Pet Lovers

[gardenman]

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@Marp wrote:

@gardenman,  before you close off access to the crawlspace please make every effort to assure that the cat is not a lactating female.  It seems the crawlspace would be considered a safe place to have kittens.

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The thought's crossed my mind. I've only heard the meowing from the bigger cat though and I would expect to hear some low sounds even from smallish kittens. The house is quiet this time of year and all I've heard is the meowing and even that stopped now that it has food and water. The cat's okay as the food and water I put in each morning disappears by the next morning. I'm hoping it's just a curious stray male who wandered in. 

[gardenman]

The trap door is now installed and propped open a couple of inches with the food and water easily visible just outside the door. If the cat exits to eat and drink, the door should close behind it and my phantom meower problem may be solved. I'll check it this evening and see if the door is closed and if it is I'll put the food and water back inside just to be sure the cat's left and didn't just close the door and stay inside. If the food inside the crawlspace goes uneaten and no more meows, the problem will be solved. Then I'll secure the trap door shut and remind myself to make sure I close and fasten the crawlspace door each time I get the mower out from now on.

[Estates]

@gardenman  One of our local shelters will loan you a humane trap if you leave your license number with them. I have done that a few times when I needed to catch outside kitties for vet visits. One time I trapped a possum! 

Good luck with your kitty.

[gardenman]

The trapdoor may have worked. I just came in from checking on it and the door was now closed. I had a small piece of vinyl in the top edge of the door holding it open a bit. The theory was the cat would come out to eat the food that I'd put just outside the door and in doing so push the door open a bit more causing the vinyl that was holding the door open to fall out. (The cat should have noticed nothing as the weight of the door wouldn't change.) Once the cat cleared the door the door would then close behind it. I put the food and water back inside the crawlspace for now and I'll see if it's been eaten tomorrow. If not, then the cat made his escape (against his will) and I'm back down to just my own two cats in the house. If the food is eaten then the cat is still there and I'll try it again tomorrow. 

[NickNack]

@gardenman   I hope it worked!  That was a very innovative idea.

[NickNack]

@gardenman   Is the cat still there?

[Icegoddess]

I had a phantom meow once.  At first thought it was one of my cats, but they were in the room with me.  So, I follow the meow to one of my air vents.  Pulled the vent up and there he was staring at me. He had managed to get into the crawl space and I guess pulled the ductwork down.  Apparently, a workman had left it open.  We were able to find the owners who were out of town.  It seems the cat used to be an indoor cat until the owner got married and the wife was allergic, so he was banished to the outdoors.  He became a regular visitor to our property for years after that.  I had not seen him for awhile and I saw the owner's wife out at the mailbox on one of my walks.  She said they assumed he had been killed by a coyote.  

[gardenman]

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@NickNack wrote:

@gardenman   Is the cat still there?

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Afraid so. The food placed inside overnight was gone. It seems very happy in there. I'll just keep resetting everything for a bit then look into getting a trap if the trap door doesn't give me any luck.  

[gardenman]

Aha! I may have spoken too soon. I just went out to check and the door had been opened and there was a fresh cat feces about ten feet from the door. It's possible the meower, whoever it was, has tired of my hospitality and decided to move out. I'll put food and water back under the house tonight, but I'm cautiously optimistic the problem has been resolved. If the food inside the crawlspace doesn't get eaten overnight and stays uneaten for a day or two, the problem will be solved.

[NickNack]

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@Icegoddess wrote:

I had a phantom meow once.  At first thought it was one of my cats, but they were in the room with me.  So, I follow the meow to one of my air vents.  Pulled the vent up and there he was staring at me. He had managed to get into the crawl space and I guess pulled the ductwork down.  Apparently, a workman had left it open.  We were able to find the owners who were out of town.  It seems the cat used to be an indoor cat until the owner got married and the wife was allergic, so he was banished to the outdoors.  He became a regular visitor to our property for years after that.  I had not seen him for awhile and I saw the owner's wife out at the mailbox on one of my walks.  She said they assumed he had been killed by a coyote.  

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@Icegoddess   That's very sad.  It would have been much better for the cat to have been rehomed than banished to the outdoors.