Hi Susan, We went through this 4 yrs ago with our largest foster home. It's really a nightmare. Looking back I can see we did a few things wrong. Beating the bushes and calling their names was the wrong thing to do, esp with the more feral cats. Setting traps is really a better idea.
You might pick up tips from catsinthebag.org too. The leftover smell of the fire and smoke might discourage them from coming too close to the house - talk about a bad memory! - so maybe setting traps in neighbor's yards might be helpful. A very few neighbors put food and water out on back porches or near bushes where a frightened cat could sneak in and eat and the neighbor would let us know if that happened so we would then set a trap right there. If your neighbors are helpful, that's half the battle. Those 2 things were important to recognize, in hindsight - the home that now smelled like a nightmare and the calm, calculated drawing in of the cats in the surrounding area. Thinking of you and your cats, Janine --- Susan Hoffman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Two of the missing cats -- Buddy and Lil Mister -- > are my personal cats, two former feral brothers. (I > have their sister YoYo with me right now.) Buddy > has been seen inside since the fire but he is really > freaked, reverted to feral. Lil Mister has not. > > Sugar is in the house, also a former feral, and > she's pretty smug about not going into those traps > we've set. > > Gustine (also known as Yard Fodder) is a VERY > feral lynxpoint siamese girl, a foster, and she has > been seen after the fire inside the house. > > Tuffy is a sweet fearful former feral foster girl, > a little tabby. Have not seen her. > > Widget is a very shy all black kitten, maybe 4 > months old. Have not seen her. (She's the only one > of the kittens still missing.) > > There are still 3 outside feral cats, all of whom > have been seen. > > We have traps set inside and out. Going back with > a drop trap in a few days to get the outside cats. > Planning on camping out there overnight soon to try > to get the remaining inside cats. The general > consensus is that they are hiding inside the house > and, after trapping Rooster overnight and Tanner > yesterday, and finding Ember hiding in the burned > out basement, I suspect they are all still inside. > If I keep going back and keep baiting those traps, > eventually I should be able to get them all. No one > has been found dead so I have to assume they are > alive and in there somewhere. > > wendy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Susan, > > I have crossposted to the hyperT group. I can > also send to my cousin in L.A. who knows people, but > she's out of town until the middle of this month. I > am so, so sorry this has happened to you, but so, so > happy that none of your kitties were killed in the > fire. I have a dumb question: are the five lost > cats just lost/hiding in the house in the rubble or > are they outside somewhere? Also, are all your > personal cats accounted for or are some of them part > of the missing five? > > Sending good vibes your way to find those lost > kitties and that you find a place soon to rent until > you're able to get settled again. > :) > Wendy > > "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful > committed citizens can change the world - indeed it > is the only thing that ever has!" ~~~ Margaret > Meade ~~~ > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Susan Hoffman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > Sent: Tuesday, August 7, 2007 11:03:14 AM > Subject: Re: FIRE!!!!! > > Just set up a photobucket account with photos of > (a) fire damage, (b) missing cats and (c) adoptables > in foster care. PLEASE CROSSPOST WIDELY. The link > is http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb3/susan4233/ > I will gather more photos as I can but I want to > start circulating what I have. > > Need adoption assistance with cats in foster care. > Need good trapping vibes for the ones who are > still missing. > > > > Kelly L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > So far there are now only 5 cats she has not found > as > yet,,Susan's really big need is for fosters who can > assist with > adoptions and anyone knowing of animal friendly > rentals between > Vallejo and San Francisco,,she said she could go up > to 1500 per month,, > If you can't reach her you can contact me also > p.m. and I will reach her, > thanks > Kelly > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel > answers from someone who knows. > Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. >
