Additional Lost Cat Behaviors
The Silence Factor: This is a term that Kat Albrecht coined to describe the lost cat behavior when a sick, injured, or panicked cat will hide in silence. It is a natural form of protection for a cat to find a place to hide under a house, a deck, a porch, bushes, or any place they can crawl. The Silence Factor kills many cats because while the cat is sick or injured and hiding under a neighbors deck, cat owners are typically busy looking for their cat down at the local shelter or they are busy posting flyers on telephone poles. Instead, the proper search for most cats in most situations is to conduct an aggressive, physical search of the immediate area while understanding that the cat might be close by but hiding in silence.
The Threshold Factor: This is an interesting behavioral pattern that Kat Albrecht observed with displaced cats. Many of these cats initially hide in silence, but eventually break cover and meow, return to their home or the escape point , or finally enter a humane trap. While some cats take only hours or a few days to reach their threshold, many others take several days before they break cover. We suspect the threshold is reached due to their thirst, although more research needs to be conducted into this lost cat behavior.
Catching And Taking Care Of Your Cat
Build Your Cats Confidence
You might be the owner of a social cat that has all the confidence in the world and find out that your kitty running away from you is simply an invitation to play. But shy and easily scared cats wont see your approach as a game.
If your kitty is not oozing confidence, because you just brought them home, then perhaps you could try and give them a little boost. Provide them with interactive toys and encourage your fluffy overlord to play with you. Having a proper area to perch can also help build confidence as cats gain a place where they can survey their domain. My go-to brand for .
Dont let your kitty spend their whole day alone, instead play with them and ignite the hunters spirit inside them. This will bring you closer and make your kitty feel like theyre an important part of your life.
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Keep The Garage Or Back Door Open:
This is a simple trick. Keeping in view the nature of the cats, it is better to keep the garage and back doors open.
Cats usually like to sneak in with alternative pathways. Hence, we cannot miss any chance that they would go back.
It is a possibility that they might use these ways to get back home. It is better to keep them open because we cannot make them run away upon reaching closed doors.
Be positive that you might find them sitting, meowing, and scratching on your doorstep.
Conducting A Physical Search For Your Lost Cat
If your cat is missing and nowhere to be found inside or near your home, its key to start an active, physical search for them. In other words, dont just wait for your cat to return home on their own.
A study by pet detective Kat Albrecht and professor Jacquie Rand found that 59% of lost cats were found alive precisely because their humans actively searched for them2.
Here are some tips for your search:
- Start searching right away. The sooner you start looking for your lost cat, the easier it will be to find them.
- Start at home and work outwards. Remember, 75% of cats were found within 500 meters of where they call home.
- Make a list of reasons why your cat could be lost. Then, youll know where to start your search.
- Researchers found that cats can recognize their humans voice as well as their own name, even when strangers call it3.
- Ask friends and neighbors to help you actively search. If they cant, ask them to call or text you if they see your cat.
- Check your cats old territory. If you moved recently, your cat may have tried to return to their old home.
- Consider your cats personality. Are they more likely to be hiding, or exploring the neighbors farm? This story shows how one Tractive user discovered their curious cat Kiwi trapped inside a moving van!
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Do Not Vent Frustration Or Anger
If you found your cat and returned it inside, dont vent any frustration towards it.
Your feline pet may sense it as punishment. Thus, it will keep in mind that going inside is terrible and will never come back again.
Try to give it a treat or food instead. This way, you can give it the idea that itll receive food if it goes inside.
Hey Owner I Am Just Curious
This is a cats nature to be curious. They are just like that. Only curiosity is making them go outside.
They are just interested that something might be happening outside the front door that they cannot ignore.
They might just rush with you when going out or they have to meow to ask you to take them with you.
But the story behind this is just mere curiosity. Hence, do not be worried. You should allow them to go in the streets.
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Tragic Accidents Can Happen When Letting Cats Outside
Unfortunately, accidents happen and pets are sometimes hit by cars. The driver of the vehicle may not have seen your cat due to blind spots, low light, or the color of their fur. If your furry family member is hit by a car, they need to be taken to the vet right away. Sometimes their injury will only be a minor case of bruising or a broken bone, but you should never try to diagnose this yourself even if the cat is acting normal. They could have internal bleeding or another medical ailment that is hard to detect without the careful hand of a veterinarian.
When letting your pets outside, you also run the risk of them running away from home. We naturally worry about their well-being if they go missing. What a lot of people dont think about is how emotionally draining their absence can be or how difficult it is to explain to kids. Cats can cover an impressive amount of ground when they get outside and sometimes travel several miles from home.
Your Cat Is Sick Or Wounded
You might think that your kitty has run away from home, but the truth is they might not be in a position to return. They could be just lost, or they might also be injured and too hurt to come back.
It doesnt matter in what condition you find your missing kitty, and its vital that you take them to the vet immediately. Your vet will check for any wounds, broken bones and theyll run tests to see if they have caught a virus.
Unfortunately, there are many dangers your kitty might face outside your home. They could be poisoned by a bad neighbor or hit by a car, even if you live in a secluded area. A report showed that most cats avoid busy roads, suggesting they are more likely to have accidents on quieter lanes where they are not frightened of the constant noise, movement, and exhaust fumes.
