How to find a cat if it is lost

A story from the Internet: a cat went missing and a man went to look for it. He found it and brought it home. And a week later his cat came back.

9 tips on how to find a missing cat or a cat in the country

During the summer, many apartment dwellers try to move to the dacha. But not to leave their cats within the city limits, and have fun with the beds themselves? The problem is that a cat from the apartment that doesn't know the countryside can disappear into the countryside. How to bring the cat back into the family? About this we will talk!

Cats are characterized by common sense and obscene observation – they know all the features of bipeds. And what prevents the owner from remembering the habits of the pet? Does the furry respond to the smell of provisions? Let's take a couple or three selected pieces on a search expedition! Got a toy? Let's use it! If it sees something familiar, the cat will jump out of the pit and come down from the fence.

Checking the connection

When a cat doesn't show itself, the owners panic. The first thing they do is fly outside, and there they shout the famous "kitty-kitty", tearing up their throat. Fluffy, meanwhile, can be locked in the cellar or in the attic, and crying to the rodents about the vicissitudes of fate. Got in with a revision, and these inattentive ones closed up! So first you should check all the hidden places in the house, and only then go outside.

There are kids in any dacha community. They usually run in a group, and no worse than cats explore their surroundings. Curiosity – a common trait! If you manage to attract young Sherlocks, the search will be much faster. And if you are given stimulus (in the form of souvenir or present) they will point the finger not only at your cat, but also at two or three neighbors' cats.

Probable places where the animal can hide

If a kitty has accidentally fallen out of a window or jumped out of it in a hunting excitement, you should start searching for it in the nearby area. Serious injuries are likely if the pet has fallen from floors 8 or higher, lower options tend to be limited to stress. The house cat doesn't want to run anywhere; it dreams of returning to its home environment.

The main places where a missing pet might be are:

A look around these places is a good place to start the search. It is important to understand that a domestic cat, for the first time in the city, experiences fear, stress, seeks to hide from people, cars, other animals, which are full of streets, so you should start looking for a pet with secluded corners. Often the fallen cat is injured, even if not severely, so it may not come to the owner's call.

Important! While searching you should listen carefully, it is possible that the lost pet will let you know about itself with barely audible meow.

When learning what to do if a cat is lost, many owners use all available means, from visiting all the basements to performing magical rituals and reading incantations. It can be very difficult to find a kitten, because passersby who have seen the baby in the street may decide that the owner kicked it out, and take the kitty back to themselves out of the best of intentions. Good people may publish ads on forums or in groups in social networks, so such posts should also be monitored when searching.

Developing a behavioral strategy and deciding what to do if a cat is missing, you should not fall into despair. Bring the fugitive home can only be active, tears will not help the grief. So do not be lazy, you need every day in the morning and evening after work to walk around the neighborhood yards, call the cat by name, without paying attention to the slanting glances of passersby, who are laughing other people's grief.

Pay attention! In winter, the cat wants to get warm, so it may run into the next doorway in search of warmth. You can go around all the entrances of nearby houses.

What to do if the cat was not found immediately

Owners need to know what to do if a cat is lost, with what to start looking for the pet. First of all, you need to determine exactly how the little pet left the dwelling. Possible options:

• If he was released by careless guests, it is likely that the cat is now in the entranceway or got into the attic, if there is access there;
• If a pet has fallen out of a window, pay attention to the side from which it happened. The animal is frightened and seeks privacy, so look for it on the side where the fall occurred. Very often, an animal could be found under the balconies above the owner's apartment, and the pet would respond to its own nickname.

Please note! The more time has passed since the fall, the greater the distance the animal could overcome.

If a "hot pursuit" search is not successful, you need to take other measures. There are a few tips that will tell you how to find a cat if it has run away.

