How To Find A Missing Cat?
We understand the devastation you feel if your favorite pet suddenly disappears. However, at times like this, you need to take a sip of water, calm your nerves and get on with the search.
It is important to remember that all cats are not prone to being inside a house 24*7. Some cats love an adventurous life and wander around- be it for food or mates. Apart from this, a cat normally enjoys moving in and out of the house.
However, at times, your cat might not come back till dinner time. It’s no wonder you start to worry, but panicking will not do any good. Cats do enjoy disappearing for a couple of days and then return. As a pet parent, it can cause you tremendous trouble and anxiety.
In this article, you will learn how to find a missing cat and some tips to avoid your cat’s disappearance in the future.
Call To Action to Find Your Missing Cat
Here are a few tips to follow to find your fur baby. If it helps you, some studies show that 74% of cats return to their pet owner after a certain time. So, cross your fingers and begin your search. Once your fur friend is home, make sure to give them cuddles and hugs.
Double-Check the Neighborhood
Before you get into panic mode, make sure to check your neighborhood areas. Ring a few doorbells and see if your cat is wandering around or inside nearby houses. You must check if they are really lost or just playing hide and seek with you.
So, check your home and the surrounding area thoroughly. Ask your family and friends. Double-check your fur friend’s favorite places such as below the bed, porch, garden, and so on. To check in the dark area, use a torch.
Also, in the future, you might consider getting a tracker.
Begin the Search with Valid Questions
Once you are aware that your cat is nowhere near your home or the surroundings, begin the proper search. It is pointless to sit around in anxiety waiting for your fur friend to come back.
Ask yourself the first valid question: why is my fur friend missing? Such a question is helpful and might provide you some clues to understand where your cat might be. Ask your neighborhood cat lover who considers your pet as their family member as well.
If you answer 3 to 5 reasons for your missing cat, you will know where to start looking. Aimlessly looking around with no solid plan will only cause more delay and trouble in your pet’s return.
Lure Your Fur Friend with Treats
Using treats is one of the easiest ways to get your missing cat home. For this, keep a bowl of your fur baby’s favorite food at your doorstep. Not only this, keep the food in different areas near your home.
If your cat is really just playing with you, she will come back by smelling her favorite food. Food is one of the best ways to lure her back into your cozy home.
Call Out Her Name and Ask for Help
Many cats love the voice of their human parents. Call out her name along with a promise of a delicious treat, and if she is listening, your cat will surely come running back to you. A cat can recognize the owner’s voices as well as their names.
Take your cat’s favorite food while look in the area to lure her with the smell of food. Make sure to walk calmly and call her name in a kind manner to avoid scarring your cat away. Also, gives breaks while calling out her name to let her respond if she is in the area.
Sometimes, it takes a very patient search as a parent to find your missing cat.
Therefore, ask for help from your friends, family, and neighbors. Since the cat knows her name, she might answer to one of the members of your search team. If your cat has the GPS tracker, you can turn on the public sharing option to let others recognize your friend.
Recheck Old neighborhood
If you have shifted to a new area in your city, very often chances are, your fur friend is back to the old street. It is a thing about animals, going back to a familiar place and friends.
If you find your lost cat sun-soaking, remember that it is in their nature to revisit known places.
Posters and Local Vets
Well, if none of the above methods works for you, go ahead with the classic option. Print out some posters with an HD photo of your cat. Make sure to describe her physical appearance or unique identification marks in detail. Add your contact details on the poster. Share it in your neighborhood, even newspapers, if you need to.
It is important to highlight that some cats get caught by local shelters for their safety, so contact all the vets in your city.
Make sure to leave your contact with these vets if they find your missing cat. You can also keep checking the vet websites because they put up pictures of cats they find.
Social Media to the Rescue
People in your friend list and other acquaintances from social media might be able to help you out. Post your cat’s picture and describe her physical features.
There are groups on social media that work for the cause of finding lost pets. Ask your friends and family to spread the news and contact animal shelters time and again.
Use Tabby Tracker
Tabbytracker is a great service to find out about your lost cat. Here, you can find a list of poor cats away from their owners. Your cat may be on that list too. If not, you can report your fur friend on the website and share it with as many people as possible.
For your ease, the Tabby Tracker has categorized the list into gender. You can also find your pet according to the time they went missing. There is a list of those who got lost in the last year or within 90 days. Just make sure you continue to search without losing hope.
Prevention Tips
Don’t worry, your fur friend loves you, and she will eventually return to your love and home.
Once you reunite with your cat and get back to your calm and composed state, it’s a good time to follow some tips. The below tips will help you prevent your fur friend’s disappearance in the future:
- GPS tracker for your cat is a great way to avoid your cat getting lost.
- To avoid your cat running away with their newfound mating friend, spay your cat.
- Keep your fur friend occupied with activities and treats.
- Shower them with love and treats.
Summing Up
While searching for your lost cat, the crucial thing is to keep at it without assuming any unfortunate scenario as it will only cause you further anxiety. Once you find them, make sure to follow the prevention tips to avoid future disappearances of your fur friend.
If you have a few more tips to share with the panicky cat owners, comment down below. You can also share your experience of finding your fur friend.