<UPDATE>My heart is weary.

[birdlady]

Good news! She just has to be found soon with so many people looking out for her! Hang in there!

 

[KimKimWilliamson]

Oh goodness I hope she finally makes her way back to you. She's obviously a resourceful little thing to be surving so well for the last few days!
Its nice of people to put out her food, even it it doesnt lure her in it will help tide her over during her adventure.

Fingers crossed for you!

 

[allison]

I'm really hoping that it was indeed Amelia and you will be able to find her and bring her home.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Amelia....come on home now, baby...it's time.

 

[Ziggymon]

Since Amelia is so near, I'm assuming she has heard you calling for her and hasn't responded. As I said before, cats are so very unlike dogs when they get out/get lost. Obviously, she wants to come in, but the wild animal/fear that is controlling her right now is stronger than her desire for the safety and comfort of home. (When several of mine got out a few weeks ago, I saw Doc up on a windowsill, trying to get in. I had my SO open the window and stand concealed next to it. When Doc went back on the sill, he scooted in, and my SO shut the window. Even though Doc was safely in, and even though he had been out less than an hour, he panicked at being "trapped" and literally climbed the walls. Fifteen minutes later, he was back to being his old purring self. I tell you this to illustrate how a frightened cat can react, even if he wants nothing more than to be home.)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would once again advise getting a humane trap and setting it up where she has most recently been sighted. Since you can only borrow traps for a few days, I'd say buy one. IME, buy a bigger one - animals are less reluctant to go into bigger traps.

Amelia may, or may never, let you or anyone else approach her closely enough to pick her up. A trap, at the very least, improves your chances of recovering her.

 

[Archiesmom]

!

Since Amelia is so near, I'm assuming she has heard you calling for her and hasn't responded. As I said before, cats are so very unlike dogs when they get out/get lost. Obviously, she wants to come in, but the wild animal/fear that is controlling her right now is stronger than her desire for the safety and comfort of home. (When several of mine got out a few weeks ago, I saw Doc up on a windowsill, trying to get in. I had my SO open the window and stand concealed next to it. When Doc went back on the sill, he scooted in, and my SO shut the window. Even though Doc was safely in, and even though he had been out less than an hour, he panicked at being "trapped" and literally climbed the walls. Fifteen minutes later, he was back to being his old purring self. I tell you this to illustrate how a frightened cat can react, even if he wants nothing more than to be home.)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would once again advise getting a humane trap and setting it up where she has most recently been sighted. Since you can only borrow traps for a few days, I'd say buy one. IME, buy a bigger one - animals are less reluctant to go into bigger traps.

Amelia may, or may never, let you or anyone else approach her closely enough to pick her up. A trap, at the very least, improves your chances of recovering her.

Thanks, this was my immediate reaction as well, she *must* have been within earshot and certainly did not respond. Also, she while I suspect she would run away from a stranger, she also has never come back to eat any food, etc. etc. My guess is during her two weeks out like you said she has completely reverted to being a wild animal. I'm planning on going out and buying a humane trap or two and catch her. Thanks!

 

[Ziggymon]

On the positive side, she has not completely panicked, and is still close to home. IMO, you stand a very good chance of catching her.

I would put the traps under bushes, near the foundation of a building, etc. - somewhere where she doesn't have to come into the open, and will feel safer. Another good thing about putting a trap under a bush or something similar is that the trap itself is disguised and looks less like a trap. Make sure that the food is well toward the back end of the trap, so that she can't reach it without setting the trap off.

And don't give up.

 

[Archiesmom]

On the positive side, she has not completely panicked, and is still close to home. IMO, you stand a very good chance of catching her.

I would put the traps under bushes, near the foundation of a building, etc. - somewhere where she doesn't have to come into the open, and will feel safer. Another good thing about putting a trap under a bush or something similar is that the trap itself is disguised and looks less like a trap. Make sure that the food is well toward the back end of the trap, so that she can't reach it without setting the trap off.

And don't give up.

Thank you A family member in WI had some humane traps that they are going to lend me. I've received permission from a few neighbors to utilize more space so that I can get it set up in the woodline, and I can get it set up near some bushes that are next to where I suspect she is getting her water from. I've still got her food bowl with kitty food in it, her kitty bed, and her litterbox outside under our deck, being hopeful and optimistic that one day I will open the door and she will be curled up in her bed, waiting for me. I'm just hoping, at this point, to even catch a glimpse of her...ever since the one confirmed sighting, there have been no more calls. I'm continuing to work my way down 143rd St. and go door-to-door and talking to people and showing them the fliers.

 

[GG.]

one small thing Natalie - when you print more fliers, change the color of the paper you use - it helps to keep it fresh in people's minds

sending continued prayers and positive energy for Amelia and you both

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

Good luck with the traps. Hope they help you get your baby back

 

[Birdiemarie]

I'm so sorry she's not back yet. Do you know if Amelia is part feral and may be enjoying this time out? I hope she comes back soon.

 

[Archiesmom]

one small thing Natalie - when you print more fliers, change the color of the paper you use - it helps to keep it fresh in people's minds

sending continued prayers and positive energy for Amelia and you both

Thanks so much for the tip! I will definitely do this next time, for sure. That is an awesome idea.

Good luck with the traps. Hope they help you get your baby back

Awww, thanks Miriam. I'm really hoping this works as well. Just want my baby to come back home.

