There are many things you can do to find a missing cat.Stressed cats don't respond to their owners' calls.Spread the word and flyers around to as many people as possible and encourage the cat to come back on its own.You can get your kitty back where it belongs.
Step 1: Start looking right away.
There is a good chance that you will find the cat near to where it was last seen.The cat can go further from home if the time has passed.Stay calm.Getting into a panic won't help you or your cat.Taking immediate action can reduce anxiety.Go back to your old place if you moved recently.Ask your friends, family, and old neighbors if they still live there to find you if you moved far away.There are places where a cat could hide.This means inside sheds, garages, beneath deck, up trees, or on the roof.
Step 2: There is a flashlight.
You can catch the reflection of your cat's eyes with a flashlight, even in the dark.
Step 3: It's a good idea to quietly call for the cat.
Don't think your cat will respond to your voice the same way it normally does.A frightened cat may not want to leave its hiding spot even for you.To avoid scaring the cat further, call for it in a soft, quiet voice.
Step 4: Stop and listen a lot.
A cat may meow.If you're searching alone or with a group, take a few minutes to listen quietly and attentively for a meow.
Step 5: Animals should be kept away.
If you have recently moved to the area, another cat could have chased your cat away.Ask other cat owners to keep their pets inside while you look for yours, and be prepared to increase the scope of your search as you cover the ground closest to home.Your cat may be frightened by the enthusiasm of your dogs.It is possible to bring the dog on a search if your dog is fond of the cat.
Step 6: Bring along a toy.
If your cat has a favorite toy on a string or wand, like a stuffed mouse or feather, take it with you while you search and make it very visible so you can play with it.
Step 7: Friends, neighbors, or a professional lost cat finders are ideal to help.
If they spot the cat, stay quiet and do not chase.The cat is likely to be very frightened if the owner approaches it.Provide each person with a flashlight, even in daylight, if you can trade cell phone contact information with everyone involved in the search.
Step 8: Ask for help from others.
If you have a photograph of your cat, ask the person walking by if he has seen it.People who spend a lot of time outside in your neighborhood can be useful.Even relatively small rewards increase motivation.
Step 9: After nightfall, look again.
If you were looking for something during the day, return and repeat the steps after dark.Call softly to your cat with a flashlight.Sometimes lost cats are willing to leave their hiding places at night to be safe.
Step 10: There are motion sensor digital cameras in your home.
You can use a camera to take a picture of the cat so that you can focus on your search.
Step 11: Keep looking.
Cats will hide if they're lost or in a scary situation.Some cats may spend several weeks in the area, moving from one hiding place to another by night.After a couple months, it's not uncommon for a lost cat to be found.
Step 12: Find hiding spots.
When a cat is lost, it will run to the first hiding place it sees.Search under porches, in crawl spaces, and in garage and sheds.Start by the place the cat was lost.Also check the inside of the pipes and the vent.
Step 13: You can find five houses in the area.
Cats will stay silent for a few days until they hear from you.The person the cat will most likely respond to call out for is near your house.
Step 14: Look up.
Even a scared cat can still climb.You can see trees on rooftops and high corners.If there is an opening between the roof and the walls, the cat may have crawled into it.
Step 15: Look at warm places.
If the weather is cold, your cat may get stuck behind a heating appliance, or even climb onto the engine of a car from below.
Step 16: Search for your neighbors' homes.
Within a few doors of the location where your cat was last seen, knock on all the doors.Asking for permission to search the areas around their buildings again will focus on hiding places.If there is a way for a cat to get into those buildings, ask if the owner would be willing to search inside as well.If they aren't willing or able to look for the cat, suggest searching yourself.
Step 17: Think about where the cat could be trapped.
Construction sites often contain pits, rubble, or equipment that could be used to trap the cat.The cat may have been locked in the garage by the neighbors.Phone neighbors who recently left for vacation, or have another reason for not returning their car to the garage.It is possible that your cat jumped into a car, delivery truck, or moving truck and was driven away.
Step 18: As well, search inside as well.
In an attic or basement, your cat could be trapped underneath furniture or injured in a locked room.If there are loud, unfamiliar noises in your house, it could be hiding.Recliner chairs, mattresses or mattress boxes, chimney, drawers, tangled drapes, behind the books in a bookcase, and behind access panels are some of the things to look for.
Step 19: At night time, call for your cat.
Call your cat and shake the box of dry food or treats to get him out of hiding.The sound of opening a can of cat food may prompt a response from the cat, if the food has a strong scent.Lost cats are usually too cautious to approach sounds, even familiar ones, but this may work in the middle of the night when no one is around.Listen for a response after each call.
Step 20: You can leave a shirt next to the door.
Step 21: Food should be left out.
If you can't stay up to watch all night, food left out can attract animals.Half of the food should be left in a closed plastic container with a few holes punched in it.This will cause animals to smell the food without being able to get at it, and may cause them to hang around your door longer.
Step 22: To keep an eye out for the cat, try to have someone stay at the house.
