Help Me Find My Cat: Finding Lost Cats

When any pet goes missing, the most important thing to do is take action immediately. There are a variety of ways that you can find your cat, each of which being good tools during this emergency. I know that if my beloved cat were to go missing, the first thing I would probably do is call every friend I have shouting, "Help me find my cat!!!" As owners, we take on a lifelong responsibility to care for our animals and keep them out of harm's way. However, accidents do happen, and pets can escape. We just have to use every tool in our power to find that cat. Here is an entire arsenal of methods that you can easily put to use to find your cat should he or she go missing! Don't forget to think about utilizing the numerous methods, such as GPS collars, that you can use to locate your pet easily before it goes missing.

As soon as you notice your cat is missing, you should thoroughly search the inside and outside of the home. All cabinets and storage areas should be checked, as well as high resting shelves. Cats love to hide when sleeping! If the kitty is allowed inside and outside, it is wise to check underneath and inside of any vehicles that have recently been operated. The cat could have slipped into the vehicle while the door was open, or could be warming up underneath the hot engine in the cold of winter. If the cat is still missing, it is time to move to the next step.

If your cat goes missing, you can post a "missing" ad on Craigslist. This will alert locals to the disappearance of your cat. You can also surf through the listings to see if anyone has found a kitty that matches the description of your cat. Craigslist has helped many owners to find their missing pets, so it is not a bad place to start. After all, once the ad is posted you can go about other searches. This way, if someone spots your cat they can reach you through your cell phone.

As soon as your pet goes missing, use social media sites to post updates and photos. You should then ask friends, family, and neighbors to be on the lookout. You can ask them to share the photos with other friends in the area. On Facebook, the tagging feature can be extremely useful. By tagging friends or neighbors who live nearby, the photo will also be displayed to their friends. This will greatly increase awareness of your missing cat.

After you have alerted friends and neighbors to your missing cat, try to organize a search team to help you find the cat. It is important to try to find the animal within a few hours of the kitty going missing; this way, he or she is not able to travel far. The different members of the search party should all be familiar to the cat and trusted. This way, the animal is far more likely to recognize their voices and call out to the people for help. Every hole, tree, stair set, bush, and dog house should be checked. A cat will hide anywhere that is dark and quiet.

If your cat is wearing a collar with a GPS tracking device, you can track down your cat's location and find him or her. These collars have been around for a couple of years and are now becoming very affordable to the average pet owner. Thankfully, all you have to do with these collars is use a computer or internet-capable mobile device to locate the whereabouts of the missing pet. Many require the battery to be recharged every now and then; so if you currently use one of these collars, try to recharge it every time the battery is at half-capacity.

If someone finds a lost pet, they are likely to either try to find the owner. If they cannot find the owner within 1-7 days, it is usually dropped off with a local animal shelter or rescue. Many who own pets know that an owner who is missing their animal will likely contact these shelters in search of the pet; therefore, some will try to get the animal to a shelter as soon as possible. If the shelter or rescue employees have not received a found animal, you can leave a description of the cat along with contact information in case your cat makes its way to the establishment.

Believe it or not, posting flyers can be a great way to find a missing pet. It allows those who live near your home to become aware of the missing animal, and they will know how to reach you if the missing cat is spotted. Never underestimate the power of flyers! You can even leave flyers with each resident in the neighborhood by going door to door. If you do not own a printer, you can ask friends to print the flyers for you. If this is not an option, many print shops and sign shops will print your document for a fee. It is advisable to get at least 100 copies; get more printed if you intend to hand them out to several dozen homeowners.

Like shelters, missing pets can find their way to animal hospitals, especially if the animal was injured. This is one of many successful ways to find your missing cat. If your cat is microchipped, you can leave the cat's tracking number with each veterinarian in case they come across the cat. Microchips are inserted under the skin of an animal, and hold information regarding the pet and its owner.