'Purrents' can find themselves anxiously rattling food bowls at night, shouting 'treat-time' across the neighbourhood, wandering the streets in pajamas, listening at the bottom of trees for 'meowing' and generally undertaking all sorts of outwardly-appearing 'crazy' activities in the name of finding their beloved lost-cat. While in the majority of cases, the missing member of the family is obliviously enjoying stalking moths in the moonlight, there is the rare and awful occasion when they don't return because something more sinister has happened. This is why so many cat owners want to find the best solution to keeping their cat safe outdoors... So what are the options?
1. Microchip - While microchips don't deter your cat from travelling, they do enable them to be reunited with you in the case of them being handed into a vet or animal rescue agency.
2. Identity collar - Again - not a preventative method - but it is a crucial piece of kit for your neighbours to know where your cat lives.
3. Neuter - Neutered cats are much less likely to wander, get involved in territorial disputes or fights.
4. Invest in a cat garden barrier - The optimum balance between quality of life outdoors and welfare, ProtectaPet offer a flexible garden cat proofing solution which provides peace of mind and pet safety.
5. Enrich your garden - Building cat shelves, towers and enrichment centres. Catification of your garden could be as easy as planting up some cat mint seeds but it will bring a whole world of fun to your cat's life.
6. Train your cat to return to a noise (for example, shaking of a treat tin) or your voice. Practice inside your home initially at short distance, before trialing outside.