How to find a cat if it has run away

Main reasons for running away

There are several of them. The most popular is estrus, during which cats become uncontrollable, driven by the desire to mate, so animals even jump from high-rise balconies. The amazing ability of most cats to land on all fours saves them from death. But the owner loses his pet, so he is forced to go looking for him.

Accidental loss or escape for a cat is extremely stressful

Other popular reasons:

hunting instinct. Cats by nature are created to catch birds and rodents, and the peculiarity of their visual apparatus is that they see a moving object very sharply. That is why a bird or fly flying outside the windows can cause a brave cat to jump after it;
old age and illness. Cats often leave home to die alone. In this case, it is not necessary to look for the animal;
accidental fall. Due to play or carelessness, a pet may fall out of a window or escape through an open door;
resentment. This is the reason why animals kept in private houses with a fenced area may disappear. If the owner unfairly punishes the cat or gets a new pet, the offended animal may run away;
a change of scenery. Many city residents decide to move their pet to the village or country house for the summer. However, the animal does not always understand that this is temporary; it believes that it has been abandoned, so it decides to rid the owner of its presence.

Note! In any case, no matter what reason prompts the cat to expand the boundaries of his world, you need to understand that he is experiencing extreme stress, is very afraid, and is waiting for his owner to be able to find him. Therefore, it is very important to know what to do if a cat goes missing and where to start looking for it.

Cats are hunters to the core, so they can accidentally fall out of a window while chasing a bird or insect.

How can I make the search easier if this happens again?

In Europe, microchipping is a common procedure that is done along with vaccinations. In our country, many have never heard of the method of identifying animals using a microchip, but veterinary clinics already offer this service.

A microchipped cat can be identified by a special scannable code. A collar or address tag is fairly easy to remove. The microchip is not going anywhere: its size and shape resembles a grain of rice and is hidden under the pet’s skin.

Another advantage of microchipping is that the microchip does not need to be replaced. It is installed only once. And when the animal is found, it will be possible to easily determine the coordinates of its owner. In addition, in controversial cases, you will be able to prove that this is your pet.

Let you always have a current photo of your pet at hand. Don't just take a cute photo with your face. Take a photo of the entire animal so that you can easily identify it from the photo if necessary.

In big cities there are special agencies for finding pets. If you decide to use one of them, having the right photo will come in handy. And for simple advertisements it will come in handy.

We invite you to read: How to properly cut a cat’s claws with special scissors, a guillotine: is it necessary, is it possible and how often, how to carry out the procedure?

Possible places where an animal can hide

If a cat accidentally fell out of a window or jumped out of it in the excitement of the hunt, you should start searching for it in the nearby area. Serious injuries are likely if the animal falls from 8 floors or higher; lower options, as a rule, allow you to limit yourself to stress. The domestic cat doesn’t want to run anywhere; he dreams of returning to home.

How to find a dog if it runs away and gets lost

The main places where a missing pet can be found are:

spaces under balconies;
bushes;
basements.

It’s worth starting your search by visiting these places. It is important to understand that a domestic cat that finds itself in the city for the first time experiences fear, stress, and strives to hide from people, cars, and other animals that the streets are full of, so you should start looking for your pet from secluded corners. Often a fallen cat is injured, albeit slightly, so it may not come to the owner’s call.

Important! During the search, you need to listen carefully; it is possible that the lost pet will make itself known with a barely audible meow.

When learning what to do if a cat is lost, many owners use all available means: from visiting all basements to performing magical rituals and reading conspiracies. It can be very difficult to find a kitten, since passers-by who see the baby on the street may decide that the owner has kicked him out and take the cat home with the best of intentions. Kind people can publish announcements about their finds on forums or in groups on social networks, so such posts should also be monitored when searching.

When developing a behavioral strategy and deciding what to do if a cat goes missing, you should not fall into despair. You can only return a fugitive home through active actions; tears cannot help your grief. Therefore, you shouldn’t be lazy, you need to walk through the surrounding yards every morning and evening after work, calling the cat by name, completely ignoring the sidelong glances of passers-by who are amused by someone else’s grief.

Note! In winter, the cat strives to warm up, so it can run into the next doorway in search of warmth. You can walk around all the entrances of nearby houses.

