By Carol Tannenhauser
Dorian Yeager is Gilligan’s owner. She lives on West 80th Street. “He got past her when she opened the apartment door,” her friend, Jennifer Smith, explained in an email to WSR on Friday, adding that Dorian “is in her 70s and just couldn’t get after him, I’m guessing. Workmen were in the building and had left both double doors to the building open.”
Gilligan is 18, deaf, and a special-needs cat that Dorian has had for five years. “She adopted him from her vet after someone had left him outside to die, starved and duct taped in a box in their trash,” Jennifer wrote. “Her vet gave her free vet care for him for life just for taking him home. He is everything to her.”
If you have any information at all, please call Riverside Animal Hospital 212-787-1993.
Oh no, I hope they find Gilligan!!
80th and what? I can take walks and have a close look.
between B’way and Amsterdam
PS – I’ve heard if you put their catbox outside (if there’s a logical safe place), they’ll come to it. Just a thought.
this s not true! Please use some science to recover Gillian! Lost cat finder has the steps but you have to pick the ones right for Gillian…
I’m sorry but the scent outside works better than nothing
This is not true… I had a cat get outside here and I put the pillow she slept on and she was on it the very next day. So saying this does not work is a false statement cause it does in fact work. Xats have senses that they can snell with and if they are used to sleeping on a pillow, blanket and even using the litter box. You can set your litter box outside just like you can a pillow and the cat will in fact return to it. The only reason a cat would nor return when you put they bed or litter box outside would be only 2 reason. Number 1 – they had they whiskers trimed and number 2 they had gotten killed or picked up by someone. And before you say I don’t know what I am talking about I happen to have 50 years experience in cTs and kittens. I have run cat rescues and currently run AARF. ( all about rescue and fixing ) we are am organization experienced in cats and their behavior. Please. Please put out something she sleeps on. It does not matter if she is death if she can still smell she can find it. I hope you find her safely
She would have been back whether the pillow was there or not. YEs cats have a great sense of smell, and a great sense of direction, too. HOME smells like home and a sack of potatoes would have worked just as well. HOWEVER an older kitty can lose sense of smell and direction, so I suggest you contact an expert cat tracker for this special case.
Have they checked the entire building? A cat wouldn’t necessarily run outside – especially a scared cat. It might be hiding inside
Exactly. My tiger cat Quinn (R.I.P.) escaped from my apartment 12 years ago and after searching for him, my super found him five days later on the third floor, cowering in front of an apartment door. He never tried to escape the apartment after that. I now have two that tend to be two little escape artists at times. One, a white and grey girl named Cutie, is especially curious when deliveries come.
That’s exactly what happened to my (then) cat 25 years ago–workmen left doors open and we searched everywhere, including the roof. We finally found her cowering and totally puffed up at the very bottom of the back stairs (fire stairs). She was so freaked out we had to spray her with water and throw a towel over her to catch her!
This is good advice. I’ve found cats in radiator covers, underneath floorboards, and in the tiniest cracks, where you think they couldn’t fit.
Where on 80th street? Amsterdam? Columbus? Broadway? West end? It’s. very long street. I can look around Broadway and West End, maybe even Amsterdam. Let us know please.
Also, she needs to put up posters with his picture all around. Poor old cat. I hope he is found very soon. He must be very frightened and hungry.
Thank you. Posters are all over but I’m putting more out tomorrow. He escaped on 80th between Broadway and Amsterdam. There is a whole crew of people on the case. I’m praying that he’s safe with some Good Samaritan. Deaf cats don’t have good odds on the street.
Good luck finding Gillian…he must be so scared!
Agree with other commenters! Chances are good that Gilligan did not go very far. Would recommend putting out his litter box so he can smell his way home. Also, go out after dark when the city is (mostly) quiet, and call softly for him. Many indoor cats are too frightened to respond during the day to their owners’ calls.
If the above doesn’t work, get a Have-a-Heart boxtrap and put food in it. Or hire a pet detective – they can be very effective at finding lost pets.
The poor cat is deaf, it says in the story.
You’re right – can’t believe I missed that. Hopefully Gilligan’s sense of smell is still intact so that using litterbox/bed/towel to smell his way home is a possibility. I do think deaf cats can probably “hear” through vibrations, so that the owner’s footsteps might feel familiar if he’s close enough, especially at night when it’s quiet.
Prayer’s That Gilligan Is Found Safe & UnHarmed & Returned Home!
I have found pet owners for lost animals by having them announce it on the radio Flyers with the picture in the area also helps there are people that don’t have the internet or a lot of time also call your local animal control everyday I am going to pray that God put him in his rightful place God always answers
Doing everything we can think of and more thanks to my Guardian Angel, Jennifer.
