Advice if you have lost your cat:-
Here are a few things to try:
1. Posters, Posters, Posters with picture and details with contact number.....hand out to neighbours and anyone you see. Put up in local shops, pubs and supermarkets. Stick to all local lamp posts. (If it rains go and collect them and replace however it's best to put posters in plastic wallets so if it rains they don't go all soggy - the neighbours and council don’t mind you putting them up so much that way). Also put one in your and friends cars - it amazing how many people see them this way. Make smaller flyers and push through every letterbox on your streets and the surrounding area. It is a good idea to offer a reward … of course this doesn’t have to be money … a box of cho-colates or a bunch of flowers is just as good.
2. Knock on doors and ask neighbours to check their sheds and garages WHILE YOU WAIT … it's surprising how many people say they will check but as soon as the door is closed they forget. Knock on 10 doors either side of your house on both sides of the street.
3. Check to see if there are any empty buildings for sale in the area. If there are it is worth checking with the estate agent in case they have shown someone round and shut the cat in. Also it is worth checking places where there may be builders in refurbishing a property in case the cat has got under the floorboards or in a cavity wall etc.
4. Look our for any abandoned vehicles, empty or semi-empty skips in case the cat has got in and can't get out.
5. Contact / check any community buildings where functions are held such as church halls, community halls etc. - in case your cat could be shut in a cupboard or toilet.
Please NOTE: The only authorised people who can break into a building if no one can be found to open it are the police either under section 17 of the police and criminal evidence act (to protect life and limb) or under section 19 of the animal welfare act (An animal in distress). Sometimes the police need reminding they have the power to do this!
6. Register him lost at all vets/catteries/rescue homes within a 20mile radius. Follow the link and click on the map to find rescues in your area
http://www.catchat.org/adoption/index.html7. Leave food out and a toy of his.
8. Leave out an unwashed item of your clothing.
9. Put the contents of your hoover bag on your garden - it’s full of smells that they will recognise and if doesn’t bring him directly to your door will at least hopefully keep him in the area. Alternatively if you have a litter tray that has used put some of the used litter on the garden as this will have familiar smells in it.
10. Contact the local fire brigade and see if they have had to rescue any stuck cats.
11. Ask the local children to look - they are great for knowing all the local hidey-holes and love helping. Also have a word with your local post-person and milk man if there is one that delivers in your area. Also try and enlist the help of people walking dogs as they tend to go “off road” in the fields and parks.
12. Ask the local radio station to announce he’s missing and give out a contact number
13. Put an advert in the local paper
14. Contact your local environmental services dept (bin men) they keep a log of all animals picked on the roadside ... I know this is not a pleasant call to make and hopefully it will come back as negative.
15. Go out after dark when it is quieter with a friend / partner and walk round the local area gently calling every so often (give him a chance to answer you). Keep talking as you walk round that way if he is in the area he will hear you. This is recommended in the immediate area round your home (approx 1 or 2 streets away).
15a. If calling in the immediate area doesn’t work try the following …. warm up some tinned sardines or mackerel in a rich tomato sauce till they absolutely stink and then put them in a sealed tupperware box. Extend your search area (about a mile away from your home), open up the tupperware box, and start walking back towards your home in as straight a line as possible whilst calling his name. That way the calls will be leading him back to your home and not away from it. Wait about 15 minutes and repeat the process in the opposite direction, again calling his name whilst walking towards your house. Once done just leave the fish outside on the patio.
16. When you talk to vets and rescues, ask them about any known local feral colonies and where they are based. If Kitty has been missing for more than a few days s/he might have wandered further afield and might be “hanging round” near a colony for security (safety in numbers) and company. If vets/rescues know locations of colonies, these might be useful to get some ideas of where to start looking.
17. If you have Pet Insurance check your policy to see if they will assist with advertising costs or reward costs for a lost cat. Some policies cover as much as £1000 of local advertising and upto £500 reward.18. Email the lost poster to all the people you know who live in the area and ask them to forward to others they know. This is a quick way to get your poster circulated.
19.
IMPORTANT - if your pet is microchipped contact your chipping company straight away and let them know your pet is missing and check all your details are uptodate and correct. This will ensure that if found you are reunited with your little one as quickly as possible.
20. Use the local groups for your area that are on social networks (facebook / bebo / myspace / etc). Local politicians, sports clubs, etc. all have Facebook presences.
21. Try downloading a "meow" ringtone to your phone and when you are walking round play the ringtone .... you may find you start to attract lots a feline friends so please be very careful if you are near roads ... cats and cars are not a good mix. Ringtone here:
http://www.zedge.net/ringtones/0-0-1-meow/?searchphr=meow&searchcat=ringtones&sug-search=0Finally have a look at these other sites - they are all EXCELLENT
http://www.catchat.org/forum.htmlhttp://www.mymoggy.com/ contact Sue at mymoggy.
http://nationalpetregister.orghttp://www.amissingpet.co.uk/lostandfound.htmlhttp://www.animalsearchuk.co.ukhttp://www.lostmycat.org/index.phphttp://www.animalrescuers.co.uk/html/lostfound.htmlhttp://www.foundandlostpets.co.uk/http://www.petsmiles.com/v1/found.phpAlso don't forget to check ad websites, such as.....
www.friday-ad.co.ukwww.adtrader.co.ukwww.uk.freeads.netwww.classifieds.co.ukand also your local rescue shelter/s websites too!
Good luck and stay positive.
Hopefully your little one has just got itself shut in a shed somewhere.
And finally ……. IMPORTANT NOTE: When you get your furbabe back remember to remove ALL the posters and inform all vets / rescues / websites etc that they are home.
