Check With Neighbors and Friends
One of the first things you should do when your cat goes missing is ask your neighbors and friends in the area if they’ve seen your cat. Cats tend to stay close to home, so there’s a good chance a neighbor may have spotted your cat wandering around the neighborhood.
Post about your missing cat on any neighborhood apps or sites like Nextdoor to alert the local community. Include a photo of your cat, your contact information, and details on when and where your cat went missing. With neighbors keeping an eye out, you’re more likely to get a lead on your cat’s whereabouts.
You’ll also want to contact your cat’s vet or local animal shelters. Someone who found your stray cat may have brought it into a vet or shelter, so it’s important they have your cat’s description and your contact information in case your cat is brought in.
Getting the word out locally is an important first step in increasing the chances your neighbors or someone in the community spots your lost cat. Check with those closest to home first before expanding your search area.
Search the Immediate Area
One of the first things to do when a cat goes missing is to thoroughly search the immediate area around your home. According to the Missing Animal Response, the median distance found for indoor-only cats that escape or become displaced is about 50 meters (54 yards) from home, which means many lost cats don’t actually wander very far (https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-cat-behavior/).
Look under porches, in garages and sheds, up trees, and anywhere a cat may hide both on your property and your surrounding neighbors’ properties. Make sure to get permission before searching neighbors’ properties. Shake treat bags or make noises your cat responds to as you search to try to draw your cat out if they are hiding nearby.
Expand the Search Radius
If your cat has not turned up close to home, it’s time to expand the search radius farther out into the neighborhood. Canvas the area by knocking on doors and speaking with residents to see if anyone has spotted your cat. The median distance found for escaped indoor cats is about 50 meters (54 yards), but some cats have traveled over a mile, according to this source. Drive or walk slowly through the neighborhood, looking carefully under cars and bushes where your cat may be hiding.
Don’t forget to check any outbuildings, garages, or sheds in the area. Go door-to-door with flyers and photos of your missing cat so neighbors know who to contact if they see your pet. Expand your search efforts both during the day and at night, since lost cats often only come out when things are quiet. Don’t give up on finding your cat even if the search radius extends farther than you’d expect. With persistence and help from the community, there’s still a good chance your cat can be found.
Post Flyers
One of the most effective ways to find a lost cat is to post flyers around your neighborhood and community. According to one study, distributing “Lost Cat flyers” across the local area reunited 15% of lost pets with their owners (https://www.bringjacksonhome.com/lost-dogs-statistics/).
When making flyers, be sure to include a clear, recent photo of your cat along with your contact information. List identifying details like your cat’s name, age, breed, color, and any distinguishing features. Make the flyers visually compelling and easy to read from a distance.
Good locations to post flyers include local veterinary clinics, pet supply stores, supermarkets, lamp posts, message boards, and anywhere else with high foot traffic. Start by canvasing the area immediately around where your cat went missing, then expand outwards to cover a wider radius. Pay extra attention to locations near woods or green spaces where a lost cat may wander.
Post flyers liberally, the more visibility the better. Follow up regularly to replace any damaged or removed flyers. With eye-catching and widely distributed flyers, you stand the best chance of someone recognizing your cat and contacting you if spotted.
Contact Local Shelters
One of the most important steps to take when looking for a lost cat is to contact local animal shelters and humane societies. According to the ASPCA, about twice as many cats enter shelters as strays compared to the number relinquished by owners [1]. Visiting the shelters in person is recommended, as you can check for your cat yourself and provide a photo and description to staff.
Don’t rely just on phone calls – go to each shelter in your area in person and ask to see all the cats currently being housed. Provide staff with a current photo of your cat along with details like name, age, breed, color, any distinguishing marks, microchip details if applicable, and your contact information. Check the shelter’s website and social media if available for found pet postings.
Keep returning to each shelter every 2-3 days if your cat is still missing, as new strays are brought in daily. Leaving your photo and information will enable staff to contact you if your cat arrives in the future [2]. Persistence is key when checking shelters for a lost pet.
