13 tips on how to find a missing cat

(2 votes, rating: 1,50 out of 5)

5589564

06/18/2021 owner reviews 1,

Your cat has disappeared from the house. She either went outside when you opened the door and you didn't have time to catch her, or she opened the screen, or she found a way out and is now outside. If you were lucky enough to watch her run away, you have a general idea of where she is. But if you have no idea where the cat went, how to find your lost cat?

Take precautions
What to do if a cat runs outside
But what if they don't?
The cat disappeared without a trace
How to find a lost cat

Take precautions

Before we get to the issue of an outdoor cat, let's just introduce some preventative measures you can take before this happens.

Microchip your cat. Most veterinarians now offer microchipping. This is a safe and inexpensive way to protect your cat. The microchip has a disadvantage. Not all shelters or veterinarians have a portable scanning device that is universal for all chips. Your best bet is to find a chip that is used in your area. Your cat will be identified by the scanner ID code. Cat collars are easy to remove and ID tags can be removed. But the microchips, about the size and shape of a grain of rice, remain embedded under your cat's skin.

Keep a photo of your cat handy. Don't just make it a cute face shot; Take a full body photo so that if necessary, you can identify the cat from this photo.

Who should get a gray cat?

The smoky cat is an animal that brings peace, luck and success to its owner, so anyone can keep it at home. However, there are several categories of people who will especially benefit from living with this furry neighbor.

Gray cats are desirable companions for anyone who plans to start their own business or open a trading business. It is believed that this animal has a mystical ability to increase wealth, so the smoky cat can be an excellent talisman for a businessman.

Silver-gray cats are able to ward off bad luck from their owners, which is why they are recommended for everyone who often has to face danger in their line of work.

Ash-colored cats have a special energy, thanks to which blood pressure can return to normal. It is recommended to have such pets for people who suffer from cardiovascular diseases and nervous disorders.

Getting a blue cat can be recommended for pregnant women and young mothers. It is believed that such a pet can harmonize feminine energy, due to which childbirth is successful and children grow up calm and healthy.

It is best to choose the nuances of your pet’s color based on your personality traits. Unbalanced and eccentric people are recommended to choose plain smoky cats - they have the ability to balance the restless energy of the owner.

Tabby gray cats, otherwise known as tabbies, help passive and insecure people gain a boost of determination and vigor.

What to do if a cat runs outside

You're at home and someone opens the front door. Your cat jumps out, turns the corner of the house and disappears! What are you doing?

First, you follow the cat, but don't run or make loud noises. Try to keep your cat visible, but usually when an indoor cat goes outside, the smells and sounds are usually too strong and the first thing they want to do is hide closer to the house. Any loud noises, such as shouting their name or clapping your hands, can frighten them even more. If they stop and look at you, immediately kneel down, don't make eye contact, and extend your hand. Call the cat in the calmest voice. If you don't have any distractions, they will sometimes come straight to you.

What to do when your pet is found

Having figured out how to find a cat if it has run away, you need to consider this issue. You should not scold, much less punish, your pet; it is an animal, and physical violence is unacceptable for it. It’s better to show the cat how much you love him, that you missed him and are sincerely glad that he was found.

Note! You can buy your pet a treat, but give it only a little, otherwise he may decide that running away is the easiest way to earn a treat.

Care and attention will help the cat understand that he is loved and expected

The escape or loss of a cat is a great stress for both the animal and its owner. Therefore, it is very important to surround your pet with love and care after returning. Most often, unneutered and unsterilized cats escape. Therefore, if breeding is not part of the owner’s plans, then it is worth considering surgery. It will become an invisible cage that will keep the animal within the house. In addition, it is a well-known fact that sterilized cats love their owners much more and have a calm, good-natured disposition.

The cat disappeared without a trace

You returned home and discovered that your cat was missing. The first thing you will do is conduct a systematic search of your home. Search every room and search thoroughly. Get on your knees and think like a cat. Remember, when they are scared or injured, they can crawl into places you never dreamed they could fit. You need to look under chairs, in armrests, in reclining chairs (very often a cat will rip the bottom of a chair or bed and disappear into the springs). You need to look into your closets and make sure you've covered every inch of your living space before you even think about looking outside.

