KEEPING TRACK OF OUR PETS

by
Madeleine Fisher-Kern

for http://www.metropettracker.com
the dog & cat lost & found for Los Angeles County & City

The forbidden thought of losing any of my “kits” through an unthinking act such as not closing a door, leaving a screen off a window or giving a worker unsupervised access to my home gives hysteria added dimension. As with cats, dogs can be curious at the risk to their safety. If a door or window is left open, don’t expect them to stop and consider the consequences of going out into the world without a human. Even with having developed a website, www.metropettracker.com,  I still recognize that I, too, am capable of doing the unthinkable. With that in mind, my husband and I have created a routine that will hopefully keep our cat family together.

The routine, called “Kit Count,” is simply a head count before we leave the house. This is made easier if you know each animal’s favorite hiding or resting place.  When the count is complete, we feel free to leave the home.

Living in the warm, sunny climate Southern California offers, open windows are a way of life.  If your home is anything like ours, then you have many windows, some of which probably allow the entry of sunlight.  Like magnets, our “kits” are drawn to the soothing heat which makes napping and bird watching such a joy.  However peaceful this seems, a window without a screen or a window with a screen in need of repair is also a magnet to danger.  Losing a pet to either a planned escape or an unintended fall to the ground is avoidable.

Leaving a dog or cat unsupervised outside the home, whether in a fenced in yard or, if a cat, roaming the neighborhood, is another invitation to grief.  I can relate countless stories told to me by responsible pet owners of leaving their dogs in securely gated yards only to return to an unlocked gate and no dog.  Many of us have some form of property maintenance people - the gardener, the pool man, the exterminator, etc. Some have keys to our kingdom. Some don’t lock before they leave - an invitation to wandering and danger. Never allow anyone a key to your property while your dog is there unsupervised. Then, of course, there’s the outright thief who enters our yard with pliers rather than a key.  Dogs are stolen from our “securely” gated yards more often than you think.

If leaving your dog in an enclosed outside area is your only option, keep the animal in a secure area that is not seen from the street. Better yet, if you work a full-time job or spend a lot of time out of the home, get a small dog and keep him inside. Cats wind up much the same way as dogs allowed free access to an insensitive world.  Keep your cats indoors. If you’re mantra is “my cat would go crazy if he had to stay inside” OR “my cat is always ripping the screens to get out” OR “the minute the door opens, my cat runs out before I can stop him,” get yourself another mantra.  It always amazes my husband and I when we hear these meditating adults report being dictated to by a species considered lower than us in intellectual reasoning.  We have had and have now many cats - all indoor only.  Most have come directly from the streets or a cage.  All have been and are happy to be home. Cats will adjust to any interior space with the added incentive of being given affection, good food, clean water, a terrific scratching post, toys and a clean litter box. And, remember, a spayed or neutered animal has less incentive to leave.

Having guests over?  Having a party? The easy and safe precaution of having all your pets at the end of the guests’ stay or when the last party “animal” has left, is to put all your furry, feathered, or scaly ones in a closed room accessible only by you.  A sign helps. One that says PRIVATE OFFICE works for us.

Taking the pup for a walk with a stop over at the market?  I bet you tie the little guy up out front while you go in for just a “minute.” Would you do the same with your wallet?  Would you leave the key in the ignition of your car?  No, you say. Then why do you leave one of your most cherished possessions unattended where anyone can take him at will. One of the fastest growing scams intended to feed the criminal and make your life miserable is pet burglary. If Fido is lucky, the creep calls you from the information on Fido’s tags and demands a reward for “finding” your dog. If Fido is not lucky, he can end up out-of-state on a lab table. Or, maybe someone just decides to untie Fido and “set him free.”  Whatever the scenario, a “minute” can end up costing you months of attempting to get your pup back home.

