby to call her name, then when her head was turned to his direction, the SPCA guy reached down and yanked her back in by the scruff of her neck. He did it so quickly, she didn't know it was coming and it didn't hurt cuz she didn't make a sound. Once in Hubby's arms, she started mewing pathetically.

I was so relieved, I couldn't be angry. We had to give her a bath when we got her home. All in all, a bad bad night for her.

She still wanders, but this time, under supervision.

Silly cat.

[ladycattat]

Oh, Jen,my heart just stopped when I read the title of this thread!
Thank, thank heavens little Cookie Dough knows who fills her food dish!!!!
My furbabies have been indoor cats their entire lives; so they raise quite the *hue and cry of foul* when they need vet appointments, etc.
The don't even get near open doors; the great outdoors interest them not one wit. I do remember a couple of times during one hellaciously hot summer we left the screen door open and DJ somehow wandered out without us noticing and the door was later closed and locked. Hours later we awoke to the most piteous mews ever.....Please ....let me in....I'll never be nosy again!
Needless to say, she keeps a WIDE berth from all doors!
Laurie

[JenW]

Yes, she is all safe and sound. She was so scared and kind of stuck under there. First, I literally had to dig out some dirt to make the hole a little bigger...her head just fit through. (Like I said, I have no idea how she wiggled under there.) I lured her out part way with treats, and then grabbed her. She did not resist my holding her to take her back in the house.

I am not sure she will try that again for a while. We are taking a few precautions with the windows. Our screens are held in place by 4 pins. If she puts too much pressure on them, they pop out. She is already bigger than Sagwa, but Sagwa is a peanut for an adult cat. She is all fur.

What a relief. I am just glad she is back where she belongs. DD would have been so sad.

[packgal]

oh, i am so glad you found her!