How to find a cat if it has run away or is lost on the street

What to do when your pet is found

Having discovered their pet after a long search, owners sometimes wonder why the animal does not run joyfully towards them.
The fact is that in an unfamiliar environment the pet experiences extreme stress. You need to know this and not expect joyful emotions from the foundling. You should approach the cat carefully so as not to scare it away and provoke another escape. You can lure the animal with a treat

A hungry pet, even if not immediately, will definitely approach the left treat.

After making sure that the missing cat has been found, you need to make sure that the animal has no wounds or injuries. It is best to take the reveler to a veterinarian. After examining the animal, the specialist may prescribe preventive treatment for worms and fleas. Having placed the cat within its own walls, it is necessary to create a calm environment for it. To avoid digestive upset after fasting, you should not give a lot of food at once, but you should not limit water.

After the fugitive returns home, the owner should take measures to prevent such incidents. First of all, you need to equip your pet with a collar with a tag. It should include contact information and the owner's name.

If it is expected that the animal will have access to the street, it is necessary to accustom the cat to walks on a harness. By gradually exploring the nearby territory, you can teach the animal to return home on its own. The best option is to train a cat using a clicker.

The situation when an animal gets lost on the street is not uncommon. The owner should know how to find a cat if it has run away. Hot pursuit, knowledge of places where frightened pets are hiding, involvement of a wide range of people in search activities, patience and self-control of the owner are the key to the successful return of the fugitive to his native walls.

How to find an animal: necessary measures

Cats get lost at home: where can they go?

Pets have a habit of hiding in empty boxes or desk drawers.

If you discover that your pet cat is missing, you should walk around the room, looking into every corner, under cabinets and beds, and inspect the free spaces above sideboards and walls. Perhaps the cat sits on top and watches the owner, ignoring his call. Pets love to hide in empty boxes and table drawers, using them as hiding places. It is also recommended to look under the bathroom; cats often rest there on the tiled floor.

It is important not to forget to check the washing machine, because if you forget to close the door, animals often climb and sleep inside the machine

The cat ran away to the neighbors

Moving from the bedrooms and bathroom to the balcony, you should check that too. If the balconies are adjacent and not glazed, then perhaps the cat ran away to the neighbors, hid on their balcony, or ran into the room. It is also recommended to go outside and walk around the neighborhood, since it is possible that the cat jumped out or fell out of the window, ran away and is hiding somewhere nearby. In the worst case scenario, a cat that fell out and was lost is found on the ground with some injuries due to an unsuccessful landing.

Lost on the street and in the forest

If a cat runs away through the open door of an apartment, the owner should look for it on the upper floors in the entrance, look into the attic (if there is free access to it), perhaps it is hiding there. They are looking for a missing cat on the street in the following places:

If a cat disappears on the street, then you need to look for it in the nearest basements or under standing cars.

• A basement room into which animals have access. They take a lantern and go in search of the kitten.
• Cars parked near the house. A kitten or an adult cat can hide under them.
• Bushes and trees. Neighbors and acquaintances may be involved in the search. In the case when the cat is domestic, it will not be difficult to get it; when it sees its owner, it will climb down from the tree or crawl out of the bushes. If it is quite difficult to remove the animal from the top, you should lure it out using treats or toys.
• Homestead or summer cottage plot. If an animal lives in winter and summer at a dacha in a village or town, then most likely it is with neighbors and will soon return. It is likely that the cat ran away and hid in a warm and cozy place.
• Nearby roads. Maybe the cat ran away and was hit by a car passing along the highway.
• Forest belt within the city. In this situation, searching for an escaped cat in the forest becomes difficult. A sniffer dog will help you find a pet that has escaped and is hiding in the bushes.

Recommendations and help in searching

When a cat is lost in the courtyard of a private house or in the city near high-rise buildings, you should start looking for it immediately. If search attempts remain unsuccessful, it is recommended to continue them at night, when extraneous sounds and machine noise disappear. In the silence, you can hear the meowing or squeaking of a small kitten if it is somewhere nearby. In the dark, a cat’s eyes glow, which will give him away; a gray or white cat with a flashlight will be more noticeable, for example, in the crown of trees. The dark color is more difficult to see.

