How to Find a Lost Outdoor Cat: Make Your Search More Efficient

Cats are curious animals. Whether your cat is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, losing a cat is always something we anticipate happening at least once. Most of the time, cats aren’t trying to run away, they seem to adventure off and can’t find their way back home. How to find a lost outdoor cat: Make your search easy with us.

If you have lost your cat or you’re afraid of losing your cat, you’re in the right place. By following a couple of tips and tricks, as well as learning to look smarter, you’ll find that your chances of reuniting with your cat are much likelier. 

The first thing you want to do when looking for your cat is to make sure he or she is missing. As we all know, cats enjoy dark and confined places, such as under the bed, in the closet, or even in your basement. So, it’s important to make sure that your cat isn’t just napping somewhere ignoring you.

How to Find a Lost Outdoor Cat?

Once you have determined that your cat is missing, it’s time to take action.  It’s important to let your neighbors, friends, and family know that your cat is missing. Contacting animal shelters and vets is also a great idea. Most cats have microchips, and if someone finds your missing cat, they may bring your cat to the shelter or vet for that reason.

Keep in mind that the more people who know about your missing cat, the more likely they are to keep an eye out for a cat on the road or in their backyard. 

After letting people know about your missing cat, you’ll want to start creating awareness on social media. Especially for people who have lost cats and know the terrifying feeling, they’ll want to help you. Cats are quick and can travel from house to house very quickly.

Your cat may make it to the other side of town. By creating social media posts and putting up posters near your house where your cat, it will enable people who don’t even know you to contact you if they come across your cat. 

How Losing a Cat Makes Us Feel: The Psychology Behind Losing a Cat

Losing anything is frustrating and irritating. However, losing something that relies on us for food, water and shelter is a different story. It’s normal to feel an overwhelming amount of guilt when you lose your cat. But make sure you don’t waste any time and begin the search for your cat.

Cats alter their behavior when they mourn similarly to the way people do. They become depressed and may experience decreased appetite or the urge to play. 

Considering cats can live up to 13 years, it’s inevitable to get attached to them. A pet symbolizes a best friend and companion, they become part of your family and daily routine in life. A pet is capable of changing your life by bringing you monumental happiness.

They help teach you responsibility, patience, kindness, and discipline. The death of a pet can be extremely painful and difficult to cope with, but it is a part of life. However, losing a pet without knowing its whereabouts can be worse. 

Lost Cat Behavior: Why Your Cat Got Lost

There are three specific types of lost cat behavior. The first cats who typically get lost are indoor-only cats who happen to find their way outside. This can happen to anyone and is very common. Just by forgetting to shut the front door or close the bathroom window, your cat can easily get curious and wander off. If your cat is an indoor cat, the outdoors is a completely new environment to them.

The cars, people, and loud noises depending on where you live can easily frighten your cat and put their fight or flight response into action. If your cat is in fight mode, it will likely run until it finds somewhere safe to rest. Usually, somewhere where there are not a lot of people or loud noises, and there is shelter and hopefully a puddle of water from the rain.

If your cat goes into flight mode, it will likely just stand there and wait for somebody to approach them. This is not usually the case, however, considering cats are fearful animals and don’t usually trust anybody but their owners. 

When cats are in an environment that they are not adapted to, the cat is most likely going to hide in silence and avoid meowing. This is because cats are territorial and their primary protective measure against predators is to hide in silence somewhere where they can see the predator, but the predator can’t see them. If a cat were to meow, it would give up its hiding spot and location.

What do you need to know about Cat’s behavior? 

Keep in mind that your cat’s behavior has nothing to do with whether or not your cat loves and trusts you, it has to do with the fact that your cat is frightened by the immediate change of environment and doesn’t know how to cope with it quite yet.

The second type of cats that typically get lost is displaced outdoor access cats. This happens when the cat is chased out of its known territory. For instance, if your cat is chased by another cat, or dog, or if it is panicked by thunderstorms or fireworks.

It’s important to know that cats will bolt when they are afraid and uncomfortable or feel threatened. Displacement of outdoor cats can also happen when a cat is being transported to another location and accidentally escapes. They can escape by finding a way out of their carrier or jumping out of your arms. 

The third category of cats that happen to get lost the most is lost outdoor access cats. This means that your cat is used to the outdoors. When an outdoor cat disappears, it means that something happened to the cat that interrupted its routine or behavior of coming home. This can be anything, from fear to curiosity. 

Different characteristics related to lost cats

There are also different categories and characteristics related to your lost cat’s behavior that may help you understand why your cat has disappeared. The first thing that may explain why your cat has run off is depending on whether your cat has been feeling trapped. Although cats enjoy small spaces to sleep in, they don’t like being forced to go anywhere. 

A second characteristic that could have to do with your missing cat is if it was feeling injured or sick. Most cats tend to suffer in silence and when they feel unwell, they are put into a conflicting uncomfortable position that can make them feel the urge to run away. 

Statistics About Lost Cats 

A study was conducted by the University of Queensland in Australia to determine statistics about lost cats. The study showed: 

• The first method that was most successful in recovering a lost cat was conducting a physical search of the area 
• The average distance found for missing outdoor access cats was 315 meters (approximately a 17-house radius from the owner’s house) 
• The average distance found for how far cats traveled for displaced/escaped indoor-only cats was much less, only 50 meters and a 2 and a half house radius  

Survey result for How to Find a Lost Outdoor Cat? The search concludes that the physical search for a missing cat is most helpful. Social media posts are important however receiving permission from your neighbor to search their property is critical. It is up to you as the owner of your missing cat to conduct this kind of search. If you are not fit to search this. Hire a pet detective directory that can help you in conducting a methodical search. 

It’s important however to face every possible outcome that your cat has possibly gone through. Although awful to think about, your cat could have been stolen or killed by a predator. this happens less frequently, it does happen, and it is something to think about. If your cat is exotic, it is most likely to be stolen considering its uniqueness. 

Increasing the Odds of Someone Finding and Returning Your Cat 

Losing a cat will never be a comfortable experience. And although some tips and tricks can help you search for your cat more efficiently. There is a way that someone can find your cat and return it to you safely.

With FOUND ME, a QR code attached to your cat’s collar will encourage people to scan it and be brought to a chat with you. There, you will be able to confirm that it’s your cat. You can also discuss ways to meet regardless of where you are or what language you speak. FOUND ME can translate your conversation. Both you and the finder can share their GPS location to simplify the return. 

FOUND ME strives to protect everything and everyone that you love. You can update the QR code via the FOUND ME app easily. You have all the important information about your pet, such as vaccines, medication, and much more. FOUND ME will also help you provide a poster about your cat that you can print from your phone. You can quickly let others know about how to find a lost outdoor cat.

Visit our website FOUND ME to learn more about our products!