The most common places where missing cats try to stay warm are basements or porches

In the summer, it happens that a forgetful owner did not close the windows on the balcony, which is why the cat could fall, not onto the street, but onto the balcony of the apartments below. You can start your search with your neighbors. A cat can only enter the forest if it is located near the house.

Preparatory activities for the search

In order to return a missing cat, you must immediately begin searching after the loss is discovered.
Pets often run away from home and fall off the balcony due to increased curiosity that arises against the background of hormone activity. Successful searches largely depend on the implementation of certain preparatory activities:

using a flashlight, since in the dark the eyes of cats display optical light, which helps to quickly locate the missing animal. During the search, it is necessary to explore the darkest and most secluded places, and when night falls, the pet can crawl out of its hiding place (for example, the basement of a residential building, ventilation, boiler room);
binoculars and other optics. In such cases, you can detect your pet from a distance and not scare it off, as it may be in a highly stressed state. The devices allow you to thoroughly study the terrain within a range of several kilometers (dense thickets, forest, other hard-to-reach places);
you can find a missing pet with the help of your favorite toys, since many cats observe surrounding activities from a hiding place and can jump out into the street at the sight of familiar and familiar objects;
treats for cats. Shaking dry food in a can may be one of the cat's favorite sounds, so this method can also help in finding the animal;
using a clicker, since the pet associates such a sound device with receiving a treat. If he hears these sounds, he can quickly return to his place of residence.

If a cat runs away from home, then its owner must pull himself together, calm down and plan the right search plan. Avoiding panic will give results faster and help you find your missing pet.

What to do if you couldn’t find the cat right away

How to wash a cat: options if he is afraid of water and scratches

Owners need to know what to do if a cat is lost, and where to start searching for their pet. First of all, you need to determine exactly how the small pet left the home. Possible options:

if he was released by careless guests, then it is likely that the cat is now in the entrance or has ended up in the attic, if there is access there;
if a pet falls out of a window, pay attention to which side it happened from. The animal is scared and seeks privacy, so you should look from the side where the fall occurred. Very often it was possible to find the animal under the balconies above the owner’s apartment; the pet itself responded to its name.

Note! The more time passed since the fall, the greater the distance the animal could cover.

If the search “hot on the heels” is not successful, other measures need to be taken. There are several tips that will tell you how to find a cat if it has run away.

Don't despair, if the cat is alive, you can find it with some effort.

Spreading information about a missing cat

All sorts of methods are used for this. In every city there are popular forums where you must post information, photos of the cat and your contact information on them. There will definitely be people who are not indifferent. On social networks, for example, VKontakte, information about a missing pet can be posted in special groups dedicated to lost and found animals, as well as in the “Overheard... (city name)” groups, they have a fairly wide audience. The method is effective even if a lot of time has passed since the loss and the animal could have ended up in another area.

In addition, it is important to print and post missing notices. In some cities they are immediately torn off from notice boards and poles; in this case, distributing leaflets to passers-by will help.

How to create an ad:

Indicate the cat's breed and approximate age.
Note the distinctive features that will help distinguish the animal from similar ones, for example, a triangle-shaped birthmark on the neck.
Indicate contacts, preferably several people (for example, husband and wife), in order to always be in touch and be able to respond urgently.

Note! It’s very good if you can post a photo of the missing cat, preferably in color.

Posting advertisements is an old method, but effective.

Taking steps to get the cat to come back on its own

When studying the question of what to do if a cat goes missing, it is important to understand that only active actions will help return the runaway to the apartment. You need to regularly go around the yards, call your pet by name, even if it is non-standard like Cosine or Pouf, the main thing is that the cat hears the sound of its owner’s voice.

It is necessary to check all the basements of nearby houses, because if a cat accidentally fell or jumped out during heat, then, trying to hide, she could crawl into the basement and sit under the pipes. You need to call the cat loudly and clearly in the wording that is used at home. For example, if Melissa for some reason became Fenya, then Fenya must be called, otherwise the pet will not respond and may disappear forever.

Note! If during the search the cat itself does not speak, but the owner hears the meowing of other cats, you need to check this place. Perhaps this is how males react to a cat in trouble.