If an animal disappears, you should ask your neighbors or at the nearest playground if anyone has seen a wandering pet.

You should ask your neighbors if they may have seen the lost kitten and can help determine its location. There are always children playing on playgrounds, from whose observant gaze a cat wandering aimlessly would not escape, so you should ask them too. It is worth talking to the janitors serving the house, as their work day begins early and they may have spotted a lost cat.

Organization and conduct of search

The search begins, taking into account the circumstances under which the cat ran away, directly from the place of its disappearance. The primary search quadrant should cover about 5 nearby houses, if we are talking about a city. It’s easier to find a cat in the private sector, because everyone there knows their own and their neighbors’ animals, and they will definitely pay attention to a newcomer who has found his way.

We suggest you read: Fractured paw in a cat, first aid treatment

If a kitten is missing, then the search must be carried out on a large scale and intensively - the kitten, unlike an adult cat, is unable to survive on its own, and in 80% of cases it will die. Unlike an adult cat, the location of a kitten will help give away its squeak, so you need to listen especially carefully. You should also pay increased attention to searching for an elderly, sick pet or pregnant cat.

Where to look

A lost house cat is in a state of extreme stress caused by a completely unfamiliar environment, and instinct tells him to hide and hide, and he will do this in the nearest accessible place. Therefore, it is unlikely that a cat will be found in an open space; it is necessary to examine those places that could serve as a shelter for the cat.

A recently escaped cat is nearby

First of all, you should inspect:

• entrance if the cat is believed to have slipped out the door. The entrance is inspected starting from the bottom, paying special attention to the space behind the garbage chute, radiators, pipes, as well as inspecting boxes and furniture temporarily placed on the site, if any. Having climbed to the top floor, you should evaluate the cat’s ability to get into the attic. In most standard modern houses, this possibility is usually absent; the attic is closed, and a vertical iron staircase leads to it; but if the design of the house is different, then you should definitely check the attic;
• in the courtyard of the house you need to examine: bushes and tall grass;
• space under parked cars, a flashlight will be very helpful here even during the day; cars can be slightly kicked on the wheels to scare away the cat, who can climb under the car’s fender onto the wheel, as well as into the radiator compartment from the bottom - this is what kittens and small cats do, especially in winter;
• trees - a frightened cat could climb up;
• exit from the entrance, since boxes and furniture intended for disposal are often left here, in which a cat can hide; and also inspect the porch of the entrance, since there may be holes under it that a cat could get into;
• walk around the perimeter of the house, since the cat can hide in niches under the loggias, and also press against the wall of the house;
• inspect other buildings in the courtyard of the house: a playground, household buildings, the space along the fences;
• inspect the basement of the house, where the cat could get through the ventilation hole. Here, special attention should also be paid to hidden places, since the cat will continue to hide even while in the basement, and the flashlight will be needed again;

A frightened pet may be hiding in a tree

The character of the animal should be taken into account: a timid cat will probably hide for several days in a shelter not far from the place of disappearance, while a sociable and relaxed pet may soon be found joining a cat flock, hanging out at a grocery store, a watch house, a yard children, or living in a neighboring entrance . There are known cases of lost cats invading apartments.

Whom to interview

First of all, you need to interview people who are often on the street near their home. Usually this:

• wipers;
• postmen;
• concierges;
• watchman;
• employees of organizations located on the first or basement floor of the house;
• pensioners, children and mothers with strollers;
• dog walkers;
• people feeding homeless animals;
• if the search is conducted “hot on the heels”, it is worth interviewing all possible eyewitnesses;
• If possible, walk around the apartments in the entrance, and then in the courtyard.

The more people know about a missing cat, the more likely it is that it will be recognized and caught.

A cat may join a pack of homeless relatives

You should check and leave references to the cat at the animal control centers where the found animal could be delivered:

• the city center for temporary housing of stray animals - you should definitely visit and call there every few days, since found animals, if the owners do not contact them, are euthanized;
• city ​​shelters for homeless animals;
• volunteer animal protection organizations with a network of foster care at home.

