Susan J.
2 months ago
HOW TO FIND YOUR LOST CAT
Your cat has probably been spooked by something in the environment, OR your inside cat has gotten out and hiding in a nice & dark hiding spot where they feel safe. Start searching immediately.
The mistake that people can make is when they lose their cat they wait to see if their cat will come back.
Please do not delay, do not waste time, and DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR CAT. She/ he is waiting for you to come and find him/her.
Call all the shelters every day and also go in person, use social media, look around your yard, etc.
Look inside your house & under houses in cupboards, drawers, dryers / washing machines, linen baskets, inside lounges etc. (especially kittens)
Put the dirty litter tray outside. Cats can smell their own litter tray for kilometres. (Some people say it works and others say it can attract other cats and then they scare your cat away - just see how it goes).
Look in your yard, & in your neighbour's yard.
Get a torch and look at night. Doorknock the area & ask your neighbours to keep an eye out, show them the picture of your cat.
Leave a piece of your clothing out that you have recently worn.
If you have a dog then take your dog on a harness or lead with and get your dog to bark.
Walk around in the quiet of the mornings and evenings and take a warm BBQ chicken (or sardines or tuna etc) with you or whatever your cat loves.
Shake a cat biscuit packet or tap on a cat food tin with a s....any noise they relate to food time . GO NEAR DRAINS AND CALL OUT. So many cats are hiding or trapped there.
Look up at trees and roofs as cats get trapped.
Search in deserted places like cemeteries and building sites or parks etc .
Leave food out for your cat at the exit point. Do this every night, no matter where you think your kitty is.
Walk near bushland in the quiet of the morning or night time if safe to do so with a warm BBQ chicken and call out to your cat.
Print posters and flyers urgently. Find a clear picture of your cat, with a large font saying “LOST CAT” and mention in them your cat might be trapped in a garage, shed, under a house or a hiding spot and in large text if possible. Put them at the local supermarket, vets, bus stops, major intersections, schools, crossings, train stations…
If you see your cat and cannot catch him/her then get a humane cat trap. These can be bought for $30-$40 online, or you can hire one from Kennards. Watch some youtube clips on how to set it, practice setting it – then set it in your yard. Do this every night, and keep an eye on it.
Your kitty might be able to hear you, but probably will not respond if it is scared.
Most cats break cover at the two week mark because of hunger and thirst, and will start to become more visible. This is when most sightings happen,. You will not get calls if you have not put posters up in your neighbourhood.
If you are not looking for your cat, and not leaving food out for it – it will start to wander further and further away from the exit point to look for a food source.
If you have moved house, or if your inside cat has escaped, it is probably still very close to the exit point.
Some cats are found 2 months after they have gone missing. It takes an average of 2-4 weeks to find them, and it all depends on your persistence. If you do nothing, the chances of you finding your cat are about 5%. They usually do not just walk back in the door themselves. Your cat is waiting for you to find it.
People will tear down your posters. Cat haters, council workers, other posters, etc. Go for walks every few days, and replace your posters. Do this over and over.