After a thorough home search, there are a few things you need to do. One of them is to find an old T-shirt that you don't really care about or an old pair of sneakers. Put on your sneakers without socks or throw on a shirt and just start walking around the house calling your cat. Take a box of dry cat food or treats and shake it gently as you walk. You want that shirt and shoes to be really sweaty with your scent in case you don't find your cat, because the shoes and shirt will help you smell the cat in the house. If your search is unsuccessful, when you get home, hang your shirt outside where the wind can spread your scent, and place your shoes outside and near the front door.

Signs about gray cats

Most signs and superstitions regarding smoky-colored cats have a clearly positive meaning - having such a pet at home is considered great luck. To understand what gray cats symbolize, you should pay attention to the details.

Gray cat in the house

Those who want well-being to never leave their home should undoubtedly adopt a silver pet. Signs about gray cats in the house affect almost all areas of human life.

According to legend, cats with silver fur have a special mystical aura - they are able to see spirits and evil spirits and protect the home from uninvited otherworldly “guests”;
a gray cat is a harbinger of harmony; having him at home, you can watch how quarrels between household members cease, and peace comes to the family;
the house in which such a pet lives is avoided by damage and the evil eye;
cats with gray stripes are considered the best friends of brownies - they lure prosperity, comfort and wealth into the house;
those who have a gray cat in the house do not need to worry about material problems - they say that good luck in business will not leave the owners.

Separately, it is worth noting the healing abilities of cats with gray-blue fur - if there is a sick person in the house, they lie down next to him, not far from the sore spot, and over time the disease recedes.

If you have a gray pet living at home, you need to carefully monitor its behavior - it has its own meaning.

So, if the pet suddenly becomes agitated, hides in a corner and looks at an empty space, it is likely that the cat had to deal with evil spirits. In such a situation, it is recommended to light a church candle and wait until it burns out completely, and bury the wax away from the house.

A gray cat that likes to sleep on its back with its paws up is believed to bring wealth and financial well-being to the house. There is another interesting sign - if a cat sits on a wallet, then a significant financial increase is expected soon.

Smoky cat

At all times, cats with an even, smoky, silver color were considered absolutely special. In ancient times, they believed that such animals were endowed with the energy of the moon, which gave them magical properties.

Such animals were especially favored by girls and women. It was believed that for an unmarried girl, a meeting with a gray cat promises a quick happy marriage. Pregnant women tried to pet smoky cats more often - this promised an easy birth and healthy children.

Modern psychologists are confident that cats of this color can fight neuroses, depression and anxiety disorders. They give their owners a restful sleep and self-confidence.

How to find a lost cat

Here are some tips to help you find your missing cat and bring him home safely:

Take a large cardboard box and turn it over. Cut a cat-sized hole in the side and place it outdoors with soft bedding inside. Press the bottom down and make it a safe place for your cat to return to. Place food and water nearby.
The best time to search for a lost cat is when the world is sleeping. The best time is around 2 am. Come out with a flashlight and food. You can take a few cans of cat food with you, stand out outdoors and open the cans or shake up a jar of treats. You'll be surprised how sound can travel in the stillness of the morning, and often your cat will appear within minutes of opening the first can. Enterprising cat owners also recorded the sound of tin cans being opened to reveal a jar of food and played the tape over and over again in search of the missing cat.
Create flyers. Include a picture of your cat and offer a reward as an incentive. Post these flyers in grocery stores, veterinary clinics, pet stores, etc. Place them at eye level. DO NOT stuff them into mailboxes. You may get in trouble for this. Walk around your neighborhood with these flyers, hang them on telephone poles, and talk to the neighborhood kids, the newsboy, the taxi driver, the mailman, anyone who walks through your neighborhood.
Call local newspapers and place a missing cat ad. Call local radio stations, many of them will play free spots for lost animals. Call your veterinarian and tell the staff that your cat is missing. Pick up flyers from all the vets in your area and take him to any rescue shelters nearby. If you recently moved and took your cat with you, also check your old address.
Find a Havahart trap and place it in a safe location near your home. You may catch another cat, a possum, or even a skunk (depending on where you live), but you can also catch your cat.
If you see a dead animal on the road near your home, remove it with a shovel and take it to a weed patch. There have been cases when domestic cats became interested in roadkill and went out to investigate, only to become victims themselves.
Make a list of everything you do to find your missing cat.
Check your newspaper daily for lost and found advertisements.
Weekends work outside. Sit in the garden or just outside the house, talk in a soft voice, sing or chat so that if your cat is nearby, she will hear you. If she has a canine friend, take the dog outside or walk around the neighborhood with her to see if the cat will come out and join you.
Inspect the trees on your property.
Make a map of where you will place your posters and/or flyers. Check every 3 days to make sure they are still there. Keep tape, pins or pushpins, black markers, and a white poster board in your car so you can make up for anything that might go missing.
Go door to door with a photo of your cat. Talk to everyone in the house, especially children. Past experience has shown that young children are the best searchers for lost cats.
Keep hope alive. There are countless stories of people who have lost their cats for long periods of time, only to have the animal show up at their door one day.

