Conference misery::feline

    What a wonderful "lost" kitty ending!!!  Your story will give
    hope for all those that have lost their cats.   Gee....I wish
    they could talk and tell you what happened!!!
    
    I can just imagine how you must feel...because I went "bonkers"
    when Barkley came home just after being gone 9 days!!!!
    
    To Snoopy....keep your butt around the house...you little miracle
    kitty!!!
    
    Sandy
         

    Adrienne!
    
     HOW WONDERFUL!!!!! I had a kitty missing for 5 weeks once, and when I
    found him, I cried for hours, and called everyone in the world to let
    them know he was home!!!1 Of course that was before FELINE for me, or I
    could have done it in one note! ;-)
    
     Let us know how he's adjusting to being indoors!
    
    I love it when a week STARTS with good news!
    
    Love,
    
    Yonee

         All right!  I sure remember Snoopy - congrats on getting him back!
    
         I think he wants to take care of his mom, and maybe pay back for
    *worrying* his mom ;^) .
    
    					- Andrea

    Great news - might all lost come home so good!
    
    Nat

    It's not unusual for a cat to walk-abouts at this time of the year.
    My sister's Holly would take a "vacation" from around the end of August
    to the beginning of October, then return fat and sleek.  She would then
    settle down for the rest of the year.  
    
    I am so glad Snoopy came home.  It's awful to lose a cat and not know 
    what happened to them.  
    

    I'm so glad Snoopy is back!   What a relief for you - I can only
    imagine how surprised you were when you saw him outside your window.
    What a story he could tell you.
      Pat

    
    > I can only imagine how surprised you were when you saw him
    
    I almost fell over!  He's adjusted quite well to being back in 
    only a couple of days.  He still has little spits with Spooks
    but he and Miss Muffet (Mumsey from the PBS) get along quite well
    and I caught Diesel (who he grew up with) giving him a bath 
    this morning.  I woke up this morning and all four of them were 
    on the bed with me - it's a King size bed so they had plenty of 
    distance between them but it was so great to see them all together. 
    
    I just wish I knew how he got so healthy.  I guess I have to 
    attribute it to a miracle, or some kind of
    metaphysical-kitty-self-healing-in-the-woods thing - but I wish
    I knew for sure in case he gets sick again. 
    

    What a wonderful story!  I'm so glad your kitty came home!
    I *needed* some good news today.  
    
    - Lauri
    

>    I just wish I knew how he got so healthy.  I guess I have to 
  
Maybe he found himself another family that fed him?  

    Yes, I remember Snoopy!!
    
    That is the most wonderful present!  Glad to hear he's back.
    
    Now this "might" bum you out.  It made me think of Pet Semetary a
    little.  Oooh.
    Karen
    

    
    I've thought of that - the demonic kitty who sold his soul to some
    satanic being in return for his health.  I live alone and the other
    night I was walking through the living room in the dark and he growled
    and looked at me and the way the moonlight caught his eyes, they
    were positively glowing green - creepy - needless to say, I locked 
    all the doors that night but I thought of Pet Semetary and wondered 
    if I shouldn't have locked myself on the *other* side of the door.
    But then when I wake up and this big fat fuzzy happy purring kitty
    I thought was gone forever is curled up right under my chin, I can't
    believe he's possessed.  

    
    
    	SO glad that Snoopy is back! Evidently, even though he's been
    	well cared for (whereever he was) he decided home was still
    	best and returned.
    
    	In case he gets too confined and needs to get out again I'd
    	make sure he had a collar with ID tag on it. You might also
    	want to put up thank you posters in the area, sort of like 
    	the "lost kitty" notices.
    
    	P.S. Has Snoopy been neutered?
    
    		Heidi

    
    
    Yes, he's been neutered.  I've debated over trying to figure out
    who's been feeding him - I assume from his predatory manner that
    if someone has been feeding him, they were doing it outdoors and/or
    he left them and it took him a while to find his way home.  I feel
    badly if someone took him in and cared for him or took him to the vet
    only to have him disappear on them, but then again, 
    I'm just afraid someone got attached to him.  I know how badly I'd
    feel if I took in a stray and nursed it to health and then it's owner
    appeared.  I would gladly return any kitty to it's original owner, 
    just happy that I was able to help, but I'm sure I'd be sad and I'm
    a little leery of getting into a battle over whose cat it is (some of 
    my neighbors are a bit odd) How would you prove it's your kitty?
    
    Adrienne
    
    

    My family is contemplating asking the vet to tattoo some code in their
    ears that will not only identify them as ours but show someone that
    these cats belong to someone.  The problem is what should that code be.  
    It can't be our phone number as we may move.  I can't be our name as it's
    too long.  Any suggestions?
    
    Snoopy could have been with a pack of outside cats.  I know several people
    who feed a bunch of outside cats either in barns or on the back porch.
    
    But he's home now and that's what matters.

    RE .14  I mean tattoo the cats ears, not my families -- they almost
    never get lost, more's the pitty.

	The RSPCA is pushing for electronc tags, a little microscopic chip
	under the skin.......readers to be at vets and RSPCA places, with
	a national register.

	If it takes off, I'd go for it.

	Heather

    RE: .14
    
    What about the Vet's office number???  That way if you move, you can
    give the vet your new number.
    