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Creating A Safe Space
For a cat that had a traumatic past or theyve felt unsafe with you because you misread their signals, trust is not the only thing that will need your attention. Emotional neglect can manifest itself in cats with loving and caring owners as well.
According to the study on The Psychological Aspects of Abuse and Neglect in Animals, its a matter of unintentionally failing to meet an animals emotional needs, not any maliciousness or even heartlessness. Boredom, loveliness, and anxiety can exist unbeknownst to the pet owner, and what isnt seen isnt addressed.
Try not to be too hard on yourself, because were humans and not cats, so things can easily get lost in translation. Theres a way to fixing this, by creating the right space for your kitty where they can begin to feel secure in their home and in your presence.
Invest in scratching posts, soft cat beds, interactive toys, and healthy treats to give your kitty the desired environment. If you see them running away, ensure that they wont be cornered, but that they can find places to hide. Simple enhancements to improve the quality of cats living quarters via enrichment such as hiding areas may yield many beneficial effects, one study suggests.
Making Your Search Visible
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How To Find A Lost Indoor Cat By Yourself
According to a survey from the ASPCA, 59% of cat guardians found their cat because it returned home to its owner, while 30% found their cat by searching the neighborhood. Armed with this information, and a bit of optimism, you too can find your missing indoor cat if you’re willing to put in the work.
Follow the steps below to find your lost indoor cat on your own.
What To Do If My Cat Has Escaped
Your pet escaping is a situation none of us want to imagine, let alone experience. However, knowing how best to react is important and panicking is going to be unhelpful even if it is understandable. The more experienced your cat is at going outside, the more likely they will return home of their own accord.
There are some tips you can follow on how to find a lost cat. Start by making brochures or posters to put up in the nearby area. Ensure you include the right information by which you can identify the cat as well as the appropriate contact information. You can also distribute them to veterinary clinics and shelters as people who find the cat may be likely to bring them there. Supermarkets and other centers for the community might also have boards for this purpose. You can post these on telegraph poles and lamp posts, but be careful as come local councils prohibit flyering and you may get fined. Classifieds in the local paper may also help.
In addition to these âold schoolâ methods, it’s important to remember we live in the digital age. Sharing info about a lost cat on social media can be helpful, especially if you have a large local network. There are also messaging groups and forums which might be able to help you. Also, don’t forget how important your bond is with a cat. If you go out into the neighborhood to look for them, they may recognize your smell and be more likely to come to you.
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Letting Cats Outside Can Lead To Run
When a cat is overly confident and territorial, they tend to get into altercations with other animals especially if they are not spayed or neutered. This can lead to fights, which may cause serious lacerations, bites, infections, and/or the transmission of diseases. Alternatively, an unspayed female could get a little too friendly with a male cat and end up pregnant.
Lets think about the possibilities that can happen when letting cats outside to interact with other animals. Whether violent or friendly, you may end up with an unwanted scenario for which you were not prepared before reading this.
Why Did My Cat Run Away
A cats natural curiosity is one of the primary reasons why itsometimes leaves the comforts of home. Understanding the reasons why cats runaway can help you prevent it from happening again in the future. House cats runaway for reasons such as:
· Searchingfor a mate. This is especially true for male cats, which have a highertendency to wander off in search for a female in heat.
· Chasingsmall animals. Cats have a strong prey drive and some of them just couldntresist the thrill of the chase. Your cat may have left home chasing after mice,a squirrel, or other prey.
· Territoryfights. Cats sometimes get displaced chasing after another cat that itconsiders breaching its territory.
· Huntingfor food. Some cats leave home to go after a food supply, it has gainedaccess to.
Why does my cat run away from me? If your cat comes and goes andthen suddenly doesnt show up for a longer time, theres also the slight chancethat something bad has happened. Cats that leave home are prone to dangers suchas:
· Predation.Yourcat may have been attacked by a larger animal.
· Injury ordeath. Cats are extremely fast and agile, but they can also get hit bycars or injured in some way if theyre outdoors in a panicked state.
· People. If yourcat has been seen wandering unsupervised, somebody may have picked him up andbrought him home or to an animal shelter. Your cat may also have been picked upby animal control.
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How Can I Train My Cat To Stop Running Away From Me
Getting a cat to stop running away from you is a two-step process:
1. Training your cat to be okay with you coming near.
Get your cat to initially trust you to be next to him or her by repeatedly being near your cat without interacting with your cat at all.
2. Training your cat to be content to interact with you after you come near.
Get your cat used to the idea that you coming near to interact is not always a bad thing by cycling through different types of interactions each time you come near many of which will be overwhelmingly positive and rewarding for your cat.
Obviously, Ill get more into depth and share the play-by-play of the process you should use below, so keep reading if this is something you feel you want to do.
How To Find A Lost Cat With A Microchip
Many people assume that a cat microchip will help them locate their cat immediately if they go missing. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Unlike a microchip, a GPS cat tracker helps you find your lost cat in minutes by letting you follow their location in real-time.
To find a lost cat with a microchip, youll need to wait until someone finds your cat and brings them in to a shelter or vet where the microchip ID can be read.
If your contact details on the microchip ID are up to date, and if youre lucky enough to get a call about your missing cat, youll be reunited.
You can use the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup or the US Pet Chip Registry to learn more about microchip registry and missing pet identification.
While a microchip is a security must-have, it does not actively help you search for a lost cat or guarantee that they will be returned to you.
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