Better Ways to Find Your Lost Indoor-Only Cat

When our 10 month old indoor-only kitten got out and wandered into the woods behind our house we were frantic. We immediately started combing the woods with her favorite jingle ball and bags of food to shake and called her name. However, it was nighttime and after several hours of this we realized that the odds were stacked against us and we grudgingly went back in to wait until morning. Since sleep was hard to come by we spent most of the night researching what to do to find a lost cat. Here is a compilation of the best information that we found.

Most people will suggest that you immediately search the area where a pet has gone missing and if that doesn't work, start papering the town with flyers. We did this of course, putting flyers on stop signs in our area, in neighbor's mailboxes and posting them at vet's offices. We also checked the local animal control office and area shelters and filled out all the appropriate paperwork to report a lost pet. Although I would encourage you to do these things as well, do NOT depend on this to return your pet to you. Especially in the case of an indoor-only cat. What many people do not realize is that although cats are curious by nature and are likely to wander outside if given the opportunity, indoor-only cats are territorial creatures and typically become frightened soon after they realize that they are not in a known area.

The typical assumption that we make is that if our pet is frightened and hears us calling for them they will come running to us so that we can save them. Unfortunately, their instinct tells them to hide and not make a sound that could give away their position. This means that all of the normal things that humans think will coax our wayward kitty home (calling their name, shaking toys and food, tramping through the woods) just make them more frightened and less likely to show themselves. But don't despair, there are ways to get your cat home.

Statistically, most indoor cats stay within a 1/4 to 1/2 mile of their home. This means that you usually don't have to worry about your cat going off for a stroll and ending up in the next town. Note: This article is specifically referring to indoor-only cats and cats who are used to the outdoors may act differently. If you live in a residential neighborhood filled with houses and yards then the best thing to do is to start knocking on doors and alerting your neighbors to be on the lookout for your cat. Bring pictures and tell everyone to please contact you if they see any cat matching the description. If you can get some sightings then you will be able to narrow down even further where to look for your cat. Ask your neighbors for permission to look under porches, bushes and other hiding places on their property. If you live on property with adjacent woods like we do, then you have a harder road ahead because it is harder to get sightings and narrow down the area where your cat may be. You will have to try to lure your cat out.

The best thing to do in this situation is to set up a cat buffet. Basically, this means to put out several bowls of various smelly cat foods to try to entice your cat to come towards your house. You can also sprinkle some used littler to try to help your cat feel more comfortable and be less cautious about coming out of hiding. Cats are most likely to come out of hiding in the middle of the night when there is less activity that could frighten them off. If you find that the food you have set out is gone in the mornings then you can try to sit outside quietly and see if you can spot the animal eating the food. Be prepared for the fact that you quite possibly will attract other cats and even raccoons or other animals depending on where you live. Don't be discouraged if you don't see your cat eating the food the first night. It is still very possible that they will come to try the buffet another night.

If you do not think that you can stay awake for a nightly stake-out (let's face it, unless you have people to rotate shifts with this is not a practical suggestion for more than a night or two) then I highly recommend that you invest in a humane trap. These are live animal traps that will capture an animal safely and keep it caged until you let it out. Often shelters and humane societies will loan you these traps with a small deposit. When setting these traps it is a good idea to place it near your food, without actually setting it, for a couple of nights so that the animals are used to it being part of the scenery and are not suspicious of it. Then gradually move the food closer and closer until you put the food inside the trap and set it. Be careful when checking the trap and if you catch any animals that you are afraid to get close enough to release, don't hesitate to call animal control and have them help you. Although you may trap quite a few other animals, traps like these have quite a good rate of returning the right pet as well if you have some patience.

Whether you decide to try the trap or not, it is a good idea to try to do walks once or twice a day through the area that you suspect your cat may be hiding. Eventually, your cat may decide that although they are frightened, it may be worth it to take a chance and show themselves if you pass by. This is what happened with us after 5 days of searching and setting out food and trying to stay up all night to see who was eating it, suddenly on a walk we heard a meow and there she was. She had obviously eaten at least some of the food that we put out, because she had not lost much weight and despite the summer heat and thunderstorms that we had during that time she seemed no worse for her adventures. I was so happy to find some of the resources that we found online to help us learn what to do and just to get support from other people who were also trying to find their own lost cats. Hopefully you will not have to go through the stress and worry of searching for a lost cat, but if you do hopefully some of what I learned will be helpful for you as well.