    Holly
    

    re .15's last line.
    Gave me a chuckle!  I've been around cats too long, they are now 
    "people"...
    Karen

    re: .16 
    There are currently three competeing incompatible devices available
    in the US. Our counties committee that deals with feral animals 
    and lost pets (amonst other wildlife concerns) on an administrative
    level, is pushing for all three companies to become interoperable
    (make the detectors detect all three) In the meantime there are several
    pet registrys available in the the US, but I have no experience to pass
    on about any of them, but my concern is that they be there in the
    future and not go bankrupt or something. I'd personally vote for using
    a 1-700 series number as you can make that travel with you. (I just
    thought of it just now! Better go sign up!!!) Failing that I'd use the
    number of my vet that I'd knew I'd keep in touch with.
    
    Tjp
    

    I think putting ID's on pets is a great idea...but I do have a concern
    that how many shelters, vets, committees can read the ID's.  If
    nobody can read them and identify who the cats belong to...what
    good does it do! 
    
    I heard on the radio the other day that they are starting something new..
    Lojack for dogs!!   Can you imagine your dog running away and all you
    have to do is follow the beeps!!!  I like that!!!!
    
    Sandy

    Hmmm, wonder if you could tattoo your driver's license number 
    on the animal.  That number pretty much stays the same (unless
    you move out of state).  Or, maybe...your social security number?
    
    Jan

    
    What about the new ear tags that are being used now.  I've read about 
    a shelter in Vermont using them and the Humane Society in Nashua is now
    offering them.  I've never seen them done, or on a cat at all but my
    concern is for them getting ripped out of the cats ear.  Don't know how
    well they work.
    
    MaryAnne

    How about your new National Health Card ID number. We could start 
    abusing the use and storage of it before the Feds do! ;-)
    
    Drivers License numbers change, and in some states aren't public info.
    Social Security numbers aren't generally publically searchable,
    although too often the wrong folks can, and the folks trying to help
    most likely couldn't. (After all do you really want the IRS in charge
    of contacting you about your lost pet, etc...)
    
    I really am beginning to like this 1-700 number idea. Best would be
    something like lojack, in fact I tryed to get some interest up amonst
    some friends to design the system. Mass marketed it would be relativly
    inexpensive per pet, and maybe locaters could be rented out (or the
    locators could be free use, with a deposit) or animal control could
    do the hunt and find for a small fee. Anyway, just 'blue sky' until I
    could get some sharp RF design help. 
    
    Tjp
    

    
    There was an article about pet identification systems in a recent Cats
    magazine.  I'll see if I can track it down, but I fear it's almost
    certainly buried under one of the too many "magazine-slides" the kittens
    have precipitated...
    
    len.
     

    I know exaxtly where my CATS magazine is from last month and this
    month.  I'll see if I can find the info.
    
    Holly (who just happened to find them yesterday while cleaning! 
    Amazingly enough!!)

    We currently use the micro chips for one of the horse breeds I
    participate with.  Other methods of identification are hot branding.
    I prefered the branding because it was very visual.  I'm willing to bet
    that it's the same process for both types of animals.
    
    I didn't microchip any of my stock because I don't like the idea of
    inserting something foreign into their bodies.  All I can think of 
    it abcessing or doing something weird.
    
    Another concern w/ microchiping is the cost of the chip, procedure,
    and the scanner.  The scanner is in excess of $500.  Our breed registry
    owns one and a few of the big time breeders.  

    .20
    
    Sandy, I would give my eye-teeth to know where my cats go.  A Lojack
    for my bunch would be great.  I think at least two of them are keeping
    another home going.  Collars are useless for us, they get them off 
    faster than I can get them back on.  
    
    I am suprised that there are so many options out there (I don't
    subcribe to magazines like CAT so I'm not up-to-date on such things) 
    I thought there was nothing available.
    
    When two of mine went missing, I would have paid $1000 for a tracker if
    only I could have found one.  It would have been worth it.

    From different info I have gathered; there are several different
    types of scanners out there.  You have to have the right chip
    to match the scanner.  It is not a universal item right now.
    CFA has done a little talking about it and we also have discussed
    it with our vet at club meetings.  In general it is not something I 
    would use at this point.  
    Karen

    RE: 22
    
    do you mean like the licence tags put on cows and sheep?
    
    Deb

    I guess that's what they're like.  Like I said I've never seen an
    actual cat with one attached, or a photo, just a drawing on the posters
    and I didn't really look as I've never considered it.  My three wear
    collars and ID tags and it has worked well for us.
    
    MaryAnnr

    
    Well, I think I've figured out why the Vet couldn't figure out what
    was wrong with Snoopy and why he came home so healthy.  When I was
    having trouble with him before, I was gone 3-4 days out of every 
    week.  Since he came back, I'm home all the time.  I went to my
    parents for Thanksgiving and when I came back, Snoopy had done
    the diarreah routine all over the place.  All of a sudden it dawned
    on me that when they're cooped up in the house for an extended period
    of time, they must act differently, get territorial about the food,
    etc.  I'd bet Snoopy can't take the stress - that would explain why
    the Vet never could figure out what was wrong and it would explain 
    why he came back so healthy after apparently living outdoors for 
    so long.  Now I just have to figure out what to do at Christmas --
    I can take him with me (about 20 miles in a kitty carrier) and put
    him in his own room w/box and food at my Mom's; or I can leave him 
    home but separate the others from him (chilly, as I'll turn the heat
    way down)