What to do if your cat goes missing. How to find a missing cat Lost red cat Preobrazhenskaya Square

We love our pets very much, because they become full members of our family. Imagine that your beloved cat has disappeared. You went around the rooms, checked the area and nothing. First of all, you need to calm down and remember the last time you saw him. Perhaps, after analyzing the last moment of the meeting, it will be possible to build a logical chain that will recreate the picture and allow us to organize searches in the right direction.

A cat is a smart and quick-witted animal. But even she can get lost. There are many reasons for the disappearance. Some pets, seeing a bird through an open window, may succumb to an uncontrollable instinct and jump after it. Others run and hide, scared of someone. Still others jump after the mouse, not understanding what awaits them. Often the reason a cat goes missing is the negligence of the owner who did not lock the door. Not all cats need to be found; some return to the house on their own. This applies to animals that are accustomed to the street. Cats often run away after moving. In this case, you need to look for them at the old address. If your pet cat has gone missing, you need to immediately start searching on your own.

27 tips: What to do if your cat is lost. Remember them, or better yet, save them, because when this happens, you will already be prepared

It’s worth starting with the apartment - in 2 cases out of 10, the cat did not disappear anywhere, but hid somewhere in the house, sensing danger.

If your cat is missing, you need to:

1. Inspect the furniture, cabinets, niches in the house, look under the bed. There are many places where a cat can hide.

2. Look from above on cabinets, sideboards, walls. Perhaps it is from there that your pet carefully watches your actions.

Cat - Bushido San hiding on the sideboard

3. Our mustachioed friends love to use empty boxes at home as shelter.

4. Looking under the bathroom, there is a chance to see your pet there, resting on the cool floor.

5. Don't forget to check your washing machine. Especially if it is front loading. Using the open door left for ventilation, pets can easily get inside.

6. If there is a balcony, you need to check it. Neighbors' adjacent balconies may be where your pet has moved to. If there is such a possibility, you need to check it.

Analyze how the pet could leave the apartment: through the door or window. This will make it easier to determine the direction of the search. Finding themselves in unfamiliar conditions, pets run to the nearest shelter. After falling out of the window, the cats hide next to the house. The area under the windows is inspected - perhaps the pet landed unsuccessfully.

Case from Natalia:

“One day our cat, as usual, was sitting on the balcony and watching what was happening in the area. Suddenly, at one moment, he jumped after a bird flying past. We had the 5th floor. We didn’t find him below the balcony, and he wasn’t nearby either. The search came to nothing. But a month later, returning from work, I saw a familiar cat’s head peeking out of a hole under the porch in the entrance. He recognized me, got out and gave himself into my arms. The nose was broken, and here and there there was dried dirt or blood. They went out and fed them. Everything ended well."

Places to look:

7. If the cat ran out through the front door, then it is worth inspecting the upper floors of the landings.

8. The presence of an attic and free access to it allows for the possibility of checking in this direction.

9. Basement with open windows. If a pet fell out of a window, most likely, when it landed, it hid there out of fear. If the basement is lit, it will be easy to find.

10. On the street, be sure to check under the cars that are parked in large numbers near our houses.

11. Crowns of nearby trees, bushes. You can search for a cat alone, but it is better to involve a group of people in this action. Acquaintances and friends can help you in your search. If the cat is domestic, it will hide nearby.

12. You can take the cat's toys and try to lure it into view. To attract attention, the cat is called and lured with food. When she comes out, try not to scare her away.

13. If the cat has disappeared at the dacha, inspect the neighbors' plots. The pet could have gotten into their house.

14. If your pet goes missing in winter, don’t worry too much, he can hide in any warm place. Therefore, we examine potential heat sources.

15. Inspect the nearest roads. A cat can be hit by a car if it tries to get to the other side, rushing across the path of passing cars.

16. If the loss is discovered during the day, it is better to wait until the evening or night, when the bustle on the street has subsided. In the silence of the night, extraneous noise will no longer be heard and your pet will be more likely to hear your call. Of course, provided that it is nearby.

17. In the evening, when all the neighbors are at home, you can try to find out from them if they have seen the cat. Perhaps they will indicate the direction or location.

18. At night, a cat can be given away by its eyes glowing in the dark. For example, when you are combing the next bushes with a flashlight.

19. In many of our yards there are playgrounds where mothers like to relax and children like to play. Be sure to ask them. Children are especially attentive to the world around them, so they may well be able to tell you where your pet was spotted.

20. Grandmothers on our benches are as attentive as the children. If a cat ran past, they will definitely notice it, and maybe even try to feed it.

