People, take care of your pets please.

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

 So, it seems as though my next-door neighbor left for the weekend with one of her cats outside.  I know the cat belongs to her because she's pretty distinct looking and I saw her run out from the bush she's been hiding in all day for a few minutes this afternoon.  And the bush it's been hiding in is in the neighbor's front yard.  There wasn't much that I or anyone else could do considering that the neighbor was not responsive to a voicemail that someone left, and both animal control and the local Animal Rescue League branch did not have anyone working today for rescue missions.  I don't have cats so I have no cat food, but I left a bowl of water.  Someone else followed my lead and left a bowl of food.  

The poor thing sounds absolutely miserable and seems terrified.  I just do not understand how anyone could leave their house for the weekend knowing that their pet, which depends on its owner for survival, is outside of the house.  I know a lot of people in this area have dogs and cats.  We've all seen the lost pet posts in this community, not to mention stuck on lamp-posts and trees in the neighborhood.  Rant at me all you want, I just don't understand how hard it is to take care of your pets.  Please, everyone, take better care of your pets, because it's heartbreaking to hear her cries right now through the open window of my bedroom, knowing that I can't do anything to help.  And no animal deserves such stress.


Edit: Jesus Christ, you people are really jumping down my throat about this. I just want to make a few things clear: First of all, yeah, I sound a bit pissed in this post. You would be pretty damn frustrated yourself if you knew there was an animal in distress and there was nothing you could do about it and the people who are supposed to help with that sort of thing are all on their day off. Second of all, about calling animal control/Animal Rescue League. I did that before I had seen the cat and was able to ID her. At the point that I first called, she had been under the center of a huge bush, I couldn't see her, she wouldn't come out even for food, and with the added factor that her cries sounded potentially painful, I thought she might have been hurt. And like I said, at that point, I didn't know that she belonged to my neighbor. So forgive me if I thought that calling animal control was the right thing to do. It's what is most often suggested by the very same people responding to this post in other posts about lost or found pets. So I don't get why everyone has such a problem with it right now. I called the Animal Rescue League because animal control had no officers on duty and that is the number that they give out when they can't come pick up an animal. For those people suggesting that I or a neighbor take her in - it's not an option for me, and most of the neighbors don't seem to care beyond the fact that having to listen to her out there is "driving them crazy." So I guess, based on your suggestions, that I won't call animal control if she's still out there when I leave for work today. I guess I can just leave her to fend for herself until her owner gets home. That sure sounds like the right thing to do.

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Is there any chance the cat just escaped and the neighbor is in for a bad surprise when she gets home?

[kpht.livejournal.com]

That could be it. I went away for two days and SWORE right before I left, our brand new adoptee cat and our regular cat were both on the couch. When I got home, the new cat had been locked in a bedroom the entire time without water and I think he may have eaten some chicken food dropped on the floor. I felt horrible, obviously.

I'd talk to the neighbors when they arrive back home - you don't want to hold a grudge forever and think they're horrible people by accident, and if they are that terrible, well, call 'em on it.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

(PS: new cat was fine, thank god).

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

I guess I just don't understand how your pet gets out of your house without you knowing. Maybe they left a door or a window open? If so, then I have to ask what kind of person is careless enough to create those conditions when they have a pet that may escape. I don't see how the pet could have just gotten out. It's not like cats can unlock and open doors and windows all on their own.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Critters that are driven to leave the house can sneak out when you least expect them in ways you'd never suspect. Zoom and you open the door for a second to bring in the groceries (or bring out a suitcase) and zammo they're outdoors and hiding under a bush. You never even saw them because the groceries/suitcase was between you and the floor. If you use your grill you've got your hands full of food when they zot out the door. Then there's the loose screen issue, or the window that you just KNOW they can't get out.

If the neighbors are good about their critters, I'll bet they'll be shocked to find out their cat was outside all weekend.

[avjudge]

I have one of these. And he's black, so at night you'll never see him get by you. I think he also went out a 2nd floor window once when the screen was open to air some stuff (draped over the windowsill) - from the window, to the awning, to the deck railing, to the deck. At least I didn't see another way out.

