Finding a Lost Cat

I was hoping by the time I wrote this post it would have a happy ending, unfortunately that hasn't been the case yet.

This is Daisy:

He had been living happily with Tair's grandparents for about a year and a half when he went missing one weekend. How he disappeared is still a mystery to all of us; they live on the 6th floor of an apartment building with no easy access to the outdoors. As soon as Daisy went missing I started Googling (like I do), trying to find any advice I could about locating a lost cat. Two days after he was last seen we went to Tair's grandparents' apartment to help search. Unfortunately we came up with nothing, but maybe my research might help you if, god forbid, you find yourself missing your kitty. 

Prevention is Key

While Entertaining

It's always important to always tell any guests in your house to be aware of the cat when going in and out of the house, especially over the summer when you're more likely to host outdoor events with a bunch people. It may be a good idea to shut your cat into a designated room with food, water and  a litter box and a sign on the door letting visitors know that it should remain closed. 

Day to Day

Always check your window screens for holes that your cat can tear through. Even if the hole isn't big enough for them to fit through at first, if they want to get outside they won't hesitate to rip their way right through a screen. For quick repairs keep a roll of duct tape on hand (or this screen tape if you're feeling fancy). 

Likewise keep your doors securely fastened when they're not in use, especially if they use a lever style handle rather than a knob. Recently Sammy figured out how to open our balcony door all by himself. While I was so proud (and a little afraid) of his big kitty brain, we keep it locked if we're not going outside now.

Be Prepared

Attach your information to your cat

After Daisy went missing I immediately bought collars for Cleo and Sammy with their names and my phone number on the back. They spent a few confused hours trying to play with the tags but by the time we were ready for bed they hardly seemed to notice the collars. After a few days they were ignoring them completely.

Many people also recommend microchipping your pets. Microchips are small chips that can be read by a scanner if your lost pet is picked up by a shelter the shelter will be able to get your information from a registry and contact you to let you know that your pet has been found. Microchips are not GPS tracking chips and will not help if your cat isn't picked up.  There are many factors that weigh in to effectiveness of a microchip so it's best that you make your own decision. You can find more information about microchipping here.

Have photos on hand

Okay so for most cat owners this won't be a problem at all. Both Tair's and my phone are completely saturated with photos of our cats. However, if you're a less technologically inclined cat owner, this might be an issue. Be sure to have at least one clear, recent photo saved somewhere, should you need to make flyers in the future. 

 

 

 

If the Worst Should Happen

Here are some of the main points I found as I perused the web:

Be Patient and Persistent

What To Do:

• Start your search immediately once you realize your cat is gone. Search shelters right away and for up to 3 months after a disappearance.
• Utilize humane traps and other incentives like favorite foods to entice your cat back - this obviously doesn't work if you live in an area with a lot of feral cats
• Have patience. Cats may take to the ground and hide for many days because they are scared.

There are stories of cats taking over a month to respond to baited humane cat traps. The key to finding your lost or displaced cat is to search immediately and not give up hope. It may feel like you're searching for a needle in a haystack, but remember you are searching for an animal that is territorial and could be very close.

What Not To Do: 

These are the top three excuses that heartbroken pet owners use to stop searching for a lost pet. Rarely are these the reasons that a cat is missing:

• My cat was stolen
• My cat went off to die
• My lousy neighbor took my cat

This is a struggle we've been having in the case of missing Daisy.  It might be easier to assume that your cat was stolen than to worry every day about where he might be and if he's okay. It's likely that this isn't the case, don't give up on your pet.

Full article: http://www.petdetectivetraining.com/printable_indoorcats.html

Enlist your friends

Post Flyers

Hang posters around the area with a photo, description of your cat and your own contact details. When we created flyers for Daisy we wrote the message in Russian, Hebrew and English because of the diversity in area in which Tair's grandparents live. If you live in a multi-lingual neighborhood, keep that in mind when creating your flyers as well. You can download the flyer to the right here to get started.

Use Social Media

Are there any local Facebook groups or twitter accounts that you can post to? Do your local shelters have social media pages? Even adding a photo to your own profile and asking your friends to share can help widen the search party enormously.

Think like a cat

Check the house first

Once we searched for Cleo for nearly an hour, calling her name and shaking the food can, only to find her in a kitchen cabinet waiting patiently for us to open the door. The site referenced below mentioned a story of a white Persian, named Prince, that was finally found inside his own home burrowed under a pile of sheets, in the back of a linen closet after his owner had been frantically searching for several days — and without making a single peep!

Look for a "safe" hiding spot

Just because you don't see your cat doesn't mean your cat's not there.

When your cat first ran, it looked for the first safe spot it could find. It very well may know where "home" is, but to get from its current "safe spot" (wherever that may be) back to "home" means exposing itself. But this complete cover instinct tells it to stay hidden rather than venture away from its new safe spot — even if home is only a few yards away, even if the animal is starving.

The ideal place for a hiding cat is an area with no resident cats or dogs, but with access to food and water. Indoor cats are often found within a five-house radius of their own home. They may move if chased by a dog or a cat, or if they feel threatened, but once they spend some time and deposit their scent in an area, they will most likely stay put. If your cat is a timid outdoor or sick/injured cat, there is a greater chance that your cat will be found somewhere within its territory which can range in size from several acres for a country cat to micro territories for a city cat. If you know the area your cat roams, concentrate your search in this area, then move out from there. Think like your cat. Where would a frightened kitty hide? What areas would be attractive and what areas would be avoided? Think low, not high.

How will he or she behave?

Often people assume that if their kitty has not been spotted or heard meowing, it must not be close by. However, many people have reported that when they finally found their missing cat, their kitty did not make a sound nor move towards the owner.

These cats are desperate to find a place that they perceive as safe. They will run if spotted or approached, keep very low to the ground, legs short, dart from place to place if they perceive additional threats. They will typically hide during the day and sneak out at night for small bits of food, then quickly dart back to their hiding place. 

Full article: http://sonic.net/~pauline/indoor.html

I really hope that this post will never apply to you