Do not despair, if the cat is alive, it can be found with effort

Spreading the word about a missing cat

All kinds of ways are used for this. In every city there are popular forums where you can post information, pictures of the cat and your contact information. Indifferent people will definitely be found. In social networks, such as "VKontakte", information about the missing pet can be placed in special groups dedicated to lost and found animals, as well as in groups "Overheard … (city name)," they have a wide enough audience. The method is effective even if a lot of time has passed since the disappearance and the animal could get to another area.

In addition, it is important to print and post ads about the disappearance. In some cities, they are immediately plucked from bulletin boards and poles, in which case distributing flyers to passersby will help.

If a cat is lost? Where and how to look for it?

It happens that our beloved pets get lost. The most common cases of lost cats are when they fall out of windows and balconies or run out of the apartment into the entryway and then into the street, while their owners go out by opening the front door.

• Install mosquito nets or purchase special heavy-duty "Anti Cat" nets on windows to prevent the cat from falling out the window. "Flying out of windows" often happens in spring and summer, when the variety of smells beckons, and outside the window the birds tease and butterflies flutter (desired prey!), it is in excitement that the pet may reach for them and, as a consequence, fall.
• Glaze the balcony. Open the balcony windows only for airing, so that the cat cannot slip through the open gap and get stuck in it (which is also very dangerous!).
• When leaving the house make sure that the cat cannot follow you through the front door. Warn your children to be careful when leaving the house.
• If you transport your cat, use special carrier bags that are safe and have strong locks and latches.

Only let the cat out of the carrier bag indoors with the front door closed. Do not open the carrier outside in any case.

The main thing is not to despair! Tears can't help the situation, you must act immediately! The cat can be in the closest shelter to the house.

First of all Check your entryway and neighboring staircases (if you are sure the cat has escaped through the front door). Grab a flashlight, walk around the yard, look under cars, in basement windows, look in all kinds of nooks and crannies, and call the cat by name. Look carefully at the various nooks and crannies in the entryway and on the street near your home. Cats manage to get into such small cracks that it's hard to imagine. If a cat's head gets through, the whole cat will get through – this is due to the anatomy of the cat. So do not leave the various narrow spaces unattended.

How and where to look for a missing cat?

In this article I won't talk in detail about the safety measures to help prevent your cat from going missing, you probably know all about them. I want to talk about what to do if the cat does manage to escape.

Believe me, even the most responsible owners are not immune to a missing cat! Doors or windows can be opened by children, relatives, guests, staff, and the cat will jump out into the street. A cat can disappear even from a well-fenced area if it becomes very interested in something. It can fall out the window or jump out the front door.

So what should you do if, despite all the security measures you've taken, your cat goes missing?

First of all, it all depends on whether the cat is in the city or the countryside. In my experience, in the country or in the countryside, cats are more likely to come home than in the city. The countryside is less dangerous, with fewer scary noises, driving cars, and stray dogs, which means the cat has a slightly better chance of not getting confused and finding its way home, and generally surviving for days or even weeks at a time in an unfamiliar environment.

Put up paper notices on all the nearest houses, bus stops and poles. The ad should include a picture of the cat, a brief description of its appearance, and your contact phone number. The promise of a reward for returning the cat will increase the chances that the person who sees it will be interested in it. Update the ads every day, because the janitors tear them down.

Go to all your neighbors in the stairwell or neighboring houses in the countryside and tell them about your cat and leave your contact phone number.

Advertise your cat on the homeless help forums of your city. If you live in Moscow or Moscow region, it's a forum Pes and Cat, for example.

The more info you spread, the better your chances of finding your cat!

If the cat was lost a few minutes ago, then organize a quick search. The less time that has passed since it went missing, the better the chances of finding it.

How to find a missing cat

Cats, in this topic, can be divided into 2 types:
1) Pets;
2) Domestic with free exit and stay outside.

I will tell you about the search for the 1st category, domestic cat or a cat that does not really know the streets.

The reason for the disappearance of the cat could be anything from unlocked door to unlocked window. The timing of finding the cat is important – the sooner the cat is found out, the better.

