[HJL]

We have lost our cat Zootie. (male, desexed, microchipped, long-hair black/dark brown, approx 10yrs old, very fit).

He has been gone since April 6. If you or anyone you know has found/seen a cat in the Tuggeranong in Canberra fitting this description, please contact me (Helen) on 0412 236 290. We are devastated. He occasionally goes down the drains, so I am worried that he has been swept away by the recent storms.

I have posted around all local shops in 4 suburbs, all local vets, as well as RSPCA, Domestic animal services and animal emergency centres. I have also done letterbox drops around my area.

He is our little boy, and I can't believe he is gone.

hjl

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[downfield]

i read your post and my heart aches for you. We were in the exact same position 3 months ago. It took 6 weeks to find our Teddy. Make sure you actually visit the cat shelters to look at the cats. Did you contact the locat shire or council. The best by far is to door knock. Try and find someone in every street who is on the look out. We had people with torches looking at night rattling cat food boxes. DO NOT GIVE UP. our Teddy was handed into the local vet. they said they would not have recognized him by the photo i had given them. I kept in constant contact every three or so days with all the vets and pet shops. I had a lost notice put into all the school newsletters of schools in teh area offering a large reward. The kids did search. I even had a story run in local paper. contact editor and plead. Best of luck

[Xenacatte]

Have you contacted petsearch to help-see articles in the top area of this forum about pet search and have you checked also with th Queanbeyan Pound? Also contact the agency where his microchip details are registered to make sure the detailas are up to date. Also ask neighbours to check garages sheds or any place where he may have been shut in by mistake., Go at sunset with some dry food in container shaking it and call him-he may hear you and come out. Good luck

Chris

[HJL]

(to both downfield and Xenacatte) thank you for responding to quickly. It is amazing how much support is out there that you don't realize. I will do as you (downfield) suggest and will visit the vets and shelters. They all have a poster that I emailed them with a good photo, but I know they probably have so many things to think about.... A phone call is the next step.

I contacted the equivalent to the local council. Canberra does things differently to the other states so we don't have councils. The closest is the Domestic Animal Services, and they know about it, although I will visit them because they are renowned for saying the animals are not there when they actually are (it has happened to me with my old dog years ago). I wasn't sure if they actually kept cats?? I've registered it on their website.

The newsletter is a fantastic idea. I will try that out, as well as the local paper. I am investigating an Australia Post letterbox drop to do every house in the entire suburb. I think it costs a few hundred dollars, just need to confirm.

Xenacatta, I've asked the neighbors in the vicinity. One has actually been out looking for him and heard a cat crying, but couldn't find it (I wasn't here at the time and the rain had just started). I am cursing myself for not being here - I am sure I would have found him, if it WAS him.

I have confirmed that the chip details are up to date. I also know that the rangers scan dead animals they find in the drains and on the roadside. (If it comes to that, then I just want closure. The worst is not knowing.) I will do as you suggest and contact the Queanbeyan Pound, although I am not certain he would have gone that far (but more what can I lose?). Now I'll check out the petsearch.

Thank you both so much for some great ideas. You have given me hope. I won't give up - yet. He is in every part of our lives, and right now, those parts seem so empty.

hjl

[Rob]

I can't really add anything more but I really feel for you and hope Zootie is home soon.

[downfield]

Have you put posters on all the light poles, bus shelters etc. Put a good photo and make it a noticeable poster. I put up hundreds and letter boxed dropped three thousand. houses. People some times throw out there letter not all but some, thats why its good to have them out on poles so people walking and driving can see them. That way if they have thrown out there home delivered one they can go to a pole and get your number if they find him. Many people phoned us with sightings of teddy and they had got the number from the pole posters even though i delivered them to their houses and knocked on hundreds of doors and handed them to them. When i knocked on peoples doors they felt personally involved in the search and commited to it. So many wonderful strangers who love their own animals will want to help if you approach them. Is he a timid cat? if so he may not come to someone else callling him. If people open there garages and leave them open and walk away he may then be brave enough to come out and try and make his way home. You could suggest this to neighbours. Dusk is definately the time to go looking or very early in the morning. Because of my experience i know how you feel. You will find him. we found teddy.

[Analog6]

Also go to schools (I know it is holidays) and ask if you can put up a notice with the magic word 'reward' in the canteen or where the kids congregate.

If there are any aged care facilities, group homes or senior cits clubs in the area, visit those.

These 2 groups in society have time on their hands and may see him at a time when you are busy shopping, at work etc.

Check ALL Canberra vets, most of them have email now. Someone could; have found him injured and taken him to their vet, even if it is the other siode of town. Canberra, after all, is fairly compact (I lived there for over 30 years) and you can get from Tuiggeranong to the other side in 30-40mins tops.

