Lost Cat
If you are contacting us about a Lost cat, please read the information below. If you would like us to put a post on Facebook for you and assist you with finding your cat, please continue to the second section and email us with your answers to the questions.
As we are receiving an extremely high volume of requests for help, following the guidelines below will help us to help you.
Lost Cat Advice
- Scent is really important for cats and helps them navigate. Put some of the contents of his litter tray in a container outside, preferably somewhere sheltered (under a bush/hedge etc).
- Similarly, a piece of your worn clothing. A T-shirt you have slept in is ideal. Attach to a doorhandle, or open porch etc.
- Go out looking for him when it’s quiet/less traffic about. Take a torch if it is dark, a blanket (to wrap him in if you find him - stops him wriggling away) and a familiar sounding toy or treats that he likes. Call him, wait a while before moving on to see if you can hear a response.
- However very often a cat who is scared and lost will not come when called. So, you’ll need to “think cat”! Look under parked cars, hedges, in front gardens, alleys, sides of buildings, up trees. Work in a radius from home up to 6 streets.
- Knock on doors of your neighbours a few houses each side - including opposite and behind - to ask if they’ve seen him, or if they’ve opened their sheds around the time he went missing. Ask if you can check the shed/garage with them. Often a cat will hide from someone they don’t know.
- Posters and leaflets are also helpful, minimum 3 streets in every direction from home. If your cat is insured, they will often help pay for this or offer a reward for you.
- Phone all the vets in the area to make them aware he is missing and notify your microchip register.
- Keep in touch with council environmental services office (01788 533332) in case the worst has happened, and they have taken him from the roadside. Sorry to even suggest it, but they sometimes forget to scan cats or the microchip fails.
- However, it is really important to remember that most cats come home of their own accord within a day or two. We have more solved missing cases than open ones.
- If we create a post for you please like and share the post as this helps the Facebook algorithm to increase its visibility in newsfeeds.
Please Inbox us with the answers to the following information:
- Street name
- Cat’s name
- Full description of your cat (colour, fur length, any distinguishing features)
- Cat’s gender
- Age of cat
- How long you have had the cat, if different from age.
- Is cat neutered and microchipped
- Where and when was your cat last seen?
- Photos – please provide at least 2 photos, including 1 clear picture of the cat’s face and 1 clear picture of the full body. This will help us to match the cat with any found cats that have been reported to us.
- Nature/personality and welfare of the cat – it’s important we know if they’re likely to be friendly and approachable or timid and scared. Similarly if there are any ongoing health issues this may alter the advice we give you.
- Whether you have recently moved house, and if so details of where you lived previously. This is because cats often go missing after a house move and again, this affects the advice we give you.
Please keep us up to date with any new information. For further advice and information please go to https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/lost-found-and-feral-cats/stray-cats