🐱 LOST CAT: WHAT TO DO

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🐾 Key Difference: Unlike dogs, cats usually stay very close to home. They tend to “go to ground,” hiding quietly in nearby safe spaces rather than traveling far.

 

✅ Step 1: Understand Cat Behavior

• Cats typically do not travel far unless chased

• They will often:

  • Hide immediately when scared

  • Stay behind, under, or inside objects

  • Climb into bushes or trees

• During the day, they remain hidden and silent

• They are more likely to move around after dark

👉 There is a high chance your cat is very close to your home

 

✅ Step 2: Conduct a Focused, Close-Range Search

🔦 Search at night for best results

• Take a flashlight and walk slowly near your home

• Shine the light:

  • Into bushes

  • Under structures

  • Up into trees

• Look for the reflection of their eyes

📣 Call your cat’s name calmly, then:

• STOP and listen carefully for a response

➡️ If you get no response:

• Gradually expand your search outward

➡️ Repeat this process every night

 

✅ Step 3: Check for Traps and Hiding Spots

Cats often become accidentally trapped. Carefully check:

• Garages

• Sheds

• Under decks or porches

• Inside storage areas

• Nearby properties where they may have been closed in

👉 This is one of the most common reasons cats are not found quickly

 

✅ Step 4: Use Familiar Scents to Guide Them Home

🧶 Place a box or container with:

• Used litter

📍 Position it around the perimeter of your property

👉 Cats can recognize their scent from a distance and may use it to return home

 

✅ Step 5: Manage Food Carefully

• If you put food outside:

  • ✅ Bring it in at night

• This helps avoid attracting:

  • Wildlife

  • Other animals

 

✅ Step 6: Create & Post Flyers

📄 Follow the same structure as lost dog flyers:

• Large, easy-to-read font

• Minimal essential information

• Designed to be readable from a distance

📍 Where to Post Cat Flyers

• Mailbox clusters

• Neighborhood entrances/exits

• Intersections where cars must stop

👉 Important tip:
Face signs toward traffic that is exiting your neighborhood, not entering—drivers are more likely to slow or stop.

🚫 Avoid areas where cars are simply passing by without stopping

 

🐾 FOUND CAT: WHAT TO DO

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✅ Step 1: Assess Behavior

• A friendly stray cat is most likely NOT feral

• Feral cats typically avoid human contact

 

✅ Step 2: Check Locally First

• Ask nearby neighbors if they are missing a cat

• Cats usually stay close to home unless abandoned

 

✅ Step 3: Take Action

• Post FOUND CAT signs in the area

• If safe to handle:

  • Take the cat to a veterinarian

  • Have them scan for a microchip (no cost)