Have A Missing Cat? Do These Things First!

It’s every cat parent’s worst fear. You put out Shadow’s breakfast,just like you do every morning, but there’s no sign of Shadow. Whether your catis strictly indoor only, or goes outside on a regular basis, it’s incredibly upsetting to have your cat disappear. Don’t just sit back and wait for your kitty to return, though—take action! Have A Missing Cat? Do These Things First!

Here are the first three things you should do if your cat ever goes missing. (Hint: one of them is NOT leaving your cat’s litter box outside!)

1. Conduct an active search

When a pet goes missing, lots of people spring into action, putting up a poster that says “please check sheds and garages”—and then they sit back and wait … but you need to get out there and search yourself! Knock on doors, ask people if you can walk around their yard and peek in their shed/garage…if they aren’t home, leave a flyer and follow up later. Stroll the neighborhood at night when it’s quiet. Bring a flashlight to look for eye shine, and call your kitty loudly and often. No-one else loves your cat like you do, and no-one else is going to look as hard as you will—so get out there and search! Your cat’s life may depend on it.

Of course, it goes without saying that you should never trespass on private property. If you feel you need to search a property you don’t have access to, contact your local animal control officer for assistance.

2. Think like a cat

Not all cats behave the same way when they are missing or displaced. (Note that those terms are preferable to lost—cats have an extraordinary sense of location, so very few ever truly get lost.) If your cat is shy and normally indoor only, he or she may well be very close by, but in survival mode and too terrified to come, even if you are calling. I have seen this happen too many times to count during my career in animal welfare—sometimes with entirely avoidable tragic endings, all because an owner refused to believe her cat wouldn’t come to her when she called. All your terrified kitty may need is a humane trap baited with yummy food—or a door or window to your house left open during quiet nighttime hours.

If your cat is used to being outdoors and has failed to return home at the normal time, it’s more likely that your cat is trapped somewhere and therefore unable to return home. In that case, you’ll need to start by conducting an active search—see tip #1 above. Take the time to consider your cat’s personality and situation and tailor your approach accordingly. The Missing Pet Partnership’s Missing Cat Behavior page is an invaluable resource as you try to think like your cat.

3. Don’t give up!

Far too many people decide that their cat must have been killed by a predator, stolen or hit by a car, and so they don’t bother to do much at all in the way of looking. In my decade in animal sheltering, we had quite a few cats brought in to us as strays whose former owners we were able to locate, only to have that former owner say “Oh, we just assumed he got eaten by a coyote, so we got a new cat. We really can’t take him back.” Don’t jump to conclusions—predation on cats is much less common than people tend to believe.

Conduct an active search, think like a cat and don’t give up on your best friend! He or she is counting on you!

A few other things you should make sure to remember if your cat goes missing:

• Make a BIG, clear lost cat poster using these great tips:
• If your cat is microchipped, call the microchip company immediately and report your cat as lost
• Use social media to your advantage—it’s a great, quick way to get the word out far and wide both on your own network and through local shelter and lost and found pet pages!
• Call your local shelters and veterinary offices—and keep checking back!

For more resources on finding missing pets, check out these sites:

Missing Pet Partnership

Massachusetts Animal Coalition

A final word: Please, if your cat isn’t already microchipped, do it now—and then keep that registration updated! It’s a quick and easy process that provides your cat with a permanent form of identification. Check with your local shelter to see if they offer discounted microchips. A properly updated registration helped me reunite a sweet brown tabby with his owners a full year after he jumped out of a car window on the side of the highway—250 miles from home! Chip your cat today!

By Liz Pease

Photo Credit: Animal Healings