If your cat is lost, there are several things you can do to find it. Usually cats will hide when they disappear and often do not even respond to calls from their owners. Concentrate your efforts by carefully searching all hiding places near your home, spreading the word to as many people as possible, and encouraging the cat to come back on its own. These are the best ways to get your cat back to its owner.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Searching Effectively
Step 1. Perform a search immediately
If you do an extensive search right away, you're more likely to find the cat still close to the original location of the cat's disappearance. The longer the time passes, the more likely it is that the cat will go further away from the house.
- Stay calm. It's natural to feel anxious, but panicking isn't going to help you or the cat either. Taking immediate steps can reduce anxiety.
- If you recently moved house, go back to the old house and do some searching. If moving to a house very far from your old home, ask old friends, family, and neighbors who still live there to do a search.
Step 2. Bring a flashlight
Even during the day, bring a flashlight so you can see in dark places, and catch the reflection in your cat's eyes.
Step 3. Call the cat in a soft voice
Don't assume the cat will respond to your calls in the usual way. A stray cat is usually in a state of fear, and may not want to leave its hiding place, even if you call it. Call the cat in a soft, low voice so that the cat does not become more afraid.
Step 4. Stop and listen regularly
A cat that is trapped, injured or starving will usually meow. Whether you're looking for it alone or in a group, spend a few minutes in each spot you're looking for to listen to the cat's meow quietly and carefully.
Step 5. Get rid of other animals
Other cats in the area may be chasing your cat, especially if the cat or you have recently moved to the area. Ask other cat owners to include their pets in the house when you're looking for your cat, and be prepared to widen the search area when looking anywhere near your home.
If you also have a dog, the dog's spirit can frighten your cat during the search. But if your dog enjoys looking for the cat or responds to the command, "Find the cat," it might be a good idea to bring the dog if you can't find the cat yourself
Step 6. Bring your cat's favorite toy
If your cat has a favorite toy tied with string or a stick, such as a mouse-shaped toy or a furry toy, take it with you when you search and make it look very vivid, as if you want to play with the cat. This can dispel the fear and get the cat out of hiding.
Step 7. Ask friends and neighbors for help
Warn all those who are on the lookout when they find their cat to remain calm and avoid sudden movements, so that the cat does not move from place to place in fear. Usually, the best recommended step for cat owners is to approach the cat, especially since the cat may be frightened.
Exchange cell phone contact information with everyone participating in the search, and provide a flashlight for everyone, even if the search is conducted during the day
Step 8. Ask passers-by for information and help
When someone passes by, ask if he or she has seen your cat, showing a photo of the cat, if any.
- Postmen, children, and other people who spend a lot of time around your neighborhood can provide useful information during a search.
- Offering rewards can increase quest motivation, even if the rewards are small.
Step 9. Do the search again at night
If you've been searching during the day, come back and repeat the steps above after dark when it's quieter. Bring a flashlight, and call the cat gently. Lost cats sometimes prefer to leave their hiding places at night, when they can take cover in the dark.
Step 10. Install a digital camera with motion sensor around the house
Maybe you'll get a picture of the cat on camera, so you know the cat is nearby and can focus your search.
Step 11. Keep looking
Most cats will prefer to hide rather than run away when they are lost or frightened. For this reason, there are cats that stay for several weeks in one place, then move from one hiding place to another at night. There is also a story about a stray cat that was found a few months later.
Method 2 of 4: Knowing the Search Location
Step 1. Look for hiding places
When lost and frightened, sometimes a cat will run to the first hiding place it sees. Look in thick piles of leaves, under verandas, under garages and sheds. Start from where the cat disappeared and expand the search area.
Also check the drains, inside pipes, vents, etc
Step 2. Search the area within five houses continuously
Many cats will hide and remain silent for several days before finally responding to your call. Return to the same spot near your house and ask someone the cat is most likely to respond to to call the cat.
Step 3. Look in high places
Even a cat whose claws have been dulled can still climb, especially when frightened. Look over trees, roofs, and high places. Even the cat might climb into the space between the roof and the wall, if there is room there.
Step 4. Look in warm places
In cold weather, cats may hide behind heaters, crawl in heating vents, or climb into car engines from below.
Step 5. Look in the neighbors' homes and yards
Visit every house and shop within a few homes of where the cat was last seen. Ask permission to search all the places around their building, and focus on possible hiding places.
If there are gaps for cats to enter the buildings, ask if the owner of the building would like to look inside the buildings. Tell them that you can find them yourself if they are unwilling or unable to do so
Step 6. Think of other places where cats might be trapped
Here are some examples of places where cats sometimes get stuck:
- On construction sites there are sometimes holes, debris, or tools that can trap cats.
- The neighbors may have accidentally locked the cat in the garage. Call neighbors who have recently been away on vacation, or who have other reasons not to put their car in the garage.
- Your cat may jump into a car or truck and be carried away. This is possible if your cat likes to get in the car or explore the space in the car.
Step 7. Look inside the house too
Cats can also become trapped or injured under furniture, in locked rooms or wall cabinets, or in places you rarely visit, such as in the attic or basement. It's possible that your cat is just hiding, especially when there are loud or unusual noises in the house or surroundings.
