Here is a step-by-step guide on how to find a lost cat.
As a “cat mom” to seven cats, I’ve spent many hours researching what to do when one of them goes missing. These are my tried and tested methods that will maximise your chances of finding your lost cat.
You must act quickly and avoid the most common mistakes made when searching for a lost cat.
These are the steps you should follow:
#1 Search your house thoroughly
#2 Mount a physical search of the immediate area
#3 Put up posters
#4 Create Flyers
#5 Use Social Media
#6 Alert Vets and Shelters
#7 Ensure your cat can get back into your home
#8 Contact Missing Pet Websites
#9 Hire a pet detective
#10 Contact an Animal Communicator/Pet Psychic
#11 Beware of scams
#12 What to do when you find your cat
Further information:
Lost cat myths and old wives tales
Biggest mistakes made when looking for a lost cat
What are the chances of finding a lost cat?
How to stop your cat getting lost
Keep reading for information on each step.
#1 Search your house thoroughly
Check under beds, in closets, behind and inside furniture, in basements and garages, and even under/in vehicles. Cats are masters at hiding and love dark small spaces. In the past I have found missing cats behind chimney breasts, under floorboards and even behind a bathtub panel. Find a quiet time when other people and animals are out, shake their favourite treats and call them softly and listen for any meows.
#2 Mount a physical search of the immediate area
Implementing a thorough, “boots on the ground” search of your own yard, and your neighbouring properties, within a couple of days of your cat going missing, will give you the greatest chance of finding your cat.
Check spaces where a cat could hide – chimneys, sheds, garages, under decking, dense bushes, trees, roofs, vehicles, storm drains etc. If the cat is scared it will remain quiet as this could attract predators. A cat’s behaviour changes dramatically when it is displaced, and it may not respond to your call. Use a flashlight in your search – it will reflect the cats eyes.
Search early morning and late at night when it’s quieter and cats are more active. Shake a container of their favourite treats and call them softly.
Cats won’t generally cross open spaces unless they are being chased, so look for objects they could use as cover whilst they find a secure hiding place.
Let people know your cat is missing. Knock on doors and ask neighbours if they have seen your cat. Ask if you can search neighbours garages and sheds yourself if possible, rather than relying on them to do it. Take a recent photograph of your cat with you.
Identify any lock-up-and-leave properties nearby such as caravans/trailers, holiday homes etc and go and check them out.
#3 Put up posters
Make posters and put them on trees, lampposts and intersections close to your home, and a couple of blocks further afield.
Posters should feature a clear, recent photograph of your cat, along with its color, sex, age, breed, any identifying features or markings, and whether they are neutered and microchipped.
Include the date when the cat was last seen, and the area its missing from.
Bright colours will make your poster stand out. Laminate them or put them in a plastic wallet so they don’t get spoiled by the rain, and if you find your cat, remember to take the posters down.
Offering a reward may incentivise people to look for your cat, but beware of scams. If you can, leave out an identifying feature which you can ask a finder to identify to confirm it’s your cat .
#4 Create Flyers
Print these yourself as smaller versions of your poster, or use a website such as pawboost.com or lostcatsofamerica.com.
Distribute them throughout your neighbourhood. Drop them through neighbours’ doors, and post them anywhere that has a notice board (stores, gyms, vets, bars, cafes, restaurants, car washes, gas stations etc).
#5 Use Social Media
Make posts about your missing cat on social media sites such as Craigslist and Facebook. Most communities have pages on Facebook, and may also have pages specifically for lost pets.
State on your Facebook post that sightings should be reported to yourself, and that the cat should not be approached by someone they don’t know as it will probably get scared and run away.
Add your phone number, so you are informed of any sightings as soon as possible.
#6 Alert Vets and Shelters
Contact local animal shelters, charities, rescue centres, vets & your microchip company. Locate all the shelters in your area, log a Missing Animal Report with them. Check their websites daily or every other day. Keep doing this for at least two months.
If your cat is micro chipped contact your microchip company. Make sure your contact details are up to date, and log your cat as missing.
#7 Ensure your cat can get back into your home
Make sure that your cat is able to get into your home if you are not there. If you do not have a cat flap, you could set up a humane trap (these can be rented from vets and animal shelters).
