Where Have All The Felines Gone?

Spate of Missing Cats Across West London Prompts Concern

There have been an alarming number of reports of missing cats recently across West London.  

In one recent case in Chiswick it has been reported that a gang rang up a person who had lost their cat offering to return the pet in return for a ransom. In fact they were simply trying to extort money and were never in possession of the animal.

Owing to the fact that, for the majority of residents, a new cat wandering around their homestead prompts little cause for concern, it is imperative that owners notify their immediate community as soon as they notice that their pet has been absent for an unusual amount of time. 

Stewart Halperin of Petcare Animal Clinics on Chiswick High Road said, 'as well as our noticeboard where notices for missing cats are posted, we have a logbook of all calls taken regarding found or 'stray' cats, with the cats description, any unusul markings, collars, name etc." Each time someone calls to report a missing cat Pet Care can then check it against all the recent descriptions they have, and this often helps them reunite animals and their owners.

Below is some advice for people with missing cats :

• Cats do not "run away" or "stray�, they investigate new places and find themselves trapped, they are spirited off by circumstances beyond their control e.g. climb unnoticed into a car or van, they become ill or injured and creep away to a quiet dark place. Cats rarely voluntarily leave their home, even if badly treated
• Try to think like a cat, your cat specifically. Look around and try to imagine what could have happened to account for the disappearance and help you look in the right places.
• Cats are excellent hiders. Listen for sounds of distress (cats explore weird spaces and can be fatally attracted dark places and to vertical).
• Post a missing notice on this website � a substantial number of cats have been reunited with their owners by people who have known to keep a look out for them.
• Go door-to-door taking cards with your name and number or make a poster with a brief description, a clear photo, and the cat's name and your name/phone, be sure to make your phone number (or at least the "lost cat" part) prominent enough to be seen by a passing car.
• Ask your neighbours to look and listen for a cat in their area and ask them to call your cat's name and listen carefully for signs of distress. Also enquire if they have noticed a new cat in the area.   People "find" cats or kittens and decide to keep them, either assuming they are "stray" or that they are not likely to be claimed by an owner.
• Put up posters around your neighbourhood but beware of offering a financial reward (sadly the recent hoax on a distressed cat owner where a devious gang scammed a £100 reward claiming their friend was holding the lost cat hostage was certainly not the first of its kind).  
• Leave posters at vet clinics, local shelters (even those out of your area), and don't forget to check the "found cat" posters.
• Don't give up. Keep looking in the same old spots, calling and listening. Try new spots; enlarge your search-area.   Cats are tough and can last many days without food or water. They also can hide very well, remember, and may not be found for many weeks after their initial disappearance.
• Identichip. This is a microchip implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades and stays there for the life of the cat. Putting the chip in is as simple as a routine injection. The owner registers the unique chip number with a central database. If the cat goes missing and is picked up by policce/RSPCA/Blue Cross or a vet, the first thing all of us do is scan for an identichip. If it is present it is a simple case of a phone call to reunite cat with owner. At Petcare the cost of chip implantation is a mere £20 plus VAT. Stewart Halperin says, "I consider it probably the best value for money item you can invest in!"

May 19, 2004