Look for recliners, mattresses or mattress boxes, chimneys, chest of drawers, behind rows of thick books in bookcases, behind panels, and behind furniture
Method 3 of 4: Encouraging the Cat to Come Back
Step 1. Call the cat outdoors at night
Persuade the cat to come out of hiding or go home by calling him and shaking the box containing his food. The sound of a cat food can being opened may also elicit a response, and if the food has a very strong smell, the cat may respond to the smell.
- A stray cat is usually wary of approaching sounds, even familiar ones, but this can be done successfully in the middle of the night, when it's dark and no one else is around.
- Stop and listen for a response every time you call the cat.
Step 2. Leave smells that are familiar to cats at the door
A litter box and/or familiar toy, or perhaps a blanket, can help the cat smell it and stay there longer when the night comes. If these are not available, try leaving an unwashed T-shirt outside the door, that is, one you've previously worn and that comes in direct contact with your skin.
Step 3. Place the cat food outside
Foods with strong odors, such as wet cat food, salted fish, or liver, can attract your cat's attention, or other cats and other wild animals can scare your cat. This step is recommended by many animal welfare agencies, but you should also be prepared to evict other animals or cats.
- Place some of the food in a sealed plastic container with several holes in the lid. This will allow the animals (hopefully your cat) to smell the food without being able to eat it, so it stays around your door longer.
- Place the sardines. Sometimes regular cat food doesn't work. Sardines will attract your cat's attention.
Step 4. Try to stay home, or ask a family member to be home, to know if the cat is coming
Cats are territorial animals and will likely return home from time to time. However, if no one was home, they might wander off again.
Step 5. Place baby monitor equipment outside the door
Bring another baby monitor device next to your bed, which is set to sound loud enough to wake you up if your cat appears and meows.
Step 6. Set the trap
Many animal shelters will lend you easy-to-use traps. There are even shops that sell them. Don't forget to put cat food in the trap, and also sprinkle the food it likes, as well as catnip (a plant that cats love).
Check traps daily. If any other wild animals are caught, contact an animal welfare agency to release them
Step 7. Use catnip as bait
Spray the scent of catnip or sprinkle catnip around your front door and around your home. This option may not be appropriate if the neighbors also have cats.
Step 8. Empty the bag contained in the vacuum cleaner outside the house
This kit may be filled with cat dander and odors, which your cat may feel familiar. Empty again every ten days or so.
Method 4 of 4: Spreading the News
Step 1. Distribute flyers in the home environment
If your cat has been missing for more than a few hours, talk to the neighbors and get a flyer to put in their mailbox or on their doorstep. Provide your name and phone number, as well as a photo of your cat in the flyer. Describe the characteristics (e.g., "white triangle on the shoulder"), and state the coat color if you are distributing black-and-white flyers. Look for brochure and poster templates online if you don't know how to make your own from scratch.
- Include relevant information about any health conditions or special foods your cat is related to.
- Ask neighbors to check their sheds and garages. A nearby neighbor who is quite familiar with the cat is a good place to check first.
- Offering a reward can encourage motivation, but don't mention the amount, as this can also attract the attention of scammers.
- If you receive reports of people who think they've seen the cat but the features don't quite match your cat's description, visit the place to be sure. Descriptions from strangers sometimes don't match the descriptions you give the cat.
- Date the flyer to let people know the situation and get the latest information.
Step 2. Make sure you enter the latest contact details on the microchip that has been implanted in your cat, so that your vet or animal welfare agency can contact you
Planting a microchip only needs to be done once in a pet's lifetime. The microchip is implanted by a professional veterinarian under the skin above the shoulder blade of the cat. The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and has a unique code that the scanner can read when the scanning equipment is passed over the cat's body.
- When a chip is implanted in a pet's body, the owner provides registration information to the microchip company which will be stored on file until the owner changes the information.
- The code will be linked to the owner information via the microchip database. When the scanner uncovers the code, the microchip company can be contacted with the code and the owner's information will be known.
Step 3. Place brochures in strategic places
It is best if you distribute as many flyers as possible within about 1.5 kilometers of your home. For longer distances, there are a few strategies for using brochures effectively, and places that might be worth checking out:
- Give the flyer to the vet's office, in case someone takes your cat there to treat a wound or start the adoption process.
- Post flyers near schools or playgrounds, at eye level of children. Children pay more attention than adults, especially when it comes to paying attention to animals.
- Dog parks, pet supply stores, and pet grooming salons are frequented by people who love pets, and they tend to seek out more actively.
- Post flyers on bulletin boards at churches, lost pet sites, schools, pet stores, libraries, food stalls, and grocery stores, or other permitted places of business in your neighborhood.
Step 4. Submit color photos online
Many pet inventors search for their owners online. Consider posting a photo of your pet or looking for it on pet finder sites, local community sites, and any other place you can think of. Include your most recent contact information on all of these posts.
- Lost pet search sites, such as Missing Pet, Pets911, and TabbyTracker. The FindToto site (for residents in America) requires a fee to use it, but will broadcast a "Pet Amber Alert" (a pet loss notification service delivered via telephone and social media in certain areas immediately) to neighbors in the area.
