searching for lost cat - night vision goggles/binoculars

[Lesley Frankie]

In normal circumstances he does respond to the sound of his treats and I have been doing that when I search for him. My enquiry about night vision was just to see if anyone had any experience of using it.

[Tiggy's Mum]

I wasn't trying to put you off searching for him, just not sure how effective night vision would be in large areas of shrubbery  Does he respond to treats being shook or a bowl being 'chinked' with a spoon? You could try and recreate any positive sounds in the hope it will draw him out if he is hiding somewhere 

[Lesley Frankie]

Hi again, you are correct in that our whole area is surrounded by shrubbery etc but, how else am I going to search for him? If he is hiding/sleeping in there -I can't hope to see him if he does not repond to my calls. Also, if I am to search at night, I need to think of my own safety. Most of the threads I have read where cats were found, they were found because their people went looking. Othrwise I will just have to hope that he comes home of his own accord.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Not saying that he won't be sheltering/sleeping in the bushes/shrubbery, as he may well be - it's just from how you describe your location 'surrounded by countryside with dense foliage' I just can't see how you could possibly search the bushes effectively due to the vast area they cover 

[Lesley Frankie]

Hi Tiggy's Mum, well I don't know how else to search in such dense foliage / undergrowth. Are you thinking that he would not be hiding in the bushes because everything that I have read about lost cats says that cats will hide under bushes etc?

[Tiggy's Mum]

I don't mean to sound negative but unless you had a very specific search area that you were looking in I don't think night vision would be particularly helpful  As the area you're in is so rural with I think it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack looking in shrubbery for him 

I know you're trying to think of anything to try and help get him back, and I would too if I was in your shoes, but I think given your location this probably isn't a useful option 

[Lesley Frankie]

Hello again, I have been searching for Basil for nearly 4 weeks now. We are surrounded by countryside with dense foliage. It is impossible to see into many areas and I was wondering if night-vision goggles or binoculars would be useful. Has anyone here had any experience of using them - not necessarily for looking for lost pets - but in dense foliage / undergrowth and shrubery?  Thanks.