Cat Watch Group

[Monkey]

With all the cats going missing in our beloved East Dulwich, we should start a cat watch group with one (or more) volunteer per ED street watching out for missing moggies... We could have little stickers in our windows like the Neighbourhood Watch lot. Any volunteers? Happy to coordinate.

[Mscrawthew]

Hi Monkey

I would be up for something like that. I am also out walking the dog everyday and she is sure to spot any cats along the way!

[michaell]

We will join in! There does seem to be a large number of cats going missing at the moment. Strictly speaking we are not ED (Bromar Road) but would be happy to do a couple of roads near us.

Aimee

[ratty]

I'm in! St Francis Estate (Abbotswood Rd)

[Pickle]

Count me in.

[snowboarder]

I'll join too!! My 6 month kittens are starting to brave the world of silvester/whately road back gardens and I'm SCARED for them!

[lozzyloz]

Why not just tag them with a transponder and watch their movements on a radar screen from the comfort of your sofa?

Transponder

[Brendan]

Strictly speaking we don?t lose cats. They just misplace us for a while.

[alieh]

I would be happy to get involved with this. One thing we learned in our "missing cat" episode is that there are a lot of people who leave food out for neighbourhood cats. This could be part of the reason why so many E.D. cats go missing for long periods of time -- they have no reason to find their way back home to be fed!

[lozzyloz]

There seems to have been a big increase in missing cats in the area since the BBC opened or is that just a coincidence?

[BARA]

Owning 3 cats (including one with 3 legs and poor sense of direction) I always worry when they are out a long time. Count me in on the cat watch (or any other pet watch). We have a cat flap and frequently find 'guest cats' enjoying lunch and even sleeping on our beds.

We are dogless for the time being, the first time in about 10 years (we have had 4 retired greyhounds) and are a little out of touch with dogs and their owners - so loose/stray dogs in the area may not be so easily recognisable to us.

We are the top [art of Barry Road, backing onto Plough Lane and Landells Road.

[lilolil]

me too Hindmans road

[redrouge]

Count me in too. We live on LL (top end) and always live in fear that our cute midget cat will discover the road. She's currently a bit too distracted by our Christmas tree to leave the house.

[chuff]

yep and me, though we may be a bit too far to be of use. Near Dulwich Library by the park. chuff

[Monkey]

I did not expect such a fantastic response. This is great. I shall start working on a "plan" tonight and will be in touch soon.

[Domitianus]

I quite agree that the current situation is ridiculous. Every time I log-in there is some flighty feline that has done a runner. May I make a suggestion - how about a Cat Bank (along the lines of a Bottle Bank) on the Goose Green roundabout. Let's put a large wire cage there with a simple flap-type one-way door. Anyone who finds a stray cat can pick it up and dump it there for collection in due course by its hapless owner who would obviously make the Cat Bank their first port-of-call in any search. Any cats that are not collected after, say, a week, could be given to a new home or humanely destroyed. Whatdya think?

[kittenheels]

I'm in for Dunstans Road!

[Big Jim]

Count us in for Dunstans as well.

[KalamityKel]

Domitianus the shame of u! Humanely destroyed after being missing a week?!!

HAve u ever come across a stray cat? And wot do u define as "stray"? Just those u don't like the look of? Or those whom happen to trip u up in the street coz u werent looking where u were going? Oh please! Suggestions like urs arnt particularly constructive!

I'm in for the watch :-)

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Dom's post made me laugh.

I do think we have our knickers in a twist about cats a bit. I have one so I am a lover but it is in their nature to go walkabout. I think they should be missing for at least a week before posting on here/trees, etc. One week locked in a shed without food is not going to do them much harm (unless on medication). What might be more useful is to come up with a scheme that alerts owners when their cat has been run over. Are they just picked up by the roadsweeper? Do they have chip scanning facilities? It's always tough when your pet dies but harder when there is no explanation for their disappearance.

[Muttley]

Er...how about putting collars/name tags/contact details on your cats (with apologies to those of you who do)? None of the seemingly hundreds of mogs that are constantly coming to use my garden to make a 'deposit' has a collar. Growl.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

In my experience collars are dangerous - my cat returned with two missing and the last with his leg through it! Even with correctly fitting collars they can kill a cat (don't go putting them on Muttley!) which is why chipping is best.

[Muttley]

> which is why chipping is best.

I assume that's not the same sort of chipping as I do with large branches before putting them in the green bin.

[nutty]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> In my experience collars are dangerous - my cat

> returned with two missing and the last with his

> leg through it! Even with correctly fitting

> collars they can kill a cat (don't go putting them

> on Muttley!) which is why chipping is best.

You can buy velcro attachable stretchy collars which have little chance of hurting the cat and stay on really well. We use that and chipping as not everyone will bother to take them to a vets to check the chip if found.

[anntidote]

Count me in for Henslowe Road.... Archie having gone missing twice, it was good to have forum support. First time he was badly injured in a possible road accident, second time I think he must have been shut in someone's house for five days over a Bank holiday. He's become infamous at the lower end of Henslowe. He and Pearl have hooked up with Pal Joey from a few doors up....

Annie