If you care about the cat, you will spare neither time nor money in searching for it. In this case, it all depends on your desire. If you're looking, you'll always find it. You have to look. Search wisely. Look carefully through the bushes, because a cursory glance is not enough. Cats and cats tend to choose very safe places to hide.

1. Domestic cat is afraid of the street, so he will look for the nearest shelter. Look for it in the nearest thickets of bushes, grass.

2. The cat will not idly stroll around an open and viewable area. When searching focus only on all kinds of hiding places.

3. When searching, don't just look down, look up with your eyes. Many cats seek shelter in trees out of fright.

4. On a sunny day in summer, look best in the evening and in the morning, when there is no scorching sun.

5. If searching at night, call a cat, search and shine a flashlight around, the cat's eyes can be seen from afar.

6. Include your neighbors in the search. Ask eternally sitting on benches grandparents. They will gladly help, I checked. They themselves are interested in the process they take part in.

7! A very important point. If there are open basement doors or windows in the house, search every square meter of those basements. Just as importantly, many basement windows lead to enclosed barns, so, you need to shine a light in that window first, see where it leads, are the other cats using that window? If they do, there will be little wisps of hair around the edges of the window. Focus as much attention as possible on the basements. Keep in mind that a frightened cat may not respond to its owner's call at all, but instead hide.

27 tips: What to do if your cat gets lost. Remember them, or better yet, save them, because when it happens, you'll already be prepared

You should start with the apartment – in 2 cases out of 10 the cat didn't disappear, but hid somewhere in the house, sensing danger.

If a cat is missing, you should:

1. inspect the house furniture, closets, niches, look under the bed. There are many places where a cat can hide.

2. Look on top of cabinets, cupboards, and walls. Perhaps that's where your pet is watching your actions closely.

Empty boxes in your home may be hiding places for our whiskered friends.

4. Looking under the bathroom, there is a chance to see your pet resting there on the cool floor.

5. Don't forget to check the washing machine. Especially if it's front-loading. Using the open door left open for airing, pets can sneak in unimpeded.

6. If there is a balcony, it is necessary to check it. Adjoining neighbors' balconies may be where your pet has moved to. If possible, you should check.

Analyze how the pet could have left the apartment: through a door or a window. This will make it easier to determine the direction of the search. Once in an unfamiliar environment, pets run to the nearest shelter. After falling out of the window, cats hide near the house. The area under the windows is examined – perhaps the pet landed poorly.

Case study from Natalia:

"One day our cat was sitting on the balcony, as usual, watching what was going on in the neighborhood. Suddenly, at one point, he jumped after a bird flying by. We were on the 5th floor. We didn't find him under the balcony, and he wasn't in the vicinity either. The search was to no avail. But a month later, on my way back from work, I saw the familiar cat's head peeking out of a hole under the porch in the entryway. He recognized me, crawled out and gave himself to me. My nose was broken, with dried up dirt or blood somewhere. We nursed him back to health. Everything ended safely."

Places to look:

7. If the cat ran out the front door, it is worth looking at the upper floors of the stairwells.

8. The presence of the attic and free access to it, allows the possibility of checking in this direction.

9. Basement with open windows. If a pet has fallen out of a window, it has most likely landed and hid there from fright. If the basement is lit, finding her will not be difficult.

10. Outside, be sure to check under the cars that are parked near our homes in large numbers.

11. The crowns of the nearest trees, bushes. Looking for a cat can be alone, but it is better to involve a group of people in this action. Acquaintances and friends can help in the search. If the cat is domestic, it will hide nearby.

12. you can take the cat's toys and try to lure it into view. To get the cat's attention, call and lure it with food. When she comes out, try not to scare her away.

13. If the cat is missing at the dacha, look around the neighbors' lots. The pet may have gotten into their home.

14. If a pet is missing in winter, don't worry too much, it can hide in any warm place. So look around for potential sources of heat.

15. Inspect nearby roads. A cat can be run over by a car if it tries to get to the other side by rushing across passing cars.

