Cats are one of the most mysterious creatures who love to stay in solitude which is why you find them hiding in the most unimaginable places. Sometimes these places are located outside of your home. Most cats don’t wander outside for long; they usually come back to the house every 2 to 3 hours. However, when it decides to spend more than 2 to 3 hours outside, it gets stressful for both the pet parents as well as the cat!
Cats don’t have a built-in GPS; therefore, you cannot just track them down. You have to revert to some old methods of finding your kitty.
Necessary Steps to Take to Finding Your Cat
Here are some key measures that will help you find your missing cat:
1. Do a Thorough Search of Your House
Indoor cats know the most hidden parts of your home. Their first instinct is to hide when cats get scared. If they’ve ever run before due to being afraid, they are most likely to run in the same direction and hide in the same place.
If they run outside, cats usually stay in the 3-4 house radius to find a good hiding spot. After that, they’ll stay in there for days on end! They’ll only come out of their hiding when they need food and water. However, the first time you realize that your cat is missing, the first thing you should do is scour your house thoroughly. Search under your bed, take out all the clothes from your closet, and search inside, behind heavy furniture, every small and dark place.
Look everywhere; it’s definitely quietly sleeping somewhere!
2. Search Your Neighborhood
Have you ransacked your home from top to bottom and had no luck?
Well, it’s time to take your search outside to the neighborhood. Start your search as soon as you realize that your cat is nowhere to be found. Not wasting any time gives you the advantage that you might be able to find your cat right outside as it might not have gone too far.
Take a recent picture of your cat with you and some treats that it likes and look around the immediate perimeter of your neighborhood; it’s most likely hiding in some small corner. First, search around your own house, look in the backyard, shed, crawlspace, garage, and any other space that you think your cat can crawl under.
After that, go to your neighbor’s homes and ask them if they can search their shed, garage, and crawl space and allow you to search their backyard. It’s necessary to look in these places because cats are nimble creatures who go into a place with ease but mostly get stuck in there and have no way out.
3. Put Up Flyers with Their Photo and Your Contact
If searching around the neighborhood turns out to be futile, it’s time to move on to the next step in your mission: finding my cat!
You’ve kept it a secret for long enough that your cat is missing and have tried finding it on your own; now it’s time to let your community know that you’ve lost your cat. Post some flyers around town with a colored picture of your kitty, a brief description on it, add in some unique habit or detail about it that makes your cat stand out, and lastly, put up your contact info.
This way, if pedestrians had seen your kitty, they’ll inform you, or if someone had taken him in thinking it was a stray cat, then they’ll also let you know, and your cat will find its way back into your arms. However, if you want to motivate people into finding your kitty with you, you can add some kind of reward for whoever finds your cat. This way, people are more inclined to help you when they have something to look forward to for themselves!
4. Contact the Veterinarians and Animal Shelters Near Your Home
It is a huge possibility that someone might have picked up your kitty and left it at one of the animal shelters or rescue groups near your home. It is a great way of finding your cat faster. The animal shelters will invite you to put up your flyers and fill out a missing report. This way, if some stranger finds your cat or it’s found by these groups, you will be alerted.
You should also inform your vet and other vets in the area about your missing can. This way, if someone brings in a kitty that matches your description, they can contact you. It is better to let these groups know about your cat as soon as possible so that you can get your cat back before it gets put up for adoption.
We wouldn’t want that now, would we?
5. Post it Online
Don’t underestimate the power of the internet!
One of the most strategic ways of finding your furry kitty is by posting about it getting lost on websites that can help you find it. You can use the same information that you used on the flyer. You can also post on famous social media platforms and get your friends and family to share it. Or, you can use more information to describe your pet and give other pieces of info as well without giving out much personal information due to security reasons.
6. Leave a Trap Outside with Food and Water
It takes indoor cats some time to feel secure again. So, they might not come out of their hiding place until nighttime or when they become hungry. The most effective way would be to coerce your kitty out with their favorite snack and water outside. If they are in the area, they’ll definitely come to your porch, smelling their favorite snacks.
You can even ask for a trap from one of the animal shelters in your area. Ask them to teach you how to use it safely, and then lure your scared kitty back into your arms, using the safe trap!
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