Q&A for How to Find a Lost Cat

Check the cat over to assess how serious any bite wounds are and where they are. Look for tufts of matted fur, as these often overlie the wounds. Use a solution of salt water (one teaspoon to one pint of previously boiled water) to bathe the skin injuries. If the cat is lame, she doesn't eat, has a swelling, or has rips in her skin that need stitches, then contact the vet.

Get a map and work out which vet clinics are closest to you. Phone them and ask if they've had a cat matching her description handed in. There is a possibility that, if the cat was chipped less than 4 weeks ago, the registration details are still being processed. This could mean her chip has been found and scanned, but her details have yet to appear on the database. Because of this, phoning and describing the cat is a good idea.

This depends on the weather and the individual cat. If the cat has access to water, he can survive without food for days or weeks, but he will get very thin. If she is a natural hunter, then she may start fending for herself by catching wildlife and can do very well in the long term. Some cats go missing because they get shut in a garage or shed, in which case it depends what resources are available to them.

Keep trying! It can take days, weeks, or months to find a lost cat. In a way, no news is good news because if you've phoned around and none of the authorities have seen her, this makes it less likely she's been involved in an accident and more likely she's hiding somewhere or got accidentally locked in a shed.

If you feel she is staying away because she dislikes taking the medication, speak to your vet. They may be able to suggest a slow-acting injection, or an alternative form of the medicine which is easier to give. It also helps if the cat associates the pill with a reward, so train her such that immediately after taking the tablet, she gets a super yummy treat. Soon, she will start asking for the tablet in order to earn the reward.

You need to keep the cat inside for a number of weeks until she starts seeing the place as home. Keeping her in also helps her spread her pheromone scent around, which marks the place as hers. To speed up the settling in, try spritzing the furniture on the floor level with synthetic feline pheromones. When you do eventually let her out, take her food away several hours earlier so you can entice her back with biscuits.

Most cats want to return, but whether they do so depends on whether they are lost or not. If they become disorientated, they can be missing for a long while, but there are cases of lost cats returning home after months or even years.

Of those cats reported missing, around 75% are eventually reunited with their owner. Interestingly, only 2% of these cats turned up at shelters, which indicates most cats are lost locally, and contacting neighbors to check sheds, garages, and other outdoor structures is a good idea.

Whether or not a cat finds their way back home depends on them knowing where home is. Cats use scent markers to navigate, but if the cat is startled and runs in fear, they won't pay much attention to remembering the way and are more likely to get lost. Likewise, a cat that escapes on a wet night will find it more difficult to pick up those vital scent signposts and may struggle to return.