Welcome to PIF Tails Lost and Found SiteThere are countless ways to find a lost cat, this article outlines the basic steps to take if your cat is lost.
There is also an automatic lost poster to be printed out and posted in your local neighbourhood.
We have found 'missing' cats in the inside of drawers, inside material covered bed bases, behind plastic flowerpot on book shelf. On each occasion, I was in tears by the time the 'lost' cat was located. Before you panic, check every corner of your home, garage, sheds, garden, even the places you know your cat cannot get into.
Approach your neighbours and ask them to search garages, greenhouses or sheds to ensure your cat has not been trapped anywhere. If your cat is timid, you might have to do the calling as your cat may remain hidden from others. Try to recruit local children to find your cat, it is amazing how fast children can locate missing pets !!!
Ring all local vets and cat shelters to register your lost cat. Don't forget to ring them back if you find your cat, so their records will be up to date.
In England the council street cleaning department logs any dead animals removed from public roads. It is a sad chore but you should ring regularly to see if your cat has been picked up in this manner.
Stand outside and call your cat by name, pause then call your cat again. If your lost cat hears you calling, the sound will allow your cat to home in on the direction of your your voice and return home. Keep calling for at least 10 minutes, pausing frequently to listen. You might even hear your cat calling back to you. If you are walking around your neighbourhood wait at least five minutes after calling to give your cat time to reach you before you continue your search.
Make sure your cat know when they pass home, this is very important for lost cats which are new to the home. You can leave recently worn clothes, like socks outside or sprinkle used cat litter around the garden. Both are methods of jogging a lost cats memory, so they'll known they are home even if they don't recognize the house.
Walk around your neighbourhood to locate your missing cat has two advantages. Cats tend to avoid and hide from cars and by walking down the street you are leaving a scent trail for your cat to pick up on. The scent trail is stronger if you walk barefooted, though I wouldn't recommend trying this in winter. Short walks starting from and ending at your house are better than one long walk. Hopefully if your cat comes across your scent they will follow the trail home. The best times to walk the neighbourhood is Dawn and Dusk when a lost cat is more likely to venture out of hiding, looking for food.
Make sure you are carrying cat treats, copies of your lost cat poster and either a cat case or collar and leash. Hand out posters to everyone you meet whilst walking. The cat treats are to tempt a scared cat near enough to catch. Always carry some method of containing your cat once you have caught him. How bad would you feel if you found your beloved cat to lose him again as he was scared out of your arms as you carried him home. A cat case or collar and leash are the best solutions but in an emergency a cotton pillowcase will safely contain a cat for a short journey home.
Always keep it brief and to the point, offer a reward but don't state a particular figure. Most people will not claim the reward but it is better to offer one.
Make a lost cat poster outlining your cats details, where your cat was last seen and what to do if they are spotted. In USA, it is illegal to put anything in people's mailboxes except official mail but you could hand posters directly to your neighbours. In England, post the poster though all neighbours letter boxes. Ask permission to place your poster in local shop windows, vet offices and pet shops. Laminate several posters, alternatively place your poster in an A4 plastic folder or print on thick card, so they won't be ruined in the rain. Tape these posters to telegraph poles and lamp posts in the area.
PIF Tails wanted to make the job of making a poster as quick and easy as possible, so we have created the point and click method of creating a lost poster. This poster is mainly designed for lost cats but we hope this poster will be useful for other pets. Choose the applicable fields and press the submit button
*Type in path to an internet based photo of your pet. If you leave this field blank, the poster will contain a space to glue a real photo. Keep this master copy and photocopy to create posters to give out.
**Enter Phone number OR email address OR Thread Name on the PIF Tails forum