Bait the trap with food, set it and cover it with blankets from your home, which will smell familiar to your cat.
Check it regularly. Don’t leave anything caught in it for more than a few hours. Release other cats or wildlife you catch immediately.
#8 Contact Missing Pet Websites
Add a missing cat post on websites such as:
Mission Reunite
Missing Animal Response Network
The Center for Lost Pets
Petco Love Lost
Pet FBI
FindToto
PawBoost
#9 Hire a pet detective
Pet detectives are experienced in missing cat behaviours, and have all the equipment needed to conduct a thorough search of your local area. It can save you precious hours and means you can focus on exactly the right techniques to find your cat. Pet detectives can be found in most countries via Google or Facebook, and cite success rates of between 68% and 86%. Detectives such as Lost Cat Finder (US) and Happy Tails Detective (UK) also offer online search advice as well, so that you can get access to their expert advice if they are out of your area or unable to attend immediately.
#10 Contact an Animal Communicator/Pet Psychic
Animal communicators work with telepathy, and can connect with an animal through a photo. There are limitations about what they can tell you, as they enter the consciousness of the animal and view the world as the animal sees it. So if your missing cat was asked “where are you?” it will probably be unable to say, but it will be able to relate what it can see, such as a shed with a red roof, a large house, a green fence etc. The animal should be able to give information about the direction they went, how they travelled, whether they are with another human and if they know how to get home. You can find animal communicators on Google or Facebook. They don’t need to be local to you as they can do the communication over the phone or on Zoom.
#11 Beware of scams
Be alert if you have offered a reward. Ask any finders to describe your cat, including details you haven’t released. Never wire or transfer money to a stranger, and if meeting someone unknown to you meet in a public place and don’t go alone.
#12 What to do if you find your cat
If your cat has been missing for more than a couple of days, then your vet should check it over. If it has been trapped and deprived of food and water it can develop irreversible health conditions including damage to their kidneys and liver.
You may need advice on a post-starvation diet for your cat, to avoid Refeeding Syndrome which can be fatal.
Lost cat myths and old wives tales
- Putting your cats litter box outside – this won’t attract your cat if it’s hiding, but may attract other cats or predators.
- Assuming the cat has been killed by a predator – there will usually be signs such as clumps of fur, but it is rare for cats to be attacked in this way.
- Cats go away to die – there is no evidence to suggest this, although they may hide or be too weak to return home.
Biggest mistakes made when looking for a lost cat
- Waiting too long to see if the cat comes home by itself.
- Not checking with local shelters at least every three days.
- Not implementing enough of the strategies above. Sometimes you need to cast a wide net to find your cat, so employing as many methods as possible will give you the greatest chance of finding your cat.
- Giving up too soon. After implementing all the steps above, it can be disheartening if you still haven’t found your cat after a couple of weeks. In some ways you may just want the stress to be over, and to give up searching. But don’t give up – cats can return home weeks, months or even years after going missing. It’s a sad fact that shelters are full of friendly pet cats whose owners gave up searching too soon.
What are the chances of finding a lost cat?
A 2018 study of lost cats found that 33% of the missing cats were found within seven days, and in total, 61% were found within a year. The study showed that physical searching greatly increased the chances of finding the cat alive, and that 75% of cats were found within a 550 yard radius of their home.
An ASPCA survey found that 59% of lost cats returned home on their own, 30% were found by searching the neighbourhood, and 2% were found at shelters.
How to stop your cat getting lost
- Your cat should wear a collar and ID tag, if a stranger finds it they will know who to call. It also shows your cat is not a stray. A collar with a breakaway clasp is best, as it will come open if the cat snags it on anything.
- Microchip your cat in case the collar gets lost.
- Spaying or neutering will discourage roaming.
- Consider a GPS collar such as Tractive GPS cat collars. This gives you the real time location of your cat.
- Consider fencing solutions such as Protect-a-pet or a Catio.
What to do next?
We wish you well with your search, and really hope that you find your cat. For more information on cat behaviour please see our pages Why Do Cats Run Away and Best GPS Cat Collars.
