Where and How to Look



Before you panic, take a breath and check your own home and yard.    Look in closets, garages and outside in crawl spaces, bushes, or anywhere kitty could be hiding. or exploring.  If your cat is generally indoors he will likely be either spooked, or curious.  He will be hiding, or cautiously investigating so if he hasn't been gone to long, there’s a very good chance you will  find him relatively close.  
START LOOKING!
Search within a 5 Block Radius- Cats are territorial. They generally mark an area of a five block radius around their home.  First thoroughly check your own house and yard.    Look under beds, in closets, garages, the crawlspace under your house and in your own yard first.  Generally Cats  don’t stray out of this range unless they are in a new environment.  In that case the cat is considered displaced.  He will be disoriented. He may be scared and hiding, or he may attempt to find his way back to his familiar territory. 

Look up!  Don’t limit yourself to looking on the ground. Cats can climb so check the trees and rooftops. 

 Hours To Look-  The best time to search for a lost cat is when the world is asleep, around 2:00 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. Go out with a flashlight and food.  The flashlight will catch the cats eyes which will literally glow in  the dark making them easy to spot.  You can take a few cans of cat food  with you, stand out in the open and pop the cans, or shake a treat jar. You will be surprised how the sound can travel in the quiet of the morning, and oftentimes your cat will appear within minutes of the first  can being opened. Recording the sound canned food being opened and playing the tape over and over while you’re looking, can be just as effective as continuously opening actual cans.

 Spread The Word- Talk to your neighbors. Letting them know face to face you are missing your beloved pet is more personal and will make them more aped to keep an eye out for you. Joggers, the mailman and garbage men are constantly cruising your neighborhood. These are great eyes for you if you ask them to keep watch.

 Paper The Town- Make fliers to pass to neighbors, post on telephone poles, mailboxes and store bulletin boards. Tack up a flier at all the vets in your area, and take one over to any rescue shelters nearby.  Your flyer should be eye catching with the main details noted from afar, such as LOST CAT, or REWARD. Be sure to include a photo, general address kitty went missing from, any identifying details, your phone number.  I like to put call, or text 24/7 to encourage to call anytime with leads.  SEE MY PAGE CREATING A LOST FLYER
Social Media-  Post Lost ads on craigslist, facebook & any social media to get the word out.  A great one to get your neighbors looking is Next Door.

 Ask For Help- Go online and find cat boards and ask  others for ideas.  

Place His Scent-  Put your cats litter pan outside. Sometimes they can get a whiff of their scent to help guide them home. 
Notify Vet & Shelters- Call your vet and let the staff know your cat is missing. Notify the local animal shelters and fax or email a copy of your lost flyer.  Check daily to see if he's been picked up.  Don’t limit your search to just the closest ones. Its possible your cat may have accidentally hitched a ride out of the immediate area and could be found away from your home. 
Place An Ad- Call the local papers and place a lost cat ad. Call the local radio stations, many of them will run free air spots for lost critters.
In addition, you might want to post a message about your cat on these sites:

Safe Housing-  Place some clothes with your scent  in a card board box. Take a large cardboard box and flip it over. Cut a cat sized hole in the side and place it outdoors with some soft bedding inside, or some clothes with your scent on them.  Weight the bottom down so the wind doesn’t take it away. Place food and water and your cats dirty litter box nearby.  He may catch a whiff of his own scent to follow home.   This will be a safe place for him to hide and wait for you if he comes by and you’re not home. 

 Live Trap- Some cats may take on a totally different demeanor when they are lost and scared.  Instinct takes over and basic survival mode kicks on.  This may mean they may hide and won’t come running at the sound of your voice.  They may even ignore you as if they have no idea who you are.  If you have an idea where your cat might be hanging out but you just can’t convince him to come to you, consider a live trap. These are humane traps that lure the animal in with food. Once inside, the door closes and locks, trapping them unharmed.  Some animal shelters offer them for rent.  You can also purchase one for about $50 at Ace Hardware Stores.  
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/animal-traps/85737
You may trap another cat, or depending upon where you live, a possum, skunk, or raccoon, but you might also trap your cat.  Be sure and check your trap often and humanely release all animals that were mistakenly trapped. 

 Cat Cameras-  Install a security camera at your home.  You may catch kitty strolling in while your sleeping and can be prepared to let him the next night.  Many feral feeders have cat cams.  Find out where they are and ask the owner to keep watch for your cat.  Cats will follow other cats to the food source, so it is very likely he may find his way to a feral feeder.

 Hire a Pet-Detective.com and Sherlockbones.com have great tips on their websites and are available for hire or advice

Classifieds-  Check your newspaper’s lost and found ads daily and shelters every couple days. 

 Check your old home - If you've recently moved, check your previous residence.  Cats have an internal homing device.  They have been known to travel for miles to find their way back home. I’ve heard stories of cats that somehow managed to get back to their old home even from another state!  Inform your old neighbors to keep an eye out in case your cat appears in your old hood. 


DON’T GIVE UP!!!!


 There are countless stories of cats that have found their way home months and even years after they went missing. My cat was displaced for over a month and a half before he was found. He’d faced an unfamiliar area with horrible winter weather, coyotes, Surprisingly when he was returned he was fatter than ever! Somehow he didn’t appear to have missed a meal.