• Be sure to explore your property, searching both indoors and outside as thoroughly as you can. Check under beds, on top of and in cupboards, airing cupboards, drawers, spare rooms, bathrooms, utility rooms (washing machines and dryers), conservatories, garages, sheds, greenhouses and anywhere else that is warm or quiet.
  • The next step is to notify the database with which your pet’s microchip is registered. This will ensure that your pet is listed as lost, should anyone find it wandering.
  • If you have a missing cat that uses a litter tray, place the used tray outside your home. This helps to attract a disoriented cat back home.
  • Search your surrounding area and neighbourhood, calling your cat’s name loudly. This will alert other people to the fact you are looking for your cat.
  • Speak to as many people as possible and provide them with your mobile telephone number. This should include postmen, bin men and other servicemen who cover the wider region surrounding your home. Keep your mobile phone on loud and with you at all times.
  • Contact your local animal warden, vet and rescue centres to report your cat as missing.
    • To find your local animal warden, please visit DEFRA
    • To find your local vet practices, please visit RCVS
    • To find or speak to your local Cats Protection, please click here
    • To speak to the RSPCA, please click here
    • To speak to the SSPCA (Scotland), please click here
    • You can record your cat as lost with CatAware. This will notify people in your area that your cat is missing, putting people on alert.
  • Contact your local newspapers and radios and ask them to include a lost pet notice with your cat’s details. Social media is also a very powerful tool. Create a lost pet post on Facebook and Twitter which includes a full description of your cat and ask people to share and comment on it. Visit local Facebook discussion pages and post your cat’s description and a brief account of when your cat went missing.
  • Post a description of your lost cat on as many local lost and found webpages, as possible.
  • Put up posters within a 1-2mile radius of where you lost your cat. When compiling your poster, give a physical description only. No names or behavioural traits as name recognition and behaviour can both be affected when a cat is lost or afraid. Consider labelling the poster with ‘reward’ to attract more attention, but avoid specifying an amount, to prevent dishonest calls. Include a photograph or drawing that shows any distinguishing features so your cat is easily identifiable. Avoid stating that your cat was stolen as this may alarm the finder and have a counter productive effect. Place posters on lamp posts, in supermarkets, shops, post offices, restaurants and any other public areas that will allow it. Be sure to check with the necessary people, before posting information.
  • If you have lost a cat that has been microchipped outside of the UK or that has been lost outside of the UK, please check Europetnet. Europetnet incorporates a broad number of databases in Europe and will be able to tell you if your cat has been found and will help with reunification.
  • If you believe that your cat has been stolen, contact your local police station on their non-emergency number, to report it.

 

If you find your lost cat, please do notify us so that we can update your records.