How to find a lost cat

 

If your cat has gone missing, you’re probably panicking right now. But don’t. Now is the time for action.

 

If your cat is lost, there are things you can do that are very likely to bring her back home to you. The statistics are in your favor: 64% of lost cats are eventually found alive, and a third of those cats were found in the first few days of searching.[1]

 

It may be helpful to know right now that you are not alone. At least 15% of cat owners will lose their pets over a given five-year period.[2] Cats just do stuff that’s not in their best interest. It’s not your fault.

 

What you should know about finding a lost cat

 

You can skip this section and just skip to the search advice section below ⬇️, if that is what you feel you need to do.

 

But knowledge is power. Understanding how cats behave when they are lost, and what the research shows to be the most effective way of finding a lost cat can be extremely helpful in guiding your search and keeping you from losing hope.

 

Cats don’t get lost the way that dogs get lost

 

When dogs get lost, they start running. Dog guardians will probably need to jump in their car and start driving almost as soon as they realize their dog is missing.

 

Cats hide in silence

 

Cats, on the other hand, hide. And they hide in silence.

 

Scared, panicked cats – which probably describes most indoor cats who find themselves suddenly outside – will seek a concealed place to hide, and they won’t make a sound. Typical hiding spots are under decks, porches, and motor vehicles, and in sheds.

 

When they’re hiding, they won’t meow and they won’t come out. They could be right under your front porch, beneath your feet, listening while you call for them, and they won’t make a peep.

 

This behavior is instinctual for cats. Cats are programmed to avoid giving themselves up to predators.

 

So, if you find your cat hiding five feet away in a shrub, after you called his name 10,000 times and he ignored you 10,000 times, assume he was performing a life-preserving behavior, not just being perverse. (And then bring him right back inside.)

 

Do cats know their own names?

 

Most cats don’t go very far

 

Most cats, especially indoor-only cats, usually hide very close to home.

 

A large study of 1,210 lost cats in the United States, Australia, and Canada, showed that half of cats found alive were discovered within 50 meters (a little more than 50 yards) of their own houses. 18% of lost cats were found directly outside an entry door or porch.

 

Three-quarters of cats found alive were within 500 meters (approximately 550 yards) of their homes.[3]

 

Outdoor cats travel further than indoor cats

 

Cats who are normally allowed outside do tend to travel longer distances than indoor-only cats. So, if you’re looking for a lost indoor cat, researchers suggest focusing closer to home: about a 200-meter (200-yard) radius around your own house.

 

But, you may need to venture further (2 km, or 1.25 miles) to search for an indoor/outdoor cat.

 

Indoor vs. outdoor cats

 

Some cats might already be making themselves at home somewhere else

 

One interesting finding in the lost-cat research has to do with cat personality.

 

Cats considered to be highly curious in nature were often found inside someone else’s house, making themselves comfortable. Some Good Samaritans will assume a found cat is not lost, but stray or feral, and let them inside. And then, because they have already assumed the cat is ownerless, will not necessarily try to find out who the cat belongs to.

 

More reserved cats will probably not approach strangers.

 

Don’t wait, hoping the cat will just come home

 

It’s true that your cat may find his own way home; some do. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start searching the minute you realize your cat has gone missing.

 

Cats who are sick, injured, or stuck in a tree may not be able to get themselves home, and will become sicker or hungrier as time passes.

 

Even cats who are not ill, hurt, or stuck somewhere, may just decide to just hunker down in a hidey spot and not do anything to help themselves.

 

Finding your cat as soon as possible after she goes missing could prevent her from becoming hurt – hit by a car, or a victim of animal cruelty – or from becoming lost for good. The large lost-cat study mentioned above, showed that, of cats found alive, one-third were found in the first seven days.[4]

 

You need to start looking for your cat immediately to improve the chances of a happy outcome.

 

My cat is stuck in a tree. What should I do?

 

You are the best person to find your cat

 

There are a range of things you can do to help bring your cat home, but studies show that the most effective way to find your cat is by physically searching for her.[5]

 

Yes, you can hire a pet detective, and yes, you can hand flyers out to all your neighbors so that they’ll be searching on your behalf, but if anyone is going to find your cat it is probably going to be you. You are the most motivated searcher.

 

Your neighbor is not going to get down on her belly in the snow to search under her house for your lost cat. She’s not going to climb halfway up that large oak tree in her front yard to get a better view of some branches you can’t see from the ground. She’s not going to open that old tool shed and move all the gardening implements around to see if your cat is hiding in a corner.

 

But you are.

 

Also, this is what happens when you hand out lost-pet flyers:

People behave differently when they see a loose dog versus a loose cat

 

It’s not just that dogs and cats behave differently when lost. People behave differently, too, around these species.

 

People will pull their car over to the side of the road when they see a dog running loose (I’ve done it myself). But most people ignore loose cats.

 

This is not about which pet is more beloved. At least where I live, dogs do not typically run loose. A dog outside without a guardian is most definitely lost.

 

A cat, on the other hand, might just be an outdoor cat.

