TRAPS

For the last week we have set three humane traps where we believed Turtle was hiding. We set the traps, checked them regularly and changed the food every day. We used a borrowed wildlife camera one night, no sightings. That night we played an iPhone recording of BB, Turtle's adopted brother, several times. We stopped because we thought it could wake the neighbors and they'd call us to report a cat outside their window.
The worst part was we caught absolutely nothing during the whole time. No rabbits, or raccoons. No small children, even
It was like Turtle was in the woods laughing at us saying "I'll come out when I'm good and ready," Or more likely he was elsewhere. You can't put traps everywhere, you follow your best guess, instinct or whatever you can grab on to. In this case a tracker targeted this particular area because his dog picked up a scent.
The decision where to set the traps, who to call and what to believe is based on instinct, probability and statistics.
Fair enough, but the only statistic that matters is if he's found or if he isn't.

Facebook Page

We now have a Facebook page devoted to finding Turtle, https://www.facebook.com/findturtlethecat?fref=ts, and have linked it to this page. So they are connected. You can go from Facebook to Blogger and back again all day, even though your time would be better spent hopping into your car and driving out to Issaquah to help put up some posters or beat around the bushes searching for our little friend.
He's been gone for ten nights and is still hiding, so we've expanded our search by hanging flyers outside the regular perimeter. We've been a little sneaky, and we were caught by the young lady at the Starbucks drive through as we pasted one up on her wall. She didn't seem to mind, and asked whether we were interested in a hot whole milk latte that someone left behind.

Still no sign of Turtle.  I will be expanding my efforts and posting more signs farther away into other neighborhoods.  I need to find this cat.  I love him so much and the family needs him home.

Tracking dog results

We worked with the tracking dog this morning.  Komu the dog worked hard and did smell some cat smells, but no cat.  I now have a clearer plan on where to put my efforts, at least for a while.  I know that soon we will start getting calls of sightings of Turtle. Then we will have a clear plan.  Keep the faith up.  He will come home.

"Normal" people wake up in the morning, greeting the day with optimism and ready to take on the world. This changes when you have a lost pet, it means that another night has passed without his return. We are remaining hopeful, but lately the days begin on a bad note and get worse. The only thing that keeps us sane is doing something that will lead to his return; posting flyers, making phone calls and contacting the neighbors. The good news is that people are now calling us with cat sightings. No Turtle yet, but it shows we are getting the message out and people are paying attention.

Turtle the Cat was last seen one week ago, July 29, when he escaped from his home near the intersection of 25th Ave. and Park in the Issaquah Highlands. We will find him soon and we are not giving up.