Cats are masters of camouflage: they can sleep for days in a secluded place and not show themselves. Finding them during such a period is a big problem. Even adult individuals sometimes manage to get into such a position that they crawl into cracks where the owners do not even think to look. Let's figure out how to find a cat in a house, apartment, country house or yard.
Let's start with an illustrative story. Once in one of the Facebook groups dedicated to animals, a user posted the following post:
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A 4-month-old Maine Coon kitten disappeared from a friend’s apartment. They searched everything: closets, beds, drawers, even balconies, under balconies, the entrance, the roof... In general, everything! There is no cat! The cat, by the way, has an address. Something unusual that day: the children had guests, couriers from Ikea came, there were other strangers in the house. In fact, the cat is sociable, never hides from guests, and is friends with the family dog. Detective. How to look for a cat?
Under the post, users began posting tips on how to find a cat at home. Despite the fact that all these tips were applied, alas, nothing was known about the cat for several days. But let’s return to the question of how, if a cat is lost, how to find it, and the intriguing conclusion to the Maine Coon story will be at the end of the article.
Shelter "Murkosha": bad experience No. 1
If you live in Moscow and are not afraid of the word “Internet,” you have almost certainly heard about the Murkosha cat shelter. It is located extremely well: within the Moscow Circle, not far from the Medvedkovo station and a little further from Babushkinskaya and the Los platform. Agree, it’s nice that you don’t have to trudge outside the capital on weekends or after work, where most of these establishments are located?
So, so far the emotions are the most positive: probably, the good reviews about the Murkosha shelter tell the truth. And the work schedule cannot but please: every day from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, without any breaks, days off or sanitary days. Here we are: a good-quality building on Ostashkovskaya, 14/2, right before our eyes. Shall we come in?
At first glance, the inside is clean and cozy; not a trace of dirt, not a hint of peeling paint or mold on the ceiling - such neatness would be the envy of most Russian hospitals. We greet the employee on duty and are about to go inside, when suddenly: “Please put on your shoe covers!” What kind of news is this? You and I are not going to the operating room, but to the cats and kitties! Or if “Murkosha” is a private shelter, can you take any liberties with visitors?
They patiently explain to us that a variety of animals are kept here, including those undergoing treatment or those with weak immune systems, and therefore bringing street dirt inside is, to put it mildly, undesirable. Okay, let’s “pack” the legs; Now we are asked to wait a few minutes until the employee interviewing the new owners is free. It turns out that you could make an appointment in advance on the official website of the Murkosha shelter. And we saw that blinking green dot - but, as you know, easy paths are not for us...
We waited our turn - fortunately, today there are not many visitors by appointment. We go into the office, say hello and ask you to quickly give us the most beautiful cat in the shelter - or take us through all the exhibition rooms and allow us to take away your furry pet right now. But no - it turns out that this is an interview in the full sense of the word, even with the obligatory filling out of a questionnaire. Apparently, adopting a kitten from the Murkosha shelter is still a quest, but since we have set ourselves a goal, we will continue.
The employee explains that, first of all, they are not concerned about how to quickly “kick off” the animal in their care (although on average cats do not stay here longer than two to three months), but they try to place the kitty in really kind and caring hands - hence increased requirements for future owners, which have already managed to surprise us. And one of the first questions that needs to be answered in order for the lucky person from “Murkosha” to come to you is the presence of special protective grilles on the windows, the so-called “anti-cats”.
Well... we have mosquito nets on the windows, is that enough? Here the employee begins politely, but without any hope of concession, to explain that a simple net will not withstand the throw of a small predator, which, among other things, can first tear it with its claws. Cats are originally carnivores, and no amount of domestication can cope with primitive instincts. A flying bird, a butterfly fluttering on the other side of the window, or even a fly aimlessly running in circles - this is enough for the mustachioed warrior to make a jump - tragic, and perhaps his last.
Well, the reviews about the Murkosha shelter that we came across on the Internet are still true: they take furry lives with complete seriousness. However, we are not flayers either: we promise that we will keep the windows closed, monitor the kitten’s every step, and generally install two rows of mosquito nets - and then, as time permits, we will install these “anti-cats.” But no; the employee continues to insist that the safety and life of the ward comes first and asks not only to pre-install the bars, but also to photograph them - only then will it be possible to take the animal home.
This is how the fun game “I’ll adopt a kitten from Murkoshi” turned into a difficult choice: follow the recommendations of the shelter representative, go home without the pet, prepare the room and then try again - or give up on everything and forget about the idea of adopting a cat. Probably, if we were just as sensitive to mustachioed predators, we would choose the first path, which is more difficult and longer. But we have never had the opportunity to care for barely alive, wounded, “broken” cats, and the requirements that do not meet initial expectations seem simply ridiculous - and you and I are going home - in order to continue dreaming about a pet and certainly leave a negative review about the shelter "Murkosha."
Is it correct? Decide for yourself. Any safety requirements are formed on the basis of existing experience. Cats are smart, but compared to humans, they are irresponsible creatures, often falling off windows, balconies and eaves. So what is better - to take responsibility for an injured or dead cat, or to spend a day and install reliable bars? Consult your conscience; in the meantime, here is the second story of “non-rendition” from the Murkosha shelter.