21. Talk to the cleaners and janitors who service your and nearby houses. They start their work before everyone else and can find the missing pet. Get them interested with a small reward.

If the above steps did not help you locate your pet, then the next steps will be to reach as many people as possible who could notice it.

22. On social networks you can find a group suitable for your place of residence and write a missing person announcement there. Be sure to describe the signs and post a photo. Without a photo, there is a risk of getting responses from people who have seen completely different pets.

23. A huge number of the population reads the paper press, so it makes sense to advertise in the newspaper. It is highly advisable to include a photo of your pet.

24. If you have a printer, be sure to print out advertisements and post them around your area. In your house, as well as in neighboring ones, stick notices at each entrance. After that, place them near shops and at public transport stops.

25. Place advertisements in mailboxes, but this can be difficult because access to entrances is limited.

26. It is worth contacting volunteer organizations. They usually have websites.

27. Call animal shelters and veterinary clinics, it is possible that the cat has been there for a long time. You need to visit these establishments and leave a description of the animal to the employees.

In order to avoid all the difficulties associated with the search, you need to take security measures in advance. If you hang a medallion on the cat's collar with a note containing the owner's name and phone number, this will make it easier to find the owner. Contacts should be updated if necessary. It is not necessary to indicate your home address and pet's name.

From the expert:

“It’s better to walk a cat on a harness. There are devices that transmit information about the pet’s location to the owner’s phone. It is imperative that such a device has a certificate and is approved for use. Don't take risks and don't order such devices online. It is necessary to monitor windows and doors - they must be locked. When searching, don’t panic and lose hope.”

From the author:

In any case, if lost cat, there is no need to despair. There are many examples when a pet returns home on its own. Even if he gets lost in the country, there is a chance that he will find his way home on his own.

I had a dog and cats. The dog ran away for 3 months. Then she returned. The neighbors knew about the loss and called when they noticed her at the entrance. The cats also ran away, but almost always found themselves and, once at home, they ran headlong to the kitchen looking for their bowls.

Now I am pleased with the presence of a cat - Bushido San. He is very independent. Finding himself at the dacha, he immediately goes about his cat business. But it always comes back. Even if I have to leave without him, after a couple of days, when I come back, he already meets me and looks questioningly at the bag where his cat food is.

Don't be upset, everything will be fine.

Cats often leave home, but in most cases this is not due to cruelty towards their pet. Cats are encouraged to do this by their freedom-loving nature. But the owners of a missing cat should not give in to despair; it is important to act correctly so that the chances of finding their pet are maximized.

Reasons for missing cats and actions of owners in such a situation

Cats are big fans of walking “by themselves”, hunting for mice and birds, this is inherent in their very nature. All owners have often seen a cat sitting on the windowsill watching the birds fluttering from branch to branch near the window. At the sight of such a picture, the poor fellow’s whole body trembles and his tail twitches, and he himself makes hunting sounds, looks at you pitifully and asks for freedom.

Watching birds from the window can encourage a cat to go in search of adventure.

Even a neutered cat suffers from lack of communication with its “brothers”. And by depriving him of the opportunity to defend his territory, you do not allow him to assert himself, and this is necessary due to the cat’s instinct.

Therefore, truly loving owners, especially owners of private houses, allow cats to walk on their own. Unfortunately, sometimes cats do not return after such walks. But even in high-rise buildings, cats can jump out of a window, run out a slightly open door, or run away from their owner in an unfamiliar place. There are many reasons for the loss: the animals were frightened by someone or something, they went hunting, love appeared, they were stolen, they fell into a trap, they were hit by a car, etc. Sad statistics show that almost half of missing cats do not return home.

If you discover that your pet is missing, start searching immediately and don’t stop looking for it, hope and believe in success!

What to take with you when starting your search

When starting to search for a missing cat, you need to take with you:

• an old blanket that can be easily thrown over a cat: a frightened animal will not immediately run to you, but with a blanket you can catch it and protect yourself from cat claws;
• a flashlight for searching in dark rooms where cats most like to hide: shed, basement, attic, entrance - these places should be bypassed first;
• A good quality color photograph of the animal.

If the animal is accustomed to dry food, you can take a bowl and shake it, calling your pet affectionately and loudly.

Time to search

The owner of the lost property should remember that:

1. If your cat disappears late in the evening, there is no need to postpone the search until the morning.
2. In the morning you need to go out searching as early as possible: there are fewer cars and people in a hurry. In addition, in the morning cats come out of enclosed spaces, looking for food.