16. If the loss is found during the day, it is better to wait until evening or night, when the rush on the street will subside. The quiet of the night means you won't hear noises and your pet will probably be able to hear your call. Assuming, of course, that he is nearby.

17. In the evening when all the neighbors are home you can try to ask them if they have seen the cat. Maybe they will point out the direction or the place.

18. At night, the cat's glow-in-the-dark eyes can give it away. For example, when you are combing through another bush with a flashlight.

19. Many of our yards have playgrounds where mothers like to relax and children like to play. Be sure to ask them. Children are especially attentive to their surroundings, so they may well tell you where your pet has been spotted.

Valerian for cats and owners: how to find and bring home a lost cat in the country

Mail.ru Pet's author Pauline Strizhak shares her experience of "hunting her own cat". How a domestic cat can behave in an unusual situation and what should be done during its search except asking the neighbors and putting up ads? How do you figure out what's even going on with a cat during an escape? We tell you and wish you didn't need this knowledge.

Drawing on nearly thirty years of experience with "fencing," I can say that the number "the cat only walks on the property because we have a high fence" does not pass (with very few exceptions). It's hard to stop a healthy cat who wants to push the boundaries of his world. She will find a way to get over obstacles – she will jump from the neighboring tree, make a dig, and seep into any crevice.

Therefore, letting the house cat on the street in the countryside, the owners are always at risk. But how much of this risk depends on the nature, temperament and nervous system of the pet.

Important: This article is talking about neutered pets. An untested cat or cat in heat will simply go on the lam: they'll disappear for weeks – and often very far from home. Unfortunately, some stray pets go missing because they can't find their way back. In addition, in this condition, animals do not eat for long periods and become weak.

Owners of unsterilized and unvaccinated pets are not only responsible for having unwanted kittens, but they also risk the health of their pets.

"Tough Housekeeper" and "Panic Ferret"

Cats who are outdoors for the first time behave differently. Most of them go exploring the hunting grounds: exploring every bush, watching and running for insects and birds – or just lying in the sun or in a secluded spot. Calm and confident, they get fully acquainted in a few days, gradually expanding their exploration territory. They are "sturdy housekeepers" – they know where the entrance to the house is, where the bowl of food and a favorite cot are.

"Dwells in the fields and forests near settlements, because of the squabbling nature does not get along with their own kind, so it is found alone. Easily falls into panic disorder, unpredictable, hard to compromise "- the characteristic of the panic ferret (the monster from the popular computer game "Godville" – Ed. Ed.) is the best way to describe the behavior of a nervous, fearful and very domestic cat caught in the streets.

My cat Cher, in his first escape to the country house, behaved exactly this way, demonstrating that he can jump five meters in length and two in height, disappear and appear, not react to the name, "kitty-kitty-kitty", bag of food, an open can of tuna, toys and other things recommended for baiting cats. At first he rushed around the place, not allowing to get closer than 3-4 meters, and screamed his head off, and then he just disappeared for almost twenty-four hours, from early morning until late at night. In the evening we made another attempt to find him and it was crowned with the capture of a fugitive.

Then we were asked, "And did he really go feral in an instant?" The answer: yes, it looked that way. "And why didn't he respond and walk? Isn't he affectionate and completely tame?" Answer: the behavior of ferrets panic cats are dictated by stress. "So he even saw you, but wouldn't walk? Why?" The answer: perhaps he was "counting" the territorial marks of the other cats that walk across the lot, and was afraid of trespassing on their property. Or he had already become familiar with territorial aggression. "Maybe he just smelled freedom and was excited about it?" The answer: there are a lot of new sounds and smells outdoors, and a cat's sense of smell and hearing is much stronger than a human's.

7 tips on how to find a missing cat. The story of how Musya the cat got lost and was found after 33 hours

The cat Musya had been living in an apartment on the second floor for a month. She was fine. The queen of grace quickly mastered herself, found a permanent place and lived what is called a wide cat's leg.

It seemed to me that she was nostalgic for her brothers in nature, living outside the walls of the house, free as the wind.