In winter, cats gravitate toward sources of heat.

Typically, accidents involving cats are not reported to the traffic police because cars are not damaged due to the small size of the animals. Therefore, you should from time to time walk along the sides of nearby highways, where the hit pet could have been thrown by a car or carried by people. The good news here is that cats instinctively avoid noisy, busy streets with heavy traffic.

You should also call veterinary clinics located in the neighborhood, since eyewitnesses could have taken a cat injured in a traffic accident or as a result of a fight with other animals there.

This is paradoxical, but often a cat, which usually responds well to its name, when lost and hearing the voice of its owner calling, prefers to remain silent. Therefore, this feature should always be taken into account and inspection of the area should continue, even if the cat does not respond to the call. On the other hand, the cat can respond, so searches are often effective between 3 and 7 a.m., when the streets are relatively quiet and the cat and its owner have the opportunity to hear each other.

When looking for a cat, you need to listen, because a cat may meow if it is hungry, afraid, injured, or cannot get down from the tree. In addition, the presence of a cat can be indirectly indicated by the sounds of cat fights, since foreign cats tend to be chased away by local cats.

The eyes of a hiding cat, illuminated by a flashlight in the dark, are very noticeable

ads

Ads are very effective because they will be seen by a large number of people. You can make small orientation flyers and hand them out to passers-by on the street. The main part of the announcements should be made on A4 sheets and provided with tear-off sheets with your phone number. The advertisement states:

• information about the lost animal: gender;
• size;
• color;
• coat length;
• you can indicate the breed, if it is rare, then limit yourself to a description;
• nickname;
• special distinctive features - for example, a certain shape of color spots, the presence of a collar;
• need for care in the presence of illnesses;
• good quality photograph;
• in large letters - information about the reward;
• owner contact details;

We suggest you read: What to do if your cat has a bump on her cheek

Paper advertisements tear down very quickly, so you will have to update them every day. In this case, you should pay attention to counter advertisements about found animals.

Once lost, cats can hide nearby for a long time in the shelter they find until hunger forces them to leave.

In addition to paper advertisements, information about a lost cat is posted on the Internet:

• on social networks, especially among animal lovers, as well as local communities;
• on classifieds websites;
• on city news resources and accompanying forums;
• in WhatsApp and Telegram messenger groups, which are usually formed by local dog walkers to coordinate walking times and exchange news;
• on forums where animal lovers communicate;
• on specialized sites dedicated to finding lost or rehoming found pets.

Many people continue to read paper newspapers, so the ad should be placed there too.

When placing advertisements, it is worth looking through the sections about animals found or being adopted, and also, if the cat is purebred, the sections about animals for sale and matings - in the event that he fell into the clutches of “breeders”.

Scammers will definitely call based on advertisements, since their percentage is fixed in any population. As a rule, they report the location of the animal or available information about its location, and offer to pay for it by making a non-cash payment, while avoiding a personal meeting. They should immediately be warned that funds are paid in cash and only after a personal meeting with the cat, after which threats against the cat will likely follow.

A healthy adult cat has passed away - what should I do?

If an unneutered pet left home, it is possible that he began to estrus and went in search of a partner for mating. Pregnant pets often leave to give birth to offspring in a calm environment. A pet can also leave home due to poor treatment or the addition of another animal to the family. What to do when a healthy adult pet runs away? How can I get it back?

Will the animal find its way home?

Cats are territorial animals. They always strive to return to their habitat. Lost pets usually find their way home on their own. They are helped in this by vision, smell, hearing and memory. With the help of a keen sense of smell, they are able to detect the smallest concentrations of odorous substances and determine the location of the source of the smell. The hearing aid in cats is designed in such a way that they perfectly remember not just a “video sequence,” but a full-fledged “video clip” with a sound track. Thanks to this ability, they can reproduce it in memory, finding their way home.

The easiest way for a free-range pet to return to its native land is because, unlike a pet, it is familiar with the area. There are many stories about cats returning to their owners, traveling hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. There are even cases where pets returned to their owners 5 years after they went missing. Scientists have not yet been able to figure out how they do this. Presumably, cats use an electromagnetic field to orient themselves in space. How exactly they capture radiation is unknown.