In the evening, glowing eyes are clearly visible, by which you can detect the loss.

Where to look for a cat first

First of all, you need to inspect the entrance. In a multi-story building, the inspection should begin by going upstairs, always looking behind the garbage chute pipe, and only then going down to the first floor. Don’t ignore old, out-of-use large items that are often left right at entrances, especially large cardboard boxes.

A teenage kitten ran out of the apartment when gas pipes were being changed in the entrance. We remembered him when we gathered for dinner: there was no cat. We went to look, but it was already late. We decided that he would take a walk and return on his own. But now the repairs are over, but the mustachioed man is still missing. They walked around the yards, looked into the basements, after grieving, they decided that such a beautiful cat had simply been stolen. All this time, the poor fellow lived in a change house, which was placed in the yard while the pipes in the house were being replaced. The workers, seeing the unlucky traveler at the door, let him in, fed him, and he stayed. The repairs were coming to an end, and the animal would have ended up on the street if one of the locksmiths had not attached a note to the door of the cabin with a request to “adopt” a beautiful and smart cat. The owner saw this piece of paper and, looking into the house, recognized her mature cat. The workers received a case of beer, and the fugitive was washed for a long time in the bath.

dolfinaria

Next, you should inspect the areas under the windows and tall trees. It happens that animals simply jump out of the window out of curiosity and can get severely injured or die. Often a cat, having climbed onto the highest branch, cannot descend on its own. There have been cases when the owners resorted to the help of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to save the steeplejack.

A lover of heights may be afraid to descend from a tree on their own

To make sure your cat hasn't been hit by a car, carefully check the sides of nearby roads and highways. Look under cars in parking lots, under benches and bushes, examining them carefully from all sides. Go around the places where stray cats live nearby.

From personal experience. The cat will not answer every call. Or rather, her most beloved person should take an active part in the search for a cat. Once at the dacha we couldn’t find a cat for a long time. Objectively, well, he couldn’t escape anywhere from the closed area. Jumping on a fence is not in his habits, digging a tunnel - what for... But the fact is - THERE IS NO CAT! And his husband was looking for him. I was on the second floor taking a break from the child)) I hear my husband rushing around the area with increasingly hysterical intonations, calling out: “Tima! Tim!!!" In general, he is very worried about the cat and should always know where he is when he is walking. Not surprisingly, when I was a child, my husband lost a jackal at his dacha. Not found. He was very worried. As a result, after a desperate cry: “Masha! The cat is missing!!!" I realized that everything was serious and it was time to join the search. As soon as I went down into the garden and called the cat once, he jumped out of the bushes to me with a joyful “Mom!” So…

Marmazette

https://forums.zooclub.ru/showthread.php?t=29616

Help from neighbors, advertisements, internet, nurseries

The missing person should be reported in the local newspaper as soon as possible. In addition, you need to post it at bus stops, poles, and notice boards. A correctly composed ad contains information about age, gender, a detailed description with a photograph, the name of the animal, and a promise of reward. You shouldn’t give up the opportunity to find a cat using ads and videos on the Internet.

A properly written ad must contain a photo, description, and animal's name.

The author of the article found her beloved pet just through an advertisement in the newspaper two weeks after she went missing. Although the town is small, it was difficult to look for a cat in winter. In search of the lost thing, we went around all the closed rooms we encountered along the way, asked all the people we knew and didn’t know. Daily prayers calmed the soul, instilled hope and helped renew the strength to find a pet. There was not a single day when the search stopped. And the work was rewarded!

Go around all your close and distant neighbors, showing a photo of the cat. Often teenagers agree to help for a small reward by catching similar cats. Be sure to talk to the janitors and older people gossiping on benches. Don’t forget to ask dog walkers who walk their pets and might have seen the lost one.

Basements, and not only in your house: a friend of mine found her missing cat in the basement three houses away from hers. How she begged for the keys is a different story. Bring in the janitors. Our people have always helped in such searches. And one more thing - in addition to basements, inspect the attics, because if a cat ran into the entrance, it could hide in the attic.

https://www.forumhouse.ru/threads/165479/

If there is a shelter for homeless four-legged friends in your area, be sure to visit there too. In big cities, you can contact a pet search service, which has a database of lost animals and is directly involved in the search for missing pussies.

Video: what to do if your cat goes missing

How to catch a found cat

If you find your lost cat, do not rush to immediately grab him in your arms: the found pet will most likely be scared, so be careful. Follow these steps:

Can a cat come home after a while?

