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Marylee, with freezing conditions (and below) you can not leave the trap unattended for more than an hour at a time. (any professional will tell you half hour tops) The survival skills that animals use to shelter themselves from the wind are not applicable when they are stuck nose to paw in a metal trap.
If you're not prepared to leave it out and keep checking on it every hour - unlease the trigger for the door and wait for a time that you can.
I had to be very careful when I was using the trap at my house - and that was even in the garage.
Please don't let whatever you trap freeze to death!
I thought of that, thanks for pointing it out, we will go back tonight and check, if nothing in there we will remove it until tomorrow, when its supposed to go up into the 50's.
I called animal control they recommended getting a trpa from Academy, you'd think they would have pointed out what you just did, duh!
Its not too cold yet, we will check, if it hasn't attracted anything by now whatever is in the area isn't interested and will hunker down until tomorrow.
Don't give up hope completely. It isn't beyond possibility that he will return...but it is probably best to be a realist and think it unlikely. That way, if it happens, it will be a very pleasant surprise.
Ok, well, we retrieved the trap, and it was tripped, but nothing in it. Something was interested--that could mean anything. But Marshmallow (or a lookalike) was seen in that area. We will put the trap back tomorrow and check it every hour.
BTW, we tried the trap with our cats at home, one just stepped right over the trip plate, sniffed at the food, then stepped over it and came out. smart kitty!
Another cat went in and tripped the door shut. he was extremely upset, howled. I've read to use Feliway, drape the trap with a towel or something sprayed with it. It can't hurt, I didn't realize just how upsetting being trapped would be to a cat.
Having had to trap cats with a friend on his five acres and having to deal with stays coming around the shop that needed to be trapped most cats don't care to be trapped or caged at all.
Most of the time cats got streetwise around here and realised traps have food and therefore we can eat and not trip the trap. Or worse yet we'd get a possum.
A trip I got was leave the food in the can and place it at the back of the trap. That way the cat may get too far into what they are doing and may trip the trap. But some still figure out how not too.
Keep in mind you can end up with possums, racoons, or even small dogs.
I hope your kitty comes home soon. I'll keep pulling for you.
We're going to check the trap one more time, then take it down.
Marshmallow has been missing for a week. I have to conclude he's not coming home.
I will continue to scrub any boards with lost/found pet listings, and stay in touch with local animal shelters. Perhaps some kind soul found him and is keeping him, and will take him to the vet one day and he will be scanned!
But not all vets automatically scan for chips unless requested to do so. They're not going to challenge a pet ownership! We recently took our cats to a low-cost vaccination clinic (not marshmallow, he already had his shots) the line was literally a mile long just to get in the parking lot, they didn't scan those animals, they didn't have time. So someone with a stray they wanted to make into a pet wouldn't even know if it belonged to someone else.
An idea, though! There's other low-cost vaccination clinics coming up, perhaps I can make up a large poster with his picture and post it at strategic points there, if they will let me. Otherwise, post it along traffic routes going to the clinic, they're usually held in schools, churches, etc.
My biggest hope now is his chip, perhaps that will lead him home. Also, the weather here has been very cold, perhaps when it warms up some he might come out of his hiding place and try to find home.
But I have to be realistic, he's probably not coming home for whatever reason
Ok, we checked the trap, nothing. We took it down, I can't leave it there all night for some poor critter to freeze to death in.
marshmallow's probably gone for good, just hope and pray some kind soul found him, or at least he met with a quick death. I will continue to search, but I'm letting go in my heart.
Goodbye, Marshmallow, you were with us a short time, but brought joy into our lives! Good luck! We will leave the light on and the pet door open if you should find your way back home!
He's not a baby, and he's a main coon for cryin out loud! He's probably out having the time of his life.
Lots of cats go on vacations - then show up weeks, even months later, without a care in the world. I know that doesn't comfort you now, it didn't comfort me in the beginning either, but it's trying to.
If he's very lost and very scared, he will go up to someone and ask for help. And they will see your flier. And it's only a matter of time till you have your fur-baby back.
Maybe it's different for me, not having any kids... but these animals are my babies. I won't give up in my heart that they will find their way safely home, even it if takes longer than my faith, in seeing a happy ending.
I read the end of a chain email (I hate them!) but it touched me... I can't quote it word for word, but maybe this part will give you comfort. "God does not assure a smooth journey, but a safe landing."
Call him everynight outside, even if it's just to say goodnight.
Check the shelter updated listings every 3 days.
Make sure your fliers fly strong wherever they are posted.
We're doing everything we can, and that's all we can do.
Marylee, hang in there and dont loose hope. My neighbors cat went missing after a break in. Her house was broken into a few times this summer by the same kid who was eventually caught (wish I would have caught him but that's another issue for another time). Well her cat finally just freaked out and was frightened of every noise and the owner thinks he probably fled the house after the last break in. She hung flyers all over the neighborhood and took walks every evening after work, but no luck. This was about mid October....and guess what, right after Thanksgiving, he can home. We have a lot of people in our neighborhood who leave food out for cats on our porches, we have two ladies who rescue feral cats and have them neutered...all good people, all watching out for these furbabies...keep the faith, they dont say cats have nine lives for no good reason, they are survivors.
Yes, you're right, hes' a Maine Coon, or at least a Maine Coon mix, and did have some fat on him. He's not a baby, but was raised like one, never went outside, according to his former owner (we've had him aboout 7 weeks)
Well, I will keep his posters refreshed (they're still there, no one's taken them down), continue to sheck with shelters, vets, etc. I always leave the pet door open and the light on. We have other cats, they went in and out the pet door, but we kept Marshmallow away from the door. Then one day I noticed he had leaves of him, he'd been sneaking out, anyways. So we let him out for brief times, he always came back quickly.
I'm concerned about the cold, its going to 18 tonight! But he's part of a breed that's built to handle this weather, perhaps he's enjoying his big adventure!
I also left a litter box outside for the scent in case he's nearby. There's none of his litter left, but the scent of his companion animals could attract him.My MIL had a cat return after almost a year, just jumped up onto her window one day! Fat and sassy, he obviously found what he needed.
Ok, I'm ging to keep hoping!
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