If your cat goes missing remember to look up!!
I am a cat sitter so I often get messages and calls all times of the day. It was first thing on a Monday morning and I received a message on my phone. I began to read the message and the first word of the message started with ‘sadly’, my heart had already dropped into my stomach…the rest of the message read that Oscar had not come home that night, at this point my stomach dropped a little further.
Oscar is a little ginger cat, whom I had had the pleasure of looking after when his owners go away . Oscar also has a brother who is black and white, they haven’t long been venturing out as they have only just turned one year old.
Oscar was missing for over 48 hours
How scared would missing cat Oscar be?
All I could think of was his sweet little face and how scared he would be if he couldn’t find his way home. I spoke to his owner Matthew and plans were put in place to find Oscar. Matthew believed he had seen Oscar cross the road the night before, so that where the search began. Matthew had made some leaflets and posters, also we spoke to neighbours and local people in the neighbouring streets.
Atticus is Oscars brother
How Oscar was found
I spent my time door knocking, asking people to check sheds, garages and gardens as I felt he wouldn’t be far away. Imagining he was trapped inside a shed, or had been chased off the area by another cat or fox. I really thought he was hiding and laying low before plucking up courage to try to get home.
One day turned into two and still no sign of Oscar, still door knocking and speaking to local people. Facebook posts and next door app was used to communicate with local people, and many people came forward to keep a look out for him. Myself and Oscars owners discuss out thoughts and decided to start again, starting at the point where he was last seen.
Matthew asked to check the gardens himself, so he could call Oscar. The first garden he visited he could hear Oscar but couldn’t see him. Then he looked up to see Oscar stuck high up in the tree, by this time Oscar was exhausted and hungry. The night before the weather had been awful, and poor Oscar had been sitting in the rain and the wind.
Can you see Oscar high in the tree?
Oscar was to afraid to come down, and the RSPCA and the fire services refused to help. So it was just a waiting game until Oscar made his own way down the tree. A feeding station was set up, lots of smelly goodies to entice Oscar down the tree. Oscars little nose was twitching from the smell of the food, hot chicken, pilchards and tuna.
Missing cat Oscar is now safe at home
It was now over 48 hours since Oscar went missing, so by this point he was extremely hungry. Leaving Oscars owners to sit below the tree calling, talking and coaxing him down the tree. I received a message around 10.30 that night to say that had got him!!
So if your cat does go missing, please do not forget to look up when searching!!
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