Lost pets often return home on their own after a few days, and there are cases when cats come back after six months or more. Is it possible?

My mother-in-law, who lived in a small village, had a cat, Marquis, a beautiful black cat with a white apron. One day he disappeared for three days and returned with a severed front paw, which took a long time to heal. After some time, the angry neighbor announced that he would not stop and would kill the cat if he hunted their chickens. A week later the cat disappeared. The heartbroken grandmother mentally reproached her neighbors for what she had done. One day, a neighbor calmed her down, saying that the cat was not killed, but taken away from the house. The son, who was visiting his parents for the weekend, put the poor fellow in the trunk and released him in a suburban forest, 70 km from the village. Since then, the woman prayed to God that the cat would survive and that someone would shelter him.

Six months have passed. One frosty snowy day, a woman heard a plaintive meow under her window. Opening the door, she saw an exhausted, emaciated Marquis on the threshold, standing on three legs and looking at the hostess with frightened and betrayed eyes.

Even a snowy road is not an obstacle for a cat on the way home

Cats returning home after a long time is a very real phenomenon! There is still no explanation for this unique phenomenon. Scientists can only guess that cats (especially street cats), due to their ultrasensitivity, are able to perceive even small deviations in the electromagnetic field. Knowing the features of their territory, they find the right direction to their native threshold using their “inner compass.”

In France, a cat set a record for orienteering, returning home after 7 months and covering a distance of 700 km.

How to prevent pet loss

The first rule is to teach your pets to respond to their nickname, which should be concise and not too ornate.

Many people spay or neuter their pets, thinking that this way they will be able to avoid running away from home. Yes, this procedure will help get rid of many problems: unnecessary reproduction, cat marks, but even in this case the cat can run away from home.

In apartments, it is necessary to install metal bars on the windows, since there are plenty of cases of animals falling from windows. Unfortunately, the landing of a cat is not always successful.

When traveling long distances with your four-legged friend, use durable carriers to prevent him from escaping from his temporary prison.

Cats are inscrutable animals, especially when it comes to their disappearances. There are cases when pets walked several thousand kilometers of an unfamiliar route when returning home, and scientists explain this by the fact that cats use the geomagnetic field as a guide. On the other hand, a lost pet that is clearly not deprived of intelligence can sit in a box next to the house for a week, suffering from hunger and unable to return. Therefore, the decisive factor that increases the chances of a cat’s return is the competent organization of its search, undertaken by a loving owner.

Reasons why a cat might leave home

The reason why a particular cat ran away is often known only to him alone. We can assume:

• hunting instinct;
• sexual instinct;
• fright;
• curiosity;
• accidentally fell out of a window or balcony;
• a provoking factor may be moving to a new apartment;
• the arrival of a large number of guests;
• other reasons.

There can be many reasons why a cat might run away.

Preparing for the search

If the loss of a cat is discovered immediately, you should give chase, since the fugitive has gone very close, and you can catch up with him and catch him.

If you don’t know which direction the cat is headed, then you should call friends or neighbors for help, and be sure to take flashlights with you, which will be needed regardless of the time of day, for example, when inspecting basements, as well as when searching in parking lots under cars. In the dark, the cat's eyes, reflecting the light of a flashlight, glow characteristically, revealing his hiding place. You can take some food with you to lure the cat, but the recently escaped cat has not yet become hungry. If you have a dog living with the cat, you should take it too, as it will smell the familiar smell of the cat. You should not attract outside dogs - they will scare the cat and aggravate the situation. The search must begin as early as possible.

The instincts of a cohabiting dog will help you spot a runaway cat.

Organization and conduct of search

The search begins, taking into account the circumstances under which the cat ran away, directly from the place of its disappearance. The primary search quadrant should cover about 5 nearby houses, if we are talking about a city. It’s easier to find a cat in the private sector, because everyone there knows their own and their neighbors’ animals, and they will definitely pay attention to a newcomer who has found his way.

If a kitten is missing, then the search must be carried out on a large scale and intensively - the kitten, unlike an adult cat, is unable to survive on its own, and in 80% of cases it will die. Unlike an adult cat, the location of a kitten will help give away its squeak, so you need to listen especially carefully. You should also pay increased attention to searching for an elderly, sick pet or pregnant cat.

Where to look

A lost house cat is in a state of extreme stress caused by a completely unfamiliar environment, and instinct tells him to hide and hide, and he will do this in the nearest accessible place. Therefore, it is unlikely that a cat will be found in an open space; it is necessary to examine those places that could serve as a shelter for the cat.

