Finding Your Lost Cat
Tips to Help Find Your Lost Kitty
We all have heard sayings such as "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", "a stitch in time saves nine", I am sure there are hundreds more but these 2 are the ones that come to mind. Plus I remember my parent's saying these to me when I tried cutting corners on school projects and homework ;)
When it comes to your kitty, these phrases ring true. I am a firm believer in keeping my cat's indoors, no matter how sweet their pleading little faces are and no matter how many times they beggingly meow to go outside. Just say no, it's safer for them in the long run.
Take Precaution
Before we explain a few tips on how to find your kitty, let's talk about prevention. Microchip your kitty! Most vets will microchip them and it is safe and inexpensive. Your cat's microchip is about the size of a single grain of rice and is typically implanted between their shoulder blades. Each microchip has a distinct number that is assigned to your pet. The only downside to micro chipping is that not all shelters and vet clinics are equipped with the tool to scan for a microchip. Don't rely on a collar alone to identify your cat. Most cat collars can be easily caught on something and pulled or chewed off.
Keep a current picture of your kitty, not just a cute selfie with your furry friend, but a full body shot so the cat can be identified with the help of this photo if the need arises.
Keep Kitty Inside
A lot of people want to be Instagram famous with their Maine Coon. They have adorable pictures of them tucked away in a backpack, or walking on a leash at the park. As cute as these pictures are, once you bring your kitty outdoors they will want to go outdoors. Any time you open the door, they are going to think it's time for a walk or time to go backpacking. Being outdoors puts them at risk for illness and disease, even if they're vaccinated. It also puts them at risk of getting hit by a car or stolen. Teach kitty to stay inside. If you catch them scratching at the door or trying to push the door open, shake a can full of pennies. They do not like loud noises and will not want to hear that sound again and most likely will not want to go by the door again.
If they quickly dash out the door, don't panic and run towards them. In your calmest voice, try calling for them or slowly walk towards them. If you rush at them yelling, they're going to panic and try to quickly run and hide. Drop to your knees and offer an outstretched hand. If they come to you by name, say their name. If they will come to you using a certain phrase (ours will come to "time for treats") calmly say that phrase.
What if they run?
If kitty starts to run, try to watch where they run off to. If they've run off somewhere close to home and are hiding, such as underneath the porch, put a warm dish of their favorite treat on the porch. Most cat's will get scared and hungry and come out of their hiding place to eat. Most likely they'll wait patiently by the door and meow to come back inside.
Kitty Disappeared
You come home from a long day at work and can't wait to be greeted by your favorite kitty. You open the door and call "here kitty, kitty" and wait to hear the sweet sounds of paws running across the tile. Only you wait, call again, and now almost go into panic mode because you can't find your cat. Before you begin searching for your kitty outdoors, check inside the house. Think like a cat...ours love to hide in small spaces or climb up high. Are they locked in a cupboard? Did they get inside the refrigerator? (Our kitty Sheed did that when she was a kitten, luckily we heard her meowing and she wasn't in there very long). Are they under a bed, in a drawer, in the shower? Once you've searched the house high and low and can't find your kitty, start looking outside.
We all have heard sayings such as "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", "a stitch in time saves nine", I am sure there are hundreds more but these 2 are the ones that come to mind. Plus I remember my parent's saying these to me when I tried cutting corners on school projects and homework ;)
When it comes to your kitty, these phrases ring true. I am a firm believer in keeping my cat's indoors, no matter how sweet their pleading little faces are and no matter how many times they beggingly meow to go outside. Just say no, it's safer for them in the long run.
Take Precaution
Before we explain a few tips on how to find your kitty, let's talk about prevention. Microchip your kitty! Most vets will microchip them and it is safe and inexpensive. Your cat's microchip is about the size of a single grain of rice and is typically implanted between their shoulder blades. Each microchip has a distinct number that is assigned to your pet. The only downside to micro chipping is that not all shelters and vet clinics are equipped with the tool to scan for a microchip. Don't rely on a collar alone to identify your cat. Most cat collars can be easily caught on something and pulled or chewed off.
Keep a current picture of your kitty, not just a cute selfie with your furry friend, but a full body shot so the cat can be identified with the help of this photo if the need arises.
Keep Kitty Inside
A lot of people want to be Instagram famous with their Maine Coon. They have adorable pictures of them tucked away in a backpack, or walking on a leash at the park. As cute as these pictures are, once you bring your kitty outdoors they will want to go outdoors. Any time you open the door, they are going to think it's time for a walk or time to go backpacking. Being outdoors puts them at risk for illness and disease, even if they're vaccinated. It also puts them at risk of getting hit by a car or stolen. Teach kitty to stay inside. If you catch them scratching at the door or trying to push the door open, shake a can full of pennies. They do not like loud noises and will not want to hear that sound again and most likely will not want to go by the door again.