How long can you wait?

If a cat is lost and has never been outside the home, the search should begin immediately after the loss is discovered. An animal not accustomed to the street may run away out of fear in an unknown direction and get into trouble. The more time passes from the moment your four-legged pet left home, the less chance you have of finding it.

Don’t panic and search the entire yard if your pet, which is free to go outside, went for a walk a few minutes ago. You should start searching if the animal has not returned by the end of the day. It is advisable to begin the search operation before dusk, so that the cat does not have to spend the night in the open air, and its owners do not have to worry all night.

Where to look for a pet first?

To return a pet, sometimes it is enough to search the home. Perhaps the cat did not go somewhere beyond its boundaries, but simply hid, for example, under a sofa, closet, bathroom, behind a curtain, in a box, on a sideboard or in a pantry. Some tailed pranksters like to hide in the washing machine. If the animal was not found in the house, you need to look for it:

• Under the windows. Perhaps your pet, while hunting for a bird or a sunbeam, fell from a balcony or window.
• At the entrance. If a cat sneaks through a slightly open door, it can be found on the upper or lower floor.
• In the attic, when there is easy access to it.
• In an open basement where a frightened pet that had fallen out of a window could hide.
• Under the cars. Frightened animals, once outside, look for secluded places.
• On the nearby trees. To escape from dogs, passing cars, and aggressive relatives, they climb higher.
• In neighboring areas. If a cat has disappeared from a private home, it may be hiding with neighbors.
• In buildings located in the local area: in a garage, bathhouse, barn, woodshed.

If the missing tailed animal has not been discovered, you should not give up trying to find it. You should ask your neighbors if the cat has wandered into theirs. You also need to walk along the road, suddenly an animal trying to cross it is hit by a car, it lies on the side of the road, and it can still be saved.

Children love animals and are unlikely to let a well-groomed beautiful cat walk out of their sight. It is worth asking local children if they have seen the cat. It is necessary to name the special features of the pet.

You should try to look for your pet again when it gets a little dark and the bustle outside has died down. In the silence of the night, extraneous sounds will not drown out the owner’s call, and there is a high probability that the cat will respond to a familiar voice. In addition, in the dark, the animal can be given away by its glowing eyes. Grandmothers talking on a bench near the entrance, janitors, mothers with strollers - all these people can help in the search for a missing animal.

What to do when a cat is found

If the cat is found, most likely, being stressed, he will not recognize the owner and will try to escape again. Therefore, you should take off your jacket and throw it over the cat, this will prevent it from escaping and also protect it from its claws and teeth. You can lure the cat with food. In any case, there is no need to joyfully and noisily attack him - the cat will run away.

You cannot immediately give a large amount of food to a found pet; most likely, he was starving and will overeat greatly. The cat needs to be given an anthelmintic and treated for external parasites.

The found cat is examined for visible injuries and sent for examination to a veterinary clinic. The most important thing is that the animal has received all preventive vaccinations in due time, which will protect it from most infectious diseases, including rabies, while on the street.

In most cases, cats hide in basements, so basements should be inspected carefully and repeatedly

If you can’t find the cat right away, this is completely normal, and you should continue your search without becoming discouraged or losing hope of success. Very often, cats are found in places where the search has already been carried out, and more than once, this especially applies to basements. In 90% of cases, a cat that runs out into the street or jumps out of a window ends up there. Over time, the cat, adapting, will increasingly go outside in search of food, and this will increase the chances of its detection.

In addition, both widespread announcements about the loss of a cat and the number of people involved in the search and methodically examining the area, which must be done repeatedly, increase the chances of success.

If you receive information from people about the appearance of a cat that matches the description, you should definitely check the information in person, standing next to the placed food to see the animal.

There are cases where cats returned after months, or even years. According to statistics, 50% of lost cats can be found by their owners; in 65% of cases, cats return on their own, especially if the cat disappeared after a recent move or from the dacha - it is worth looking for it in its old and familiar place - at the same address. The intensity of the search, the consistency and repeated nature of the actions greatly increase the chances of success, so you should not be discouraged.