A recently escaped cat is nearby

First of all, you should inspect:

• entrance if the cat is believed to have slipped out the door. The entrance is inspected starting from the bottom, paying special attention to the space behind the garbage chute, radiators, pipes, as well as inspecting boxes and furniture temporarily placed on the site, if any. Having climbed to the top floor, you should evaluate the cat’s ability to get into the attic. In most standard modern houses, this possibility is usually absent; the attic is closed, and a vertical iron staircase leads to it; but if the design of the house is different, then you should definitely check the attic;
• in the courtyard of the house you need to examine:
  • bushes and tall grass;
  • space under parked cars, a flashlight will be very helpful here even during the day; cars can be slightly kicked on the wheels to scare away the cat, who can climb under the car's fender onto the wheel, as well as into the radiator compartment from the bottom - this is what kittens and small cats do, especially in winter;
  • trees - a frightened cat could climb up;
  • exit from the entrance, since boxes and furniture intended for disposal are often left here, in which a cat can hide; and also inspect the porch of the entrance, since there may be holes under it that a cat could get into;
  • walk around the perimeter of the house, since the cat can hide in niches under the loggias, and also press against the wall of the house;
  • inspect other buildings in the courtyard of the house: a playground, household buildings, the space along the fences;
  • inspect the basement of the house, where the cat could get through the ventilation hole. Here, special attention should also be paid to hidden places, since the cat will continue to hide even while in the basement, and the flashlight will be needed again;
• if the cat is lost in the cold season, special attention should be paid to warm places where instinct will lead him;
• inspect the habitats of stray cats;
• garbage dumps.

A frightened pet may be hiding in a tree

The character of the animal should be taken into account: a timid cat will probably hide for several days in a shelter not far from the place of disappearance, while a sociable and relaxed pet may soon be found joining a cat flock, hanging out at a grocery store, a watch house, a yard children, or living in a neighboring entrance . There are known cases of lost cats invading apartments.

Whom to interview

First of all, you need to interview people who are often on the street near their home. Usually this:

• wipers;
• postmen;
• concierges;
• watchman;
• employees of organizations located on the first or basement floor of the house;
• pensioners, children and mothers with strollers;
• dog walkers;
• people feeding homeless animals;
• if the search is carried out “hot on the heels”, it is worth interviewing all possible eyewitnesses;
• If possible, walk around the apartments in the entrance, and then in the courtyard.

The more people know about a missing cat, the more likely it is that it will be recognized and caught.

A cat may join a pack of homeless relatives

Checking animal welfare facilities

You should check and leave references to the cat at the animal control centers where the found animal could be delivered:

• the city center for the temporary keeping of stray animals - you should definitely visit and call there every few days, since found animals, if the owners do not contact them, are euthanized;
• city ​​shelters for homeless animals;
• volunteer animal protection organizations with a network of foster care at home.

In winter, cats gravitate toward sources of heat.

Where to get information about accidents involving animals

Typically, accidents involving cats are not reported to the traffic police because cars are not damaged due to the small size of the animals. Therefore, you should from time to time walk along the sides of nearby highways, where the hit pet could have been thrown by a car or carried by people. The good news here is that cats instinctively avoid noisy, busy streets with heavy traffic.

You should also call veterinary clinics located in the neighborhood, since eyewitnesses could have taken a cat injured in a traffic accident or as a result of a fight with other animals there.

Can a cat respond to its owner's voice?

This is paradoxical, but often a cat, which usually responds well to its name, when lost and hearing the voice of its owner calling, prefers to remain silent. Therefore, this feature should always be taken into account and inspection of the area should continue, even if the cat does not respond to the call. On the other hand, the cat can respond, so searches are often effective between 3 and 7 a.m., when the streets are relatively quiet and the cat and its owner have the opportunity to hear each other. In addition, a cat may become bolder in the dark and come out of hiding to look for food. Additionally, you can use other sounds familiar to the cat, for example, shaking dry food in a bowl, if that’s what the cat was called for dinner; the cat can also recognize the sound of a mobile phone or alarm clock.

When looking for a cat, you need to listen, because a cat may meow if it is hungry, afraid, injured, or cannot get down from the tree. In addition, the presence of a cat can be indirectly indicated by the sounds of cat fights, since foreign cats tend to be chased away by local cats.

