How to find a missing cat - on the street, in the countryside, in the garden, in the village

11/13/2021 11,363 Interesting things about cats

Author: Olga

Unfortunately, this situation when a cat gets lost happens often. Pets play and fall out of balconies and windows, disappearing in the countryside or in the forest during country walks and picnics. What to do and how to find your lost pet, let's figure it out together.

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Preparatory activities for the search

In order to return a missing cat, you must immediately begin searching after the loss is discovered. Pets often run away from home and fall off the balcony due to increased curiosity that arises against the background of hormone activity.

Successful searches largely depend on the implementation of certain preparatory activities:

using a flashlight, since in the dark the eyes of cats display optical light, which helps to quickly locate the missing animal. During the search, it is necessary to explore the darkest and most secluded places, and when night falls, the pet can crawl out of its hiding place (for example, the basement of a residential building, ventilation, boiler room);
binoculars and other optics. In such cases, you can detect your pet from a distance and not scare it off, as it may be in a highly stressed state. The devices allow you to thoroughly study the terrain within a range of several kilometers (dense thickets, forest, other hard-to-reach places);
you can find a missing pet with the help of your favorite toys, since many cats observe surrounding activities from a hiding place and can jump out into the street at the sight of familiar and familiar objects;
treats for cats. Shaking dry food in a can may be one of the cat's favorite sounds, so this method can also help in finding the animal;
using a clicker, since the pet associates such a sound device with receiving a treat. If he hears these sounds, he can quickly return to his place of residence.

If a cat runs away from home, then its owner must pull himself together, calm down and plan the right search plan. Avoiding panic will give results faster and help you find your missing pet.

The cat disappeared without a trace

You returned home and discovered that your cat was missing. The first thing you will do is conduct a systematic search of your home. Search every room and search thoroughly. Get on your knees and think like a cat. Remember, when they are scared or injured, they can crawl into places you never dreamed they could fit. You need to look under chairs, in armrests, in reclining chairs (very often a cat will rip the bottom of a chair or bed and disappear into the springs). You need to look into your closets and make sure you've covered every inch of your living space before you even think about looking outside.

After a thorough home search, there are a few things you need to do. One of them is to find an old T-shirt that you don't really care about or an old pair of sneakers. Put on your sneakers without socks or throw on a shirt and just start walking around the house calling your cat. Take a box of dry cat food or treats and shake it gently as you walk. You want that shirt and shoes to be really sweaty with your scent in case you don't find your cat, because the shoes and shirt will help you smell the cat in the house. If your search is unsuccessful, when you get home, hang your shirt outside where the wind can spread your scent, and place your shoes outside and near the front door.

Possible places where an animal can hide

Considering the issue of a domestic cat running away, how to find it requires studying the probable places of the loss. In practice, an animal can approximately hide in the following places:

entrances from the upper floors, while at the same time you need to try to inspect baby strollers, buckets, shoes, other items located on landings, places near the garbage chute;
basement, attic. In order to open these premises, you must contact the Housing Office and receive the keys to the doors;
carrying out searches on the street, since cats love elevated places and can be on a tree, roof of a house, pole, balcony, tall bush;
in winter, a cat can hide in places such as heating pipes, a car engine, or a heating radiator located in the entrance;
possible search locations on the street (garage, shed, other utility rooms);
in many cases, the animal gets lost on the street in hard-to-reach places, so storm drains, sewers, and drainpipes must be checked;
When searching for a cat, a hungry animal is often found near trash cans and food preparation areas (a dining room kitchen or a cafe located near the house).

Possible places of loss in the house:

inspection of furniture, closet, niche, space under the bed;
the upper part of the closet, sideboard, furniture wall, since cats love to hide in these secluded places;
empty boxes and other containers that can accommodate an animal;
the window of the washing machine, which is constantly open and ventilated;
balcony and adjacent structures.

Finding a cat in the country is much more complicated due to the large territory, great access to wild nature (proximity to a forest, river), and possible collisions with wild animals. In this case, the pet may take refuge in a neighbor’s house, so it is important to check this option.

During search activities, you need to call the animal by name, try to rustle it with its favorite food, or wear a toy that is familiar to it, as these factors can make the task easier and find the missing cat on the street.

How to find an animal on the street

Searching for a frightened animal is quite difficult, since a cat can hide in a secluded place for a long time (for 2-4 days), so it is necessary to organize a proper search and carefully check possible places.

