STEP ONE
Thoroughly search your home and garden. A frightened cat may not respond to the owner’s voice, so the search must be very calm and super thorough. Ask family and friends to help you search. Start your own CSI type investigation, get on your hands and knees, at your cat’s level. If you’re not sure about all the houses around your neighbourhood, check google maps! Start with the houses clo
sest to yours, then work outwards. Displacement often changes the behaviour of cats. This means a normally vocal cat may keep quiet. Timid cats may spend some weeks in hiding before becoming visible. Even then, they are not likely to be seen during daylight. It is also unlikely that your cat will respond to being called during daylight but it doesn’t mean you can’t try. Many people mistakenly believe their cat is no longer close by if they can’t find it straight away or within a couple of days. Crawl and check under cupboards, bushes, under all vehicles (even ones parked on the street), decks, sheds and equipment. Since cats can fit into the smallest of spaces, leave no stone unturned! Look on top of shelving and inside roofs, etc. where your cat may have jumped or climbed and not felt safe to come down. Check your garden shed, that wheelie bin or skip bin, shipping containers and perhaps that overgrown shrub in the back garden and especially your neighbours. Check along driveways and footpaths. DON’T GIVE UP! Even if you haven’t seen them yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not there. You just haven’t found them yet. Search using a torch as your cat’s eyes will shine, particularly at night. Unless your cat was chased he is most likely very close in a dark concealed place. Sit quietly in the yard, speak in a conversational tone to encourage him to come out of his hiding place. This works best after dark. Take your cat carrier with you, so when you find puss, pop straight into the carrier, so he/she doesn't squirm out of your arms when carrying home. Don't forget to look up as well, in case they’ve been chased up a tree or onto a roof. Leave a window or door open so that your cat can find his way back inside, if it’s safe to do so in your area. STEP TWO
During the day, door knock your neighbours (also the block behind and across from you) and ask if you can check their backyard, sheds, garages, and under their house (while they are there) as your cat is more likely to come to you. It is quite common for cats to be in the neighbour’s backyard or locked in a garage or shed unbeknown to them. If they don’t mind, ask them to do all these checks for you at night once it’s dark or perhaps they’ll allow you some access during the night if you seek their permission first and let them know when you’ll be around. Has your neighbour recently gone on holidays about the same time your cat went missing? It’s a good idea to have your neighbour’s phone number. The temperament of a cat can indicate how far they will roam. A friendly, curious cat is likely to stray further than a timid cat. Search a minimum of 5 homes from yours in ALL directions. 94% of indoor cats and 84% of outdoor cats are found within this range which is within their territory. You may not know your neighbour that well and they might not give you permission to access their yard and that’s ok. In this case, head back home and print up a flyer for them. STEP THREE
Let everyone know! Social media - Posters – Door Knock – Flyers. Post to local Facebook community groups, lost & found groups/pages and buy swap sell groups (if group rules allowed) and pages. Use whichever social media format you can to get the word out. Put posters up all over your neighbourhood starting in a 5 house radius and beyond. Place in letterboxes, tape flyers to street poles and other public places. With shops, milk bar, supermarket and local vets, make sure you seek permission first. Things to include: • The words LOST CAT • Your phone number • Any unique features (keep it short and sweet and in large font that can be read in 5 seconds by someone walking/driving past) • And most importantly, a photo of your cat (if possible). Social Media tip:
On your OWN timeline (page), create a post and click on the 3 dots at the top right-hand corner, and change the privacy (or Audience) to Public. Use this post to share to groups and pages. You can't change the Privacy of your posts in other groups you've shared to if they are Private Groups but anyone can then go directly to your shared post link and share from that. STEP FOUR
Attracting your cat home! Sprinkle small amounts of their litter at your front gate or letter box and again within a 5 house radius. The quicker you can do this, the more likely puss hasn't strayed too far from home. They may have been chased and jumped the fence and then jumped the next fence and they're now in unfamiliar surroundings and can’t find their way home or they’ve lost the scent, especially if it's been raining. When it rains, it washes away traces of where they've come from, so kitty litter placed here and there could be that vital step that helps your kitty return home. Please be aware that this may also attract other cats in the area so make sure you monitor closely and later clean up. STEP FIVE