The eyes of a hiding cat, illuminated by a flashlight in the dark, are very noticeable

ads

Ads are very effective because they will be seen by a large number of people. You can make small orientation flyers and hand them out to passers-by on the street. The main part of the announcements should be made on A4 sheets and provided with tear-off sheets with your phone number. The advertisement states:

• information about the lost animal:
  • size;
  • color;
  • coat length;
  • you can indicate the breed, if it is rare, then limit yourself to a description;
  • nickname;
  • special distinctive features - for example, a certain shape of color spots, the presence of a collar;
  • need for care in the presence of illnesses;
  • good quality photograph;
  • in large letters - information about the reward;
  • owner contact details;
• advertisements are posted:
  • on porches and houses;
  • bulletin boards;
  • mandatory in car parks - frozen cats often warm themselves in radiator compartments and are injured by the generator belt when starting the engine;
  • in grocery stores;
  • near schools and kindergartens;
  • in veterinary clinics and pet stores;
  • next to the housing department and post office;
  • at public transport stops;
• the date of the announcement - so that people reading it understand that the information is relevant.

Paper advertisements tear down very quickly, so you will have to update them every day. In this case, you should pay attention to counter advertisements about found animals.

Once lost, cats can hide nearby for a long time in the shelter they find until hunger forces them to leave.

In addition to paper advertisements, information about a lost cat is posted on the Internet:

• on social networks, especially among animal lovers, as well as local communities;
• on classifieds websites;
• on city news resources and accompanying forums;
• in WhatsApp and Telegram messenger groups, which are usually formed by local dog walkers to coordinate walking times and exchange news;
• on forums where animal lovers communicate;
• on specialized sites dedicated to finding lost or rehoming found pets.

When placing advertisements, it is worth looking through the sections about animals found or being adopted, and also, if the cat is purebred, the sections about animals for sale and matings - in the event that he fell into the clutches of “breeders”.

Scammers will definitely call based on advertisements, since their percentage is fixed in any population. As a rule, they report the location of the animal or available information about its location, and offer to pay for it by making a non-cash payment, while avoiding a personal meeting. They should immediately be warned that funds are paid in cash and only after a personal meeting with the cat, after which threats against the cat will likely follow. There is no point in responding to threats - these people don’t have a cat. You should also not publish 1-2 signs in the ad by which you can identify a cat, and ask for them in the form of control clarifying questions - this will clarify the situation.

Video: what to do if a cat runs away

What to do when a cat is found

If the cat is found, most likely, being stressed, he will not recognize the owner and will try to escape again. Therefore, you should take off your jacket and throw it over the cat, this will prevent it from escaping and also protect it from its claws and teeth. You can lure the cat with food. In any case, there is no need to joyfully and noisily attack him - the cat will run away.

The found cat is examined for visible injuries and sent for examination to a veterinary clinic. The most important thing is that the animal has received all preventive vaccinations in due time, which will protect it from most infectious diseases, including rabies, while on the street.

After finding the cat, they withdraw advertisements about its disappearance from Internet resources and thank all participants in the search.

In most cases, cats hide in basements, so basements should be inspected carefully and repeatedly

What to do if you can’t find the cat right away

If you can’t find the cat right away, this is completely normal, and you should continue your search without becoming discouraged or losing hope of success. Very often, cats are found in places where the search has already been carried out, and more than once, this especially applies to basements. In 90% of cases, a cat that runs out into the street or jumps out of a window ends up there. Over time, the cat, adapting, will increasingly go outside in search of food, and this will increase the chances of its detection.

In addition, both widespread announcements about the loss of a cat and the number of people involved in the search and methodically examining the area, which must be done repeatedly, increase the chances of success.

If you receive information from people about the appearance of a cat that matches the description, you should definitely check the information in person, standing next to the placed food to see the animal.

How long will it take for the cat to return?

There are cases where cats returned after months, or even years. According to statistics, 50% of lost cats can be found by their owners; in 65% of cases, cats return on their own, especially if the cat disappeared after a recent move or from the dacha - it is worth looking for it in its old and familiar place - at the same address. The intensity of the search, the consistency and repeated nature of the actions greatly increase the chances of success, so you should not be discouraged.

Video: how cats find their way home

The loss of a cat is a serious test for both the animal itself and its owner. A lost cat should be searched nearby immediately after its disappearance, carefully examining possible hiding places and gradually expanding the search area. You need to scan the area many times, since cats are very good at hiding. When searching, you definitely need a flashlight, since the eyes of a hiding cat are very clearly visible in the dark. Calling the cat, as well as luring with food, can be used with varying degrees of success. The chances of success are greatly increased by both increasing the number of people actively involved in the search for the cat and distributing notices about its loss. The possibility of the cat returning on its own cannot be ruled out. When looking for a cat, you should never despair and lose hope.