Not all cats will come home, but if you completely cover all your bases, you will reduce the likelihood that your cat will remain lost. As difficult as it may sound, you need to stay focused and not get stressed. The cat will sense the stress coming from you and may hide until you calm down. Most cats immediately go to the ground, which means they hide close to a home they know unless chased away or startled. If you can control your emotions, you stack the odds in your favor.

Main reasons for running away

There are several of them. The most popular is estrus, during which cats become uncontrollable, driven by the desire to mate, so animals even jump from high-rise balconies. The amazing ability of most cats to land on all fours saves them from death. But the owner loses his pet, so he is forced to go looking for him.

Accidental loss or escape for a cat is extremely stressful

Other popular reasons:

hunting instinct. Cats by nature are created to catch birds and rodents, and the peculiarity of their visual apparatus is that they see a moving object very sharply. That is why a bird or fly flying outside the windows can cause a brave cat to jump after it;
old age and illness. Cats often leave home to die alone. In this case, it is not necessary to look for the animal;
accidental fall. Due to play or carelessness, a pet may fall out of a window or escape through an open door;
resentment. This is the reason why animals kept in private houses with a fenced area may disappear. If the owner unfairly punishes the cat or gets a new pet, the offended animal may run away;
a change of scenery. Many city residents decide to move their pet to the village or country house for the summer. However, the animal does not always understand that this is temporary; it believes that it has been abandoned, so it decides to rid the owner of its presence.

Note! In any case, no matter what reason prompts the cat to expand the boundaries of his world, you need to understand that he is experiencing extreme stress, is very afraid, and is waiting for his owner to be able to find him. Therefore, it is very important to know what to do if a cat goes missing and where to start looking for it.

Cats are hunters to the core, so they can accidentally fall out of a window while chasing a bird or insect.

How to behave with such animals

There are a number of simple rules that are recommended to be followed to make the life of the owner and pet comfortable and cozy.

you cannot offend your pet - this way you can scare away good luck from your home for a long time;
if the cat came to the house on its own, you must definitely meet it and give it something to eat;
in the case when there is no way to give the cat a permanent shelter, you cannot rudely drive the animal away - you need to help it if possible, feed it and try to find new owners for it.

Common sense dictates that even mystical smoky cats need to be raised competently - by the way, professional breeders and veterinarians note that ash-gray cats have a high level of intelligence.

Signs and superstitions about silver-gray cats are numerous, but they all agree on one thing - it is considered very auspicious to have such an animal at home. If you give a cat love, over time he will become a loyal friend and an excellent protector for his owner.

Why cats are born black

Microscopic granules of the melanin pigment are responsible for the color of fur, as well as skin and eyes. There are two varieties of it, differing in structure - eumelanin and pheomelanin. The grains of the first are spherical in shape, they completely absorb light and give black pigmentation and all its derivatives - chocolate, blue, lilac, fawn. The ellipsoids of the second reflect light in the red range and are responsible for this color and all its varieties. The inheritance of color depends on the sex of the animal, since this gene is located on the X chromosome; this allele is not on the Y chromosome.