Finally, here are other NO-NO’s and DO-DO’s to contemplate:

NEVER remove your dog’s collar and tags.  Even while bathing.
NEVER walk your dog off its leash.  Anyway, there are leash laws.
DO microchip and/or tattoo all dogs and cats - even if they’re indoor only pets.
DO teach your dog or cat their name and make sure they respond to it.

Aware all too well our pets may get away from us in that minute when circumstance muddles our brain, know what to do. What is very helpful is understanding the behavior of your pet, whether cat or dog.  Cats, when they disappear, usually can be found hiding in a spot where you wouldn’t have looked. Creative creatures with the facility to fit their bodies into unimaginable spaces, they may be anywhere within your home.  They also may be trapped anywhere in your home, either by their own doing or, unknowingly, yours. One of my cats, a clever Siamese mix, loves to creep into open drawers that are built into a wall.  She then climbs out the other side disappearing behind the wall.  I was always none the wiser.  The drawer is shut and Than Ying does her thing.  When a head count is taken, she is just a bodiless spirit making her self known with ghostly meows - sort of like the Twilight Zone. I finally figured it out.

If an indoor cat gets outside the home, he, by territorial instinct, will not go far.  If he is frightened, he will probably try to find a dark, small enclosure in which to hide.  Under homes and garages seem to be favored. Unfortunately, they may get trapped by a closed garage door or someone blocking the opening under the house.  Also, consider that a cat will rarely go further than a two mile radius of its territory, unless taken. On the other hand, when dogs take to the road on their own, they can wander distances beyond their territory and become disoriented and very lost.  It is wise when looking for your dog that you not only search your own neighborhood and its shelter, but surrounding neighborhoods and their shelters.  When looking for your cat, the local shelter should be checked. When trying to locate your lost dog or cat, make a routine out of this as well.

The following is a list to follow until your pet is found. Don’t give up.  Cats have been known to show up months later, sometimes on their own.  Dogs have been located and returned, especially with the help of some form of identification.

1. Immediately upon discovering your pet is gone, get a recent photo, if you have one, and you should; rush out and get at least 100 copies of a lost poster with a full description and accurate contact information.   Post them securely around your neighborhood and outward as far as you can.
2. Canvas your neighborhood while posting, calling out your pet’s name and asking all those who pass if they have seen your pet. Canvas your neighborhood and adjoining ones daily.
3.  Go to your neighborhood shelter the next day and daily after that.  Contact surrounding shelters and visit them as part of your schedule.  Talk to the shelter employees and get to know them.
4. Call local newspapers and place adds the next day. Newspaper  have cut off dates for accepting adds for specific days, so the sooner the better. Week-end ads are best if you can’t afford to place a daily one.  Be concise in choosing your descriptive words as these ads are space restrictive. Warning: you may receive calls from oddballs who have little to occupy their time, so be aware.
5. If you are on the Internet, do not ignore this source as a way to locate your pet. Certainly, list on www.metropettracker.com as soon as you can. This service is free for those of you who have lost a dog or cat and those who have found one.  If you are not on the Internet, go to a neighbor or friend who is.

For those of you kind-hearted individuals, who have found a lost pet, do the following:

1. Immediately upon finding a lost pet, create a FOUND poster. Eliminate the photo and include a less specific description including only the sex (male or female), the size (small, medium, or large), unspecific color description (black w/ white), location found (corner of 3^rd Street and Highland Ave.).  If the animal was wearing a collar, just say collar without a description.  It is important that anyone claiming a found animal be able to describe their animal without help.  Of course, include accurate contact information.  Post them securely around your neighborhood and outward as far as you can.

2. Canvas your neighborhood while posting, asking all those who pass if they know the pet you found.  Canvas your neighborhood and adjoining ones as often as you can.

3. Call local newspapers, and place an ad the next day. Refer to #4 above. Be descriptively spare.  Warning: Odd-balls may call you too.

4. And, of course, if you are on the Internet, list your found cat or dog on www.metropettracker.com.