It happens that our beloved pets get lost. The most common cases of losing cats are when they fall out of windows and balconies or run out of the apartment into the entrance, and then onto the street, while the owners go out, opening the front door.

What to do to avoid losing a cat?

To prevent the loss of your beloved cat, please keep her safe!

• Install mosquito nets or purchase special durable “Anti-cat” nets on the windows to prevent the cat from falling out of the window. “Flights from windows” often occur in spring and summer, when a variety of smells beckons, and outside the window birds tease and butterflies flutter (desired prey!), and the pet can reach for them in excitement and, as a result, fall.
• Glaze the balcony. Open balcony windows only for ventilation, and so that the cat cannot slip into the open gap and get stuck in it (which is also very dangerous!).
• When leaving the house, make sure that the cat does not sneak through the front door after you. Warn your children to be careful when leaving the house.
• When transporting a cat, use special carrier bags that are reliable and equipped with strong locks and latches.

At the same time, let the cat out of the carrier only indoors with the front door closed. Never open the carrier outdoors.

What to do if you still haven’t kept track and your cat gets lost?

The main thing is, don’t despair! Tears will not help your grief, you need to take action immediately! The cat may be in the shelter closest to the house.

First of all inspect your entrance and neighboring entrances (if you are sure that the cat ran away through the front door). Grab a flashlight, walk around the yard, look under cars, into basement windows, look in all sorts of nooks and crannies, call the cat by name. Carefully inspect various secluded places and narrow spaces in the entrance and on the street near the house. Cats manage to get into such small cracks that it’s hard to even imagine. If a cat's head gets through, then the whole cat will get through - this is due to the anatomical features of the cat. So don't ignore various tight spaces.

According to statistics, in most cases, domestic cats, once outside, look for a safe place, hiding in the nearest shelter, which is most often the basement of your home or the basement of one of the nearby houses. Therefore, contact the management company that services your home first. The management company is obliged to give you the keys to the basement of your house. Having received the keys to the basement, dress in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty, put on your boots, take a flashlight with you and go down to the basement, walk around it, carefully examining every corner of it. At the same time, do not make loud sounds that may frighten the cat, call her by name. Often the cat responds and comes out to the voice of its owner. But when they are in a stressful situation, cats can hide and sit in a shelter, not respond, or even run away in panic.

If you don't notice your cat in the basement on your first walk through, don't despair. You might get lucky next time or even the fifth time.

Don't give up trying to find your cat in the basement. Walk around the basement every day.

Also leave food outside daily at home, near the basement windows. Let it be wet cat food, preferably fragrant. The cat will get hungry and will come out at the smell of food.

If you are unable to spot or catch the cat, use a special trap cage. There is nothing dangerous for the cat in such “cat traps”; they do not harm her. The bait food is usually fragrant wet food, for example, with a fishy taste, and, as practice shows, dried squid are also excellent for bait. Typically, traps are placed near a basement window, where the cat is most likely hiding. Clarify the operating principle of this trap, based on this, install it correctly. You can ask for a loan or rent such a “cat trap” at a local animal rights forum or in a local animal assistance group on a social network. For example, we have a city website where, among various thematic forums, there is also an animal assistance forum, where animal activists coordinate and jointly help animals in trouble. Very often, such communities help out the owners of the lost.

The cat may be in the tree. Look around. It happens that cats hide not only in all sorts of openings, but also climb trees, sometimes escaping from dogs. If the cat has climbed very high, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and firefighters will not come to your aid. As practice shows, they do not respond to such calls. Therefore, you need to either try to remove the cat from the tree on your own, or call a zoo rescue (if there is one in your locality). Or be patient and wait for her to come down on her own.

The cat was picked up and sheltered or will be sheltered by caring people. These thoughts and timid hope for such an outcome usually warm the souls of the owners of the lost. And, of course, this happens sometimes, and it follows that you definitely need to notify as many people as possible about your loss. In this case, the finders will know to whom to return the found cat. And first of all, what you need to do is go to the neighbors who live in the same building as you, knock on each apartment, ask about who could have seen, and perhaps shelter your cat.

The cat may leave in someone's car. This can also happen, for example, in winter. A cat, trying to stay warm, can crawl under the hood of a car parked next to the house and leave in the same car, while “getting off” in a completely different area or even in a different city. In this case, the geography of searches can expand significantly. But even in this case, there is a chance to find a cat, because we live in a world of modern information technology and fast communication. Therefore, you need to act via the Internet. It is imperative to place an ad on various resources on the Internet.