Cats are likely to come home from time to time.If there is no one home, your cat may wander off again.
Step 23: A baby monitor can be left outside.
If your cat meows you'll be woken up if you keep the other end of the baby monitor by your bed loud.
Step 24: Set a trap.
Many animal shelters have traps that are easy to use.Feed stores sell them.The trap should be checked hourly.Allow a wild animal to go free if it is caught in the trap.
Step 25: As a frisky cat can knock a trap shut, use less catnip.
You have a front door and surrounding area.If your neighbors have cats, this option may not be wise.
Step 26: You need to empty your vacuum cleaner bag.
This is not a good idea if coyotes or other cats show up, but people think the scent will keep a cat around.
Step 27: You can distribute flyers in your locality.
If your cat is missing for more than a few hours, make fliers and talk to your neighbors.Put your name, phone number, and photo of your cat on the flyer.If you're distributing black-and-white flyers, write the coat color on the fliers and describe any distinguishing marks.If you're not sure how to make a Lost Cat poster, look for online templates.If life threatening, include relevant information about specific conditions.Ask your neighbors to check out their properties.If the cat is familiar with some of the neighbors, it is a good place to check.It's a good idea to offer a reward to get people to look instead of keeping an eye out.Make sure to visit the location if you receive a report of a cat that doesn't match your cat's description.A description from a stranger doesn't match the description you give the cat.Information on posters is easy to read.Only the relevant facts should be included.
Step 28: Make sure that your cat is insured.
Ensure that the associated contact details are up-to-date so that a vet or animal agency can call you.Only once in a pet's life is it necessary to have a chip implanted.Under the skin of the cat's shoulder blades, a veterinary professional places a small device called a sphygmomanometer.When a hand held scanning device is waved over a pet's body, it can read a unique code on the chip that is about the size of a grain of rice.When the chip is implanted in the pet, the owner gives registration information to the company that will be kept on file until they change that information.The owner's information will be linked to the code.The owner's information will be available when the chip company is contacted with the code after the scanner reveals it.When a stray cat is brought in, most veterinarians and animal shelters will check for a chip for free.
Step 29: There are effective locations for flyers to be placed in.
You should post as many fliers as you can within a mile of your home.Give fliers to veterinary offices in case someone takes your cat there to treat injuries or begin an adoption process, as well as several other strategies for using your fliers effectively.Post flyers at children's eye level.Children are more likely to notice animals than adults.Dog runs, dog parks, pet supply stores, and pet grooming salons are all visited by pet-friendly people who are more likely to search actively.You can post on community message boards at laundromats, churches, missing pet websites, schools, pet stores, libraries, and grocery stores.
Step 30: You can post a color picture online.
Many people search online for missing pets.Think about posting a picture of your pet on one of the many pet recovery websites, local community sites, or the local lost pet section, and anywhere else you can think of.All posts should include contact information.There are several lost pet tracking websites.FindToto for US residents costs money, but will broadcast a "Petamber Alert" to neighbors in your area.It is possible to spread the word among your network of friends.It's important to include a photo or two.You can post a Lost Cat notice if your association has an email news digest.The cat's name, description and temperament are important.
Step 31: Place a notice in a newspaper.
You can pay a newspaper to place a lost cat ad.The more local the newspaper is, the better.Ask about community newsletters at a community center, a police or sheriff's station, or a local government building if no local newspaper serves your area.
Step 32: Your voice mail message can be changed.
It's a good idea to record a new voice mail message.Say "You've reached"If you're calling about my lost cat, please leave a message with the date and place you last saw him, along with your name and phone number.Thank you.
Step 33: Call the animal welfare agency.
If someone finds a lost cat, they'll report it to your local animal control.Call your local animal shelter and report your cat has gone missing along with all the relevant details (sex of the cat, color, and your contact information).Visit them every day or two until your cat is found, as sometimes shelters have many cats and have a difficult time matching your description to what they have.If a similar animal comes into the facility, some shelters keep a log of lost pet announcements so that they have records of your information.To make the front staff at the shelter aware of your situation and your pet's description, make friends with them.Home baked goods break a lot of ice.
Step 34: Find the location of your open intake shelter.
You should check in person every couple of days.If your cat is taken to a crowded shelter or local pound, they may only be able to hold the cat for a few days before they kill it.The staff can be an ally if they know you're looking.If a cat fitting your cat's description shows up, ask them to call you.
Step 35: Inform the police department.
In areas without shelters, police get calls about found animals.Your cat might be noticed by officers who drive around.Don't call the police department's emergency number.Talk to your local patrolman instead of calling the non- emergency number.Police need to prioritize when it comes to incidents involving people.
Step 36: There are "found" sections on online and in the newspapers.
You can find local newspapers and popular online sites under the "found" section.Check the website daily or more frequently for pictures of captured, stray animals.You can find additional local websites by searching for "lost pets" and the name of your region.
Step 37: A "Cat Detective" or a "Lost Cat Finder" can be hired.
Most states have trained pet detectives who can find lost pets.