 

But this point does emphasize why the responsibility for the search for your lost cat rests almost entirely with you.

 

Try everything to find your cat

 

Just because I just said that you’re most likely to find your cat by physically searching for him, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also do all the other things on the list below. You should do them ALL. Try everything to find your cat.

 

Yours may be the cat in the minority who gets picked up by animal control, or who is found by a well-intentioned person who brings her to a shelter. Maybe someone has your cat in their house and will recognize her face on a poster.

 

Try everything to increase the chances of bringing your cat home to you alive.

 

Don’t give up too soon

 

There is a very human self-protective behavior called “grief avoidance.”[6] In times of sadness, people will do anything to put their emotional pain behind them. This can cause some people to end their search for their cat too quickly.

 

I hope the following information will encourage you to keep up your strength and your hope as you search for your cat:

 

According to the large lost-cat study described above, one-third of lost cats are found alive during the first seven days, half of cats by day 30, 56% of cats by day 61, and 61% of cats by one year.[7]

 

But 64% of cats found alive were found by four years. I’ll do the math for you, but in this study that meant 31 more cats came home alive between the first year and the fourth year after they went missing.

 

Keep looking. Keep calling shelters and animal control. And don’t give up hope.

 

How to find a lost cat

 

This section is a list of all the things you can do to try to find your lost cat.

 

Search for your cat in the house

 

Cats can become “lost” in the house. They’re not lost, of course, but they can be stuck somewhere. I have personal knowledge of a horror story involving a kitchen drawer that was shut on a cat hiding inside.

 

Do not assume that a stuck cat will meow, or that a hiding cat will come out to greet you when called. Cats who are sick or injured will deliberately hide even in their own houses. It’s a survival technique: cats may be predators, but they’re also prey. Prey animals instinctually avoid showing signs of weakness that would make them easier targets for predators.[8]

 

Look for your cat in, on, under, or behind:

• Drawers
• Closets
• Appliances
• Basement crawl spaces
• Air ducts
• Sheds and garages
• Beds
• Recliners
• Decks
• Garbage cans
• Roofs

Think about other hiding places on your own property. Cats love to hide in or under motor vehicles. Have there been any visitors to your home? Your cat could have easily been carried off in the bed of a pickup truck.

 

Notify animal control in your town

 

Animal control officers are often the first call that your neighbors will make if they notice a wandering or injured animal.

 

Let your local animal control officer know you’re looking for your lost cat so that he or she will know whom to contact if your cat is found.

 

Notify your microchip company

 

A microchip is an RFID (radio-frequency identification transponder) device that can be inserted under the skin of a beloved pet by a veterinarian.

 

The microchip is a tiny little thing, and the procedure is quick and only minimally uncomfortable for the cat. But this itty bitty device has the power to bring your cat back to you, should she ever become lost.

 

A microchip contains a unique identifying number that is connected to your contact information in a database. If someone brings your lost cat to a shelter, the microchip will be automatically scanned and the microchip company will call you.

 

If your cat is already microchipped, contact the microchip company right away and make sure that the phone and address information on file is current.

 

If your cat isn’t already microchipped, these amazing stories of reunification should convince you to do it: Should you microchip your cat?

 

Search your neighborhood

 

Bring a carrier and a flashlight and start pounding the pavement.

 

If you haven’t read the section above, the TL;DR version is that most lost cats, especially indoor-only cats, are found within yards of their own homes.

 

Focus on a five-house radius around your own house. Knock on doors and ask the neighbors if it’s OK to do an intensive search on their properties.

 

Cats don’t hide out in the open, so be prepared to get down on your hands and knees and look under porches, decks, and houses. Look up into trees and on rooftops. Ask permission to search inside garages and sheds, which are common cat hiding places.

 

As you walk around, show photos of your lost cat to every passerby: mailmen, joggers, school bus drivers. Try to create an army of people who might help if they run across a cat that looks like yours.

 

Use social media to spread the word

 

Tell your Facebook friends that you’ve lost your cat and ask people to share your post.

 

Post about your lost cat in your community or town Facebook group.

 

Type “lost and found pets in [your town, state]” into the Facebook search bar to see if there are any lost pet groups in your area.

 

Post on Craigslist under “community” and then “lost & found.” Note that “lost & found” is for objects as well as pets, so your ad might get lost in the shuffle over time.

 

Also, ads expire after a certain number of days. Here’s a method for keeping your listing fresh. This video refers to for-sale advertising but would work for lost pets as well.

 

Visit local shelters in person

 

Cats don’t last long in shelters, and very few cats are ever reclaimed by their guardians once they end up in one.

 

Studies suggest that 26% to 90% of dogs will be reclaimed by their guardians. But only 2-4% of cat guardians will come to reclaim their cats.[9]

 

There are no mandatory holding periods for cats in shelters in most states. Voluntary holding periods are typically three to five days. In other words, your cat could be euthanized in only three days if he ends up at a shelter.

 

So, visit your local shelters as often as you can and keep visiting. And visiting. And visiting.

