How to Find a Missing Outdoor Cat

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By StacyP
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Where could your missing cat be?

Is your cat missing? If a search inside the house fails, it's time to do an outdoor investigation to find your missing cat.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Go outdoors and call for your missing cat. In addition to calling out the name of your missing cat, use familiar phrases that your cat will respond to, like "here, kitty kitty" and "come here, kitty cat."
Step 2

If calling your cat's name doesn't work, shake some bagged dry cat food outdoors. If your missing cat eats wet cat food, open up a can outdoors. The sound of the can opening and the smell of the wet cat food may bring your missing outdoor cat back home.
Step 3

Still no return of your missing outdoor cat? Go outdoors and ask neighbors if they’ve seen your cat. Bring a recent picture of your missing cat, in case they aren't familiar with your outdoor cat.
Step 4

If none of the neighbors have seen your missing cat, it's time to do a thorough outdoor search in your neighborhood. Enlist the help of others to increase the odds of finding your missing outdoor cat. As you search, call out your cat's name. Bring along dry cat food to shake. Show your cat's picture to any passerby you may encounter.
Step 5

If the search is unsuccessful, head for home. Maybe your missing outdoor cat is back at the house. (What a relief that would be!)
Step 6

No sign of your missing outdoor cat yet? At this point, you may feel like waiting it out (especially if you think your cat is just roaming through the neighborhood, having some mischievous fun). But if you have available time, I suggest you keep trying to find your missing outdoor cat by taking the next step.
Step 7

If your cat is still missing outdoors and you are worried because this isn't a normal behavior of your cat, it's time to call professionals who can help. Contact the Animal Control department for your area. An Animal Control Officer will be able to help find your missing outdoor cat. (Alternatively, your local police department's non-emergency number can be dialed for help on finding on your missing cat if you cannot locate an Animal Control department for your area.)

The Animal Control Officer will suggest that local animal shelters and veterinary hospitals be contacted, in case your missing cat is at one of them. Also, you'll be advised to put up missing cat posters around the neighborhood. See the Resources area to find out more how to make a missing cat poster.

Comments

StacyP said

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on 10/2/2009 Dszari, thanks for adding that reminder about pets hiding in neighboring sheds and whatnot. You reminded me of another hiding spot to watch out for--underneath car hoods (when I was a child, I remember a neighbor's kitty that used to do this when the weather got cold).

catgirl721 said

on 9/25/2009 Great article

dszari said

on 9/25/2009 This is a good article. Another suggestion, especially if you live in a sub-division or suburban area, make flyers to distribute in the area asking your neighbors to please check storage buildings or crawl spaces on their property. Twice, my cat entered a neighbor's garden shed during a yard clean up day and was closed up inside for several days. Any curious cat will enter an unfamiliar enclosed space and often stay for a nap. When the property owner closes the storage area he has no idea there is a sleeping explorer trapped inside.