What to do if your cat escapes and gets lost

They slipped out through a gap in the door or window!

If you live with a cat, you’ve likely experienced that heart-stopping moment. Even if you take precautions against escape, the worry never truly ends.

What should you do if your beloved cat manages to escape? We’ve compiled everything cat owners need to know, including why cats escape, the chances of them returning, and how to find and catch a lost cat.

Why strictly indoor cats escape

Strictly indoor cats view the inside of the house as their territory. Because they have a strong sense of territory, they generally dislike leaving it.

However, even cats that have never been outside can escape for reasons like the following:

1. Driven by curiosity

Cats are incredibly curious creatures. If they spot a bird, an insect, or a stray cat, they may become interested in what seems exciting and want to go outside.Their curiosity can outweigh their sense of safety within their territory, leading them to escape.

2. Escaping due to stress

Moving to a new home or adding a new cat to the household are major changes in environment that cause significant stress for a cat. Sometimes, they just can't take it and end up running away. It is also common for them to be startled by loud noises, such as earthquake tremors or fireworks, and bolt outside.

3. Escaping during the mating season

A cat's mating season lasts from spring to autumn. If an unspayed or unneutered cat enters this period, they won't just become noisy or restless; they may also escape in search of a mate.

My cat has escaped! How should I search?

What should an owner do when their cat has escaped?

While it is said that cats have a homing instinct, the probability of a strictly indoor cat returning on its own is quite low.

Even if they bolted out on impulse, they are often so terrified that they barely move and tend to stay hunkered down very close to home. First, try to stay calm and remember these steps for searching for your escaped cat.

Search around your home immediately after escape

Right after they escape, check under air conditioning units, in drainage gutters, behind flowerpots, under cars, and in shrubbery around your home. To avoid startling them, try to lure them out slowly with their favorite treats or toys.

Search within a 50-meter radius for the first 3 days

Even when a cat gets lost, they are often found within three days. Consider the first three days critical and thoroughly search the area within a 50-meter radius. They might have wandered onto a neighbor's property, so explain the situation and ask for permission to search.

One important tip is to call their name in your usual tone of voice. Call them as if you were saying, "It's time to eat!" Additionally, keep a door or window slightly ajar and leave out their usual food, treats, or used litter to show them the way home. Just make sure to take precautions so your other cats don't get out.

Gather sighting information via posters, flyers, and social media

As mentioned above, the first three days are crucial. While gradually expanding your search area, use "lost cat" posters and flyers to collect sighting information. Ask to post them in highly visible locations like local veterinary clinics or shops. Also, take full advantage of the reach of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Include the date and time of the escape, the location, your contact information, and, of course, a large photo of your cat. It is a good idea to take photos of your cat regularly.

Lost cat posters and flyers can also be ordered from online shops like Maigo Pet.net.

Contact health centers, animal welfare centers, and the police

Your cat may have been taken in somewhere, so report them as a "lost cat." Contact your local public health center, animal welfare center, and police station.

Additionally, you can search for cats taken in by public health and animal welfare centers nationwide using the Ministry of the Environment’s "Stray Animal Data Search Site." Be sure to check here as well.

How to catch an escaped cat?

When searching for a lost cat, bring items like a carrier, bath towel or blanket, laundry net, their usual food or treats, and toys.

Even if you spot your cat, do not run toward them or raise your voice. They will be scared and run even further away.

Approach slowly while calling to them gently. While keeping them distracted with food, treats, or toys, gently drape a bath towel, blanket, or laundry net over them and place them in the carrier. Once you're home, give them a full checkup and take them to a veterinarian.

Using a humane trap when they just won't be caught

If you know where your cat is but can't seem to catch them, you can try using a humane trap.

You can rent these from health centers, animal welfare centers, veterinary clinics, or animal welfare groups, but be aware that they require careful handling.

Hiring a pet detective

If you absolutely cannot find your escaped cat, consider hiring a pet detective. They can handle everything from searching and interviewing neighbors to the actual capture.

Summary

It's common to hear stories of owners searching high and low for a lost cat, only to find them right near the house.

You may be worried and desperate to find your cat immediately, but first, stay calm. For the first three days, search every inch within a 50m radius of your home.

Cats often escape out of curiosity. It’s important to treat an escape as a foreseeable accident and implement preventative measures. In addition to blocking escape routes with fences on windows and entrance doors, a collar, ID tag, and microchip are essential.

To avoid straining your cat's fur and skin, try to choose a collar that is as light and gentle as possible.

Author Profile