I'm so sorry she's not back yet. Do you know if Amelia is part feral and may be enjoying this time out? I hope she comes back soon.

She certainly wasn't before this...in fact, I can count the number of experiences she'd ever been outside on my fingers. When she was a kitten the momma cat abandoned the litter, so at about 2 weeks old we brought her in and I bottle-fed the entire litter. Just Amelia survived, the others were too weak But she's been inside ever since, and when I moved out of Wisconsin to Minnesota I went straight into an apartment, so she's been an apartment cat until this May, when I got this house. But, she's resourceful and intelligent, so it would not surprise me if she didn't take to it and was now really enjoying the freedom. There is a part of me that thinks maybe she doesn't come home because she is happier where she is. If she does come home, I will be overjoyed, but the first thing I will buy is a cat tie-out so I can bring her outside with me safely so she can enjoy the outdoors.

 

[birdlady]

Oh I am sorry she is not home yet...the traps are a really good idea...at this point her world has been changed so much and is probably scared...so the traps will help you catch her, I hope. Dont' give up!

 

[marian]

Natalie I'm sorry she hasn't returned home yet.Don't give up hope.My prayers are with you still. big hugs

 

[Archiesmom]

It's taken me a while to not be upset to post this. (No, Amelia hasn't been found dead).

I got a phone call on Friday night from someone that I missed because I have a blackberry storm that is a TERRIBLE phone, and sometimes it will turn off my reception for texts/phone calls randomly until 5:00 AM. So, it put the guy right into voicemail and he left a message stating "Think I have your cat...was able to lock it in my garage".
When I got the voicemail message in the morning, I freaked, and called him back of course because the phone call had come in originially around 11:00 PM. I left a message for him stating that I had just picked up his message and sorry for the delay, did he still have my cat or had he brought her to animal control or?

No response from the guy for two hours. And then I get "You didn't respond. I assumed it wasn't your cat, and chased it back into the woods."

This guy lives RIGHT next to County Road 42, which is a very busy street, and those woods back up to that street. She is also a good distance away from my house if this was her, she's gone about a mile. This absolutely destroyed me, and most definitely ruined my weekend. I have this gut feeling that it actually was her, and that she had gone into his garage for shelter, and then he had chased her out of there so its doubtful she'll come back. With the weather in MN, we've had countless storms so who knows how she has been faring.

Also got a call from someone who thought they had seen Amelia around another street from the call on Tuesday, only to confirm that, in fact, the cat everyone had been calling me about was the cat of someone who lived in the townhome across the way and who lets her cats our regularly. It had a pink collar like Amelia, but was a DMH, not a DSH.

There have been no further sightings of Amelia, and no more phone calls in her regard. My heart is broken completely, and while I still set food out for her each night and fluff up her bed in case she comes home, I'm beginning to lose hope. It will be 3 weeks tomorrow, she is declawed, she's never been outside before and I have never once made it on the site fast enough to confirm if the cat was Amelia, I've only ever been able to confirm (twice) that it *wasn't* Amelia.

 

[Thugluvgrl187]

It's taken me a while to not be upset to post this. (No, Amelia hasn't been found dead).

I got a phone call on Friday night from someone that I missed because I have a blackberry storm that is a TERRIBLE phone, and sometimes it will turn off my reception for texts/phone calls randomly until 5:00 AM. So, it put the guy right into voicemail and he left a message stating "Think I have your cat...was able to lock it in my garage".
When I got the voicemail message in the morning, I freaked, and called him back of course because the phone call had come in originially around 11:00 PM. I left a message for him stating that I had just picked up his message and sorry for the delay, did he still have my cat or had he brought her to animal control or?

No response from the guy for two hours. And then I get "You didn't respond. I assumed it wasn't your cat, and chased it back into the woods."

This guy lives RIGHT next to County Road 42, which is a very busy street, and those woods back up to that street. She is also a good distance away from my house if this was her, she's gone about a mile. Also got a call from someone who thought they had seen Amelia around another street from the call on Tuesday, only to confirm that, in fact, the cat everyone had been calling me about was the cat of someone who lived in the townhome across the way and who lets her cats our regularly. It had a pink collar like Amelia, but was a DMH, not a DSH.

There have been no further sightings of Amelia, and no more phone calls in her regard. My heart is broken completely, and while I still set food out for her each night and fluff up her bed in case she comes home, I'm beginning to lose hope. It will be 3 weeks tomorrow, she is declawed, she's never been outside before and I have never once made it on the site fast enough to confirm if the cat was Amelia, I've only ever been able to confirm (twice) that it *wasn't* Amelia.

Aw, I'm sorry she hasn't made her way home yet. I was really hoping for a good update. Don't give up just yet. She has got to be out there somewhere.

 

[GG.]

can you borrow those traps again and set them in the woods where the man saw the cat he called you about?

Hang in there

 

[Archiesmom]

I honestly think that if that wasn't her in that guy's garage, that someone else has brought her into their home and is loving on her. It makes way more sense that someone has picked her up and decided to keep her vs. her being outside and missing all this time.

 

[waterfaller1]

I am still going to send positive energy that you will find her. Don't ever give up.

 

[itzmered]

I am so sorry that you have not found her yet. It just dawned on me that we have a large live trap. If you would want to use pm me and I can bring it to you.