Reasons why a cat might leave home

The reason why a particular cat ran away is often known only to him alone. We can assume:

• hunting instinct;
• sexual instinct;
• fright;
• curiosity;
• accidentally fell out of a window or balcony;
• a provoking factor may be moving to a new apartment;
• the arrival of a large number of guests;
• other reasons.

There can be many reasons why a cat might run away.

Make bait

Felines' sense of smell is much better developed than vision, so smell is an important landmark that can lure a lost pet.

Baits are placed within a radius of 100-200 meters from the house or a little further, preferably in places that can be checked regularly. You can use the following “beacons” for searching:

the owner's things - the cat will be attracted by an old jacket or slippers with a familiar smell; a toy, bedding or other favorite thing - a pet can follow its own scent; a small amount of filler from the tray will remind you of the marked territory of the house; food or treats - you can use it, but be careful; most likely, the feeder will attract stray animals.

Walk around the marked points about two to three times a day; it is better not to get too close to them, but to observe from the side.

Where to look for a missing cat?

What to do? The most important thing is not to panic, but to immediately analyze all possible escape options and take active action.

If you find that your cat does not meet you after work, does not respond to calls, or does not go to the bowls, this is a cause for concern. However, it is possible that the cat never left the apartment, but is simply sleeping soundly somewhere, having climbed into a hard-to-reach place from where it can get out on its own. This could be a closet where an animal sneaked in unnoticed while you were getting ready for work, a linen drawer inside a folding sofa, a shoe box that you put on a shelf.

Check all such nooks and crannies in the apartment to make sure the cat is not there. During the warm season, a cat can spend a lot of time on the balcony, so if your house has a balcony, make sure you don't accidentally lock the animal in there before leaving the apartment.

Fell out of the window?

If all attempts to find the fugitive in the apartment have failed, you should consider a more pessimistic scenario: the cat fell out of the window, attracted by the chirping of sparrows or the cooing of pigeons on a nearby window or balcony.

Immediately go downstairs to explore the area surrounding the house. There can be two options: either the animal crashed, and then, alas, a not very funny sight awaits you. If neither a cat nor signs of violent death were found under the windows of your apartment, there is hope that your pet is alive, but in shock tried to find a safe place where it hid.

Explore the surroundings

Carefully examine the entrance, floor by floor: there is a chance that the cat did not fall out of the window, but quietly slipped out of the apartment when you hesitated, closing the door. A cat can also hide in the entrance if it has fallen out of a window. Arm yourself with a flashlight and don’t miss a single nook in the entrance: in shock and confusion, the animal will want to hide in the farthest, inaccessible corner.

Take your cat's favorite toy, as well as a bag of food: attracted by the characteristic sound of the rustling bag, the cat may come out to meet you. Call the cat's name loudly, exploring the area around the house, basements, attics, don't be lazy to look under all the cars - cats often hide there. Also explore neighboring entrances and neighboring houses. Expand your search area in a spiral.

Word of mouth

If the search does not bring the desired result, it’s time to connect other resources: neighbors, acquaintances, grandmothers at the entrances, janitors, schoolchildren. Print out a lot of photos of your pet, as well as cards with your coordinates, and distribute them to everyone who can help or just happen to see your cat while walking.

Paradoxically, do not ignore dog lovers: many of them go on intense walks around the area, it is likely that someone could have come across your missing cat. In addition, pet owners in large cities have a developed sense of solidarity and belonging, so attracting such a resource produces results.

Ads with cat photos and contacts

Print lots of colorful notices with a photo and name and description of your cat's special features, age, gender and habits, indicate in the announcement where and when she disappeared.

Such notices should be posted in the entrances of nearby houses, in shops, at public transport stops, at post offices, in bank branches, in pet stores and veterinary clinics, on poles and fences. If there is a school not far from your house, take the time to go there and leave a packet of announcements for schoolchildren, promising a reward for finding and returning the animal.

If the first days of searching do not bring results

The main thing is not to lose hope and continue to act. At this stage, you should make an effort and notify as many people around you as possible. Several methods are used for notification.

