Thousands of pets go missing each year, causing heartache and stress for their owners. In 2014, over 60,000 dogs and more than 100,000 cats were reported missing to the Petlog database alone. When a cat goes missing there are a few steps you can take to increase your chances of finding your beloved pet.
1. Get the family together and search the home, garden and the outbuildings. Cats love their homes and often missing pets turn up hidden inside a box or a cupboard in the home.
2. If your search is unsuccessful, begin searching the local area. Spend an hour exploring the neighbourhood. Call your cats name while you walk and take a toy or some dry food to tempt her out of her hiding place. Speak to the neighbours and ask for permission to look in their gardens and outbuildings and provide a description and your contact details so they can get in touch with you if they see her.
3. Share a photo, description and information on the last sighting on Facebook. Share with your friends and consider sharing on local pet groups that are on the social site. It’s a great platform that can be very useful in reuniting lost pets with their owners. In addition to posting about your pet, check the latest posts in case someone has found your pet and posted an earlier update.
4. Contact your pet insurers and the microchip company as soon as possible. Your policy might include assistance for finding your cat, helping you cover the cost of producing flyers and advertising.
5. Create flyers that include a clear photo and written description. Include her name and your contact information, with an email address along with a telephone number, not everyone likes to speak on the telephone. Ask local shops if they would place a flyer in their shop windows or on their notice boards (you may have to pay a small fee for some shops and businesses), phone the council and ask if you can place the flyers in the local area and consider going to your local paper and placing a lost cat advert.
6. Share details of your lost cat on missing pet websites. Some popular ones include Animal Search UK, the National Pet Register and CatAware.
7. Inform the microchip company and ensure your contact details are up-to-date.
8. Call the local vets and ask if she has been brought in. Give them a description and leave your details and pop down to hand out a flyer to post on their notice board.
The UK is full of cat lovers who will be more than willing to help reunite you with your beloved pet. Spread the word, don’t be afraid to ask people to help and with a bit of luck your cat will find her way back home.
To prevent cats going missing in the future, contact us about our cat containment systems.