What if your beloved cat goes missing? Preparing in advance: An interview with a Lost Cat Poster Specialty Shop [Lost Pet.net]

Hello, this is Kuriyama from Poponeko.

What if your beloved cat ran away? Instead of aimlessly searching, it's crucial to gather sightings through lost cat posters and flyers.

However, conducting search activities alone can be too much of a burden for pet owners. That's where "Maigo Pet.net" comes in – a service that creates lost cat posters and flyers on behalf of pet owners.

To help lost cats be found as quickly as possible, I asked Masaharu Shimizu of City Life Co., Ltd., which operates Maigo Pet.net, about effective ways to use lost cat posters and flyers.

Cats are overwhelmingly more likely to go missing

Kuriyama:
Could you please tell us what led you to establish a specialty shop for creating lost cat search flyers and posters?

Shimizu-san:
For many years, our company published a local information magazine. The impetus probably came from us publishing lost dog and lost cat information within that magazine and on our company website.

As someone involved in this industry, I thought about how else we could be helpful, and that led to the launch of a dedicated website for lost pet flyers.

Kuriyama:
I see. According to our survey, the number one concern for cat owners was "anxiety about escape/getting lost." Do you receive many orders from cat owners?

Shimizu-san:
Yes. Cats are indeed the most common. Dogs follow next. Besides those, we've also had people create flyers for lost parakeets.

Kuriyama:
If you live with a cat, you should expect them to escape. Is there a time of year when more pets go missing?

Shimizu-san:
This year, we received many orders during the rainy season in June and July. It seems some pets ran away due to being startled by sudden thunder or escaping due to stress from a sudden change in weather.

Kuriyama:
You really never know what might trigger it. The owners must have been very worried.

Take clear photos of your cat

Kuriyama:
Maigo Pet.net offers a wide variety of designs, but what efforts do you make to help find lost pets?

Shimizu-san:
We often receive urgent requests, and we want to deliver as quickly as possible. If designs are too complex, there's a risk of delays in work or errors, so we prioritize "ease of creation."

Kuriyama:
The designs are very clear and make it easy to identify the characteristics of lost pets, don't they?

Shimizu-san:
Within the limited space, we try to feature the pet's photo as large as possible. While we offer design templates, our designers adjust them as needed to fit the photos and amount of text.

Kuriyama:
I see! Which design is the most popular?

Shimizu-san:
Designs that are chosen relatively often are Standard Type-E and Standard D, and the color is often red.

▲Design list page. 100 A4 flyers can be ordered from ¥9,000.

Kuriyama:
I just need to select a design and enter the necessary information, right?

Shimizu-san:
That's right. It's easy to choose the number of copies, number of photos, and colors, so once we confirm your order, we'll proceed with creating the design. We aim to deliver as quickly as possible, so if you can approve the design draft by around 2 PM, we can even ship it out in the evening mail on the same day.

▲Once the process is complete, an email with instructions on how to send photos will be sent.

Kuriyama:
That quickly! What kind of photos of pets are best?

Shimizu-san:
Some customers only have unclear, out-of-focus, or poor-quality photos. For lost pet flyers and posters, "photos" are truly important. These days, even smartphones can take high-resolution photos, so I think it's a good idea to occasionally take photos of your pet for emergencies. Also, it's recommended to take close-up shots of distinctive features like the tail or patterns. In fact, our design templates include space to highlight these features.

Kuriyama:
We should take clear and cute photos of our cats! When getting a new cat collar, we shouldn't forget to take a picture.

Effective use of lost cat posters and flyers

Kuriyama:
Please tell us about effective ways to put up lost cat posters and distribute flyers.

Shimizu-san:
For example, dogs and birds travel over a wide area, so it's effective to expand the search area for distribution and to ask to put up posters on bulletin boards or in shops.

For small animals like cats and rabbits, it's not uncommon for them to hide in the yards of nearby houses, so in addition to putting up flyers, mailing them to nearby homes is also effective.

In places where dogs gather, such as dog walking routes and parks, you might receive information from many dog owners, so it might be a good idea to ask for their cooperation.

Kuriyama:
We need to spread information about lost pets to as many people as possible, don't we?

Shimizu-san:
That's right. Even when putting up posters, there are three patterns of how to display them.

"Circular posting" involves placing posters in a circular pattern in all directions around the point of disappearance. "Radial posting" involves placing them radially around an area where strong leads have been found. "Partial posting" involves specifically placing them in areas where information is easily obtained, such as shopping streets or dog walking routes.

It's effective to use or combine these methods depending on the terrain and situation.

Kuriyama:
How many copies do you think are needed?

Shimizu-san:
While 100 copies is the most common order, some customers order over 5,000 copies. They even arranged for newspaper inserts, which showed a strong passion to find their pet.

Always be mindful to prevent getting lost

Kuriyama:
Besides regularly taking pictures of their beloved cat, what else should owners be careful about?

Shimizu-san:
I think it's about always being mindful to prevent them from getting lost.

If you have an indoor cat in a one-room apartment, it might be easy to take measures. However, in a detached house where multiple family members live, there might be cases where a family member, due to a slight lapse in attention, opens a window and the cat escapes.

In such environments, I believe it requires understanding from all family members and constant mindfulness.

Kuriyama:
I wish they would always wear a "cat collar" and "ID tag."

Shimizu-san:
While "cat collars" and "ID tags" are items that need to be prepared in advance, they are truly useful only after a pet gets lost. The key, after all, is to prevent them from getting lost in the first place.

My previous dog once escaped because the chain I had him tied with deteriorated. Such items are consumables, and I regret not having performed regular replacements or inspections.

Kuriyama:
That's a very important point. When I think of pet owners' feelings, a pet escaping truly breaks my heart.

Shimizu-san:
When pets are found, we receive joyful reports from many customers. Each time, it's truly encouraging and makes me realize the joy of my work.

I've also been told things like, "It felt like I gained allies who would cooperate with me, and it gave me courage," which made me happy.

After all, when their precious pet suddenly disappears, people probably feel a strong sense of anxiety and loneliness. I am reminded again that pets are truly important, like family members.

Kuriyama:
In such times, having a specialized lost pet flyer website like Maigo Pet.net is truly reassuring.

Shimizu-san:
When a pet goes missing, we want to help as much as possible. However, to prevent pets from getting lost, the owner's daily attention and awareness are still very important.

If your beloved pet were to escape, you'd likely be so worried and anxious that you couldn't sit still.

In such a situation, "Maigo Pet.net" creates lost cat posters on behalf of pet owners. With highly visible lost cat posters that clearly show your cat's features, you can gather valuable sightings.

The key is the cat's "photo".

You need a clear photo that isn't blurry, so it's not mistaken for another cat. It's good to occasionally take photos that clearly show your cat's face and full body pattern.

While measures such as escape-prevention barriers are necessary, taking photos of your cat also serves as a measure against getting lost. Try to incorporate photo time while having fun playing with your cat!