If your cat is missing, there are several things you can do to find it. Cats usually tend to hide when they get lost and often do not even respond to the owner's call. Focus your efforts on thoroughly researching all the hiding places near your home, asking for help from as many people as possible, and encouraging the cat to return alone. Here are the best ways to get your kitty home.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Research Effectively
Step 1. Start the search immediately
By starting a thorough search right away, there is a good chance of finding the cat near the location where it got lost. The more time passes, the more likely it is that the cat will move further from home.
- Keep calm. It's natural to feel upset, but panicking isn't helpful at all, either for you or for your cat. Acting immediately can help ease anxiety.
- If you have recently moved, look for the pet in your old home. If you have moved to a place far away from your original home, ask friends, family or neighbors who still live there to search for you.
- Check out any spaces a cat might be hiding in. This means inside a shed, in the garage, under a deck, in the bushes, in the trees or on the roof.
Step 2. Carry a flashlight
Even in the daytime, having a flashlight will allow you to take a look in dark places and, possibly, notice the reflection of the cat's eyes.
Step 3. Call the cat in a quiet tone
Don't assume it responds to your voice, as it normally does. A lost cat is usually terrified and may not want to leave its hiding place for you either. Call him in a soft, quiet voice to avoid frightening him further.
Step 4. Stop and listen regularly
A trapped, injured, or hungry cat will likely meow. Whether you are alone or with a group of people, take a few minutes in each search area to quietly and carefully listen to the cat's call.
Step 5. Keep the other animals away
Your cat may have been chased away by another cat in the area, especially if you have recently moved. Ask other cat owners to keep their pets indoors while you search for yours, and be prepared to increase the search range when you have checked all places nearby.
If you have dogs, their enthusiasm can scare your cat when searching. However, if the dog is happy to look for the cat or responds to "Find the cat," it may be helpful to take him out if you cannot find the lost pet on your own
Step 6. Bring one of his favorite toys with him
If your cat has one, such as a stuffed mouse or a feather, take it with you as you look for it and make it very visible, as if you want it to play with you; this can dispel the animal's fears and bring it out of hiding.
Step 7. Get help from friends and neighbors
Warn anyone who is looking for the cat that, after finding it, they will have to remain silent and avoid sudden movements, lest they run away again, frightened. It is usually best for the owner to approach the cat, as it will almost always be very frightened.
Give your mobile number to everyone involved in the search and provide everyone with a flashlight, even if the search takes place during the day
Step 8. Ask passers-by for help and information
Whenever someone passes you, ask them if they have seen your cat; show a photo, if you have one.
- Postmen, children, and other people who spend a lot of time outside in your neighborhood can be especially helpful.
- Offering a reward increases motivation, even with relatively small amounts.
Step 9. Search again after dark
If you searched during the day, return after dark and repeat the previous steps when the environment is quieter. Bring a flashlight, and call your cat softly. Many cats come out of hiding places more willingly at night, because they can rely on the dark for their safety.
Step 10. Install digital motion sensor cameras around the house
You could take a picture of the cat and find that it is nearby and thus focus your search on those areas.
Step 11. Keep searching
Most cats that are lost or scared are hiding instead of running away. As a result, some may spend several weeks close to home, moving from hiding to hiding at night. It is not absurd to think of finding a lost cat after a few months.
Part 2 of 4: Knowing where to look
Step 1. Search hiding places
When a cat gets lost and scared, it often hides in the first place it sees. Look in dense foliage, under porches, cavities, garages and sheds. Start near the spot where the cat got lost and continue widening the circle.
Also check under drain grates and inside ventilation pipes and ducts
Step 2. Search everywhere in an area up to five blocks away from yours
Most cats will hide and remain silent for a few days before responding to your call. Go back to the places where he may have been hiding and have the person he might answer most willingly call for.
Step 3. Look up
Even a cat without claws can climb, especially if it is frightened. Search on trees, roofs and in the highest corners. The cat may even have entered the junction of the roof and walls if there is an opening there.
Step 4. Search in warm places
If the weather is cold, your cat could get stuck behind a radiator, crawl through an air duct, or even climb into a car engine from underneath.
Step 5. Search neighbors' homes and gardens
Knock on the doors of all homes and businesses near the place where the cat was last seen. Ask for permission to search the areas around their buildings, focusing again on the hiding places.
If there is a way for a cat to enter such buildings, ask the owner if he is willing to search inside as well, or if you can
Step 6. Think about the places where the cat might be trapped
Here are some examples of how they sometimes get stuck:
- Yards often contain pits, rubble, or equipment that could trap the cat.
- Neighbors may have locked the cat in a garage without realizing it. Call neighbors who have recently moved away for the holidays or have another reason not to put their cars back in the garage.
- Your cat may have jumped into a car or truck and been turned away. This is more likely if your cat likes to drive around or explore them.
