Today when I went checking my cameras I managed to fall right on my butt! With the snow melting it is very marshy there and one of my boots got sucked in and I fell down. That was fun. i am thinking of retiring those cameras until the ground get a bit more solid - I can't see a cat negotiating that area if it can help it and it is a bit dangerous for me to do it at night.
The postcards are almost final - I get a proof tomorrow.
I am getting a few calls - one lady said a friend of hers got a black and white cat two months ago and she will check if it is Roy. I have my fingers crossed that it is him.
Tuesday, January 8
Monday, January 7
January 7, 2008
Today on the way to check on the cameras I saw Leo just before where I park the car. SO he has one hell of a big territory - my property down about half a mile and then across maybe another couple hundred feet. So does this mean that Roy is possibly in that territory too and just wasn't seen? Or that he probably moved on if he wasn't seen? Or does it mean nothing at all?
I checked on the cameras - not much has eaten the food - one brown tabby ate at one and just birds on the other. I am not sure if they are in a good position or not. The snow is melting now - so it is becoming a swamp. I am not sure how long I can keep cameras in the area before it becomes impassable.
I checked on the cameras - not much has eaten the food - one brown tabby ate at one and just birds on the other. I am not sure if they are in a good position or not. The snow is melting now - so it is becoming a swamp. I am not sure how long I can keep cameras in the area before it becomes impassable.
Sunday, January 6
January 6, 2008
So last night after I turn off the lights and get ready to sleep I
hear a pitiful meowing. At first I thought it was one of my cats but
then I realized it had to be coming from outside the porch. How I
could hear this when I was in the bedroom on the other side of the
house and all windows are closed I don't know but I did. Of course my
first thought it Roy is home and I race to the door and fling it open
- and scare the poor cat into running. I should have known better -
especially after reading so many stories of the same thing
happening. But since I see the cat running I see it is not Roy but
Leo. I try to entice him to come back but I can't even see if he is
still in the yard or if he ran on. So he is 100% sure not a feral -
no feral would beg to come inside a house. I am thinking he is not
owned either as if he had a home why would he be at mine 11:30 at
night? I have a feeling he will be back and I know it is only a
matter of time before I can get him to a vet and then decide what to
do about him.
So I am sitting there looking at the door wondering what to do when I
hear another noise and look up and see a cat jump down from the
raining of the porch to the floor. Again I cannot see it although I
could have sworn it was black with a white patch on the chest -
could be my other stray, could be a different cat. I try to entice
that one too but he is hidden. I have no idea how he got on the porch
- I have a two story house and the porch is on the second story. At
first I thought he might have climbed a tree and then climbed the
branches but this morning I looked and the branches aren't that close
to the porch and there are no footsteps around that tree. Maybe I
actually saw him jumping off the porch? I am not sure since I didn't
see footprints on the porch last night and do see them today. But
then again 11:30 at night in the cold (I was in my nightgown) and
trying to keep the other cats inside isn't exactly the best time to
be picking up details.
If that second cat was Roy would he be scared to come inside? Would
him being out this long mean he might know this is home but not be
sure about approaching the door? Or is it more likely that it was my
other stray (a grey cat with white chest and belly)? I have no idea
why he would jump onto the porch though - the food is at the bottom
of the stairs and he jumped up on the opposite side. The second stray
(Grey) keeps a healthy distance between us if I come out when he is
there. He will watch me put out the food but will only come closer as
I move away. I don't know why he would jump onto the porch while
I am in the doorway crying out to Leo. And I still don't know how he
got up there...
This morning I went out and looked at the bottom of the porch. There is
definitely a cat mark - either a jump up and a jump down. The leg prints
are very clear. I think it looks more like a jump up. I took pictures and once
I figure out how to post them I will. It's very weird because I didn't think
cats could jump that high.
I did check my other cameras - one the food was gone but no pictures. I
didn't realize the card was full. The second had lots of food - and 4 pictures. A
grey cat went to sniff the food and decided that friskies were not for him. I
wonder how far into the woods I should go. I would almost say the cat
followed my prints since they were very distinct today and not so much yesterday.
hear a pitiful meowing. At first I thought it was one of my cats but
then I realized it had to be coming from outside the porch. How I
could hear this when I was in the bedroom on the other side of the
house and all windows are closed I don't know but I did. Of course my
first thought it Roy is home and I race to the door and fling it open
- and scare the poor cat into running. I should have known better -
especially after reading so many stories of the same thing
happening. But since I see the cat running I see it is not Roy but
Leo. I try to entice him to come back but I can't even see if he is
still in the yard or if he ran on. So he is 100% sure not a feral -
no feral would beg to come inside a house. I am thinking he is not
owned either as if he had a home why would he be at mine 11:30 at
night? I have a feeling he will be back and I know it is only a
matter of time before I can get him to a vet and then decide what to
do about him.
