Category Archives: Living with cats

10 things to do if your cat disappears

When I disappeared, Claire and Momo put four days finding me. It is thanks to a hen that they succeeded : the neighbor looked for her hen, saw from afar me, and told it to Claire and Momo. After good moment spent to have a walk in the village, they finally perceived me. Momo moved forward little to me then let me approach. He offered me my favorite treats, and was able to take me in arms to return home (OK, he held me in his arms but one of the hands held so slowly but firmly the skin of my neck to prevent me from floundering and from leaving).

I believe that they found me because they were lucky, because all the blogosphere and the groups of crazy cat people hummed and prayed so that it happens, but also because they knew how to put into practice the following points :

Anticipate : any cat, even an indoor cat, may run away and disappear once or the other time ! Do not wait that the cat disappears to prepare a simple, clear and readable poster in case. Choose a rather big and readable writing, and one or two recent photos. The poster will contain the name of the cat, the date of its disappearance, the portable phone number, the name and the address of the owner of the cat
Anticipate: microchip the cat
In case of disappearance, do not wait to let know that you lost your cat
Warn the neighbors (houses, businesses) by asking them to check their cellar, their garage, and their garden shed
Put posters in the district : choose very visible places (bus stop, mailbox, bancomat, newspapers box)
Put posters in schools surroundings and shopping malls
Warn the shelters of the area and the SPCA
Use web sites planned for that purpose to launch an “lost cat » alert : they are in connection with shelters
Warn the veterinarians of the area and the department of garbage dump
Lead searches on foot around the house, by walking slowly and by calling the cat at regular intervals in the most quiet moments of the day; stop to listen to and look.

Some resources for Switzerland :

Back home !

– Zorro, what have you done? Are you not ashamed to disappear like that overnight ? Claire and Momo had been worried to death !

– *ears, whiskers, and eyes down* Well, I did secret cat things, in secret cat places, and I have…

– Shut up, Zorro ! Four days ! Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday ! You disappeared four days ! Claire and Momo drew a crowd of all the village, the shelters, the cat blogosphere and the local groups of cat lovers, they put posters, they made a million times the tour of the village and the fields surroundings at various hours of day and night calling you, they went to see in a shelter if the found black cat, it was you, and it is all that you find to say ?
We are going to tell you a secret, too : you are deprived of release until the garden has a special fence which prevents you from wandering wherever !

– *resigned sigh* …

Claire and Momo thank you for all your messages of support and encouragement for these days !

Feline stress

LOUPI : When Zorro arrived in February, 2012, I was first totally indifferent to this small intruder … Seemingly at least. As he grew up, and although he was quickly neutered, I became more and more nervous and aggressive : I hissed at everything, anything, and whoever, I growled out, and I attacked Zorro with big slaps if he was at less than 1 meter 50 of me. It really became hard in autumn, 2012.

Claire had never seen that. I am a shy and emotional cat for a long time : when it is necessary to apply to me the fleas treatment to the nape of the neck for example, I kick up a fuss about it, I am terrified. Claire thus discussed with the veterinarian at the beginning of 2013. He knows me well, and after the narrative of some previous anecdotes upon the arrival of Zorro, he confirmed that I was a cat very put under stress by nature. A big anxious cat. The arrival of Zorro had thus completely put me in a whirl.

The veterinarian then suggested to Claire spreading permanently Feliway® everywhere in the house to calm my tensions. Feliway® is a product which imitates our facial pheromones and thus has so soothing properties. It exists in spray or in electric diffuser with refill. Normally, it seems that that gives very good results, but not with me.

After 3 months of diffusion, there was only not much change in my behavior. We are outdoor cats, it was summer, and windows were opened almost always. I did not thus soak permanently in Feliway®, and I think that it is possible that the product was not able to develop all its efficiency because of it. I would like to have the opinion of somebody from Feliway® on this matter, moreover.

Claire informed regularly the veterinarian. According to his advice, she stopped using Feliway®, and gave me Zylkene® daily during 3 other months. Zylkene® is a nutritional supplement with casein of milk which decreases strongly the answer to the stress. And there, it was great : every day, late in the afternoon, I was entitled to a small dose of liver pâté in Zylkene®, it was yummy ! Zorro was very interested, then he could also have it just a little, but without Zylkene®.

Claire, Momo, Zorro and I had happy Christmas 2013 : I was much less stressed, I could meet Zorro or be next to him at less than 1 meter without being aggressive, I began again to play even if he was there (not with him all the same, it’s not necessary to exaggerate!) and to go to sleep in several places which I liked but which I had abandoned.