Often the pet can be found in the company of street cats, as sex hormones play a role, and it is drawn to the street during the period of active mating games. If it is important that the animal is completely domestic, then it needs to be sterilized.

In some cases, after searching, the cat does not want to return home at all, so homemade traps (cardboard boxes or other suitable containers) may be needed.

A cat that finds itself in an unknown situation hides for a long time (for 5-6 days) and does not go outside. She starves and becomes unadapted to the conditions that arise.

At the same time, animals do not run away over long distances, so searches are best carried out within a radius of several kilometers from the house. Cats are under severe stress, so they may simply not respond to their name or favorite treat.

Cats that are lost on the street often like to hide under cars parked in the yard, so these places need to be checked first.

Lost cat

The reasons why a cat is lost could be anything. He can slip through an unlocked window or an open door, run away from the house on his own, or get lost from fright in an unfamiliar place. The main role in this situation is played by the time when you discovered the loss. The sooner you realized that your pet is not at home, the better it will be. If the animal is dear to you, you will not regret either the time or money searching for it. Remember that when searching, every detail and minute is important, on which even the life of the animal sometimes depends.

Of course, you need to be alarmed if a kitten goes missing, since in most cases there are many dangers lurking for it on the street. Kids are afraid of cold, dampness, hunger and strangers. A kitten is unlikely to find its way home on its own, unlike an adult animal. Most often, he will look for a secluded place, meow pitifully and seek help from people. According to statistics, without human help, kittens die in 80% of cases, while an adult cat can get food for itself and survive.

According to statistics, if a pet goes missing, people find only 50% of cats, but 70% of dogs. However, 65% of cats that escaped and 7% of dogs return to their owners on their own.

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What to do if you couldn’t find your missing cat in the first days

When searching for a missing cat, it is not always possible to find it quickly, but you cannot abandon this idea and you need to continue the undertaking. Some recommendations:

posting advertisements about searching for an animal in the area of residence, indicating external data, photographs, and the amount of reward. In this case, the form can be hung up in veterinary clinics located in the district;
social networks (in contact, classmates), as there are special groups where you can post information about a missing animal. This technique is quite effective, since the ad can be read by a large number of people.

The above methods can help in the search even after a long time, since the animal can stray to any place.

At the same time, fraudsters can take advantage of such advertisements for their own benefit:

a call is made and the owner is notified that his animal has been found;
most often the voice of the person calling is absolutely calm, measured and does not arouse any suspicion;
then the person demands a reward in a friendly tone with the transfer of the animal after some time (several hours, in the morning or in the evening);
at the same time, scammers often ask to top up a card or mobile phone number as a reward, and then disappear;
if the owner refuses to transfer the money, they may face threats (for example, kill the animal or not give it back, but throw it out into the street).

In order to prevent the development of such events, the following measures must be taken:

ask for the possibility of providing a photo using any electronic resource (mms message, viber, mail, whatsapp);
checking the name of the animal when naming it is incorrect and if the cat responds, then this is a fraudulent scheme;
checking for special signs or finding out any other characteristic features of the animal. If confusion begins, then most likely it is just scammers trying to illegally receive a reward.

How to find a runaway cat

Author KakSimply!

In newspapers, social networks, and simply on poles, advertisements periodically appear that owners are looking for their lost cat.

Or in such a situation, you can look for the cat on a nearby neighbor’s balcony.

Of course, you need to interview all your neighbors, especially those who also have cats. You can douse the area with valerian.

There are situations in which it is not known what to do and what the right thing to do is to return home a lost or simply runaway pet.

You can look here, although the text is slightly different, but the meaning is the same. The main thing here is faith and a sincere desire for the animal to return.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember the text, and for some reason I can’t find it on the internet.

One is done with tarot cards, the other is simply read at the window.

Do you know effective conspiracies (magic rituals, runic formulas, prayers) to return an animal home? In our house (in the basement) the cat lived alone, affectionate, not wild, lame.

So let them leave on their own, let’s not offend them...

So the cat doesn’t get lost, but goes to its yard, to my good. You're a cat, come. If the cat is purebred, look for a cat for him at an exhibition. And our Masha was found. Great goddess Bast. You protect the entire cat family. And save (name) from troubles. May he be healthy and beautiful. There are people who are related to cats, Their souls wander along cat paths, They understand cats' silent speeches, Cats happily jump on their shoulders. Don't forget them, Bastet and Sekhmet!

You will protect the kittens from the terrible wheels, Sekhmet and Bastet, I ask you, listen!

