CALLI IS HOME!!! NEW PICS, per multiple requests....... grin

My Caley (chubby little calico) ran out the back door last evening & took off with a dashing small tuxedo cat. Sheis strictly an indoor cat, spayed & healthy. I am devastated as this is the 1st time it has ever happened. I know that she will be close by - have been checking around bushes & such & my husband has been around the blocks walking the dog to encourage her back home. We put a litter box outside, as well as food/water. PLEASE look for her - she is chubby but FAST. If you see her, please let me know & I'll come running! (Apologies for the pic - obviously not an iphone. She is on the right, cuddled up with her best friend.)


Just posted her on SOMA for Animals FB page. Good talking to you.


Nope - and the little guy she took off with came back this morning without her. I miss her so much that I can barely think straight. I have been walking around the neighborhood or standing watch over the deck, where food/water & where I put her litter box. I guess I will start knocking on neighbors' doors and ask if I can come into their yards & look under their decks. I just wish I had a better picture of her!


I went door-to-door with many of my neighbors (great people!) & asked to look under their decks, etc. I would ask that all of you within the Elmwood, Terraces Area, Winchester Garden & even Midland Ave homes between say 96 - 136 (those that back up to Fleming Terrace) PLEASE check out your backyards, garages, under decks for my chubby baby. I am beside myself with worry! I am now worrying about hypoglycemia, since it's more dangerous for an overweight animal to suddenly stop eating. LOL Please share with friends/neighbors who may not be on MOL. I will be forever grateful! TY


Have you notified them at Winchester Gardens. Nice people over there used to care for a colony. She may have found their feeding station. Keep us posted. I hope she comes back tonight.


Great idea, M - thanks! Thanks for all your help...



Never mind. I see you have already posted to SOMA Lounge. Hoping your girl shows up safe and sound very soon. I'm not that close to your location, but I'll keep my eyes open just in case she wanders this way.


Thanks so much, Cody! Keeping positive thoughts but still worried sick, esp with this STUPID snow coming! LOL


All, my cat is still missing SIX days now. LOL I have been out every day looking for her & distributing flyers. I dropped off several flyers at Winchester Gardens, but have only been directed to Security, who promised to distribute around complex. Does anyone have a contact INSIDE the joint I could reach out to directly? I spoke to the cat caregiver at Maplewood Condos so I know there must be (at least) one "cat person" inside WG. TIA


Have you checked at the B & B across the street from Winchester Garden?


Don't give up hope, Maggie's Mom.  Cats have been known to return to their loved ones weeks, even months and years later.  You're doing everything you can.  My first move to this area was to South Orange, and my ancient cat escaped within a couple of months of being at our new home.  We were beside ourselves.  It turned out that our kitty had been hiding under a bush for a few days, then a neighbor down the street took her in.  I'm so sorry you're going through this, and along with everyone else, I'm hoping she comes back to you. 


Thanks so much for the kind words - they mean so much to me, esp. since I'm feeling like the worst pet mommy in the world. LOL  My little girl means the world to me & the house is so empty without her...

Yes, I DID stop by the B&B and spoke to Libby, who pointed to her fridge with my flyer stuck right on it. I have good neighbors & here's hoping - and praying - that someone sees SOMEthing soon!


Lost a cat once. Searched everywhere I could think of. Nothing. It was suggested to me that they don’t go far initially, maybe for days. I left my door open overnight (yeah whatever- I’m sure all sorts of things could have walked in but we wanted the cat back) and sure enough, in he strolled like nothing had happened. I just turned around and there he was.


Best of luck.


You're the second person who suggested leaving the door open, JF. Unfortunately I have other animals that could get out as well. I am praying that she is not caught somewhere (in a neighbor's garage/shed) where she cannot get out of. Starving or slowly dehydrating is my biggest fear! I have checked all my closest neighbors but there's no telling how far she MAY have gone. Ususally they stay close, but my little girl may be the exception to the rule... LOL  


I'm at the condos by the pool - a little far from you, I think, but I will certainly keep my eyes open for her!  We have a few strays on property and I've seen them post up in some interesting places, so I'll take a quick look around when I get home today.