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

I agree. As we like to say about our cat, "She's not very smart, but she's got all day to work on the problem." She has gotten out in the past by throwing herself at a screen until it pops off the house.

All of this is sort of timely situation.... I've long since moved out of MA (but still follow the DS LJ drama) and am waiting to evacuate due to a wildfire. We're keeping an eye on her so we can scoop her up, when we need to. Our last fire, many of neighbors had to leave pets behind, because they couldn't find them. When the fire dept is standing there at your house waiting to see you get in your car, you don't have time to go on an extensive pet hunt.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

quite easily. please stop assuming 'careless'. it's judgmental and a little cruel, and you don't know. You know the animal is in distress, and you have no idea why its outside, how it got there, what the neighbour's situation is, or, considering your knowledge of them, why they aren't home (weekend getaway? visit to dying mother? in the hospital?).

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

Looks like the lights in her apartment are on a timer. They came on tonight for a few hours once it got dark out, and they're off now. But nobody was home still, so at least as from what I can infer, she probably didn't leave in an emergency. It doesn't seem as though she's had anyone over to feed the cats while she's been gone, or they would have noticed that one of them was outside because she has literally been crying nonstop for at least 24 hours now, and she gets especially vocal whenever people are around. So, something doesn't really seem to be lining up here for me.

If the cat is still there tomorrow, I'm thinking of calling a shelter and leaving a note in the neighbor's mailbox to let her know what happened when she gets back. I also plan to offer to take her phone number in case there are any emergencies in the future, so that she is more likely to be reached should any situation like this come up again. Yes, the owner will have to deal with getting her back from the shelter, but if the owner is going to be gone for much longer, the cat will have been outside for days in shitty weather and she's not eating or drinking so far.

[403.livejournal.com]

Looks like the lights in her apartment are on a timer. They came on tonight for a few hours once it got dark out, and they're off now. But nobody was home still, so at least as from what I can infer, she probably didn't leave in an emergency.

This is not necessarily a valid assumption. I keep several of my lights on timers so that their turning off reminds me to go to bed.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

This. I had my front room lights on timers because these were the ones that could be seen from the street, but I didn't spend much time in that room...so unless I had them on timers, it would look like no one was home even if I was!

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Mine specifically gets out when people who aren't me are in charge of the door, or when the door is propped open for loading and unloading. Ours locks and closes behind us so has to be propped a bit for things like suitcases. And you did say they were away. It is not hard for me to imagine this as a cat owner.

[scarletdulcinea.livejournal.com]

SO easily. My cat is my LIFE and when he was little he used to bolt out the door in the sneakiest ways all the time. He is an indoor cat, too. Once, he was outside for what may have been as long as two hours before I realized he wasn't in the house.

Is it a small calico cat?

[erlala.livejournal.com]

If so, I am your neighbor too - although not the owner of that cat. I was wondering what was going on. I'm glad to hear that you and another neighbor were kind enough to leave the cat some food and water!

Re: Is it a small calico cat?

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is the cat. But I just checked and she hasn't touched any of the stuff that was put out for her. The lights are on in the apartment, but nobody seems to be home still. I really hope they get home soon. :-/

Re: Is it a small calico cat?

[erlala.livejournal.com]

Bummer that she's not eating/drinking, but I bet if she gets hungry enough she will. I saw the cat in the backyard a little while ago, but she was not coax-able. I was hoping to at least pet her to reassure her, but she seems pretty freaked out. I really think she must have escaped unnoticed. I have never seen that cat outside before, and outdoor cats are not usually so freaked out. Cats only need a second to escape through an open door as people are going in or out, and can do so undetected if no one is watching! I say, give the neighbor the benefit of the doubt until you know for sure what happened...

[neuroacorn.livejournal.com]

My recently adopted cat is quite timid and didn't eat or drink for the first couple days :( Obviously that is not great, but unless the cat was already starving she can probably handle it.