[1] https://petfbi.org/shelter-statistics-or-why-the-odds-of-finding-your-lost-pet-at-a-shelter-are-against-you/
[2] https://www.maddiesfund.org/feline-shelter-intake-reduction-program-faqs.htm
Notify Microchip Company
If your cat is microchipped, contact the chip company to report it missing so they can notify you if it turns up. Microchips are very effective at reuniting lost pets with their owners. According to Greenwood Village Vets, microchipped pets find their way home more often than those without chips.
A recent analysis by the Human Animal Support Services found that microchipped pets are three times more likely to get back home. Even if your cat has been missing for a while, the microchip can still help. As Madison Animal Care explains, microchips don’t lose effectiveness over time – scanners can still detect and read them.
So make sure to contact your microchip company with your cat’s details. Reporting your missing pet to the chip registry gives you the best chance of being reunited if your cat turns up at a shelter or vet’s office.
Set Traps
One of the most effective ways to catch a lost cat is to set humane traps. You can borrow or rent traps from local animal shelters or purchase your own. Be sure to use traps designed specifically for cats, as they are sized appropriately and have safety features to prevent injury.
The key is using irresistibly smelly food to lure the cat into the trap. Canned fish like mackerel, sardines, or tuna work very well. You can also use canned cat food or meat. Place the food at the very back of the trap so that the cat has to step completely inside to reach it. Position traps close to your home or where your cat was last seen, as they usually don’t roam too far. Check the traps frequently – at least every 2 hours.
Once you’ve caught your cat, immediately cover the trap with a towel to help it feel secure and reduce stress during transport back home. Return any rented traps cleaned and ready for the next person. With persistence and properly-baited humane traps, you have a great chance of getting your lost cat back safely.
For more tips, see this guide on humanely trapping cats.
Don’t Give Up Hope
Even though your cat has been missing for over a week, try not to lose hope. According to research, most lost cats are found within 2 miles of home within 7-10 days (Source). So even though it may feel discouraging, stay diligent in your search efforts – there’s still a good chance your cat is nearby.
Keep putting up flyers, contacting local shelters and vets, and searching the surrounding area. Expand your search radius a bit each day. Cats can travel surprising distances when lost, so try searching farther from home as more time passes. But stay focused on the area within a 2 mile radius, as that’s the most likely place your cat will turn up.
Don’t give up hope that your cat will return home safe. With persistence and continued searching, there’s still a good chance you’ll be reunited. Stay positive and keep the faith that your lost cat will find their way back to you soon.
Use Social Media
Posting about your missing cat on local neighborhood sites like Nextdoor can be very effective for spreading the word. A study showed that 15% of lost dogs are recovered because their information was shared on social media (Source: https://www.swnewsmedia.com/shakopee_valley_news/news/local/more-people-using-social-media-to-reunite-lost-pets-with-owners/article_8a33db44-e3b5-534e-8e40-ff0f3cf34778.html). Sites like Nextdoor allow you to target people in your immediate neighborhood which is key. Share the flyer and information about your missing cat on Facebook and other social platforms as well to cast a wider net.
Enlist Friends to Help
Recruit volunteers to help search and distribute flyers. Extra eyes and hands improve chances of finding your cat. Ask friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to help look for your missing cat. The more people you can get searching, the better. Hand out flyers and ask volunteers to search specific areas near where your cat went missing, such as backyards and alleys. Organize search times where you and volunteers go out in groups at the same time to canvass your neighborhood. Provide volunteers with extra flyers to pass out or post as they search. Having more people involved extends your reach and increases the odds of a sighting. Just make sure to coordinate areas so you don’t duplicate efforts. Thank your volunteers for their time and support.
According to the Humane Society, getting people involved is key: “Use local social media sites and missing pet registries to help get the word out. When people know your dog is missing, they’ll want to help. Otherwise, they may not realize your pet needs to be found.”[1]