I made a homemade leash harness out of an old laptop strap. Tested it in the apartment. The harness seemed to fit fine. But, however, Musya did not want to walk in it. She lay down on the carpet and lay motionless.

I took her outside. At first she was scared and sat on my shoulder. Even let her claws out. But then she got the hang of it and ran along the ground. Sniffed around.

And she started abruptly from stride to gallop. The leash held, but it was not secured near the neck, and so, with astonishing ease, the leash came off of Moose. And she ran off hiding in the basement of our five-story house.

And now for tips on how to find a cat or cat if he or she is lost.

Do not panic and do not get depressed and hysterical . First of all, calm down. If you are a religious person. Pray and ask God to help you find your loved one safe and sound. And quickly. If you are an unbeliever – you can also ask God for it. It won't be any worse.

Immediately start looking in the place where the cat is supposedly missing. Call out the name loudly, walk around the place of search within a radius of five or six houses. Usually, cats and cats do not run away and hide in a nearby secluded place, climbing a tree or the attic of the house.

In our case. three times we went down to the basement. …together with my wife and… called Musya for about 10 to 15 minutes. . But there was no answer from her.

So don't worry if your kitty is quiet and silent. He (she) hears you 100%, but is frightened and is still afraid to come out.

Usually cats come out of their hiding place in 2-3 days. They need to eat and drink. Unless, of course, they climbed a tree, from which they cannot come down yet. But then very soon you will hear a pathetic, resounding cat's song.

At home temporarily remove all objects that remind you of the cat. The place where the cat sleeps. Plates and saucers for food and drink. A scratching post. Cat toys. Food. Clothes and stuff. So that you do not go through the heartache of remembering about your furry friend while he is found.

Print notices on your printer About a missing pet in A4 format with your contact numbers and post it on your block within a 500-meter radius from the supposed place of escape mustached companion.

Preferably with a color photo, indicating the age, breed and name of the animal.

Detailed signs are better not to specify, so as not to fall for the tricks of fraudsters.

What to do if the cat disappeared without a trace?

The first thing you should do when you suspect that the cat is missing, is to thoroughly check every corner of your house or apartment.

Get down on your knees and imagine yourself as a cat. Think like a cat.

Remember: when an animal is frightened, it can crawl into places that it just couldn't seem to fit in.

Look under chairs, behind armrests, and inside recliner chairs. Cats often tear upholstery and burrow inside pieces of furniture. Don't forget to look inside closets as well. Make sure you check every millimeter of your home before looking outside.

Nothing worked for me. Any other tips?

1. Make a shelter for the cat. Take a large cardboard box and turn it upside down. Cut a hole in one side for the cat to get into. Then place the box next to your house, putting down some soft cloth for the cat to sleep on. Put something on top of the box to keep it from moving, and put food and drink bowls and a litter box nearby. Make it a safe place for the cat to return to.
2. Go out for a night hunt. The best time to search for a missing cat is at night. Take a flashlight and cat food with you. When you're outside, open the package and rustle it up. There's a good chance your cat will react to it and show up.
3. Print out flyers. This is the most common way to find a missing pet, but it shouldn't be neglected, because it still works. Be sure to include a photo of the cat and information about the reward.
4. Place your ad on social networks. There are pet help groups in almost every city. They can help spread the word about a missing pet.
5. Go through your neighbors with a picture of the cat.
6. Don't forget to check the trees near your home. Your cat may have climbed up and be afraid to come down.
7. Calm down and don't get discouraged. There are many examples where pets have returned on their own to already desperate owners.

1. Have your pet chipped.

In Europe, chipping is a common procedure along with vaccinations. In our country many people have never heard of microchip identification of pets, but vet clinics already offer the service.

Chipping is a simple, almost painless for the pet and not very costly for you to take care of your pet.

A chipped cat can be identified by a special scannable code. The collar or tag with the address is fairly easy to remove. The microchip won't go anywhere: its size and shape resemble a rice shell and it hides under the cat's skin.