Summer can be a scary time for our cats, with remodeling and strange visitors and of course, July 4th fireworks.
The biggest thing to remember if your cat gets lost is don’t give up! In the first two weeks, they will probably be fairly close to home.
As they say about lost pets, dogs roam but cats hide. Only a very small percentage of cats are confident enough to show up back at your door. Most lost cats get so scared they lose the ability to find home on their own.
They have a form of Feline PTSD: some traumatic event has created fear so intense they can’t behave normally. This can make them hypervigilant to all new sounds and smells, so they respond to that by freezing.
They will also go silent and probably will NOT come when you call. Cats instinctively know they could become prey for predators if they show their location.
A recent study showed that most indoor cats who were found had been hiding within 2 houses of their home! This is especially true if they are injured.
Even indoor/outdoor cats will probably find a place to hide within a block of their own home. For years we were taught to put out things that smell like home to the cat, like clothing, food and even litter boxes. THIS ADVICE IS WRONG.
Placing food or litter boxes outside may lure in predators who might kill your cat.
A terrified lost cat will probably go into survival mode and tuck into the first small, dark place they find. they will probably be too scared to come to the sound of your voice. they will stay there until they get so hungry they must risk coming out to eat.
Kimberley Freeman, a professional tracker who finds lost cats with their own search cat for their company LostCatFinder.com, reports that this can take 10-14 days. Unfortunately, that’s about the time that most guardians are giving up.
She splits cats up into 4 different personalities. All but the first one will probably have to be humanely trapped:
- Curious Cat: confident and the first to emerge from hiding, possibly sooner than 10-14 days.
- Cautious Cat: wary of people but may be occasionally sighted
- Careful Cat: nervous and will only emerge at night
- Xenophobic Cat: scared of strangers and rarely seen
Fact is, most cats are naturally suspicious of strangers. They can see well only about 20 feet in front of them and will probably not be able to recognize their people when frozen and terrified.
If anyone tells you that your lost cat has already been eaten by a predator or has “gone off to die,” ignore them. These are myths about lost cats that are not only false but can damage your plan to get their back.
Here are 6 things to do to locate your cat:
1. Post on your local municipal shelter’s Lost Pets page.
Here in Colorado Springs, you can file a Lost Pet Report with HSPPR. That will stay on file for 10 days, so don’t forget to repeat it. They recommend checking their online Found Reports, plus going to the shelter, actually checking kennels, and asking to see cats in out-of-view rooms to make sure you check everywhere.
2. Post large neon flyers everywhere you can in your neighborhood.
They need to be large enough to be seen from a car. Use 22” x 28” neon poster board and attach two 8.5” x 11” papers to it. Print a large photo of your missing kitty on one, filling the paper. Print their description—including your phone number—on the second using a 50 point font. Letter “LOST CAT” and “PLEASE HELP” in at least 3” letters above & below. People are more apt to help without exchanging money, so that is better than offering a reward.
3. Do a thorough physical search.
Remember, they are probably within two houses of home. Don’t rely on your neighbors to get down to cat level and look everywhere; you need to do it yourself. If you can fit your fist in the space, your cat could be there. Rule out all small spaces in your block.
4. Look for them right after dusk.
Check for reflective cat eyes with a flashlight. Remember to check in trees too.
5. Put them on social media.
Neighborhood groups on NextDoor or Facebook can be especially useful. Be specific about where your cat went missing. Ask people to watch their door cameras too.
6. Buy a trail camera.
Put it up to watch for yourself, especially for movement at night.
Once your kitty is spotted, you will know where to set the humane trap. Again, they may be too scared to be hungry for weeks, so don’t give up too soon.
Most municipal shelters have humane traps for rent or deposit, as does Happy Cats Haven. Your chances of getting her back by trapping her once she is spotted are very good. If you haven’t spotted her within two weeks, you might try setting the trap in your yard, but set up that trail cam and watch carefully for predators.
Freeman has also reported that the adventure cat trend has dramatically increased her lost cat cases. If you want to go outside with your cat, please tap here for some safety tips so she doesn’t get lost again.
