I spent my New Year’s Eve day trying to come up with a way to coax a stray cat out of my basement.
I discovered it on my way to work as I was checking my cellar door which apparently had blown open. Someone in the neighborhood must have closed it as far as I can surmise.
Arranged to borrow a cage from a coworker but that would have to be after the holiday.
Called handyman who said he would stop down to look at my cellar door to see what could possibly be wrong. He installed a door in September and had to come by once to fix something as it was occasionally opening. It’s been fine since then but we did have howling winds a couple nights ago. Still…?
Started getting texts in the evening from a neighbor asking if I had put the cat in my basement and how kind that was lol. I replied that I hadn’t and was trying to figure out a way to get it out.
It’s a stray someone tossed from a truck several months ago and they have been “homing” it on their porch. They feed it and have constructed some kind of shelter.
Once I realized it was likely not a wild feral cat I went down and was able to coax it out of the cellar with minimal trouble.
Still wonder why my handyman did not show after he said he would.
Going to work on that.
But it was New Year’s Eve.
So relieved to have resolved this issue before I went to bed.
I’m calling her Karma Cat. The neighbors call her Ginger.
If the situation arises again: tuna is usually a good way to coax a cat.
However, if this cat, who has a home at your neighbor’s, discovers they can get tuna at your place, they’re more likely to show up at your place again. So, since apparently you can’t have a cat in your house, it’s just as well that you didn’t use the Tuna Technique.
I think you should name her Suzy, after a similar story about Suzy Pupman, whose story went internationally viral 5 years ago when it happened - dog found in locked home