Step 7. Look around the house too
Your cat may be trapped or injured under furniture, in a locked room, or in an area rarely visited, such as an attic or basement. He may also simply be hiding, especially if there are loud noises in his home or neighborhood at the moment that he doesn't recognize.
Search reclining chairs, mattresses or mattress bins, fireplace, dresser drawers, behind tangled curtains, bookshelf books, access panels, and appliances
Part 3 of 4: Encouraging the Cat to Return
Step 1. Call your cat outside at night
Invite him to come out of hiding or come home by calling him and shaking his food box. The sound of a can of food opening may draw it towards you.
- Lost cats are usually too cautious to approach the source of a sound, even a familiar one, but this method can work in the middle of the night, when it's dark and no one is present but you.
- Take a break and wait for a response from the cat when you call him.
Step 2. Leave familiar smells near your door
A litter box, toy, or blanket can help your cat recognize the smell and stay around longer if she visits in the night. If you don't have these items, try leaving a shirt you wore before washing it outside the door.
Step 3. Avoid leaving food out of the house
Strong smelling foods, such as wet cat food, tuna, or liver can attract your pet - but also other cats and animals that may scare yours. This step is recommended by many pet protection associations, but you will need to be prepared to chase away dogs, foxes, and other cats.
Leave half of the food in a closed plastic container with a few holes in the lid. This will cause the animals (with any luck your cat) to smell the food without being able to get to it and hang around the door longer
Step 4. Try to stay home or ask a family member to do so to see if the cat returns
Cats are very territorial and almost always come home from time to time. However, if they find no one, they may walk away again.
Step 5. Leave a transceiver outside the back door of the house
Keep the other two-way radio close to the bed, loud enough to wake you up if the cat shows up and meows.
Step 6. Place a non-dangerous trap
Many animal shelters rent or lend easy-to-use traps. In pet stores you can buy them instead. Don't forget to put some cat food in the trap and sprinkle some kibble and catnip around the area as well.
Check the trap every day. If you have captured a wild animal, contact animal protection
Step 7. Use catnip as bait
Sprinkle the herb or its scent around the front door and surrounding area. This method is not suitable if the neighbors are cat owners.
Step 8. Empty the vacuum cleaner bag outside the home
It will likely be filled with your cat's hair and smell, which may attract it due to the familiar scent. Empty it again every ten days or so.
Part 4 of 4: Spreading the News
Step 1. Distribute flyers around the neighborhood
If your cat has been missing for several hours, talk to the neighbors and print flyers to put in the mailboxes and post on the walls. Write on the flyer your name, your phone number and put a picture of the cat. Describe any special markings (such as "white triangular spot on the paw") and, if you are handing out black and white flyers, write what color it is. Look online for flyer templates if you don't know how to make them.
- Include relevant information about your cat's medical or dietary problems.
- Kindly ask neighbors to check their sheds, garages and basements. It is best to check the closest ones first because it is easy for the cat to frequent them often and to know them well.
- Offering a reward can be good motivation, but don't state the exact amount on the flyer, as it could attract cheaters and liars.
- If you get a report of a cat sighting that doesn't match your description, still visit the site to make sure it's not your pet. Descriptions of strangers are often not like what you would give of the cat.
- Write the date on flyers so people know the information and situation is current and recent.
Step 2. If your cat has a microchip, make sure the contact information contained within is up to date so that a veterinarian or animal protection can call you
Implanting a microchip in a domestic cat is a very common procedure that only needs to be done once. They are implanted by professional vets under the skin that covers the cat's shoulder blades. They are about the size of a grain of rice and contain a unique code that can be read by a scanner held above the animal's body.
- When the chip is implanted in the animal, the owner provides the registration information to the company that produces it, which will keep a copy until this information is changed.
- The code is linked to the owner's information thanks to the microchip database. Once the code is revealed with the scanner, it will be possible to contact the company that produces the microchips and find out the information about the owner.
Step 3. Put the flyers in strategic places
It's best to put as many of them as possible within a two-kilometer radius of your home. Beyond that, there are several strategies for using flyers effectively and many places worth reaching for:
- Hand out flyers to vets, in case someone brings your cat to get it medicated or to start an adoption process.
- Post flyers near schools and playgrounds at children's eye level. Children are often more careful than adults, especially in noticing animals.
- Pet supply stores and grooming salons are frequented by people who love animals and are therefore more likely to take action to search for them.
- Place ads on local bulletin boards at laundromats, churches, lost pet sites, pet stores, libraries and grocery stores, or any businesses that allow you to do so in your neighborhood.
Step 4. Post a color picture of your cat on the internet
Often, those who find lost pets look for their owners online; decide whether to post a picture of your pet or search for it on one of the many pet tracing sites, local community sites, the lost pets section of Craigslist, or wherever you can think of. Include up-to-date contact information on all posts.
