Mary Allen
When the cat escapes, the fright is often huge! But don’t panic. You can do these things to find your cat.
If your own cat has escaped, the fear is great. Of course, every loving pet owner worries when their sweetheart stays away for an unusually long time. But fear and panic don’t help here.
Even if the cat got lost and we can’t find it for a while, let’s not forget one thing: it’s an animal with very well-developed instincts. A cat can very well get by on its own for a while. And often it comes back on its own.
Of course, the search for her home puts her under stress: her everyday life is upside down. But she can also feed herself for a while when it comes down to it, defend herself against enemies, and find a safe shelter.
If your cat got away, you shouldn’t just sit there and wait. There are sensible steps you can and should take when your cat goes missing. This article is intended to help you with various tips to get your house cat back in your arms as quickly as possible.
Cat escaped! You should do that immediately!
It makes a big difference whether your darling is an outdoor cat or an indoor cat that suddenly seizes an opportunity to escape. At every opportunity, tomcats look for females willing to mate – especially during the breeding season. Very often, however, the house cats come back home after two or three days of searching, disheveled and hungry. Especially if you live in an area with little traffic, you don’t have to worry too much about your missing cat… hard as that sounds.
The situation is different for indoor cats that are missing. Once they have used the opportunity to flee, we do not know where they will end up. Despite hours of searching by family members and friends, they are often not found. Unfortunately for these often naïve and inexperienced cats, there are many dangers lurking out there in the world.
What you should do immediately: Keep optimism and turn on your sanity. Not every cat that escapes is immediately a victim of theft or traffic. If you think about it rationally, you can probably think of all sorts of hiding places that insecure animals could find and use when they are looking for their home.
Our first advice here is to scout out all the possible locations and see if your missing cat is waiting for you there. Also, try not to allow any horror scenarios in your head. Most missing cats find their way home!
Typical hiding places for escaped cats
Try to put yourself in the head of an intelligent animal. After the joy of freedom is gained, a kind of insecurity will come over you. The spirit of adventure will be followed by a few moments of shock. Instinct tells the animal to find a place where it can – for now – wait a few hours safely.
Cats that run away and are not used to outside usually look for niches where they are protected from three sides. This enables them to better recognize and keep an eye on approaching dangers. This behavior dictates their instinct. Very often cats find such hiding places under a parked car. They also like to hide under, behind, or in a garden shed. Bushes and trees are also often used by cats as a way to escape from dogs and other “enemies”. They offer the cats protection and a good view of the surroundings.
If you have already spent several hours or even days looking for your cat, inform the necessary authorities. Fortunately, most of our pets are chipped and registered. Once found, they can be easily assigned to their owners.
You can be the first to contact the pet database where you registered your cat online. The international pet databases include u.
- Tasso
- Animaldata.com
- Petmaxx.com
- Europetnet.com
If you do not know where your animal was registered, ask your veterinarian. He chipped the animal and can probably give you information.
Also, ask your city or municipality where found animals are taken. Most of them are temporarily taken in by local homes. Of course, it is never wrong to ask direct or indirect neighbors for help. Many eyes see more than two. Often the animals are actually found on their property.
You can also inform these authorities about your missing cat and ask for help there:
- police
- animal shelter
- Vets nearby
- Neighbors
Searching for the runaway cat: This is how it works
If your cat is still not found after a few hours, we recommend the following systematic approach:
Search apartment
Many missing cats that appear to have escaped were trapped in their own homes. This can happen in a randomly open garage, temporarily open attic, or garden shed. Even cellars and pantries have it all!
It is not an isolated case that cats are released from involuntary confinement after two or three days, hungry and panic-stricken. Therefore, it is particularly important for you to search your home thoroughly.
To find the cat quickly, you have to think of the obvious. Cats are naturally very curious and want to explore everything. So they get into the most impossible situations and are unintentionally locked up. Many animals went missing and had to spend hours or even days locked up in their own homes without being able to make themselves known.
Look in alcoves, drawers, baskets, corners, closets, even behind closets, and any other places where cats might hide. Ask friends for help too. They often have a different view of your apartment and may have new ideas as to where your four-legged friend could be.
Search in the area
The same as in the point above applies to the neighborhood. It’s too sad when your cat chose the neighboring garage as a shelter in a panic and has to spend three days in it before being freed and coming back home.
Think everything is possible and nothing is guaranteed! Animals think differently than we do. Talk to as many neighbors as possible and ask for their attention and help!
Search basements, sheds, garages
It happens far more often than you think that a small gap in the fence, an open gate, or an open door is used as an escape route. But when this gap is closed again, the cat is helpless and trapped.
