I Lost My Pet
Look for your Cat
The most important thing you can do is to look for your cat.
Indoor Only Cat
An indoor only cat will usually be terrified and will hide. They are so scared they typically will not respond to their owners. It is critical you look for them. Make sure they aren’t hiding in your house as well. Look anywhere they could be hiding. Look under porches and decks and shrubs. Could they have gotten under a shed or your house? Go to your neighbors and ask if you can check their yard or if they will check. Try looking at night with a flashlight. The light reflects off their eyes making it easier to see them. Leave a door open for them. Often times when it is really quiet early morning and feels safe, a cat will make a run for their house and will run in the open door. Don’t assume a coyote or other animal got them. That is rare and this kind of thinking keeps you from looking which is what your cat needs. Put out a game cam to see if your cat is coming out at night. Try a trap. Don’t put out the litterbox. This can actually attract other cats and predators and keep your cat from coming back. Handout flyers to all of your neighbors including those behind you. Put up posters. Post on the Internet. See below for more resources. Don’t give up. The most important thing you can do is look for your cat. Put in a lost cat report at Greenhill Humane Society.
Indoor-Outdoor Cat
An indoor-outdoor cat typically has gotten himself into some kind of trouble. Maybe someone assumed he was lost and took him in. Maybe he got stuck in a garage or shed. Maybe he was injured. Maybe he inadvertently hitched a ride or maybe he was chased by another animal and became displaced. It is important to look and make sure that he isn’t hunkered down injured or sick but it is also important to put up posters within at least a 3 block radius and to handout flyers to neighbors. Because they may have gotten chased or gotten in a vehicle it’s very important to also post on Craigslist, Facebook lost and found pages, PawBoost and NextDoor. Put flyers at vet clinics in case someone brings your cat into a vet. Put a lost cat report in at Greenhill Humane Society. Check with any caretakers of feral cat colonies in the area.
This video is a great resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2eCoC63B9Ibe
Contact Greenhill Humane Society
Report your cat to Greenhill Humane Society and check all found cats that are posted on their website and facebook page. As hard as it may be, ask about records of animals found injured or dead and check with your Public Works Department.
Put Up Flyers
Posters are very effective tools for finding lost animals. Make them bold, with key words in large type. A photo or drawing of the animal is a big help. Distribute them door-to-door in the neighborhood where the animal was lost and post them at major intersections and along main streets in the area. Put them up in vet clinics, store and gym bulletin boards, church bulletin boards.
Here’s a Lost Pet flyer you can printout and use.
Use the Internet
- Craigslist
- PawBoost
- NextDoorFacebook Resources for Finding/Re-homing Pets:
- Greenhill- Lost and Found Pets
- Lane County Animal Rescue Network
- Pet Friends
- NW Pet Lost and Found
- Eugene Springfield Lost & Found pets
- Lane County Mugshots – Lost and Found
- Cat Rescue & Adoption Network (CRAN) Community
- Lost & Found Pets of Lane County Oregon
- Neighborhood Facebook Pages
Offer a Reward
Offering a reward on posters and ads may offer an incentive for people to become involved. Be cautious before giving money to anyone claiming to know the whereabouts of your animal–make sure the person claiming to have your animal really does.
More Resources:
Prevent it from happening again
An ID tag can mean the difference between life and death for a dog or cat. Even “indoor-only” pets need tags. Also consider getting your companion micro-chipped as a way to permanently identify your dog or cat. Microchips cannot come off like a collar and tag, and give you an extra “insurance policy” in case your pet becomes lost again. Most veterinary clinics can microchip and register your companion with a national database service for a one-time fee of under $50.
Check your house and yard to determine how your dog or cat managed to escape, and be sure to correct the problem as soon as possible.