Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

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SummerPerk
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Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by SummerPerk » September 17th, 2017, 5:24 pm

At the risk of sounding a little nuts--was heading over Mt Hood to Hood River today w/my sweetheart and we pulled into Nottingham Campground just to check it out. It was empty and peaceful. We pulled into a riverside site and after we stopped I saw the hind quarters of a creature disappear into the bushes. Got a good look--pale orange (peach colored) with a long fluffy tail with a white/cream tip. Immediately thought cat--same size as my big guy at home (15 lbs) and exact same body shape and style of movement.
I followed it and rounded a corner and again got a good look at the back half. It loped away--no interest in my "here kitty, kitty"--but didn't streak away. Same impression. Was definitely not tawny colored like a cougar (and no dark tip to tail), and truly don't think it was a fox--have seen foxes in the wild and I looked at several images and they don't match. Really wish I had seen the head!! Couldn't spend anymore time looking for it as we had an appt in Hood River. Anyways, just in case anyone has heard about a missing cat in the Nottingham/Sherwood Campground area (or has any other ideas what it could have been--definitely not a marmot). Really hope it's a wild animal but looked like a well fed house cat. Cross posting to Facebook page as well.

Aimless
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by Aimless » September 18th, 2017, 6:13 pm

At approx. 15 lbs. there's a chance it was a bobcat. Check out some internet photos of bobcats using GIS. It sounds like you didn't have much chance to see its head and ears, though, which could have helped you with the identification. There probably aren't going to be a lot of images of just the rear end of a bobcat. ;)

SummerPerk
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by SummerPerk » September 18th, 2017, 7:25 pm

Thanks! Definitely had a long tail though. Fur texture and tail similar to a pine marten, but light orange would be pretty unusual coloring for a marten, plus an adult is just over 3 pounds. On the thread I started on Facebook someone stated that an orange cat escaped from an RV over Memorial Day weekend and was never caught as far as they were aware. Seems pretty unlikely a domestic cat could survive a summer up there, but there's plenty to eat if it could avoid the coyotes and other predators...

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fetch
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by fetch » September 23rd, 2017, 10:54 pm

There are millions of feral cats in the U.S. alone; some sources estimate as high as 70 million. They all came from domestic cats. So it is absolutely possible for a cat who escaped an RV on Memorial Day to be not only alive but doing well four months later, the tiny efficient stalking/killing machine even the fattest house cat is under that luxurious layer of adipose. The same cannot be said for most dogs, fortunately/unfortunately.

Surviving the winter, though, at that elevation is another story. Some rogue animals figure out how to migrate as well when prey starts to disappear/move to lower elevations, some don't.

If you were moved to do so, and had a couple days on your hands, you could easily borrow for free/a nominal refundable deposit upon its return a live trap from any one of the numerous animal shelters and humane societies in the region. Camp in the area and baiting the trap with an open can of the cheapest, stinkiest, sardines is a nearly fool proof method of quickly capturing a feral/semi-feral kitteh. Frequently, in 24 hours or less for the trap naive ones. Just know how to open the trap in the event a non-cat capture and have more than one can of $0.99 sardines on hand.

Or not. Many would argue one less feral cat in this country due to Nature is not exactly a bad thing.

As far as it being a fox, since some foxes have white tipped tails? While there's been sightings from time to time of Sierra Nevada Red Foxes on Hood, they (or any other Fox species) are pretty rare in the area overall. Plus their tails are not really red/peach/blond but rather the fur on them commonly tipped with black. And significantly more bushy/full than a cat's tail, even if the cat is at full DEFCON I tail poof. :)

SummerPerk
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by SummerPerk » September 24th, 2017, 11:48 am

Thanks--it is definitely Chester the cat--who escaped from his owner's RV Memorial Day weekend. I went up this weekend w/a live trap baited w/tuna and unfortunately had no luck capturing him. Apparently he was trapped once and escaped, so he is trap wary. I saw him a couple of times, and the campers next to me saw him eating from their dog's food bowl. This morning I got back from my hike and saw him eating from food campers had left behind. He's not going to brave the trap unless he's truly hungry, so I packed up and left. He's a survivor, but even grit won't get him through a Mt Hood winter w/o adequate shelter and an on-going food supply. It was cold enough there last night I had trouble sleeping, and I was in a warm, dry sleeping bag. I don't know what constitutes a truly feral cat. This guy was aware of me and wasn't alarmed by my presence--but I didn't approach him as I didn't want him anymore spooked than he already was.

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retired jerry
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by retired jerry » September 24th, 2017, 12:33 pm

I've trapped feral cats before. I am a dutiful husband :)

We had 13 for a while, then the last one lived out her life and now we have just one from the Cat Adoption Team.

They warm up some after a while. Depends on the cat. One became a lap cat after a while. The last one was just starting to sleep on my lap. Maybe being the last one she appreciated our friendship more. When you pick them up, they become stiff with fear. The outside cats became coyote food I'm afraid. They were never very comfortable around us.

We went camping in our RV and occasionally one of them escaped. Just left the door open and eventually the cat came back.

I think we still have our live trap if anyone ever wanted to use it. PM me. Give it back when you're done but if I didn't get it back it wouldn't be a big deal.

Does Chester have an owner that would take him back? Exactly where was it last observed? He could already be coyote food.

SummerPerk
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by SummerPerk » September 24th, 2017, 5:19 pm

Last observed this morning. Appeared in good health. I've been told the owners would like him back and attempted to catch him last weekend. It's my understanding that he was a rescue cat and they had only had him for 6 months. Lost Lake Resort has been a much appreciated go between w/getting me information--they are in contact w/the campground hosts that were there this past summer. The staff member I've been in touch with said they will set some traps in an attempt to catch it--which is extremely generous of them. I might make one more attempt this coming weekend. If it's still around mid-October, I'm honeymooning at Cooper Spur for the weekend so def could set/check trap then, but thinking overnight temps might do it in by then. I do have a trap, but feel like I might have better luck w/a larger one. Will make a few phone calls this week to see if I can get a larger one on loan. Ugh. I should probably just let this go and let nature take its course, but would like to see the little bugger survive.

pcg
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by pcg » September 26th, 2017, 12:28 pm

So he's been seen at Nottingham, not Sherwood. Is this correct?
SummerPerk wrote: I should probably just let this go and let nature take its course...
I'm part of nature and am happy to intervene. I have a live trap and a knack for coaxing wary/feral cats up to me. If he's still on the loose when the really bad weather hits I'm willing to take my camper up there and spend a few days trying to capture him. Cats lives matter.

SummerPerk
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by SummerPerk » September 26th, 2017, 7:34 pm

Thank you--that's really good of you. Yes--Nottingham, not Sherwood. Nice campground. If Lost Lake Resort doesn't have any luck today (will check in on Thursday if I don't hear from them), I'll go up for the day on Saturday. Will definitely keep you posted.

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retired jerry
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Re: Missing cat at Nottingham/Sherwood Campground?

Post by retired jerry » September 27th, 2017, 5:02 am

where in Nottingham?

the campgroun runs north/south along the river. Is it north end of campground, south end, middle?

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