Help find a cat?

Question

The cat has been missing for 3 days. The cat is 1 year old. People say that they have seen the cat by a park. When the owners get there, the cat is nowhere to be found. The owners put up posters but the cat doesn't show up. What should the owners do?

Answer 1

I had a cat missing for a few days just recently. He came back - I called him whenever I was outside. Two other cats were missing 6 and 7 weeks. I found them -- I looked non-stop, it seems, 'til I found them. I guess the point is, if the owners love it, don't give up.

Check the humane society, animal control, and no-kill shelters. At some places, the owners can leave a description of the cat (even a picture) and note where lost, and the owners will be called if a cat of that description is found.

Newspapers run free ads (usually) for lost & found pets. Call the local papers.

Keep calling it, leave food out for it. The owners might get every cat for a mile around, but will eventually get their cat. If it's an outdoor cat (or indoor-outdoor), it might recognize the surroundings and stay home.

Sometimes cats just go exploring or hang out with other cats or in cool places. Three days isn't a horribly long time for a cat to be exploring -- I've heard so many stories of cats being missing for weeks and even months... They come home.

The best time to look for a cat (I believe) is at night or just after dusk. That's when neighborhoods and traffic are quiet and cats can look for food and explore without being scared or disturbed. You will often see them around dumpsters and garbage cans.

If the owners have phrases they repeatedly use in talking tot he cat (like "are you hungry?" or "I love you"), use them while looking for the cat. The cat might identify with the phrase and respond. If the owners use the cat's name when calling it (generally), they should use it in looking; if they call "kitty, kitty, kitty" (generally), that's what they should use in looking.

I always call my cats by there names (not "kitty, kitty, kitty); they each know their names, and it has been a big help when looking for them. If everyone in the neighborhood calls their cats "kitty, kitty, kitty", it must get confusing for the cats. I also repeatedly use short phrases that they eventually recognize and associate with me. When they are out, it helps them recognize me as the caller. I recommend this for all pet owners.

Continue to ask people if they have seen the cat. Knock on doors, perhaps, too. Maybe someone, who hasn't seen the poster, took it in. Show a picture if possible.

If it's a male cat, there may be a female in heat somewhere. Cat's generally don't think about anything but sex if it's to be had. When the female is out of heat, the male returns home. Too, if the cat is a female, she may be hanging around where more male cats are.

There are also websites where you can post your lost pet. You'll have to do a search for them - they are often linked to shelters. Some are national sites, but the posts are categorized by city/state.

That's all I can think of right now. I hope it helps.

Good luck!! (I even just said a prayer for it to return home.)

Peace.

[EDIT] Forgive me, I thought of three other things: (1) Cats can travel quite a distance in a short time. People have argued that cats won't (even) go to the end of a long street, but I fed homeless cats for a long time, and would feed the same cats at different locations the same night or the next. So, your search area, perhaps, could be expanded. (2) I do most of my calling for my cats from home. I'm always concerned that if I call it from five blocks away, the cat might head in that direction and be further from home. They have good ears -- do most of the screaming from home. (3) Check in sheds, garages, other buildings. Someone may have shut a door while the cat was inside. Ask people to please check those buildings.

Answer 2

Cats can't read posters! Seriously, the posters are a great idea as long as they are giant and a color that gets noticed--not little black and white flyers.

As a pet detective, I get false sightings all the time--just because someone saw a cat near the park does not mean it was your cat.

Tell the owners to take photo flyers to all neighbors within a 5 house radius and ask to search their yards.

I can;t advice which search plan to use beyond that without knowing more details, but for complete advice on how pet detectives go about a missing cat search, get the e-book "How to Find Your Lost Cat" at www.LostCatFinder.com

Good luck to you and anyone with a lost cat.

it is not like calling for a lost dog--you have to have the right tactics and methods for a lost cat search.

Answer 3

Place strong-scented articles outside your home to attract your pet. Animals find their way by scent as well as sound.

Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody, and leave your phone number.
Make some noise while you walk around the neighborhood! Animals can hear you from great distances.

VISIT your local Animal Control, humane societies, and animal shelters, including the ones in surrounding areas.

It is extremely important to post MANY flyers about your lost pet within a 1-mile radius of where it was lost.

Place an Ad in your local newspaper. Some will do this for free.

Answer 4

does it have favourite cat treats? set up humane traps in the park to see if you can catch it, hee hee no, dont do that, you will just end up getting mice, rats ect. . try calling your local shelter, they helped me when my dog went missing! go into the park and listen for meowing, sometimes the cat cannot come home. good luck!

Answer 5

More then likly the cat is dead but I hope not! Put up bright colered poters and go door to door. I hope you all find the cat!

Good luck!

Answer 6

my cat just came home after being spotted a bunch. it was about a week that he was gone

Answer 7

continue to keep a look-out at the park.

Answer 8

i agree with Z's answers

Answer 9

buy another one