• It is recommended to include a photo of your pet in your ad. You also need to describe its signs. For the return of the cat, you must promise a reward; it will be an excellent incentive.
• There should be a lot of advertisements posted in the area where you live and nearby. Cats move quickly, they can run from place to place several times, moving away from their home.
• The Internet and social networks now provide excellent assistance in searching for missing animals. You need to leave an ad on city forums, on the pages of networks where animal lovers often visit. It should also be supplemented with a good photograph and description.

We suggest you read: A cat’s tooth has fallen out, what to do if a front tooth has fallen out, if the cat is old

Why do cats disappear?

The reason for the loss of a cat can be the owner’s banal absent-mindedness.

Despite the fact that cats are the smartest and quickest animals, they can get lost for a trivial reason: an absent-minded owner forgot to close a door or window, the cat got scared of someone on the street and ran away, got lost in play, fell from the balcony, etc. Many things may happen. The fact is that he is not there now. What is the first step to take to bring your beloved “fluffy” home?

The cat could have hidden in the apartment.

First of all, you should look for a cat in the apartment. It sounds ridiculous, but there is a possibility that the pet decided to hide in a secluded corner and simply cannot or does not want to get out of it. If you are convinced or are sure that there is no cat in the house, proceed to the next stages of the search.

Lost Search Zones

We are looking in the entrance, starting from the upper floors.

Pay attention to large things: strollers, bicycles, etc.

The cat may well be hiding behind them. If not, move on.

Basement with open windows. When a cat fell out of a window from a low floor, there is a high probability that, having landed, out of fear and fright, the first thing she did was to scurry there. If the basement is well lit and kept in order, finding the animal will not be difficult. If it is dark and there are rotten, dirty pipes and rats everywhere, then finding a pet will not be easy. Although even in this situation there is a plus: the cat will not stay in such a basement for a long time, it will quickly leave there.

Street. Get out of the house and check all nearby roads, paying special attention to the roadsides. If you don’t find your pet there, you can take a breath - he didn’t get hit by a car. We need to continue searching further. Be sure to ask people on the street about the “lost thing” (grandmothers on benches, janitors, postman, young mothers).

Often cats run outside and are not found.

What's the best way to look for a lost pet?

Take any animal toy on your search.

All of the above steps can be performed alone, but it is better to search in a group. Relatives and friends can help.

It is important to remember that if an animal was not familiar with the street, it will not run far and, most likely, is hiding somewhere nearby. Be sure to inspect all nooks and crannies and take a flashlight with you, even if the search takes place during the daytime

It is also important to take your cat’s favorite toys with you and use them to lure your pet into your field of vision. When he comes out of hiding, try not to scare him.

Dogs can be involved in the search, but only if the cat has previously lived and been in contact with them. Otherwise the dogs will scare him.

Reporting a loss

Reporting a missing cat can significantly speed up the search.

You should post a notice on nearby houses describing the animal’s special characteristics: coat color, eyes, when it went missing, whether it’s in a collar (harness) or not, the owner’s contact phone number. Even better - attach a photo of the cat.

It would not be a bad idea to warn as many residents of the house as possible about the missing cat. Often lost pets are found by “local” residents who accidentally saw them.

Through the Internet

• The cat must be walked on a harness or leash.
• It would be a good idea for the cat to wear a small medallion on its collar with a note with the owner’s name and phone number. In case of loss, it will be faster and easier for the person who finds the cat to contact the rightful owner to return the animal.
• Chipping.

Preparing for the search

If the cat’s disappearance is discovered immediately, you should give chase, since the fugitive has gone very far, and you can catch up with him and catch him.

If you don’t know which direction the cat is headed, then you should call friends or neighbors for help, and be sure to take flashlights with you, which will be needed regardless of the time of day, for example, when inspecting basements, as well as when searching in parking lots under cars. In the dark, the cat's eyes, reflecting the light of a flashlight, glow characteristically, revealing his hiding place.

You can take some food with you to lure the cat, but the recently escaped cat has not yet become hungry. If you have a dog living with the cat, you should take it too, as it will smell the familiar smell of the cat. You should not attract outside dogs - they will scare the cat and aggravate the situation. The search must begin as early as possible.

