This may sound obvious, but the single most important thing is to when you’ve lost your cat is to immediately go out and search for him/her. Check if he/she is hiding under the cars and in the alleys. Knock on every door and let your neighbours know that your kitty is missing. Ask them to check their sheds and their garden, and leave your contact number with them.
Cats can feel overwhelmed with the noise during the day and they tend to hide. They are more likely to emerge at night time. This can be a stressful and exhausting time both for the cat and the owner, but it is our responsibility to ensure that we have done everything in our power to find him/her. Unfortunately, not all cats walk back home, and particularly indoor cats have not acquired any skills to return where they live. This may mean several sleepless nights, but this is part of responsible cat parenting: we can’t give up and hope the cat comes back, we have to do our best to find the feline member of our family.
Information For Humans:
As soon as possible, let your neighbours know that your cat is missing.
- Print paper posters with the photos of your cat and the following information: at least one contact number, your location, cat’s name, description, temperament and the information whether the cat is microchipped and neutered
- Use Nextdoor app, and social media such as Facebook groups providing the same information as above.
- Contact your microchipping company to report your cat as missing.
- Contact the vets and rescues to let them know that your cat is missing providing the full description.
- Contact your local council to check if they have collected a deceased cat matching the description.
Your job as a responsible pet owner is to ensure that your cat’s microchip details are always up to date. Don’t assume, check if a correct address and correct telephone numbers have been registered on your cat’s record.
Last but not least: neutering. Most cats that go missing have one thing in common: they are unneutered. Animals are driven by instinct and in order to reproduce it is absolutely guaranteed that an unneutered cat will go missing. If found, a female cat will come back pregnant and a male cat will come back injured. We are still waiting for the UK Government to join other countries and make it illegal for unneutered cats to roam, and right now the owners of such cats are unlikely to face legal consequences of the damage caused by this. It includes: severe injuries or killing domestic cats or stray cats, pregnancies and suffering and death of the kittens, increasing the problem of heavy cat overpopulation.
As a cat rescue we are committed to reuniting the cats with their families and we are happy to be involved in the cat search in our area. This is, however, with one exception. It is extremely upsetting to hear that an owned cat is unneutered. We consider such cats as victims of ignorance and animal cruelty, and to us it would be unethical to facilitate any form of help that would mean that the cat continues to live in a neglectful state. Neutering is free in most places in the world from the UK through India and Africa, and there is no excuse to avoid this simple procedure. We are happy to help, loan the traps and take part in the search IF we will receive a written permission from the owner that they agree to have their cat neutered. Otherwise: we respectfully as you to please do not contact us. We appreciate that this sounds harsh, but the truth is that shelters exists mainly because some pet owners don’t neuter their pets and leave the responsibility to feed and care for the offspring of their own cats to others. Rescues deal with traumatic situations daily and to every rescuer hearing the words “my cat is not neutered” is the source of extreme frustration and heartache, and the reason many volunteers give up the fight for animals in order to deal with their own depression caused by these very words and the consequences of this. This is probably the second worst form of neglect after animal abuse. We believe that it is time to start being firm about the neutering issue. If you find this offensive then we are probably not a rescue for you. It is worth remembering, however, that this stance reflects how all rescues perceive unneutered cats. It is our choice to speak up in hope to highlight the catastrophic consequences of owning an unneutered pet.
Information on Your Cat:
In order to increase your chances of finding your cat, try to think like a cat. Think what a cat would consider a safe place, and think what an animal considers as directions. What works as GPS system for a cat?
SMELL
Smell is a huge source of information for a cat. This is the first thing animals do: they mark their territory with their own smell. Everything that is inside your property is what your cat understands as home and safety. To help your cat locate their home it is advised to mark the neighbourhood with their used cat litter and with your unwashed clothes such as socks or t-shirts.
SOUND
Your cat recognises the voices of the humans who live with him/he, therefore it is important that you call your cat and that they can hear your voice. Shaking their favourite treats is also a great idea.
Lost Cat Checklist
- Search first. Start from your own property as cats often hide in small places such as cupboards or wardrobes. Shake your cat’s favourite treats. Spread the search to the shed and garage and then the neighbourhood.
- Sprinkle your cat used cat litter in the area and leave your unwashed clothes outside.
- Speak to your neighbours. If they are not at home, leave a note for them. Ask them to check their sheds and garages.
- Print the flyers with a photo and the description of your cat and put them up in your neighbourhood.
- Post a missing cat information on social media and community groups.
- Contact the vets in your area.
- Contact your local council.
- Contact local rescues (the list is on catchat.org).
- Contact your microchipping company and register your cat as missing.
- Leave food and water out for your cat to encourage them to come home.
- Search for your cat at night when it’s quiet and when it is easier for them to recognise your voice and your smell.
