One of our daily routines at the League is trying to match lost and found pet reports. We not only try to find the owners of strays that are brought in to the shelter, we also take lost and found reports from the public by phone at 703-931-9241 and on our Web site .
A distraught cat owner called the shelter on January 16, 2008, to report that her cat had gotten lost the day before. She described him as an orange tabby with a white chest and said he was predominantly an outdoor cat. He was following the owner on a walk when he was distracted by a bird or other small animal at the intersection of North 14th Street and George Mason Drive. The caller also mentioned that her cat was not wearing a collar but was microchipped and had a crooked tail. She also sent in a digital photo that was attached to her lost report.
A few hours later a young woman called to report that she had found a male cat the previous day and had kept it in her house. Several elements in the two reports were strikingly similar: the color of the cat, the location lost, and especially the description of a crooked tail. We put both parties in contact, and the happy owner reclaimed her cat.
Later we received the following note from the cat owner:
Dear Animal Welfare League,
My family and I would like to thank you for helping us to locate our sweet cat, Jake, on January 16. We reported him lost and that same day a responsible local teenager contacted you that she had found [a cat]. Needless to say, we had a very happy 6 year old son to welcome Jake home.
What helped resolve this situation so quickly was the prompt and precise information gathered from both callers. If you lose or find a pet, please call the League (or the appropriate animal control office in your jurisdiction) as soon as possible and be specific about the animal’s distinctive features. We also recommend keeping cats indoors with collars and identification tags for their own health and safety.
A distraught cat owner called the shelter on January 16, 2008, to report that her cat had gotten lost the day before. She described him as an orange tabby with a white chest and said he was predominantly an outdoor cat. He was following the owner on a walk when he was distracted by a bird or other small animal at the intersection of North 14th Street and George Mason Drive. The caller also mentioned that her cat was not wearing a collar but was microchipped and had a crooked tail. She also sent in a digital photo that was attached to her lost report.
A few hours later a young woman called to report that she had found a male cat the previous day and had kept it in her house. Several elements in the two reports were strikingly similar: the color of the cat, the location lost, and especially the description of a crooked tail. We put both parties in contact, and the happy owner reclaimed her cat.
Later we received the following note from the cat owner:
Dear Animal Welfare League,
My family and I would like to thank you for helping us to locate our sweet cat, Jake, on January 16. We reported him lost and that same day a responsible local teenager contacted you that she had found [a cat]. Needless to say, we had a very happy 6 year old son to welcome Jake home.
What helped resolve this situation so quickly was the prompt and precise information gathered from both callers. If you lose or find a pet, please call the League (or the appropriate animal control office in your jurisdiction) as soon as possible and be specific about the animal’s distinctive features. We also recommend keeping cats indoors with collars and identification tags for their own health and safety.
3 comments:
I'm glad that this cat survived, but I think it's important to stress that the *reason* the cat was lost was because he was predominantly an outdoor cat. Outdoor cats face much shorter lifespans than indoor cats - only 2-3 years on average as compared to 15-20 for indoor cats. They face risks of getting hit by cars, into fights with other animals, contracting FIV or feline leukemia, being poisioned intentionally or by licking antifreeze, being stolen or abused by people they come into contact with, or disappearing one day and their owners never knowing why. This story has a short term happy ending, but long term, this cat's chances are not good if he is continued to be allowed to take non-leashed "walks" outside with his owner. I hope the League didnt just send this cat back home, but did so with some education for the owner. Some owners just dont know the risks, and the League owes it to these people, this cat, and the child to help educate them.
Great article. It is very interesting and informative!
It's true. Letting your cat roam outside really cuts down on the cat's lifespan. I wish people were more informed.
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