Top 5 things to try when finding a lost cat:
- Check small spaces and out buildings around your home - ask your neighbours to do so too.
- Walk the streets and call for your cat (shaking a bag of their favourite treats is also a good idea). Try going out after dark, as cats are often more active at night.
- Leave some food and water, as well as your cat’s favourite toy or bedding in the garden.
- Notify your community via social media, an online pet finder service and by sticking up posters in the local area.
- Alert your microchip company, vet and local rescue centres who deal with lost pets.
Cats are naturally inquisitive creatures, keen to know what’s through an open window or hiding in a patch of jungle-like wasteland. A cat's curiosity can, however, sometimes prevent it coming home in a timely fashion. Here we provide tips on what to do if cats or kittens are lost, explore the reasons why this can happen and what to do if you find a lost feline.
Checklist to find a lost cat
Our top ten pointers for finding a missing cat will help you act faster and smarter in the event that you’re looking for a lost cat.
Step 1
Search the house and work outwards
Look in cupboards, boxes, draws and even the empty washing basket. Remember if there’s a space where you think that your cat couldn’t possibly fit, it’s probably where you’ll find it. The most extensive search for a lost cat often ends with it being found under their owner’s nose.
Step 2
Check garages and sheds
The next step to find a missing cat is to check in your garage and shed, as well as those of your neighbours. Doors that are often opened temporarily for lawn-mowing or cleaning the car are often then firmly shut for days on end with a discombobulated cat inside.
Step 3
Walk the streets calling your cat
As missing cats respond to their owner’s voice, it’s worth walking around your local area calling your cat by name. Take some of their favourite treats to shake and pause in between enticements, so you can listen for a meow or cry.
Step 4
Notify your neighbours and local community
The quickest way to notify your community about your missing cat is via social media posts on local Facebook and Instagram pages. There‘s also no substitute for knocking on doors, so use a local map to divide the streets up thoroughly between family and friends and put in some leg work.
Step 5
Inform your microchip company
When your cat is lost, knowing that it’s microchipped has both psychological and practical benefits. Call the microchip providers so they can act as a conduit between you and any veterinary practice where your cat may have been taken to have its microchip scanned.
Step 6
Call your vet
Always inform your local vet about a lost cat as they scan stray arrivals for a microchip showing the owner's details. The biggest problem that vets face is when owners have not kept details up to date so always remember to change them when you move house.
Step 7
Alert local animal rescue centres
It is worth calling all of your local animal rescue centres for help with missing cats. In fact, the RSPCA alone rescues about 90 cats per day. Most rescue centres have a lost and found database, so a match can be identified if someone contacts them, or brings in your missing cat.
Step 8
Use an online pet finder
There are many different online options for reaching a huge audience with your missing cat message. These include Cat Finder and the National Pet Register where you can also quickly create on-line flyers to post on relevant websites, or print out for distribution around your neighbourhood.
Step 9
Produce flyers and position them in key place
Flyers that include a ‘my cat is missing’ message, a picture of your lost cat and contact details is a tried and tested method of alerting the local community. Attach them to lampposts as well as asking local shopkeepers if they can be put up in the window.
Step 10
Leave out your cat’s favourite food
Try leaving your cat’s favourite food outside the back door, or even in several places around the garden. If your cat is missing because he is spooked by new activity in the house or you’ve recently moved , leaving food out will keep them close until they are ready to come back indoors from a nearby hiding spot.
What to do when you find a lost cat
When you find a lost cat, you should try and identify whether it is owned or a long-term stray. If the cat is well-groomed, a good weight or has a collar, it’s likely to have a local owner and just wandered off further than usual. Approach the cat gently and although counterintuitive, don’t offer food as this will encourage it to come back again. It’s a good idea to notify local rescue centres as the cat’s owner may have already contacted them. Posting on community social media sites could also help find the owner faster.
In contrast, a stray cat may look disoriented, uncared for and underweight. If this is the case, your local vet can check if it is microchipped and has an owner. Don’t forget, a stray cat is often just one that has been missing from home for some time. Organisations such as Cats Protection can help as they have a national register of missing cats, as well as offices throughout the country.
If your cat has been lost and found, feed it moderately on easily-digestible wet food as their tummy may have shrunk while missing. If your cat is not eating at all , there are simple techniques you can try such as hand-feeding or heating up their food. You should always give your cat time to adjust, showing it lots of affection while providing space for it to rest and reacclimatise to being home. Once settled, a grooming session will help them feel fresher and you can have a vet check if you think they are under the weather or have picked up an infection. Finally, don’t forget to update your lost pet listings.
Reasons why cats go missing
Why do cats go missing? The disappearance of outdoor cats is often explained by a change or interruption in their usual routine of coming home. It could be that they are trapped inside a shed or outbuilding, for example, or because a frightening disturbance such as building work is stopping them from approaching the house. Sometimes cats can go missing because hunting has taken them a long way from home, although they do leave scent trails as markers to find their way back.
Missing cats can also be linked to illness as they seek some quiet time by themselves when they are not feeling well. A missing cat could even be pursuing a mate which is why it is important to get your cat spayed or neutered. Indoor cats can easily get lost when they have escaped their domestic confines and don’t know their local area. In any case, don’t rule out the possibility that your missing cat or lost kitten has another home where it’s fed, and alternates between the two which means it can go missing for several days at a time.
Finally, moving house is often the reason behind a missing cat. It is wise to keep them indoors for the first 2 weeks after moving and supervise their first trip outside. Try sprinkling their litter around the edges of the garden so it already smells like home.
How to prevent a cat from going missing
Spay or neuter your cat
Spaying and neutering is one of the key ways to minimise missing cats. The feline mating instinct is strong and they will search out other cats in heat, sometimes following them for miles. A female spayed cat will be happy being around the house while a male neutered cat is much less likely to want to be the local lothario.
Fit a collar and identity tag
While most dog owners regard a collar and tag as mandatory, the same cautious approach is often not extended to their cat. Your cat may take a little time to get used to wearing a collar but with persistence and patience, most cats will be fine with it. A collar with a breakaway clasp is preferable as it springs open if your cat snags it on a branch or object, so is the safer option.
Consider a Bluetooth or GPS tracker
A Bluetooth or GPS tracker will pinpoint the location of your cat making a feline retrieval much easier. Bluetooth trackers are normally smaller, cheaper and can be connected to an app on your phone.
Microchip your cat
There’s no substitute for a micro chip and it is often the only reason that a missing cat is reunited with its owner. It’s crucial that you keep your details up to date and contact the service provider with your new address and especially a new mobile number.
Keep indoor cats secure
Keeping indoor cats safe and secure inside the house is obviously a basic requirement because they are more likely to be disorientated if they do venture out. You can always fit screens on doors and windows for fresh air in Summer.
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