So I am sitting there looking at the door wondering what to do when I
hear another noise and look up and see a cat jump down from the
raining of the porch to the floor. Again I cannot see it although I
could have sworn it was black with a white patch on the chest -
could be my other stray, could be a different cat. I try to entice
that one too but he is hidden. I have no idea how he got on the porch
- I have a two story house and the porch is on the second story. At
first I thought he might have climbed a tree and then climbed the
branches but this morning I looked and the branches aren't that close
to the porch and there are no footsteps around that tree. Maybe I
actually saw him jumping off the porch? I am not sure since I didn't
see footprints on the porch last night and do see them today. But
then again 11:30 at night in the cold (I was in my nightgown) and
trying to keep the other cats inside isn't exactly the best time to
be picking up details.
If that second cat was Roy would he be scared to come inside? Would
him being out this long mean he might know this is home but not be
sure about approaching the door? Or is it more likely that it was my
other stray (a grey cat with white chest and belly)? I have no idea
why he would jump onto the porch though - the food is at the bottom
of the stairs and he jumped up on the opposite side. The second stray
(Grey) keeps a healthy distance between us if I come out when he is
there. He will watch me put out the food but will only come closer as
I move away. I don't know why he would jump onto the porch while
I am in the doorway crying out to Leo. And I still don't know how he
got up there...
This morning I went out and looked at the bottom of the porch. There is
definitely a cat mark - either a jump up and a jump down. The leg prints
are very clear. I think it looks more like a jump up. I took pictures and once
I figure out how to post them I will. It's very weird because I didn't think
cats could jump that high.
I did check my other cameras - one the food was gone but no pictures. I
didn't realize the card was full. The second had lots of food - and 4 pictures. A
grey cat went to sniff the food and decided that friskies were not for him. I
wonder how far into the woods I should go. I would almost say the cat
followed my prints since they were very distinct today and not so much yesterday.
Saturday, January 5
January 5, 2008
Today I passed out some new flyers and walked around the woods in the area Roy was last seen/scented. It is a wetland so I walked through plenty of frozen streams and lots of snow. I tried to follow footprints but it was hard to tell what I was following. It seems like lots of animals used the same idea and the path was just well trampled. I did see one cat paw so I am hoping that is a good sign. I set up two cameras - I hope I can find them again!
This evening it started ice raining.... I hope it won't affect the cameras.
This evening it started ice raining.... I hope it won't affect the cameras.
Friday, January 4
January 4, 2008
I got a phone call from someone on Laura Lane today. They saw a black and white cat but he was gone by the time I got there. I did find some trails that look like they might be cats so I will be putting the cameras out there tomorrow.
I will also be going door to door again and see if anyone else has seen him.
I also discovered my credit card has been stolen so am dealing with that fallout. I will post more info I have gotten tomorrow... just too tired to type more today.
I will also be going door to door again and see if anyone else has seen him.
I also discovered my credit card has been stolen so am dealing with that fallout. I will post more info I have gotten tomorrow... just too tired to type more today.
Thursday, January 3
January 3, 2008
Today the MissingCatAssistance board had a link to a story about a cat that came home after 7 years! That is a long time for a cat to be missing and make it back. The cat had gone missing after being spayed and still had the staples when she came back. SO I think she had just been out there surviving - if someone picked her up they would have taken her to the vet and had the staples removed. So I think there is a good chance Roy is doing the same.
I got some more flyers to pass out this weekend - it is still 10 degrees here so I can't do anything with cameras. It's supposed to get warmer tomorrow so I will be able to place more cameras then.
I got some more flyers to pass out this weekend - it is still 10 degrees here so I can't do anything with cameras. It's supposed to get warmer tomorrow so I will be able to place more cameras then.
Wednesday, January 2
January 2, 2008
It is freezing today - the temperature is supposed to drop to 10 degrees tonight so no cameras are out. I have been looking at a map of the area I thought Roy was in and see there are a lot of places he could hide. There is no way I can do a good search of it. But I am hoping this weekend to be able to walk around and see if there are any kitty tracks. Then when the weather gets warmer I will be able to place cameras and see what is happening.
I have no response from Jeanne yet. I hope she answers soon.
I am really leaning towards saturate the area - one of my coworkers just came to my door and saw my flyer and he hadn't realized Roy was missing - even though I have posters up and have gone to his door with a flyer! So I am thinking maybe other people just don't notice.
Steve - when you were here with the dogs you got a scent - not a strong one but a scent. Would you say that is was probably Roy? If so then I feel better about my decision to saturate... I just need a second opinion.
I have no response from Jeanne yet. I hope she answers soon.
I am really leaning towards saturate the area - one of my coworkers just came to my door and saw my flyer and he hadn't realized Roy was missing - even though I have posters up and have gone to his door with a flyer! So I am thinking maybe other people just don't notice.
Steve - when you were here with the dogs you got a scent - not a strong one but a scent. Would you say that is was probably Roy? If so then I feel better about my decision to saturate... I just need a second opinion.