The instincts of a cohabiting dog will help you spot a runaway cat.

Where to look for her hidden places?

As many cats as there are, probably, there are as many secluded places where they can hide within the apartment. But, talking with other owners of these animals, I discovered one pattern for myself. After all, they have common favorite places where they like to hide. I’ll tell you about them now. I ask the cats not to be offended by me for giving away their secret.

Cabinets

Cats love to climb into closets and sit there among clothes and linen. And enjoying the cleanliness and peace, they fall asleep peacefully. It is not clear whether their sleep is so deep and sweet that they do not wake up when their owner calls them. It is possible that your pet can hear everything perfectly. And he doesn’t respond because he doesn’t want to interrupt his idyll of afternoon sleep. Or maybe this is simply a manifestation of the harmfulness of her capricious and proud character.

Under the bath

Under the bath is warm, dark and cozy. There, our pets especially like to disappear during folk festivals, celebrated with loud volleys of fireworks. After all, everyone probably knows that cat ears are so delicate that any loud sound causes them great discomfort. When a cat hears the incessant firing of fireworks, it gets scared and tries to run as far as possible from these disturbing sounds. From my own experience I was convinced that you can call her and look for her for hours. He'll only come out when it's quiet outside.

On the loggia

There was a case in my life when a cat got lost in a closed apartment. And it was impossible to find her for many hours. Everything was done to search for her: the ringing of the bells of her favorite toys, the sound of food rustling in the box, and the slamming of the refrigerator door. Believe it or not, I even went outside into the courtyard of the house, asked passers-by about the cat, and called her affectionately.

By evening it became clear that the cat was missing. After crying a lot, I decided to print advertisements on the search for a cat. All that remained was to start the print when my sleepy little loser appeared in person in the doorway of the loggia. It turns out that she slept there all day under an inverted pelvis. She slept well, gained strength, and then at night she gave chase with an imaginary animal. All this was accompanied by her victorious screams and stomping paws.

Behind the curtains near the battery

If the cat is missing and the heating season has already begun, look near the radiator behind the curtains. Cats really like this cozy and secluded place. How warm, dry, no one sees her, but she herself has a great opportunity to eavesdrop and observe everything that happens. When you search, be sure to pull back the curtains and look below.

A few more places to look:

• In a toy box.
• In a crib.
• Under the blanket on the bed.
• Under the bed.

Of course, each apartment is designed differently. For this reason, I advise you to take note of where your cat appears after a long absence. So, by trial and error, you will be able to find the secret hiding places of your pet.

Video about what to do if your cat goes missing

There are situations in which it is not known what to do and what the right thing to do is to return home a lost or simply runaway pet. The problem is especially acute in cases where the animal was practically not on the street and there is a possibility that the cat, cat or kitten was lost forever, since no one can know whether they will be able to find their way home or not.

The article contains the most common situations encountered in practice and provides recommendations for each case.

How to find a cat if it is lost or hidden at home, in the village, on the street, or in the country house

If a cat is hiding at home, then you need to start looking for it from places that are not typical for it. Call your pet affectionately; perhaps he is afraid of something.

If the cat is in the village for the first time, then if it disappears, start searching from the nearest trees and keep in mind that if the cat is scared, it will remain silent. Therefore, inspect the trees several times.

Lost your cat on a walk? First, check to see if he is sitting near the door to your home. Then turn to the grandmothers, who always sit on benches and know everything. You can post notices in your area with a photo of a cat. Perhaps the cat has taken up with the street cats and is in the basement with them.

The hardest place to find a cat is at the dacha, because there he has free space for festivities. Of course, you need to interview all your neighbors, especially those who also have cats. You can douse the area with valerian. If the cat has not returned before leaving home, leave food for him on the porch.

How to find a cat if it ran away, disappeared, fell from a balcony, got lost in an apartment, in the forest

First, try to look for the cat in the entrance; perhaps he has hidden himself under the stairs. If he is not at the entrance, look in the yard and interview all the residents of the house. Look under the cars, examine the trees growing in the yard. If a cat fell from a low-story balcony, most likely he is sitting nearby, confused. Therefore, hurry to search for him immediately, since it is difficult for a pet to survive on the street. Or in such a situation, you can look for the cat on a nearby neighbor’s balcony.

