# Finding Lost Kitten - Need Advice



## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

My parents/siblings think that the kittens, especially Mitch, need to go outside. I hate the thought of letting "my babies" out, so they let Mitch out when I'm not around. Well, I wake up this morning, and they had let him out, and he hadn't come back yet.

Mitch was born August 7, 2010 so he is close to a year old. I raised him from the time he was four weeks old, so he has no training from his mother, on how to be safe outside.

He has now been missing for nine hours  I've been outside almost all day, walking around our yard and all through the small woods behind our house, and haven't even heard him. I've used the catcatcher toy that he loves, dragging it past all the bushes at least ten times, in hopes that he'd pounce on it.

I have a humane trap set in our backyard, and will borrow another 2-4 from the shelter tomorrow, if he hasn't shown up yet. I have looked everywhere I can think of, and crawled through many bushes (including getting very scratched up by blackberries), which is really bugging my seasonal allergies.

I've brought Morey (Mitch's brother) out on a harness/leash with me, to see if he would be able to help in finding him, but no luck. I've walked around for two hours shaking the cat treat bag, which always makes the kittens come running, but again that didn't work.

All of our neighbors know that he is missing, and there is a lost ad on craigslist. 

Tonight I'm going to be looking with a flashlight for as long as I can stay alert enough to be able to do any good. But I have a feeling that all I'm going to find with that method (looking for glowing eyes) are possums, raccoons, and skunks so that will be interesting.

Is there anything else you can think of that I should try?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Sprinkle (used) kitty litter around the doors of the house. 

I hope he comes home soon. atback


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## CatsPride (May 29, 2011)

have a sit down talk with your parents, tell them your siblings have let the kitten out, explain to them that its upsetting to you and hopefully they will be talked to../ get in trouble/ Cats are better indoor pets then outdoor. 

This is sad and I'm not going to go into all the awful things that could happen. It might be best to re home the kitten while its still a kitten and wait on pets until you own your own place.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

CatsPride said:


> have a sit down talk with your parents, tell them your siblings have let the kitten out


Her parents are part of the problem, too. I think if any talking is to be done, it would be to rip parents/siblings a new one for going against her wishes in the first place. I know I'd be beyond furious if I were furryfriends251.


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## CatsPride (May 29, 2011)

Yeah I just realized that too.

I think she should find a good home for the kitten and wait until she's an adult before she has cats. Threatening her parents will only get her in trouble.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

I'm sorry, I can't think of what else to do that you're not already doing. 

I would be furious with my parents and siblings, to say the least-- I would be unleashing the biggest guilt trip ever and it would end with my parents and siblings sobbing and rending their garments, wishing they were dead. I also would rehome all of the cats and wait until you have your own place before adopting pets again. Unfortunately it's your parents' house and you can't force them to do anything, so you really can't have cats in an environment where someone could be doing things to them that are against your wishes.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

FurryFriends, I am beyond sorry this has happened. I will be gathering notes from other threads to post all together for you, but I hope and pray with all my heart that Mitch returns home safe and sound ASAP.

I disagree with the other posters that you should rehome your cats just because your parents and siblings are total idiots (and what I'd like to say to them is far from family-friendly), but this is a topic we can address after Mitch is back.

I just thought of something. Can you put Morey is a secure carrier and place it at the end of the trap you've got set out in the yard? If it's cool enough, cover everything with a big blanket EXCEPT the opening end. If Mitch catches a whiff of his brother, he'll enter the trap more easily.

You can set your alarm for every few hours to check on Morey. If it's hot where you are, though, you might not want to do this.

I am praying hard for you, honey!

AC


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know that you must be beside yourself and so scared. AC's ideas seem like great ones. Please keep us posted on how this goes!


Note: To discuss how she should rehome her cat while she's still searching for him and very upset is not only insensitive but it's downright rude to kick her while she's down.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I agree with Krissy 100%. We are supposed to be here to help. 