Why are you now considering a shelter instead of animal control who should be available again tomorrow?!

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

I'm just not sure what animal control will do with the cat. I guess I don't really know anything about what they do once they pick up an animal. If you have any information on that, that would be awesome to know before I do anything about it. The cat has no collar or tags because I don't think she's meant to be an outdoor pet. And I have no contact info for the neighbor. So at least if I call the MSPCA or a local branch of the Animal Rescue League, I can leave a definite phone number with the neighbor. I'm just unsure what animal control does when it picks up an animal with no tags. But maybe she has a microchip or something so that she doesn't get lost in the system or whatever.

I could also possibly take her in for a bit...

[erlala.livejournal.com]

Just another option to consider. The neighbor will likely be less than pleased if you take her to a shelter, and most shelters, I think, are pretty overburdened as it is. I don't know anything about animal control, but I agree that leaving her outside is not a great option, especially if she is not used to being outside - in addition to being hungry and dealing with crappy weather, I would be more worried about her wandering away and getting lost or hit by a car.

[elements.livejournal.com]

Also, we have coyotes around here, believe it or not, and one of their main food sources in urban areas is housecats who are outside. Just something to keep in mind.

In this situation I would personally try to take the cat in, into a room that could be closed off so the cat will freak out less, and leave a note for the owner.

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

i'll echo what the others have said about cats sneaking out. years ago, my one cat got past my BF when he came home from work... we didn't realize he was gone until about 2 hours later when we heard him meowing in the hallway. thank god we were in an apartment building, if he'd gotten outside i would have been hysterical.

if you or another neighbor could take this poor kitty in for a day or so until the neighbors come home, that would be so, so wonderful. i'll bet anything that if they come home and see a note on the door that their cat got out and is being cared for, they will be so grateful. to find that your beloved pet has been outside for days, crying under a bush, is something no pet owner wants to discover.

[scarletdulcinea.livejournal.com]

Do not bring your neighbor's cat to a shelter. That is profoundly inappropriate. If you are worried about her, take her into your home, or arrange something with a neighbor who can do so, and let the owner know asap.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. If the cat is taken to a shelter, there's no telling whether the owner will pick her up in time, and she may end up euthanized.

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

My intention isn't to just call and let them know there's a lost cat in the neighborhood. Before anything, I would ask what will be done with the animal and how long they would keep her until the owner claims her. If I can't take the cat in and nobody else can, then is it really better to just leave her outside for who knows how long and hope that she's still there when the owner gets home? That's absolutely ridiculous. As I just asked the poster of this comment, if you feel that it would be so wrong to call animal control and have her picked up, then why don't you come over and pick her up yourself and keep her until the owner gets in touch with you?

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

Really? PROFOUNDLY inappropriate? I don't think so. It's not an option for me to take the cat in myself, or I'd have done so already. Besides the fact that my very extremely allergic roommate (we're talking can't even breathe if there's a cat around) would not ever be okay with that, I don't have food for her or a place for her to go to the bathroom. And as crazy as this might sound. I don't really make enough to just run to the store and buy litter and a box and food for an undetermined period of time. This is why I don't have a pet in the first place. Other neighbors have said that they tried to bring her in, but couldn't catch her. She seems very scared, and I'm really not sure anyone could get their hands on her but her owner. Do YOU want to take her in until her owner gets back? Because I can PM you the address if she's still out there when I leave for work this morning and you can come and try to pick her up. But I'm sure you probably have some excuse as to why that's not an option for you, right?

In my original post, I mentioned calling animal control or a shelter because when I first realized that the cat was out there and had been all night, she was in the middle of a bush. I coudln't see her, so I wasn't able to identify her as me neighbor's cat. From the sound of her cries and the fact that she would not come out of the bush, even for food or water, I thought that she may have been hurt.