- Twitter and Facebook can also be used to spread the word among your friends. Be sure to include a photo or two of your pet.
- If your neighborhood has a website or news item, send out a missing news notification. Remember to include the cat's name, description and nature.
Step 5. Submit the notification in the local newspaper
Place an ad about a missing cat in the local newspaper, including a description of the cat and your phone number. The more limited the coverage area of the newspaper, the better. If there are no local newspapers in your area, inquire about news for your local residents at your RT, RW, neighborhood, police station, or local government.
Step 6. Change voice mail (voice mail)
Record new voicemails to ensure callers provide all pertinent information. For example, say, "You're calling (your name). If you're calling about my missing cat, (name of cat), please leave a message with the date and place you last saw her, as well as your name and phone number. Thank you."
Step 7. Call an animal protection organization
Sometimes if someone found a missing cat, they would report it. Call the animal shelter and report that your cat has disappeared, and provide all pertinent details (gender of cat, coat color and your contact information). Visit or call them until your cat is found. Sometimes there are lots of cats in animal shelters and it's hard to match the description you give to the description they have.
There are shelters that maintain a record of missing animal notices so they have a record of your information, in case an animal with the characteristics and is in their place. Befriending the staff at the shelter won't hurt you, as they can get to know your pet's situation and description more personally. Homemade cakes can break the ice wherever you ask for help
Step 8. Check shelters, confinement and animal protection organizations promptly and regularly
If your cat is taken to a shelter that is full, they may only be able to hold it for a few days before euthanizing the cat. If the officers there know that you are actively looking, they will help. Ask them to call you if a cat that fits your description appears there.
Check the largest animal shelters every few days, if possible
Step 9. Notify the local police station
Sometimes, the police get calls about animals being found, especially in areas where there are no animal shelters. Police officers on patrol may also see your cat.
Don't call the emergency phone numbers for the police! Make a phone call to a non-emergency number or talk to a local patrol officer. Even if you consider your cat's disappearance an emergency, the police need to give priority to other incidents involving humans
Step 10. Check the "found" section in newspapers and online
Check local newspapers and popular online sites daily in the "found" section. Many animal shelters have websites that show pictures or photos of captured or stray animals, so check the website daily or more often. Search for "lost cats," "lost animals," or "lost animals" plus the name of your area to find local websites, if any.
Step 11. Hire an "animal detective"
An animal detective is a person who specializes in searching for lost pets.
Tips
- Once you find the cat, tell others and remove flyers about your cat from the area. Say thanks to everyone who helped find your cat.
- If you offer a reward, be sure to pay it if someone helps you in the search for your beloved pet. If you found someone else's valuable item or pet and were rewarded for finding it, but were not rewarded, what would you say?
- Once you find your cat, provide a safety collar with identification information on the cat, and a microchip if possible. Cover open plumbing, ventilation, roof-to-wall spaces with wire.
- If your cat hasn't been spayed, do so as soon as you find it. Pet cats that are not spayed more often run away to mate with other cats. If your unsterilized female cat runs away, it's possible that she is pregnant by now. Take him to the vet immediately for medical advice.
- Understand the nature of your cat. There are cats who like to roam and may enter other homes. Without identification, the homeowner doesn't have any information about you as the cat's owner. If you have a timid cat that is very careful, it will likely hide and be silent for days. Keep looking, think like your cat and put all the resources into it. Some cats can still be found weeks or months after they disappeared.
- Another way to tell if a cat appears in your house is to use a pair of portable wireless motion sensors and a receiver (also known as a driveway alarm). Set the sensor to the cat's height, facing a food bowl or cat-familiar object you place outdoors. Place the receiver in your bedroom, so that it wakes you up if motion is detected.
- Most runaway cats go home on their own.
- If you find your cat back, lock the cat in the house for a few days until it adjusts to the house. Later, after releasing your cat again, place a can of cat food so the cat doesn't run away again. Your cat will learn to associate food with being at home.
- If the cat runs away again, try smelling the cat's favorite canned food. The smell will bring the cat back home, if it's still alive.
Warning
- Take precautions to keep cats safe indoors during construction, lightning storms, celebrations, fireworks displays, parades, and more. Additional noise, passers-by, commotion, are likely to scare the cat away. Consider keeping the cat safe, if necessary.
- If you (or a family member or roommate) are moving, be careful not to let the cat get into the box. Place the cat in a separate room from the room you use to pack things. On the day of the move, make sure the cat is in its cage before all the doors are opened and people are coming in and out with boxes and furniture. Of course, you don't want to lose your cat in this activity.
- There is a possibility that the cat has an accident on the road. Contact an officer from the Public Works Department. Ask if they found an animal that fits your cat's description.
- It is possible that your cat died from another animal, such as a dog. If you live near a forest, check for signs of cat dander or fighting.
- Don't mention your home address in brochures or online. Always respond to contacts about "cat found" by meeting in a public place with your friends.
- Watch out for scams from people claiming to have found your cat and asking for remittances. Don't mention one or two special traits in brochures and online, so you can identify whether the "hostage" is real or a hoax.