 

It’s not enough to leave a flyer or photo with your phone number for shelter staff. With a revolving door of busy, underpaid workers at understaffed shelters, it’s unlikely that your cat will even be noticed, or that you will be called if your cat ends up in one.

 

Did I mention that you should keep visiting your local shelters?

 

Contact feline rescues and attend pet-store adoption events

 

If a Good Samaritan brings your “stray” cat to a shelter, they might be turned away. Shelters are often overfull. So, your cat could end up in the informal rescue network.

 

Contact feline rescue groups in your area (the shelters you visit should have a list), as well as trap-neuter-return groups. Find out if there are any feral cat colony caretakers in your area, too, and contact them as well.

 

Keep track of pet-store adoption events and visit those, too.

 

Hang posters and pass out lost-cat flyers

(*note: as an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases)

 

The Missing Animal Response Network (MARN) is an amazing resource for guardians searching for their beloved pets. The organization was founded in 2005 by Kat Albrect, a pioneer in the lost-pet search world.

 

The MARN website provides step-by-step advice for creating the most effective lost-cat posters and flyers. Based on their decades-long experience helping find lost pets, they know what really works in terms of poster design.

 

I will summarize the instructions here, but encourage you to visit the sign-making post on Missing Animal Response Network.

 

You will need:

• 10 or more sheets of orange poster board, at least 28 X 22 inches (like this one by Hygloss)
• Jumbo black permanent markers (like this one by Mr. Pen)
• Duct tape (like this 3-pack of utility-grade tape by 3M)
• Large color photos of your cat to fill an 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper
• Plain paper
• Sheet protectors (like this pack of 100 by Amazon Basics)

 

Instructions for creating your poster:

1. Holding the paper vertically, use permanent markers to print “Please Help” in five-inch letters.
2. Create a lost-cat flyer that can be printed on 8 ½ by 11 sheets of paper. In large letters, type “Lost Cat”. You can add up to five additional descriptive words, if they are relevant, such as “Grey Tabby – Pink Collar” or “White Longhaired.” Add your phone number. Make the font size as large as it can possibly be to fill the page.
3. Using duct tape, tape two sheet protectors vertically beneath “Please Help,” and slide your flyer and your printed photo into them. Use duct tape to seal the opening at the top.
4. Tack your posters onto utility poles at major intersections near where your cat was lost.

 

This is an image of an example poster from MARN’s website:

 

Using 8 ½ X 11 paper, create simple flyers, with “Lost Cat” typed at the top, your cat’s photo, and your phone number. If you can, laminate them to make them waterproof. Hand the flyers out, or tape or tack them up at:

• Bus stops
• Laundromats
• Community bulletin boards
• Vet offices
• Hair salons
• Boarding kennels
• Police stations
• Libraries

 

Try trapping your lost cat

 

Your indoor-only cat is probably hungry. You might be able to borrow or rent a humane trap from your local shelter or animal control. If not, you can purchase one at a pet store, hardware store, or home center, like this one by Havahart.

 

Bait the trap with something delicious and stinky, and hope for the best.

 

Use technology to find your cat

 

If you think your cat is trapped under a building, use an amplified listening device (like this one by SuperEar) or plumber’s camera (like this endoscope camera by Kinpthy) to check hard-to-access places.[10]

 

Set up a feeding station near your house or where the cat was last seen. Use a motion-activated wildlife camera (like this trail camera by Rigdoo) to see if your cat is stopping by for dinner. If she is, use a humane trap to capture her (see above).

 

Consider using a pet recovery service or database

 

Some pet-recovery databases are free, some have a fee to post.

 

Pet FBI and Petco’s Love Lost are both free to post and search. Do it. You have nothing to lose.

 

There are paid search services you can use as well. Some provide fee-based phone consultations to help guide your search. Others have bloodhounds and will travel to physically help you search.

 

Here are a few to consider:

 

Pet Search and Rescue

Lost Pet Detection

Lost Cat Finder

 

Try to lure your cat back home

 

You can try putting your cat’s bed, blanket, or cat tree outside, based on the idea that cats are comforted by their own scent. I have no statistics that confirm whether this technique works, but it's worth a try.

 

There is anecdotal evidence that some cats like to sneak back into the house on their own terms. Leave the garage door, a window or a door open a crack, if possible.

 

Most cat owners report their cats returning home between dust and dawn.[11] If you have a baby monitor, use it to listen for scratches at the door or meows during off hours.

 

Should I offer a reward for help finding my lost cat?

 

The experts say no. Don’t offer a reward. Studies suggest it’s more effective to appeal to people’s altruism and their desire to help, than to their desire for financial compensation.

 

Large rewards – in the thousands of dollars – can bring a lot of media attention to a lost-cat case. But they also bring scam artists out of the woodwork and can cause you to waste time chasing fake leads.[12]

 

Reward offers can also bring out money-hungry “hunters” who chase lost animals out of the area or into traffic.

  

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Dawn LaFontaine

Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.