That random guy at the laundromat in Tulsa is the reason I found my lost cat

My tabby got out during a thunderstorm three weeks ago and I was about to give up after plastering flyers everywhere, but some dude folding his work shirts said to put her litter box and a worn t-shirt on the porch to draw her scent. I thought it sounded crazy but figured I had nothing left to lose, and she was curled up on the shirt at 2 AM the next night. Has anyone else had that dumb trick actually work or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery1991mo ago

People put way too much stock in that litter box trick honestly. Cats have pretty solid homing instincts and can pick up on familiar scents from way farther than a porch. The shirt probably worked because it smelled like you, not because of some magic cat summoning ritual. If you had put it out there on day one instead of waiting three weeks, bet you would have found her way sooner. Your tabby was probably already nearby sniffing around before the guy even said anything.

cole99424d ago

Read somewhere that cats actually recognize their humans voice first before anything else. Guess it makes sense they'd respond to familiar sounds or smells either way though. Glad your tabby turned up!

alice2691mo agoMost Upvoted

Gotta disagree with emery on this one lol. I used that trick when my own cat got out a few years back and it worked within like 12 hours even though she'd been gone for two days. It's not just about the scent being familiar, it's about the litter box having their specific smell mixed with their pee and poop which is like a big neon sign saying "hey this is your territory right here." Cats are weird about their marks and that combination is way stronger than just your shirt. Plus a scared cat hiding nearby might not come out until they know the area is safe again, and that familiar litter smell can be the thing that tells them it's okay. The timing of when you put it out probably matters less than people think, cats just do things on their own schedule anyway.