- Sites for tracking lost pets include Get My Cat, Missing Pet, Pets911, and TabbyTracker.
- You can use Twitter and Facebook to spread the word to your network of friends. Be sure to include a photo or two.
- If your neighborhood association has a website or email news service, post a lost cat notice. Remember to include the cat's name, description and temperament.
Step 5. Publish a notice in the local newspaper
Pay a local newspaper to place an ad about the lost cat, with its description and your phone number. Contact the most popular newspaper in the area. If no local newspaper serves your area, inquire about other publications available at government offices.
Step 6. Change the voicemail message
Record a new voicemail to make sure the caller leaves all relevant information. For example, "You have reached (name). If you are calling about my lost cat, (name), please leave a message with the date and location of your last sighting, along with your name and phone number. Thank you."
Step 7. Call the local animal welfare office
Usually, if someone comes across a lost cat, they report it to the local authorities in charge. Call the local animal shelter and report that your cat is missing, adding all relevant details (cat's sex, color and contact information). Visit them daily or every other day until you find your cat, because, sometimes, shelters have a lot of cats and they have a hard time matching your description to the animals they have.
Some shelters have a lost animal registry, so you can have a copy of your contact information should they find an animal that matches your description. It is never a bad idea to make friends with the shelter staff to personally make them aware of your situation and your cat's description. Homemade treats will allow you to break the ice with anyone who can help you
Step 8. Check immediately and regularly in shelters, kennels and zoophilic bodies
If your cat has been taken to a particularly busy local shelter or kennel, they may only be able to keep it for a couple of days before putting it down. If they know you are actively looking for it, they could become allies; ask them to call you if a cat is found that matches your description.
Check larger shelters at least once every two days if possible
Step 9. Notify the local municipal police department
Sometimes, they receive calls about the animals found, especially in areas without shelters. Cops who spend their day driving the streets may notice your cat.
Don't call the police department's emergency number! Call the regular number or speak to a policeman. Even if the loss of your cat is an emergency in your eyes, the police must prioritize incidents involving people
Step 10. Check the "Found" sections in newspapers and online
Do it every day. Many animal shelters have websites that show pictures of stray animals that have been captured - make sure you check the site every day, perhaps several times a day. Search for "lost pets" + your location name to find other local websites.
Step 11. Hire a "Pet Detective"
These professionals specialize in finding lost animals.
Advice
- After you find the cat, let everyone know and remove the flyers from the area. Thank all the people who helped you.
- If you have offered a reward, be sure to pay all the people who have made a significant contribution to the research.
- After finding your cat, put on a collar with his identification information and a microchip if possible. Cover open pipes, vents and gaps with screens.
- If your cat has not been spayed or neutered, have him undergo the procedure right after you find him. Animals that can reproduce run away more frequently to look for a mate. If your unsterilized cat has escaped, she may be pregnant. Take her to the vet right away for advice.
- Know your cat's temperament. Some cats are quite sociable and may have invited themselves into someone's home. If the cat does not report your information, whoever finds it will not be able to contact you immediately. If you have a very cautious and fearful cat, it will more likely remain hidden for a few days. Keep looking, think like you are your cat, and use all your resources. You may find some cats even after weeks or months of being lost.
- An alternative option for finding out when your cat returns home are a wireless handheld motion sensor and receiver. Set the sensor at cat height, near a food bowl or familiar object you keep outside. Put the receiver in the room, at a volume that will wake you up when it detects movement.
- Most cats that flee go home on their own.
- If you find the cat, keep it indoors for a few days to get it used to living in the house again. When you bring him back outside, always keep a bowl with his food close to home, so as not to let him stray too far.
Warnings
- Be especially careful to keep your cat indoors and safe in the event of construction, storms, celebrations, fireworks, parades, and private sales. Noise, chaos and the presence of many people can scare the animal. Consider confining your cat if necessary to keep him safe.
- If you (or a roommate or family member) move, be careful that the cat is not placed in a box. Keep the cat in a different room than where you keep the boxes. On the day of the move, make sure the cat is in its cage (or otherwise safely confined) before opening the doors to the house and letting the movers in. Avoid losing the cat in the confusion.
- Unfortunately, it is possible that your cat has been hit by a car, so contact the street cleaner and ask them if they have found a cat body that matches your description.
- There is a good chance your cat will be killed by other animals, such as dogs or owls. Look in nearby trees for signs of hair and scuffles.
- Do not indicate your home address on the flyer or in online comments. Always reply to anyone who claims to have found the cat to see you in a public place, in the presence of a friend of yours.
- Beware of scams. You may be contacted by people who claim to have found your cat and want some money in return. Avoid posting an identifying trait or two so you know if it's really your cat.