Most often, you can lose a small kitten in an apartment, which reacts to all sounds unfamiliar to it and can hide in a dark corner. Pour milk into a saucer and quietly call the cat's name. If the cat is an adult, pretend that you are no longer looking for him, and he will show himself. Or you can rustle a bag of cat food.

When a cat disappears in the forest, patience is needed. You will have to go to the place of the loss several times and it is not a fact that after a free life the cat will want to return home.

How to find a cat who went for a walk, he was stolen, kicked out

Those who live in a multi-story building need to start looking for the fugitive from the top floor. Most likely, the cat hid in some corner out of fear. Look into the basements, maybe the cat has found a bride.

A stolen cat is difficult to find. You can post advertisements, even give information about the loss to the newspaper, so that as many people as possible can see the photo of the pet, then there is a chance that someone will call and tell you where they saw the loss.

A domestic cat that has been kicked out is unlikely to get far. If a little time has passed, then you should look for the cat in the entrance, under the stairs, in the yard, on a tree, in the bushes.

How and where to find a cat for a cat for mating (crossbreeding)

A cat for mating can be found in advertisements in the newspaper or on the Internet. You can also conduct a survey among cat lovers you know. Or advertise yourself. If the cat is purebred, look for a cat for him at an exhibition.

How to find a cat using a pendulum, magic, conspiracy

If conventional methods do not help you find your missing cat, it makes sense to resort to mysterious search methods. Hold the pendulum in your hands, filling it with your energy. Then walk around the apartment, the pendulum will swing in a certain way. Clockwise is “yes”, “counterclockwise” is no.

There are many conspiracies that will help bring an animal home. They are read in a certain way at a certain time. It is better to read the magic words at the place where the animal disappeared. Magicians also advise focusing by imagining that the cat has returned home or mentally calling him.

How to find a missing cat using valerian

If the cat is missing at home, you can pour a little valerian on the cotton wool, and he will immediately come out to this favorite smell. If he disappeared in a garden plot, you may have to water the plot with medicine to attract the fugitive.

Nothing helped me. Any other tips?

Yes, here are a few more life hacks to make it easier to find your runaway pet and bring him home safe and sound.

1. Make a shelter for your cat. Take a large cardboard box and turn it over. Cut a hole on one side that a cat could get through. Then place the box near your house with some soft cloth underneath that would be comfortable for your cat to sleep on. Place something on top of the box to keep it in place, and place bowls of food and drink and a tray nearby. Make it a safe place for your cat to return to.
2. Go hunting at night. The best time to search for a missing cat is at night. Bring a flashlight and cat food. When you're outside, open the package and rustle it. There is a good chance that your cat will react to this and show itself.
3. Print out flyers. This is the most common way to search for a missing pet, but it should not be neglected, because it still works. Be sure to include a photo of the cat and information about the reward.
4. Post an ad on social networks. There are groups to help homeless animals in almost every city. They will help spread the word about your missing pet.
5. Walk around your neighbors with a photo of your cat.
6. Don't forget to check the trees around your house. Perhaps your cat has climbed up and is afraid to come down.
7. Calm down and don't be discouraged. There are many examples of pets returning on their own to desperate owners.

1. In each yard, janitors work every day, and they often know all the yard cats and dogs. They may notice the appearance of a new animal. Also, these workers may find a cat in some secluded place while cleaning the entrance or basement. Therefore, it is worth interviewing the area’s janitors, showing a photo of the pet.
2. There is another category of residents who also spend a lot of time near the house. These are pensioners, mothers with small children, and owners of backyard garages. And it is advisable to turn to them for help. The more people are surveyed, the faster information about your pet will appear.
3. Searches for the cat should be carried out at different times of the day. At some hours the animal may sleep or simply hide. And then it will come out into the light to search for food.
4. If possible, you should look for a cat in a company of several people, at least with a partner. This will make it even easier to catch the loss if it is discovered.
5. The animal may end up in a kennel. This place is a must visit as well.