When other people post in this community about found pets, it's often suggested in the comments to call animal control. When the owner realizes that the pet is lost, they can call animal control to get it back. So I really don't understand why you seem to think that this would be so "profoundly" inappropriate in this case. Unless you're thinking along the lines of the fact that the owner might be pissed that she has to deal with getting the cat back whenever she returns home. Or maybe you think it's "profoundly" inappropriate because I know who the cat belongs to so she's technically not lost and she's not a stray. But the cat has no collar on, no ID tags, and I don't know if she has a chip. If she doesn't have a chip, then she's completely unidentifiable. She's been outside through rainy weather, she's stressed to the point where she's not eating, and a number of things could happen to her. As other posters have said, she could get eaten or injured by a coyote, hit by a car, she could get hurt in a fight with another cat, there could be raccoons or skunks out there, she could wander off and get lost and the owner would never know what happened to her. Wouldn't you prefer to have to deal with animal control to get your pet back than to just maybe never see her again and never know what happened? Personally, I would hope that the owner would be glad that her pet is still alive and in shelter is being given fresh food and water. If she's pissed off about that, then she must either be a serious bitch or just not give a shit about her cat or both.

So really, if I can't take her in, and if me neighbors have tried and haven't been able to take her in, then what are my options? Why is it inappropriate to try to give the animal a safe place to stay until the owner realizes that she's gone? To me frank, that makes absolutely no sense.

I just went out there...

[erlala.livejournal.com]

armed with catnip and cat treats, but didn't hear or see her. I think the trick might be to lure (or scare!) her into a cat carrier, and then bring her inside. I'm leaving for work soon, but I'll check again before I leave. I would be happy to try again this evening, perhaps with some neighbors' help? If others have been unable to capture her alone, it may require a group effort!

Also, the food out there (some dry food and a can of tuna) is now crawling with ants, so I'm not sure she'll eat it, unless she's really desperate.

[scarletdulcinea.livejournal.com]

I do have an excuse, thanks for asking. I have a cat who has chronic renal failure and is immuno-compromised, and he cannot be exposed to strange animals.

Shelters are not havens. Shelters are extremely over-packed, and this cat could end up euthanized if she gets lost in the system.

Drink some tea, take a breather, work with a neighbor to foster this animal. Rushing it at all frantic and righteous is not going to help coax her into a safe space.

Somerville Animal Control

[grateful1311.livejournal.com]

Really, the "they will kill it" rhetoric regarding animal cotnrol gets wicked tiring.

To the OP, please call Somerville Animal Control if your neighobor does not come home this morning. We will attempt to catch the cat and bring her to a safe place where she will be fed, watered and kept safe until her owner can claim her. She will NOT be euthanized unless she is A)suffereing in tremendous physical pain which cannot be solved with basic Vet care or, B) Your neighbor does not want her cat and surrenders her to us upon her return home and she is unadoptable due to behavioral issues (which seems totally unlikely based on what you have posted here).

Thank you,

April Terrio
Animal Control Officer
City of Somerville
617-625-6600 ext 2190
Hours of operation for Monday, June 27: 8:15am-8:00pm.

Re: Somerville Animal Control

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this complete and helpful answer!

Ditto

[erlala.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the helpful response! This is really good information to have - good to know for the future as well.

Re: Ditto

[grateful1311.livejournal.com]

You are very welcome.

I checked again

[erlala.livejournal.com]

on my way to work, and didn't hear or see the cat. Perhaps someone took her in? I really hope so - I really hope she is okay. I'm glad to see that you and other neighbors are so concerned, and trying to do something positive.

I know you feel attacked, but please understand that most people on here are just trying to be helpful (including you!!). As I have said a couple of times above, I am happy to help, but you seem to want to respond more to what you perceive as negative feedback, and not those who are trying to be helpful. I'm just trying to be a friendly neighbor! :)

[ron_newman]

is this the same cat described here ?

[jac6787.livejournal.com]

No, I saw that, but it's not him. This cat is female and very different in coloration. I think the owner still isn't home, but I haven't seen or heard the cat at all today.

reply

[msjenn jeni (from livejournal.com)]

It’s important to take proper care for your pet, if you have a pet you have to take so many responsibilities related to your pet.


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