I sure do hope you find Gilligan ! and look how many people are willing to help, it’s wonderful that we have all this loving care and concern alive in the world. We have to stay away from the forces of negativity and stay in the light of positive people!! I try to love all people as I love all animals, if only all people practiced true unconditional love. Praying for Gilligan and you
I pray that you find the poor baby.
I will put her on our prayer list at the church
I volunteer at. There is power in prayer.
I believe in miracles.
Please let us know if you find her.
🙏 😇🐈
Thank you so much.
If nothing else, a humane trap with some super strong smelling fishy food to get him back when he’s hungry and looking for food. You may end up catching a few that you didn’t mean to along the way, but maybe someone could spay/neuter and release those in the meantime ;). I’m from PA, but I come to NYC once or twice a week as a courier. I might be able to sneak my trap with if someone needs to borrow one.
I pray 🙏 you will get your sweet kitty back safe and sound, God bless you
Please please get a hav a hart humane trap bait it with stinky wet food snd cover it with your used pillowcase or sweatshirt you have worn or slept in i the stronger your scent the better the hav ahart traps have caught many a lost indoor frightened kitty place it close to the escape door he got out of but in a SAFE PLACE from both human and animal predators if you live on a first floor leave your door open at night from dusk to dawn just enough for Gilligan to get in that is also the time he will approach the humane trap CHECK THE TRAP OFTEN AT LEAST EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS usually big box warehouse home depots type stores have them as well as Tractor Supply have them show you how to set it and make sure your covering cloth with your scent doe not interfere or get caught in the trap mechanism…Prayers For Gilliigan”s Safe return to you Quickly🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝💝🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I would not leave a litter box out draws predators Also get on facebook lost and Found cat and Pet websites for your area if you can find a LEGITAMENT pet detective that’s not just looking for your money and not looking for your cat someone who you trust that knows them would contribute alot toward their not being a fraud …The humane trap is your best bet don’t ever ever give up your’re all Gilligan has Prayers For Gilligan and you
Don’t just call your SPCA ‘S AND ANIMAL CONTROL go there YOURSELF every couple of days and look For Gilligan workers are overwhelmed and not likely to recognise Gilligan from a phone call leave his pictures up with permission and maybe post a reward with your contact information it is very important that you go there yourself contact rescues that pull from Animal control to save lives they know what cats are in there far better than most they also get posted but not all of them on animal control’s website i think there is one Animal Control For every Borough i believe there is a Manhatten one i once rescued a cat from.there had rescue pull it for me they only let rescues pull the cats from there if the furbabie appears to be having behavior issues agressive sometimes very frightened cats will appear to have behavior issues so it’s defineaetly worth contacting as many good ones as you can i worked with a Gregg Mayor her last name may be spelled differantly but she is on facebook and yes she is a lady Praying this helps you and Gilligan
I recently lost my cat and the community came together and offered me advice to find her! Which I did. Here’s some things that helped
Put the litter box outside, put an article of clothing that’s yours, a blanket they usually sleep on, bed etc.
Your cat will usually not travel far from your home. Check under your house or porch. Under neighbors houses and porches. They’re usually terrified waiting in place for a chance to come back in.
If safe, leave your door cracked at night so your cat can sneak inside again. Cats are most active at dawn and dusk, try searching for your kitty then. Call local shelters and report him as lost. Fill out lost pet cards at your local animal control. If your pet is microchipped, call the company and mark them as lost. Use Petco’s Love Lost website. It has facial recognition search for your pet.
Post on any local or applicable Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and Neighbors by Ring apps.
I hope you find your baby soon. I was so distraught!
My cat went missing earlier this year and he was found. I followed advice that if you put something that your cat has been laying on outside your house. Your cat can follow that scent back you your place Do it asap and good luck
Here are some free online services to help find lost pets:
NYACC has a free lost & found service where you can file a report & photo for a lost pet, they have an online database of lost & found pets https://www.nycacc.org/services/lost-found
PawBoost website has free tools to help find pets.(free facebook post, pet alert ,data base of lost & found pets in NYC, template for making lost pet flyers, and an alert app. https://www.pawboost.com/site/how-it-works
My experience – sample size of two – says that cats 1) don’t go far 2) hide UNDER one of the first things they can 3) if they reach a limit like a fence they freeze.
Gilligan, if hopefully not kidnapped, is within a one – block radius from home.
Please HUMANS help Gilligan 🙏 😢
Is there any up-date regarding the Dear, Sweet, Elderly Kitty “Gilligan”??
Is there ANY Good News??
Yours, With Concern …
…/s/Robert F. Frazier, Esq.
P.S. I have forwarded &/or shared your announcement regarding “Gilligan” with ALL of my “Friends” & ALL of my “Followers” in hopes that something good & positive shall come of all of our efforts!!
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻for Senior Cat G & Mom find
Their way 💞 Back to each Other. The Loving Pair, NEED EACH OTHER. May All in that Neighbor, HELP in the Search 💋