My cat got out. He’s only 2 years and a few months old and has been an indoor cat ever since I got him just over 2 years ago. He’s the most loving animal I ever had and I am devastated.
I made this and hung a few but wasn’t 100% pleased with the result.
It’s not the usual thing people ask feedback for, but it’s for the most important client I ever had and if it is successful it will be the highest paying job of my life. I’ve had cats over my 60 some odd years, but this little guy is by far the most loving one ever and I must make this work.
I hope people can make out my phone number (even when this upset, I still make my bad jokes).
Any ideas for a rework when I print more? Wasn’t sure if “MISSING” should be above him or not. Old “Wanted” posters put the word above the picture but I did this and ran to the copy place before thinking too much about design (NOBODY around here prints color copies from a thumb drive affordably anymore!) (The nearest place stopped printing on anything but photograph paper and wanted $7 a page!) (I found a place that did color for $1 a page, but I am old and expected to get it at less that half that price).
Mostly posting to keep my sanity. I never lost a cat before and being so close to this one makes it hit rather hard. I had no idea I would have gotten as upset as I did.
I know exactly how they felt. I am way more upset than I ever thought I would be. I lost cats over the years and decades, but I had each of them for 17 to 20 years and despite some being unexpected, I always knew they had a full life and the best one I could give them.
I need him to be OK and get home so I can just be depressed about being broke and unemployed without worrying about the safety of my family (anyone who claims pets are not family should not have pets!).
This is day 4. It’s getting colder at night and I worry so damned much I feel like a little girl despite being an old man.
I hear such stories all the time and they give me hope - I need hope!
My only consolation is how loving and friendly he is. It makes me certain that he can find a human to take him in if he asks one who doesn’t hate cats. He is chipped, but the chip still points back to the shelter he came from. I called them and they are prepared to get hime back to me if he goes back to them, so that also lessens the stress a little. But he only had a flea collar on with no tasgs identifying him or me (but I’m getting some made as soon as I get a little money whether he’s back by then or not! I always thought an indoor cat didn’t need that.
That font is difficult to scan. For a poster like this you need something the viewer can easily read at a glance. I’d switch to a bold or black sans serif, get rid of the unnecessary words, and don’t stretch the text.
FedEx stores and Staples have print counters and accept files on USB thumb drives. You can also upload files to their website. You can pick your copies up at the stores or they will mail them to you.
Mojo’s advice is solid. I say make it super simplified, something like the below. Include the “main name” he might answer to and a quick note to text your number if found. They don’t need to know the phone won’t ring. And if for some reason they call instead of texting, I ASSUME you have voicemail, so they might leave a message.
Thanks for the tips. I did drive a good 45 minutes to get to a staples store to print the first batch. I line deep in the bowels of the forest and places like that aren’t as local to me as most people.
Our local CVS prints, but only photo paper/quality at $7 a page!
My printer died a while ago but may ask neighbors if they can help until I can get out to staples again to print more. Money is absurdly tight and I don’t have a credit card, so ordering online is hit or miss. Even for pickup they often require that and don’t do digital checks…
Being a cat with 3 names I thought if trying to gain his trust (cats run a lot) using all 3 names would be a huge benefit over just the one name.
I guess the other information is secondary, I’ll definitely shorten the rest somehow.
Been so stressed between this and job hunting that thinking clearly is rare.
Definitely a job for after this glass of wine!
And thanks for confirming my early though that future ones should have MISSING above Mister Nipples! My sense of design, and the impact it has, is … weird.
I haven’t slept much lately and despite the fact I may be needed to run out on a moment’s notice, I still need to get some sleep!
Thanks for the poster work! It’s appreciated.and makes sense.
I was thinking about this a bit more. Google says that when house cats stray they tend to hide nearby rather than travel large distances, and median travel distance is within a 54 yard radius. Considering that, I would have 2 flyers: the shortened one that gets posted outside that radius, and an alternate that is just for hand delivery to the neighbors within that radius. I’d put my name, phone and address on that one since it’s just neighbors. Maybe that makes it seem more urgent, coming from someone they see around the neighborhood.
We have a second home and have security cameras set up to keep track of things. At night, the same cats regularly patrol the yard. I don’t know whose cats they are, but they seem to have a regular route and check the same places each night at approximately the same time. It’s interesting to get a glimpse of natural cat behaviors when they’re out and about at night; they’re semi-wild critters, after all.
Cats, dogs, and other pets really do become part of the family, so I understand much of what you’re feeling. I’ve been there myself. There’s a genuine possibility that your cat is just exploring being a cat and will eventually come home. The posters will help.
It is a scary fluffing world. One of my neighbors warned me that there is a guy who lives a few blocks away who was trapping stray cats, keeping them in his basement and calling the people who put up posters cursing them out for letting their cats outside! Said the police couldn’t do anything without probable cause to go into his house.
I dug out my sword and was ready to pay him a visit if he contacted me like that, but was hanging the fliers I have and talking to people when an old lady was being particularly sympathetic and I told her that tale.
She asked if “that story is still going around” then told me that it was her brother and he had very bad dementia and he is no longer in the neighborhood. He was institutionalized.
I was so upset that my cat was not only lost but now may be being stalked by a lunatic that when she told me that I just started crying! Such a relief to know that I wouldn’t have to confront somebody like that. Where I come from, if a feral animal is threatening a child we put it down.
And that cat is my only child! Apart from my other cat, but that one bonded to the woman I love while Nipples bonded to me. So they are both “our” babies, but each one adopted one of us so it’s awkward. Mister Nipples has been known to snub her when she goes to pet him and he’s run over to me. When a cat adopts a human they get possessive of them. One reason I love them so much.
Anyway - got a couple tips already and one says he may have joined the ones she feeds every day, but there is a similar looking one that I’ve gotten false leads on a couple times already. But that one has been around for months and mine has only been gone a few days. But it’s getting cold at night and I worry about him…