Search at night
Panicked cats that are lost and missing often hole up for hours. Nobody can lure them out of their hiding place. They are frightened and have often lost their bearings in their panic.
With a bit of luck, the onset of darkness will bring them back to their normal level of concentration and attention. The low noise level and reduced risk at night help them do this. Therefore continue your search at night. When your cat hears your voice, it may be immediately lured out of hiding. It is important that you do not give up quickly, but call for your house tiger in your usual voice for several minutes, sometimes for half an hour.
Finding a runaway cat with a train home
Not everyone believes in the effectiveness of the homeward drag, but it has served well on a number of occasions. The trail home is an odor trail. It should help your darling to find his way back home.
Starting from your home, you must lay a trail in each direction that leads home. You can set this trail with clothing, tuna juice, treats, or other familiar or attractive smells. It is only important that you leave scent stimuli for your cat at regular, short intervals when laying tracks.
You can also use this measure to guide your cat to find a “safe” place to pick her up. This place must be far from any danger from road traffic, railway tracks, or other sources of danger.
Attracting a runaway cat: Here’s how
The better you’ve previously conditioned your cat with rewards based on your voice, the better you’ll be able to attract them when they’re missing.
Some cats are so relieved to hear a familiar and familiar voice that they immediately leave their hiding place. Very frightened animals, on the other hand, need more security and only come out of hiding after a while. That’s why you shouldn’t give up too quickly.
Most cats are used to the voice of their owners. They know the way they are called and how they are rewarded for their response. When searching, call your cat exactly as you do in everyday life. Stand in one place and call out a few times. Rush with the treat bag in between. Give your cat time to react. Only then move on and repeat the procedure elsewhere. Hopefully, the ritual of calling will eventually instill enough confidence in her to come out of hiding.
Put up search posters
We’re all familiar with the “Wanted” posters of run away cats and dogs. And we all sympathize with the owners who anxiously hope and wait for their loved ones to come home.
You should put up such a poster by the third day at the latest. The following information is most important:
- Photo and name of the animal
- Your phone number
- the last place the animal was seen
If necessary, reference special features that are not visible in the picture.
Countless animals could be found and brought back to their owners. Unfortunately, the owners of animals that had had an accident or died could often be identified. As sad as it sounds, it’s better to know that your loved one has crossed the rainbow bridge than to spend days and weeks worrying that your loved one will come back. At least you can say goodbye and have the cat cremated.
Also, use the internet to search
Above all, including social media in your search. These have often proved useful in the case of missing animals. Most users have a fairly large contact radius, which is multiplied by friends and friends of friends. Experience has shown that when a man or woman is in need, people stick together well. Compassion and help are often particularly strong with an escaped animal. It, therefore, makes sense to also share the information from the search poster on your social network accounts.
The runaway cat is back: you should do that
When your cat is back, heed the following tips: You must notify everyone who was involved in the search. No matter which places you used to search (friends, neighbors, acquaintances, animal shelters, police, vets, social media), let them know your sweetheart has made it home safely. A thank you together with a photo of the reunion is always well received. Any animal lover will be delighted!
If you haven’t registered your cat yet, now is the time. It may be that she has taken a liking to her adventure and is becoming a bit of a runaway.
If you have a pet, you can write your contact details on the collar. Normal collars are too dangerous, as the cat can literally hang and strangle itself on them. However, there are collars with a safety lock and also those made of stronger paper. These collars open or tear if the cat gets caught somewhere.
Why do cats run away?
You must never blame yourself if your sweetheart goes missing. It is mostly unpredictable everyday situations that the cat has to or wants to escape from for some reason: fright, fear, panic, hunger, curiosity.
The hormones to which our cats are subjected should also not be underestimated. A cat in heat or a tomcat that notices a cat in heat is no longer master of its senses. So you can be sure: your sweetheart won’t run away because he doesn’t feel well, but because he’s following a drive or instinct. It is for these and other reasons to give your cat some thought.
Escaped cat: tips at a glance
If your cat leaves her safe home for any reason, try not to panic, but heed the following tips:
- Luring, searching, and calling in the immediate vicinity
- Thinking inside the animal: Identifying all possible and “impossible” hiding places
- Lure, search, and call even at night!
- Contacting Neighbors: Rule out that the animal has taken shelter and is locked up.
- Report the cat as lost or missing to the relevant authorities
- Putting up posters in the neighborhood
- Disseminate the missing person report with picture, place of residence, and phone number on social media
With all the tips mentioned, you should be reminded once again: Your animal is not a child. It has sound instincts and can survive for long periods without your love, food, and home. Trust in his skills! Unless external dangers such as traffic or theft (especially in the case of particularly expensive breeds or rare cat breeds) play a role, you will definitely be reunited soon!
We wish you the best of luck.