Searching for India, the Black Cat

It’s been several days and I have not caught anything in the trap, not even a rodent. So I’m going to freshen the food and move it to a different spot. Hopefully I will have better luck. 

I’ve been wanting to set a humane trap in an attempt to capture India. I haven’t seen any signs that she’s nearby, but I’m going to try it anyway. Yesterday I borrowed one from Bel-West Cat Rescue. Today I baited it with a bit of cat food and tuna fish. I put in one of my old garments so it would also have a comforting smell. Now we wait.

India was not there today, but there was a black cat. It was the very same one that my neighbors have seen and thought it might be India. This particular cat has been roaming our neighborhood since the summer, and various neighbors have taken her in during inclement weather. I think I know where she lives, but I am also fairly sure that they don’t really want her back. She didn’t get along well with their other cat and ran off. Her paperwork listed her as possibly feral because when she was brought in she was really freaking out. I told the attendant her story and let them know she is not feral. They were glad for the information. I’m sad for her that she isn’t wanted and that coming to the Humane Society was so stressful for her, but with winter setting in I think this is probably in her best interest. I would have taken her myself but there is Henna to consider. With India missing I don’t think Henna would be very appreciative if we brought another cat into the house. And if India ...

Yesterday was a very long day for us. We had heard about a cat-detecting search dog and decided to engage their services. The dog wouldn’t be able to find India specifically, but could smell if a cat was hiding under a deck or in other places we couldn’t see. A big thank you goes out to all of our neighbors who allowed the dog to check your properties. We looked all over the neighborhood for her, but we were not able to find India. However, all is not lost. The dog is also able to smell where an attack has taken place, and he didn’t find any sign that India had been the victim of a coyote. Additionally, they didn’t find any coyote droppings. I think my next step is going to be to set a humane trap and see if it attracts her. I have no clue where she is, but I think she is still out there. There are plenty of stories about cats who have gone missing, but there are also many stories about cats who have come back after a month or two. One neighbor had a cat missing for a year who fi...

Yesterday we distributed flyers to some local veterinary offices and pet stores.  We also visited a couple of the neighbors to ask if anyone had seen her.  Several people have seen the India look-alike, but it doesn't seem like anyone has seen India herself.  One gentleman was kind enough to look under his shed for her. Today I went to the Humane Society again.  This time I brought Henna, India's littermate, with me to be microchipped.  We looked for India, but she was not there.  We will check again later this week, perhaps Friday. I also checked the trees around the house with a flash light after dark tonight to see if I could find any eyes reflecting back at me.  Again, no India.

This blog is dedicated to finding my black cat, India.  Check here or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Searching-for-India-the-Black-Cat-257465531445956 for the latest information about India. India is a black cat. She is missing from the 1700 block of 34/35th Streets in Bellingham, Washington. She is 7 years old and weighs about 12 pounds. In strong light she is actually black with darker black tiger stripes. She has a very, very slight kink in her tail that cannot be seen and must be felt. She also has about 12 white hairs on her chest. When we came home on the evening of 5 November, India darted out the door. We tried to catch her but she was too quick and she ran and hid under the motorcycles. It had snowed the previous day and there were still several inches of snow on the ground and it was freezing outside. With the cold weather we were sure she’d be ready to come inside when we went to bed. We called but she didn’t come. I called twice more in the night but s...