Try the community paper (whose name has escaped me), the community raido and the Queanbeyan Age - Gordon is not that far from Qbn as the cat runs.

Notices in the local shopping centres may be helopful, and any pet stores.

Start a facebook page for Zootie and say he is lost - a lady in Tasmania found her dog this way.

The most active searchers and those who keep making noises are the ones who find their cats.

Best of luck.

When you find him (I refuse to consdier the alternative) consider building him an enclosure (see the enclosure area here). Mine cost under $200 - less than a vet visit for a broken leg caused by a car accident - and I now have peace of mind. I was horrified when I read your bit about him going down the drains, far to dangerous a place for a beloved furry.

Inside/enclosed cats live to an average of 20, outside cats an average of 3. That's enough of a stat for me. Cats inside at night only come somewhere in between.

[CatsRU]

Any news of Zootie yet?

[HJL]

Hi all,

thank you for your heartfelt support. Each and every comment means a lot to me, just to know that you even care enough to reply helps to deal with it.

No news of Zootie yet. I keep seeing his little face, and images of him stuck somewhere, this is torture.

I will do the dusk letterbox drop and pole posting today after work - thank you for the pole tip downfield. It's really hard to do stuff during the day because I have a full time job, and on the other side of town. I can't take time off - this is the most frustrating part. I just want to be out there looking for him. It is even difficult to ring, so I resort to emails. The Facebook idea is excellent - thank you!

I think it is the Chronical, that's the local paper. I think each region publishes one. I've put him up on the all classifieds and it has had 97 hits since yesterday. That one has the magic word "reward"! I noticed too since I updated the local shops poster with the incentive of a reward, many more phone number tags have been ripped off. I just hope someone doesn't' abuse the offer, if you know what I mean.

Is it possible to put a picture of him up on this site?

[Joy]

Is it possible to put a picture of him up on this site?

Most definitely. You may have to go through a photo hosting service like Photobucket & the size is to be no larger than 600 x 600 pixels. Don't give up.

[HJL]

UPDATE ON ZOOTIE

Sadly, not found yet. But I went to the RSPCA (Canberra) today and they assured me that all animals taken to vets are scanned. If the owners can't be located or contacted, the RSPCA go in a cat ambulance and pick them up. They have a good system. If the animals are distressed and aggressive, the RSPCA sedate them and then scan them. The local pound (Domestic Animal Services) do not take cats, they hand them straight to the RSPCA. It looks like the RSPCA here in Canberra is a central place, and that scanning is a big thing here. (Thank God we got him chipped!) I was advised to check the RSPCA lost and found section on their website and also call them. I think I will visit every 4 days or so.

I then went on to another vet clinic nearby. I took them a poster and they replaced the terrible fax I had sent them before.

I have got a stack of flyers which I will take around to houses, put up on poles, and around nursing homes, etc. tomorrow morning. I have asked for a few hourrs off to visit more local vets and to make sure the poster is up!

what was next? oh yes, the chronical and local radio stations.

Helen

[downfield]

reading your heartache reminds me of how i felt.and how desperate we were of any news. be prepared to have someone who can go look as soon as someone calls and there will be many. i had 50 suspected sighting of teddy. I had my family mum, brother and anyone that would recognize him go and check when someone phoned whilst i was at work. Trouble is you hope each one its him and you must check asap. Teddy kept running away from everyone. Of the fifty i suspect two sightings were of him. As he was a siamese i had a map of the area and marked in the house number and discription of each siamese i saw. That way when someone would phone and say they had seen a siamese at such and such a house i could check my map and see if one lived there. I still went to check if these sightings were of teddy. i was half an hours drive a way but the hope was worth it.

[HJL]

wow, that sounds pretty serious.

I've been wondering what you felt when you found Teddy. How did he react? I just can't imagine it.

We have just finished dinner, but we each have one eye on the back door, hoping we migh see his little nose pressed up against the glass. It's a very quiet night out there at the moment so you can hear everything. I did the drain calling again.

Someone had ripped down my poster at the local shop tonight, but I had put two up and they hadn't seen the second one, luckily. Why do people do that? Is it because they don't want anyone else to get the reward? Why are people so nasty? What has become of us?

The letterbox drop poster said that Zootie is timid, but will come when called if he knows you. If offered a dish of milk, he will come, if they tap the dish he will understand. I also said he doesn't like kids, but if you are a cat person, he will come to you.

I am getting a staple gun on Friday for the wooden lamp posts - a task to be done at night

I have not had one call yet, but hopefully that will change.

Was the half hour drive the place where you eventually found him?

[HJL]

Linda it was so lovely to talk to you and to know that you and your family are so supportive. I will continue to provide you with updates. You have given me hope.

h

[Heather Sharada]

I just want to add my bit and say don't give up.....cats have been found many weeks after they have vanished.....good luck in finding your boy.