Where to get information about accidents involving animals

This is one of the worst-case scenarios, but it is important to be prepared for anything. Some owners allow cats to roam freely, but traffic rules cannot be explained to the animal. Therefore, if an animal runs away from an apartment or private house onto the street, it is important to conduct a check in this direction.

First of all, there are special groups on social networks in which information about road accidents, including those involving pets, is published. Posts may contain photos, as well as information about whether the affected cats are alive and where they are.

Important! You should not think that irresponsible drivers who drive thoughtlessly kill their pets. It also happens that the animal is so afraid that it runs out onto the road suddenly, making it impossible to stop the vehicle.

How to find an animal on the street

Considering the issue of a domestic cat running away, how to find it requires studying the probable places of the loss. In practice, an animal can approximately hide in the following places:

entrances from the upper floors, while at the same time you need to try to inspect baby strollers, buckets, shoes, other items located on landings, places near the garbage chute;
basement, attic. In order to open these premises, you must contact the Housing Office and receive the keys to the doors;
carrying out searches on the street, since cats love elevated places and can be on a tree, roof of a house, pole, balcony, tall bush;
in winter, a cat can hide in places such as heating pipes, a car engine, or a heating radiator located in the entrance;
possible search locations on the street (garage, shed, other utility rooms);
in many cases, the animal gets lost on the street in hard-to-reach places, so storm drains, sewers, and drainpipes must be checked;
When searching for a cat, a hungry animal is often found near trash cans and food preparation areas (a dining room kitchen or a cafe located near the house).

Possible places of loss in the house:

inspection of furniture, closet, niche, space under the bed;
the upper part of the closet, sideboard, furniture wall, since cats love to hide in these secluded places;
empty boxes and other containers that can accommodate an animal;
the window of the washing machine, which is constantly open and ventilated;
balcony and adjacent structures.

Finding a cat in the country is much more complicated due to the large territory, great access to wild nature (proximity to a forest, river), and possible collisions with wild animals. In this case, the pet may take refuge in a neighbor’s house, so it is important to check this option.

During search activities, you need to call the animal by name, try to rustle it with its favorite food, or wear a toy that is familiar to it, as these factors can make the task easier and find the missing cat on the street.

Searching for a frightened animal is quite difficult, since a cat can hide in a secluded place for a long time (for 2-4 days), so it is necessary to organize a proper search and carefully check possible places.

Often the pet can be found in the company of street cats, as sex hormones play a role, and it is drawn to the street during the period of active mating games. If it is important that the animal is completely domestic, then it needs to be sterilized.

In some cases, after searching, the cat does not want to return home at all, so homemade traps (cardboard boxes or other suitable containers) may be needed.

A cat that finds itself in an unknown situation hides for a long time (for 5-6 days) and does not go outside. She starves and becomes unadapted to the conditions that arise.

At the same time, animals do not run away over long distances, so searches are best carried out within a radius of several kilometers from the house. Cats are under severe stress, so they may simply not respond to their name or favorite treat.

Cats that are lost on the street often like to hide under cars parked in the yard, so these places need to be checked first.

Real-life cases show that lost cats can return home after several months or even years. According to statistics, up to 50% of lost owners find their pets healthy and unharmed.

We suggest you read: Diseases of the Rhodesian Ridgeback

65% of cases confirm the fact that cats return home from distant places (cottage, village or other places where the animal was early). Intensive searches, patience and perseverance increase the chances of finding the loss within a short time.

Therefore, if the cat suddenly disappears, then you need to immediately start searching in all possible places. In this case, the animal can return home on its own after some time. Much depends on the pet and the circumstances of each specific situation.

It's best to do your best and try to check all your options. The loss of a beloved pet is an unpleasant matter, but it can be resolved if you follow the recommendations presented.

What to do when your pet is found

Having figured out how to find a cat if it has run away, you need to consider this issue. You should not scold, much less punish, your pet; it is an animal, and physical violence is unacceptable for it. It’s better to show the cat how much you love him, that you missed him and are sincerely glad that he was found.

Note! You can buy your pet a treat, but give it only a little, otherwise he may decide that running away is the easiest way to earn a treat.

Care and attention will help the cat understand that he is loved and expected