I saw a pawprint down by my pond that was my lost cat's (hes been lost for 6 days) and the mud was wet and their was a little bit of water in the print. What does this mean? How recent do you think he was there?
2006-10-12 08:46:35 · 5 answers · asked by manateeluver32 3 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
its hard to give you a real answer as to how old the track was when you saw it.
the way i learned was this:
one morning when i was a boy we took the dog for a walk to the pond and marked where he walked thru dust, sand, and mud.
every hour all day long i had to go look at the tracks and draw a picture of them and write a description of them.
the next day i had to look at them 3 or four times
the third day i looked at them once.
i had to practice this all one summer, it kept me pretty busy, but i could shure as hell read sign by fall.
it takes about an hour for a track a foot from the edge of the water to fill up. (of course thats in oregon county missouri red clay) after about 8 hours the sides kinda cave in and the track loses alot of definition.
by the next day the track is usually really mushy
hope this helps,
possum
2006-10-12 14:28:08 · answer #1 · answered by hillbilly named Possum 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You must be a great tracker to be able to distinguish the print from your cat from any other cat that might be running around out there. But if your that good, you would already know how recently he was there. Has it been raining by where you found the print? Is the area where you found the print usually muddy (like by a stream)? If it's a normally dry area, you can surmise that the cat was there sometime since the last rain stopped, but probably not more then 12 to 24 hours ago.
2006-10-12 15:57:25 · answer #2 · answered by Jeffrey S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the conditions of the weather now. If it has been damp and the weather is hot it could be just a few hours. However, if it is damp and has been for a while it could be several days.
How are you sure it is your cat? Unless it has a bizarre or distinguishing feature it could be any cat.
I do hope you are right though.
2006-10-12 15:55:56 · answer #3 · answered by rltouhe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is fresh if the mud is still wet.. and if there is an imprint in it.. also if it has not rained in the last few days.. I am so sad to hear of a kitty or doggie that is lost....
2006-10-12 16:04:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes I think he could have been or another cat... but I hope it was yours and I hope he comes home.
You look for a wet, or soft print that is not dry. or custy anywhere.
D
2006-10-12 15:55:13 · answer #5 · answered by donyafs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