Why is it important to write a missing pet notice correctly?

Sometimes we accidentally come across advertisements posted on pages on social networks, written in this way: “my darling ran away today, I’m crying.” Or “our Funtik jumped from the balcony, whoever picked it up - return it”, or this: “our baby is missing, help me find it” and a photo is attached... Such advertisements are useless. These “babies”, “darlings” and “Pounds” will not be returned to you even if you really want to. After all, the one who found your “Funtik” does not know that he is Funtik. The person who finds your animal will most likely search for an advertisement about a missing animal on the Internet using the keywords “lost”, “missing”, “cat”, “cat” and the name of the city/town, district, street, in the hope of finding an advertisement from the owners .

To increase the chances of finding your missing cat, your ad should contain objective, clear, detailed and consistent information, regardless of your emotional state. So how write an advertisement about a lost cat correctly.

• You should definitely include a high-quality, color photo of the cat in your ad, or better yet, several photos from different angles.
• Write a title: “Lost (or missing) cat” or “Lost (or missing) cat.” This is necessary both for printed advertisements and when posted on the Internet (for searching on the Internet, and social networks in particular, these keywords are important, because the search is based on words, not photos!).
• Indicate the town/city, district/street where the animal disappeared.
• Write the date of loss.
• Indicate the cat's name and gender.
• Don’t forget to give a verbal description of the cat’s appearance in the ad, indicating its breed, color, size, and age. Describe the distinctive features of your cat, special signs.
• You can specify the circumstances of the loss.
• Leave your contact phone number and a link to your page on the social network. It is important that your page is open for personal messages to all users registered on the social network. Stay in touch.
• The ad can include a guaranteed reward for those who find it. This to some extent increases the chances of finding and returning the animal, but at the same time increases the chance of running into scammers.

ATTENTION! Beware of scammers who may also call you and demand to transfer money to your phone or bank card, or threaten with violence the cat they allegedly found. Unfortunately, such cases are also not uncommon. Dishonest and dishonest people also exist. And most likely they don’t have your cat, but only a thirst for profit. It happens that these dishonest and heartless people profit in this way from the owners of the lost property. The owners, out of emotion and with a hot head, transfer money to scammers. This should not be allowed.

Check every information you receive. First, in a telephone conversation or correspondence, ask to send you a photo of the cat. Arrange a personal meeting. Give the reward only when you meet it from hand to hand: first you give your cat, after which you reward those who found it.

But it should be noted that there are more decent and caring people. They also call, write, give advice, support owners of lost cats, share their experience and information useful for searching, and sometimes return a found cat by responding to an ad.

Where to distribute, post information and announcements about a missing cat?

✔ Post printed advertisements (or, in extreme cases, handwritten ones) on your and nearby entrances, on poles, special notice boards, and at bus stops. Please note that printed advertisements for lost and found animals usually do not hang for long; they are usually quickly torn down by advertisement posters. Therefore, update the previously posted advertisements every 2 days. Glue again and again.

✔ Interview your neighbors, local children, dog walkers who walk their dogs near your house, grandmothers on benches near your house, caring residents feeding stray animals in the yard.

✔ Distribute leaflets to neighbors and passers-by, leave leaflets in nearby stores and veterinary clinics. The flyers should also include a photo of your cat, its description and your contact number.

✔ Call local shelters and foster homes and leave information there in case they receive a cat.

✔ Place advertisements on the Internet:

• On special sites. In a search engine, type the name of your city/town, search using the keywords: “animals”, “cat”, “lost”, “found”. Upon request, sites about missing and found animals in your city should appear, where you can view and post information about your lost pet.
• On social networks. Be sure to post ads on social networks. The effectiveness of “word of mouth” and the “rule of six handshakes” has been tested and proven. Disseminating information by reposting helps a lot, this method really works. To place advertisements on social networks, you need to register with them. Post information about your lost cat on the wall of your social network page, and also be sure to post advertisements in special communities and animal assistance groups in your city/district, as well as simply groups in city and local communities.
• Browse sites like Avito, and application Yula By selecting the “animals” category, place your ads there yourself.

Use all search options and methods, search daily, persistently, don’t give up ! And then you will find your lost one.

I hope that these tips will be useful to owners of lost items. And now, having read them, they will know how to look for and find an escaped cat. However, I would like to hope that these tips will not be needed. I sincerely wish no one to lose their little friends! Love, take care of your pets and take care of their safety!