If they quickly dash out the door, don't panic and run towards them. In your calmest voice, try calling for them or slowly walk towards them. If you rush at them yelling, they're going to panic and try to quickly run and hide. Drop to your knees and offer an outstretched hand. If they come to you by name, say their name. If they will come to you using a certain phrase (ours will come to "time for treats") calmly say that phrase.
What if they run?
If kitty starts to run, try to watch where they run off to. If they've run off somewhere close to home and are hiding, such as underneath the porch, put a warm dish of their favorite treat on the porch. Most cat's will get scared and hungry and come out of their hiding place to eat. Most likely they'll wait patiently by the door and meow to come back inside.
Kitty Disappeared
You come home from a long day at work and can't wait to be greeted by your favorite kitty. You open the door and call "here kitty, kitty" and wait to hear the sweet sounds of paws running across the tile. Only you wait, call again, and now almost go into panic mode because you can't find your cat. Before you begin searching for your kitty outdoors, check inside the house. Think like a cat...ours love to hide in small spaces or climb up high. Are they locked in a cupboard? Did they get inside the refrigerator? (Our kitty Sheed did that when she was a kitten, luckily we heard her meowing and she wasn't in there very long). Are they under a bed, in a drawer, in the shower? Once you've searched the house high and low and can't find your kitty, start looking outside.
Getting Kitty Back Home
The best time to search for your kitty is the middle of the night. Bring a canister of cat treats with you and shake it, the treats sound surprisingly louder when the world is sleeping. Here are a few other tips to get your kitty back home:
1. Put a large box outside with blankets or shirts inside of it. Cat's can smell very well and most will recognize the scent of "home".
2. Put there favorite food in a "Have a Heart" cage. Some cat's will smell their favorite snack and climb inside of the cage without harming themselves. The downside to these traps is that you may end up catching a wild animal instead of your pet.
3. Put out fliers. Your flier should include a picture of your cat, your contact information, and details about where and when the cat went missing. If possible, offer a reward. Place these fliers anywhere you can; in stores, in vet clinics, pet food stores, telephone poles, etc. Place them at eye level and make them easy to read. Talk to the mailman or people that frequently walk your neighborhood. If you have pet insurance on your cat, several pet insurance companies will reimburse the cost of Lost fliers and ads.
4. Post on social media. Facebook has several lost and found pet sites that are extremely helpful in finding your baby.
5. Call local vet clinics to see if anyone has brought your kitty in. If your kitty is micro chipped, vet clinics will scan lost pets for a microchip number. Make sure you have a current phone number on file with your vet and the company your cat is micro chipped with.
6. Go do to door with pictures of your cat. Ask if anyone has seen your baby and let them know that you are looking for them.
7. Check trees nearby. Some cats will get nervous and climb up trees trying to seek shelter and safety. In some cases, they will climb up and not be able to get back down.
8. Never lose hope. There are stories of people's cats that wander miles from home and come all the way back. Keep searching, keep looking, and don't give up hope!
The best time to search for your kitty is the middle of the night. Bring a canister of cat treats with you and shake it, the treats sound surprisingly louder when the world is sleeping. Here are a few other tips to get your kitty back home:
1. Put a large box outside with blankets or shirts inside of it. Cat's can smell very well and most will recognize the scent of "home".
2. Put there favorite food in a "Have a Heart" cage. Some cat's will smell their favorite snack and climb inside of the cage without harming themselves. The downside to these traps is that you may end up catching a wild animal instead of your pet.
3. Put out fliers. Your flier should include a picture of your cat, your contact information, and details about where and when the cat went missing. If possible, offer a reward. Place these fliers anywhere you can; in stores, in vet clinics, pet food stores, telephone poles, etc. Place them at eye level and make them easy to read. Talk to the mailman or people that frequently walk your neighborhood. If you have pet insurance on your cat, several pet insurance companies will reimburse the cost of Lost fliers and ads.
4. Post on social media. Facebook has several lost and found pet sites that are extremely helpful in finding your baby.
5. Call local vet clinics to see if anyone has brought your kitty in. If your kitty is micro chipped, vet clinics will scan lost pets for a microchip number. Make sure you have a current phone number on file with your vet and the company your cat is micro chipped with.
6. Go do to door with pictures of your cat. Ask if anyone has seen your baby and let them know that you are looking for them.
7. Check trees nearby. Some cats will get nervous and climb up trees trying to seek shelter and safety. In some cases, they will climb up and not be able to get back down.
8. Never lose hope. There are stories of people's cats that wander miles from home and come all the way back. Keep searching, keep looking, and don't give up hope!