Missing Cat? Pet Detective’s Top 5 Search Tips on What do First

Top Five # Tips on What to do When Your Cat First Goes Missing

I have been recovering Missing Cats for over 30 years and in the last Five years, together with my amazing Cat Detection Dog Molly have helped to reunite over 275 Missing Cats with their families.

Discovering that your cat is missing can be an extremely traumatic experience so it is important that they know exactly what to do first otherwise a search may take weeks and, in some instances, families never see their cats again. So, it is really important that you get off to the best possible start.

I have therefore put together my ‘Top Five Tips’ on what cat owners need to do first when they discover their cat is missing. I have also produced a 10-minute video that accompanies this blog which I recommend you watch as it contains extra content and will help you understand exactly what you should do when you first discover your cat is missing.

#1 Design A Virtual Missing Cat Poster

It really is an awful experience when your cat fails to return home and in a lot of cases cat owner’s rush out the door hoping to find their cat hiding under a neighbour’s hedge or locked in a garage. The trouble is very few families find their cats straight away and often waste crucial time by not ensuring that their missing cat’s description is shared quickly throughout the neighbourhood.

So, the first thing you must do before leaving your home is to design a Virtual Missing Cat Poster on your mobile phone. My video shows you exactly how to do this, but it really is a lot easier than you may think.

Firstly, find a clear image on your mobile phone of your cat standing and facing towards the camera, (If you don’t have one then find an image of a similar cat on google) save the image in portrait mode and crop it so there is a gap at the top and bottom of the image. Then using a clear font with a bright colour add the word MISSING to the top of the image and your MOBILE NUMBER across the bottom of the image. Save the image and you are good to go with your virtual Missing Cat poster.

#2 Ask a Friend to Distribute the Virtual Poster to the Local Community

Before you leave your home, you must get a friend, member of your family or work colleague to distribute your virtual poster among the local community. There will always be a social media platform that your local community uses to share information. Ask your friend to find out what it is and then get them to upload the virtual poster at least three time in the first eight hours and ask them to update the message each time the poster is shared. This will encourage the local community to read the posts and find out how your search is progressing.

#3 Do Not Overlook the Obvious

I have recovered quite a few cats that were hiding in their family’s home or garden, so it is important you check these areas thoroughly before extending your search further around the neighbourhood. Ask yourself the following three questions. When and where did you last see your cat and What was happening IN YOUR HOME OR GARDEN around the time your cat went missing.

Quite often when a cat has been frightened by a loud noise or chased by another animal it will take cover in its own garden diving into or under a garden shed or climbing tree. Always remember that cats can get into exceedingly small spaces so grab a torch get down on your hands and knees and search every nook and cranny.

The golden rule is to work on the principal that unless you know for certain that a cupboard, storage space or outbuilding has not been opened since your cat went missing then assume it has and search it. I have found missing cats in linen cupboards, attics, spare rooms, wall cavities, under decking, cycle sheds and in bin cupboards so do not overlook a single space.

#4 You Need a Search Plan

You must have structure to your initial search without it you are setting yourself up to fail. Do not just rush out the door in a panic instead gather your thoughts and grab a small notebook and pen and put together a list of what needs to be done and in what order. You need to decide which areas will be searched first remembering that some locations may close earlier than other areas such as school grounds, commercial sites, social clubs.

You also need to decide whether you are going to search gardens and outbuildings yourself or ask neighbours to do this on your behalf? My advice is that you should personally search all the outbuildings that are within your cat’s territory including those in your neighbour’s gardens.

#5 You Need a Search Kit

The weather will rarely work in your favour when you first start your search and there is no point getting cold and wet as you will quickly become demoralised. So, grab a few items of clothing and pop them into a small rucksack.

Other important items to add to your search kit include a bottle of water, some snacks or fruit to keep your energy levels high, a good pair of gloves to protect your hands when searching, a reliable and powerful torch and a few cat treats. I also take a map of the local area and of course the notebook containing my search plan.

This is all you need to know for your initial search however my team and I are now producing a collection of informative videos on everything else may need to know especially if your initial search is unsuccessful. The videos can be found by following this link to our YouTube site Pet Detective TV.

Good luck and feel free to contact us info@thepetdetectives.com if you would like to book a one-to-one consultation or find out more about our Cat Detection Dog Molly.

Colin Butcher

Senior Investigating Officer UKPD