Late night or early morning walk technique! Walk around late at night (after 11pm) or between the hours of 2-6am within your neighbourhood. Tap a can or shake the dry food bag/box whilst calling their name or saying what you usually say to call them when you normally feed them. Pause and listen very carefully. Then, repeat, repeat and repeat. Remember to be persistent and keep looking. If your cat has been missing for a long time and they’re not being fed by the neighbours or stealing food, then they may sit under street lights to feed on crickets and moths that are attracted to the lights. A displaced cat is a cat in unfamiliar territory and many will stay HIDDEN and SILENT for much of the day and into the night. Even a cat that is locked in or stuck somewhere will most likely keep quiet during the day. They behave differently and will not usually respond to being called in the day. This can also apply to usually vocal cats. In some instances a cat trap (borrow or hire) with food can be very effective. Check with your local bylaws officer first as there could be laws and regulations with trapping. You would also need to check the trap frequently throughout the night. Be prepared to set that alarm! STEP SIX
If your pet is microchipped and the details are not current, contact the microchip agency and update your details immediately and let them know your cat is missing. Not sure which company your cat is registered with? • If you know the microchip number, you can visit www.petaddress.com.au to search for your pet’s microchip database. • If you don’t know the microchip number, contact your vet or any of the following databases: • Australasian Animal Registry 02 9704 1450 • Central Animal Registry 03 9706 3187 • HomeSafeID 1300 537 140 • Petsafe 02 8850 6800 • Global Micro Animal Registry 02 8338 9063 • Central Animal Records https://car.com.au/
STEP SEVEN
Contact ALL your local shelter or pound and vet clinics on the first day. Visit to view all the cats in the shelter/pound every 1-3 days in case your cat is brought in. It's important to keep looking for your pet as often and as quickly as possible - don't wait a few days to see if they come home before looking. Shelter and pound facilities are only required to hold stray animals for a very short timeframe, and will make every effort to find a pet’s owner during this time. However if no one comes forward, after this time you risk losing ownership of your pet and facilities can choose to rehome them after the initial period expires if the cat is deemed suitable to be rehomed. Few cats are found at shelters, vets or from social media posts. All these things are still worth doing, but don’t do them instead of searching. DON’T rely solely on neighbours to keep a look out for you. NO one cares more about your cat, then you do! Unfortunately helpers may not look as thoroughly as you might look and if someone dislikes cats, they may tell you that they’ll look, but they may not even search at all. Who to contact:
Your local council - Your pet could be at the council pound, or a member of the community could have seen it in the neighbourhood and notified the council. Colac Shire Pound,
Colac West
33 Rossmoyne Road, Colac West, VIC 3250
Phone: Colac Otway Shire (03) 5232 9400
Local vets - Vets may have ‘Lost and Found’ display boards. Colac Veterinary Clinic
Address: 38 Skene St, Colac VIC 3250
Phone: (03) 5232 1792
Murray Street Veterinary Clinic & Hospital
Address: 330 Murray St, Colac VIC 3250
Phone: (03) 5231 3375
Rhodes Veterinary Clinic
Address: 74 Gellibrand St, Colac VIC 3250
Phone: (03) 5232 2111
STEP EIGHT
REPEAT THE ABOVE STEPS! Cats can often be found weeks or months after they go missing. STEP NINE
When you find your cat: Thank and share your happy news with neighbours, vets and businesses. Take down posters. Share the strategies you’ve learned with others to help them find their cats. Help prevent losing your cat again by keeping your cat safe indoors or with cat-safe fencing. For more information on cat safe fencing and enclosures, go to the Good Cats Play at Home booklet https://www.renmarkparinga.sa.gov.au/.../Good-Cats-Play...
Increase chances of recovery if he does escape: • Up-to-date microchip • Elasticised collar with tag and current phone number • Desex your cat (desexed cats are more likely to be found than undesexed cats). ADDITIONAL SUPPORT www.missionreunite.org www.scaredycats.com.au/find-lost-cat/ www.petmd.com/cat/care/guide-finding-lost-cat www.petsearch.com.au www.lostpetfinders.com.au
