Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society
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Indoor-Only Cats: If your indoor-only cat has escaped outside there is good news--your cat is probably not lost at all! That is because it is likely that your cat is hiding and, depending upon the terrain, may be closer than you think! When an indoor-only cat escapes outside, it is a case of where is the cat is likely hiding (usually near the escape point) in fear. That is because cats are territorial and your cat's territory was inside of your home. Once a cat is transplanted into unfamiliar territory, it seeks shelter because it is afraid. A cat that is afraid (and cats that are injured) will seek areas of concealment such as under a deck, under a house, under a porch, in heavy brush and they will not meow! Meowing would give up their location to a predator. It has nothing to do with whether the cat loves you, whether it recognizes your voice, or whether it can smell you--it has everything to do with the fact that a frightened cat will hide and be silent!
When an outdoor-access cat disappears, it means that something has happened to the cat to interrupt its behavior of coming home. Cats are territorial and they do not just run away from home (like dogs do). Thus the tactics and techniques used to search for a missing cat should be different than those used to search for a missing dog. Lost cat posters will not always help find your cat if it has crawled under your neighbor's deck and is injured and silent. We believe that lost cat posters should be used, but that additional measures should be taken as well. If your outdoor cat is missing, consider that it may be: TRAPPED - Your cat could be up a tree, on a roof, under a house, inside a neighbor's basement or shed. This would mean that your cat would likely be within its normal territory, usually a 5-house radius of your home. It is imperative that you obtain permission from your neighbor to enter their yard so that you can look for your cat yourself. DO NOT rely on asking your neighbor to "LOOK" for your cat-their idea of looking will be to call if they see your cat sitting on their patio! INJURED - The behavior of an injured or sick (or displaced, panicked) cat is that they will hide in silence. We have called this "The Silence Factor" and this behavior KILLS CATS EVERY DAY! Hiding in silence is a protective mechanism that cats use to protect themselves from predators. What this means is that before you print up lost cat posters or drive down to your shelter to look for your lost cat, SEARCH under and in every conceivable hiding place on your own property and on your neighbor's property! It is quite possible that your cat is injured and in need of medical attention and you will need to use a flashlight and crawl under your house in order to save his life! DISPLACED - Cats that are chased from their territory either by dogs, people, or other cats who beat them up and cats that are panicked by fireworks will often become "displaced" into unfamiliar territory. Many of these cats, once their adrenaline levels have subsided, will work their way back home, often showing up the next day or a few days later. But many of these cats, especially those with skittish temperaments, will be so panicked by the experience that they will hide in fear and will be too afraid to return home. We've seen many cases where a cat was "lost" but was actually just three houses away, crouching and hiding in fear inside a neighbor's yard! These cats could have jumped a few fences or crossed one street and yet they behaved like they were feral cats, afraid of humans. Some meowed and let their owners pick them up-others darted and ran from their owners and had to be humanely trapped. Understand the critical importance of conducting an aggressive, physical search for your cat within your cat's immediate territory (neighbor's yards) in order to determine if your cat is still within the area. The failure to conduct this type of search is why so many cats are never found by their owners and end up being absorbed into the feral cat population. Feline Temperaments That Influence Distances Traveled:Temperament influences actions. How a cat behaves when in its normal territory will influence how it behaves when it becomes "lost" or displaced into unfamiliar territory. In addition to posting flyers and checking the cages of local shelters, develop a search strategy based on the specific behavior of the cat. Here are guidelines to use: CURIOUS/CLOWN CAT - These are gregarious cats that get into trouble easily, run to the door to greet a stranger, and are not easily afraid of anything. When displaced, these cats might initially hide but then they will most likely TRAVEL. Strategy for recovery should be to place florescent posters within at least a five block radius. Also, interview neighbors in a door-to-door search, thoroughly searching possible hiding places in yards of houses and other areas within a close proximity to the escape point. Do not assume that the cat will come when you call! CARE-LESS CAT - These aloof cats don't seem to care much about people. When a stranger comes in, they stand back and watch. When displaced they will likely initially hide, but eventually they will break cover and come back to the door, meow, or possibly travel. Strategy should be to search hiding places nearby, interview neighbors door-to-door and search their yards. If these efforts do not produce results, consider setting a baited humane trap. CAUTIOUS CAT - These cats are generally stable but they show occasional shyness. They like people but when a stranger comes to the door, they dart and hide. Some of these cats peek around the corner and eventually come out to investigate. When displaced, they will likely immediately hide in fear. If not pushed (scared off) from their hiding place, they will typically return to the point where they escaped from or they will meow when the owner comes to look for them. This behavior typically is observed either within the first two days (after the cat has built up confidence) or not until seven to ten days later when their hunger or thirst has reached a point where they will respond. Strategy would be to conduct a tightly focused search in neighbors' yards and to set baited humane traps. CATATONIC/XENOPHOBIC CAT - Xenophobia means "fear or hatred of things strange or foreign." Xenophobic cats are afraid of EVERYTHING that is new or unfamiliar. Their fearful behavior is hardwired into their character; it is caused by genetics and/or kittenhood experiences (nature or nurture). These cats will hide when a stranger comes into their home, and they typically will not come out until well after the company has left. They do not do well with human contact (being held, petted, etc.) and they are easily disturbed by any change in their environment. When displaced, they bolt and then HIDE IN SILENCE. They tend to remain in the same hiding place and become almost catatonic, immobilized with fear. If they are found by someone other than their owners, they are typically mistaken as being untamed or "feral." The primary strategy to recover these cats would be to set baited humane traps. Xenophobic cats that become "lost" are routinely absorbed into the feral cat population. Professional AssistanceConsider using the service of PETS911 at www.1888pets911.org, an organization that lists community-based pet services, including lost and found pet web sites. Place ads in both your local paper and distant newspapers. Also, check the "found pet" ads in these papers. Lee Central Coast Newspapers Pet Hunters International, a new resource of professionally trained pet detectives (Missing Animal Response Technicians), now responds to conduct lost pet investigations utilizing trained search dogs, high-tech equipment, and other law enforcement-based recovery techniques normally used to solve lost person investigations. You can find a listing of these pet detectives at www.pethunters.com and click on the FIND A LOST PET icon. Owner Behaviors That Create Problems:Cat owners often behave in ways that actually inhibit their chances of finding their lost cat. They develop "tunnel vision" and fail to find their cat because they focus on wrong theories. They experience "grief avoidance" and quickly give up their search effort. They feel helpless and alone, often discouraged by others who rebuke them and tell them "it was just a cat" and "you'll never find your cat." But one of the biggest problems is that cat owners typically focus their search efforts by posting lost cat flyers and by searching the cages at the local shelter. Although these techniques are important and should not be overlooked, the primary technique to recover a missing cat should be to obtain permission from all neighbors to enter their yards and conduct an aggressive, physical search for the missing cat (and to set baited humane traps there when necessary). Simply asking a neighbor to "look" for the lost cat is not sufficient! Neighbors are not going to crawl around on their bellies under their decks or houses to search for someone else's lost cat! Copyright © 2006, Missing Pet Partnership. All rights reserved Thank you to the Missing Pet Partnership for providing the above recommendations. Information about this organization, updates and additional information can be found at www.lostapet.org. |
The method that Missing Pet Partnership has pioneered that has resulted in the recovery of many "missing" indoor-only cats is the same method used to capture feral cats--the use of a humane trap. We call this "trap-and-reunite" or "TAR". These wire cages are available for rental from your local shelter or veterinarian or for sale at hardware stores, pet stores, or on-line. Humane traps have a trip mechanism that when triggered by a cat, will shut the door and contain a cat inside. 