Thanks SO much, spol! I DID drop by Maplewood Condos & spoke to the community cat caretaker there & gave her a flyer. Very nice woman who said she'd keep an eye out. I hope she didn't stray that far but I really don't know what to think at this point.... LOL 


I assume the cat is not chipped and doesn't have tags.  After this length of time, it is possible that someone found your cat, thought the cat was stray, and took the cat in.  First step in that event is usually to take the cat to a local vet for a check up.  If you haven't already, I would suggest giving a flyer to each of the local veterinarians and ask them to keep a look out.  It is also possible that the cat was picked up by animal control in Maplewood and given your location possibly Irvington or even Union.  A check of animal shelters used by these towns might also be advisable at this point.  It is usually best to visit the shelters in person.


OMG Joan, I never even thought of that! I contacted St. Hubert's of course, who in turn told me to fill out a report with the police as well. I gave a flyer to Valley Vet but will do so with the others - great idea. I don't think she would have gone to just anyone - she is a shy cat by nature. I just left a message for the animal control officer in Irvington. I don't think she would have made it to Union, but South Orange is a remote possibility. Does anyone know whom I would talk to for S.O. pick-ups? TIA


Melanie Troncone is SO's Animal Control Officer:  https://www.southorange.org/Directory.aspx?did=26

I see you have Caley up on the Essex County Lost & Found Pets site.  Craigslist and Nextdoor are also possibilities.  You may already have posted flyers at the train stations. 

Rooting for you and Caley. 



I wish I wish there was something I could do to help. I wonder if my dog would track her? She's never done that before and she's a miniature poodle, not a bloodhound but I wonder? She does love cats.


Are your flyers hung up on trees/telephone poles or did you only pass them out?  When one of my cats went missing, the flyer was what helped locate him.  Have been thinking about you and hoping Caley comes home soon. question 


Thanks for the positive vibes, guys. We DID get 2 updates this w/e. On Sat, a woman on Elmwood said she saw a FAT cat running with another kitty onto Suffolk from Elmwood. She thought it was strange to see such a chubby cat. So, that brought us to expand the search perimeter to up that way & onto Midland. 

Then yesterday, a kind man from Essex Rd called me to say she was IN HIS YARD Sat. evening at 7pm! He was grilling so the food smell must have attracted her. (He didn't know she was missing until he saw the flyer & called to let me know.) He said she looked fine, clean with no injuries. What a RELIEF!!!

Now I know she is probably "hanging out" between that part of Winchester Gardens and the backyard of homes along Essex. Knowing she is ok has given me hope that I can eventually get her back home.

I want nothing more to hold her against my chest and listen to her softly purr & fall asleep....  


I'm so happy to hear this!  I've been keeping my eyes out and I've seen your flyers on Elmwood.  Thinking good thoughts that you'll find her soon!


Wow great news. This is Maplewood's version of Where's Waldo!


Wonderful!  Here's an article with some good tips for luring her back:  http://petfbi.org/i-lost-a-cat/tips-to-lure-a-cat-back-home-2/  It sounds like she's on a major kitty adventure.  One intriguing tip is to simply sit outside your house, speaking in a normal voice to a friend or on the phone.  The article suggests that cats are less likely to come when they hear stress in their caregiver's voice.  Mischievous critters. 


Wow - great article, Elle_Cee. Thanks for sharing! I will put a used pillow case out as well. I have had phone conversations outside but not at night. Interesting that most wayward kitties come home between 8pm-7am! What's complicating the situation is that there are TNR'd cats as well as a fox, opossums & raccoons that traipse through my yard/deck at all times of the day, so Miss C isn't the only critter roaming about. 


Would the Essex Rd gentleman be willing to let you put a feeding station in his yard and keep an eye out for her? I have a friend that had a similar situation and she also set up a camera with a live feed. When she saw her cat eating she went over to the yard but had to set a trap - he would not come to her willingly. 


Hauscat, I WAS hoping she would show up again in his backyard and then I was going to ask if I could set a trap there (if she didn't come willingly, which at this point, she may not.) But a neighbor thinks she saw her 2 nights ago in front of my house but she ran to the backyard. She was gone by the time we ran outside but it was encouraging. I left the garage open enough for her to come in last night & put her bed in there as well. No luck, but we will do this for awhile & add some things - like pillows - with our scent on them. It's so frustrating to know that she may be SO close but doesn't seem to want to be "found"... LOL 


In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.