A cat has one X chromosome and can therefore be either black or red. The cat has two X chromosomes and three varieties of color - red, black and mixed (tortoiseshell).

The genes responsible for color are passed from mother to son. A black cat cannot give birth to a red cat, and a red female will never give birth to a black male.

Breeds with acceptable black coloration

Many varieties have a varied color palette. Among cats with black fur, the following are acceptable:

American Bobtail

A large short-tailed cat with an easy-going and sociable character. The short or semi-long coat is often a solid charcoal color. The price for a kitten is from 50 thousand rubles.

Read a lot of interesting things about American Bobtails here.

Siberian cat

An ancient natural breed with long hair and a thick undercoat. Among the various colors of this independent hunter, black is highlighted in a separate group. The cost of a kitten starts from 15 thousand rubles.

Oriental cat

This breeding variety comes in a wide variety of coat colors and patterns; more than 600 different coat colors are known, including solid black and bicolor. The cost of a kitten starts from 25 thousand rubles.

More about orientals.

Devon Rex

A funny cat with wavy short fur and large ears, unusually smart, playful and devoted to people. Among the various colors, solid charcoal is highly valued. The price for a kitten is from 15 thousand rubles.

An article about Devon Rex, where a lot is written about their character, care for them and history.

Turkish Angora

One of the oldest eastern breeds. The long, thin, shiny coat comes in a variety of shades, one of them being solid black. The price for Angora is from 20 thousand rubles.

Read more interesting things about the Turkish Angora in a separate article.

Norwegian forest

The national pride of America is very reminiscent both in appearance and in temperament of the Siberian. Among the many colors, black is one of the most exquisite. Not found in Russia; the cost of pet-class kittens starts from thousands of dollars.

You can read more about Norwegian forest cats here.

American Curl

An amazing cat with curved back ears and short or semi-long hair of various colors. Available in both solid black and bicolor. These kittens cannot be found in Russia; the world price for them is from thousands of dollars.

Read more about these funny little ears in the article about American Curls.

Cymric

An amazing, good-natured cat with a very fluffy double coat (the undercoat is the same length as the main hair). She is very beautiful and devoted to people, often being solid black and close to charcoal purple. Cost about two thousand dollars.

A lot of interesting things about the Cymric people.

Manx

These Irish beauties are distinguished by the complete absence of a tail. Among the many colors, solid black is sometimes found. Rare and valuable animals, the cost of a kitten is from a thousand dollars.

Read about the Manx breed on our website.

Coal Bengal

This color is not yet included in the breed standard, but it is only a matter of time. Charkoal is very beautiful - on the glittery black coat, spots and rosettes of the same color are clearly visible in the light. The cost of a pet-class kitten is from 20 thousand rubles.

You will learn a lot of interesting things about Bengals from this article.

Chausie

This one of the largest hybrid cats has a separate group of solid black and black grizzly colors - the so-called “salt and pepper” or “gray hair”. These are expensive cats, the price for a pet-class kitten starts from 100 thousand rubles.

Also read a separate article about Chausie cats.

Other breeds of black cats

There are cat breeds in which black is not a separate color group and is relatively rare.

Sphynxes Canadian, Don, St. Petersburg - hairless cats also have an excess of euomelamamine. Then their skin turns solid black. The cost of pet-class kittens is from 20 thousand rubles.

The Persian cat is one of the oldest breeds with a rather difficult character. The very beautiful long, fluffy, fine coat is sometimes solid black. The price for a pet class starts from 25 thousand rubles.

Black Maine Coon. One of the largest domestic cats has long hair and tufts on his ears. Absolutely black color is sometimes found. The cost of a kitten is from 25 thousand rubles.

Maine Coon black

British and Scottish cats. These two breeds are closely related and differ only in the shape of their ears. In the Scottish Fold, their tips are curved down. The short, close-lying coat is very rarely charcoal in color. The cost of pet-class kittens starts from 15 thousand rubles.