Have you contacted animal control to see if they have picked up any strays? How about the animal shelter? Someone could have thought he was a stray and brought him in. Is he chipped or collared? Did you look in the trees? He could have gotten spooked and went up one. Also, is there small openings under your house or deck he could have crawled in and got stuck?

Good luck, I hope you get your boy home soon.


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## RannsMama (May 24, 2011)

Oh no!  I hope you find your kitty! Keep us posted.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

furryfriends, I apologize if I offended you with my suggestion, or came off as insensitive or rude. When I see posts like yours, I immediately try to put myself in the poster's position in my mind to see what _I_ would do in that situation. Since I couldn't think of anything else that you weren't already doing, I immediately thought of how angry I would be with my family if I were in your shoes, and was trying frantically to think of a way I could prevent that from happening again to Morey, and to Mitch once you find him.

I will be praying for you to help find him soon.


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

I found him/he found his way home!!! He was at the door early this morning, though I had to go out and catch him. I am so glad he is back:smiles

I'm considering taking him to the farm and putting him in the straw mow, as strange as it sounds, all the cats up there are "indoor cats" as they have no idea how to get down. The problem would be Clover, one of the cats up there, who thinks she runs the place and will try to attack any new cat. Re-homing Clover is not an option, unless the person that adopted her would continue to feed her a raw diet, as it is the only food that helps her keep up her weight. 

Re-homing Mitch, Morey, and Malachi is not an option imo - unless they were to go to the farm. I have reasons for Malachi and Morey not being able to go out - Malachi gets fleas within seconds of standing outside, and Morey doesn't have full use of his lungs. Now I need to do an Internet search and find all the reasons why cats should really be indoors...

Though now I need to try let a rather angry possum out of the trap


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm so glad he came home  I know that I would be out of my mind if MOwMow disappeared.

Hopefully you can make your family see that it's in their best interest to stay inside.


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## Hitomi (Nov 15, 2010)

Show the opossum to your parents and then look up opossum attacks on pets.If that don't convince them nothing will!


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

This is absolutely outstanding news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Freakin yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My recommendation - don't send your cats away, not even to the barn. Your incident had a happy ending, but there are a thousand and one threads on here that did NOT. Find those threads, add them up and print the most poignant one (if you can bear to read through them). Show your parents the statistics and the story, so they know Mitch's return is a fluke. 

Do everything you can to help them see what they almost caused. Show them your fear and your feeling of betrayal. Let them see you cry and your hands shake (don't manufacture feeling, just let them see what's there). Get them to promise not to let YOUR CATS out anymore.

If you are not already doing everything to care for your cats, pick up whatever's left that is in your reach. If they are caring for or paying for these cats in any way, they may feel as though they have some right to chose how the cats are treated. If they are paying and you don't have money, offer to do something to make up for it, extra errands, whatever.

If and when you bring your parents 'round, ask that they have a conversation with your siblings.

After you've done these things, there isn't much more you can do, regardless of the result. But even if some or all of your family members decide to be punks and continue to disregard your wishes, the risk is NOT WORTH - in my opinion - completely changing Mitch's life. 

Mitch doesn't deserve to be sent to the barn, he deserves to remain in his current life, with his siblings and his Meowmy, even with the risk he'll be let out again. Life is risk, and it just doesn't make sense, in my mind, to change his life so drastically - really, to make him think he's been abandoned - in your particular circumstances as I currently understand them.

AC


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## KittieLover (May 2, 2011)

Oh I'm so glad Mitch came back to you!!
I also hope your siblings don't let him outside again!
He would now be safe at home with you


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

As you and I both know putting him in a barn whether feral or domestic only has a 50/50 chance of staying. You have a better chance if he is with you. I know you can't control your parents. I would let them how upsetting this was. It might sink in. How long till you graduate? I heard from Ryan clintons FB pet friendly dorms are being tried!


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