So that meowing songs can be sung joyfully (it’s not for nothing that felix rhymes with felis) – Give your pets the opportunity to tame People – caution is needed here!

God, you see the cat Mishka is lost, help me so that he can be found. A stolen cat is difficult to find. Lost your cat on a walk? We wanted to take him home with us, but while we were preparing everything, the cat went on a spree and has not come for more than a month.

https://youtu.be/18c9WgA9U7c

One woman called and said: write down a conspiracy (that’s what she said, I think) to bring back an animal or a person. Yes, there are such good conspiracies, I myself was personally convinced of their effectiveness. I thank everyone who wrote prayers and spells. Conspiracy and prayer for all animals. It is better to make a defense, but there are also conspiracies - A conspiracy for an escaped animal.

Useful tips

Useful tips from experts when searching for a missing animal:

gradual expansion of the search area only after a thorough inspection of all local areas and other places located nearby;
search activities are best carried out at different times of the day, since frightened pets can come out of their hiding places in the evening or at night, when it gets dark;
calling your pet, using your favorite food, toys, or clicker is best used early in the morning or late in the evening, since it becomes quiet outside and the animal can hear familiar sounds and run towards them;
It is best to carry out searches with assistants, since it is quite difficult to inspect vast areas alone. Additional help can speed up the receipt of positive news;
finding out information from strangers (neighbors, children walking on the playground, pensioners on benches). You can show a photo of the animal, leave contact information and find out if anyone has seen it in the surrounding area;
You can also contact janitors or permanent residents who often feed stray animals and may encounter a lost cat on their way.

What to do when a cat is found

If a missing cat is found, then at the first meeting he may experience discomfort and be in a stressful state due to a sudden change in circumstances and being in an unknown environment for a long time.

You need to approach the found animal carefully and show it a treat in order to lure it and not scare it away. A hungry animal will gradually approach the food and then you can carefully try to pick it up.

Once the animal has been found, it is necessary to inspect it and identify the possible presence of wounds, injuries, fleas and worms. Such activities are carried out when visiting a veterinary clinic.

At first, it is necessary to limit the amount of food, since a hungry animal can attack the food and then get severe digestive disorders. It is best to eat small meals up to several times a day.

Additionally, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures to prevent the repeated loss of the animal:

access to the street must be limited for some time or regular monitoring of the animal must be ensured;
it is necessary to accustom the cat to its nickname, which should be simple and not complicated. This will make it easier to find the animal if it gets lost;
carrying out castration, sterilization, as the animal’s sexual instincts are dulled and it becomes calmer. However, this method does not eliminate the risk of it disappearing from home;
installation of metal bars on windows, especially in multi-storey buildings, since their landing is not always successful for general health;
the use of durable carriers, special harnesses instead of a collar when the owner and the cat move long distances;
microchipping cats and having a special collar will help you quickly find them, since the chip indicates information about their place of residence;
You can also try to teach the cat to walk outside so that he returns home on his own. However, it takes an indefinite amount of time to develop such a habit.

What causes cats to leave home most often?

As for the most common reasons why cats leave their home, there can be a huge number of them, but the most common of them should be listed below:

the cat said to jump out of the window after noticing an individual of the opposite sex through its smell. This is quite simple to do, especially if it’s summer outside and the window is constantly open;
birds in windows also very often attract the attention of cats;
the instinct of nature called the cat and beckoned him with the taste of freedom;
the pet could have become very frightened of something and hastened to leave the premises.

Thus, to summarize, it should be noted that there can be a huge number of reasons for a cat to leave the house, but it is worth taking them all into account and limiting the pet’s penetration outside as much as possible. It is imperative to monitor the cat’s health and take timely measures so that the pet does not have the desire to go into all serious troubles on his own.

However, if your pet is on the street, then outdoor cats may not be very fond of it, which can also greatly affect its health. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and protect him from unnecessary stressful situations.

How long can it take for a missing cat to return?

Real-life cases show that lost cats can return home after several months or even years. According to statistics, up to 50% of lost owners find their pets healthy and unharmed.

65% of cases confirm the fact that cats return home from distant places (cottage, village or other places where the animal was early). Intensive searches, patience and perseverance increase the chances of finding the loss within a short time.

Therefore, if the cat suddenly disappears, then you need to immediately start searching in all possible places. In this case, the animal can return home on its own after some time. Much depends on the pet and the circumstances of each specific situation.

It's best to do your best and try to check all your options. The loss of a beloved pet is an unpleasant matter, but it can be resolved if you follow the recommendations presented.