My Cat Has Been Missing For A Week: What To Do?

If your naughty cat goes missing for quite a few days, it is entirely normal for you to worry about it. But you are not to panic. It sometimes happens that cats might go missing for days.

It can mean that they are simply strolling around and exploring the outdoors or hunting.

When they reappear afterward, they might look as if nothing had happened. It is the nature of cats to go around and scan the outdoors out of their hunting and inquisitive instincts. But sometimes, things can be unlikely.

My cat has been missing for a week: what to do?

When a cat goes missing for a few days, then the following steps can be followed:

Search your home properly

Begin with searching your home correctly. It might be possible that your cat is stuck somewhere in the house from where it is unable to free itself.

Carefully follow the crying noise of your cat, if any, or someplace where it usually gets stuck, places like the attic, the cupboards, fireplace, storeroom, etc.

If this does not work, you can set up leverage for your cat to come by itself. The cat missing in the house itself can be either it is getting stuck or might be something that the cat is afraid of, preferably a giant animal, and hence it is hiding out of fright.

Check the public camera footage

The CCTV surveillance footage can help a great deal in finding your cat.

It would be simply best if you got in touch with the local police department to get permission to search every footage in the locality and all the possible places where your cat can go.

You can also set up your camera at all the possible places to find your cat. This way, you can very well keep track of all the areas just if your cat goes to any one of them.

Alert your neighbor

Go knocking from door to door and alert every neighbor around about missing your cat. Show everyone the picture of your cat and ask about its whereabouts.

Enquire about where your cat was last seen. If a cat gets lost for the first time, it is scared and usually looks for a more familiar place.

Maybe it ends up at the dearest neighbor of yours, the place it has already visited before. So asking your neighbors might help you to find your cat.

Work the phones

Call the local animal control agencies, veterinary hospitals, rescue groups, and every such organization asking them if any lost cat is being fostered under their care.

Send the pictures of your cat to them for convenience. Enquire where, when, and with whom your cat was spotted last, and follow the leads.

If your cat likes hanging around with any particular animal species like dogs or rabbits, or any other, find the hints to where these animals could be found in the locality. Your cat might be with its friends. Make sure you tell everybody to contact you as soon as your cat is found.

Put up lost posters

Put up a recent picture of your cat in a poster, put up your contact details, the reward you would like to give to the person for returning your cat, and other necessary information.

Spread the poster everywhere you can, and you think your cat might have gone.

Describe specific details of your cat, if any, like it had a patch of pink hair on its tail, or it had a tag on its left foot, etc. Keep patience, and don’t panic. You will find your cat earlier if you stress less and stay alert.

Use social media platforms

Upload a missing post on your social media account. Mention all the details required.

Address this severe problem and mention all the places you suspect your cat might go. Request all your friends and followers on social media to share the picture of your cat and notify you as soon as they get any lead.

Open the windows

Your cat surely knows its own home. So if it is lost, it might also figure out a way to its home on its own.

Although it might not identify the path straight away, it will eventually figure out its way. So it would be undoubtedly best if you considered keeping the doors unlocked and windows open.

Do not lose hope

One way or another, your cat will be back at home; you just have to stress less and be more patient and calm.

Get hold of all the necessities and prepare for every new news you get. Hope for the best, and you will get your cat back.

How long before you should worry about a missing cat?

It is okay for cats to go missing for a day or two. Usually, cats prefer strolls at night after dinner before bed. It might have found something tempting and chose to stay.

It is most likely to return after doing its complete research on this new thing.

But if your cat does not return after the third day, you should start worrying about it. It might have been injured, held hostage, or perhaps it might be lost. It could also have found its new place to call home.

To find out, you should begin looking for it all around your house and the neighborhood. Contact the local animal control agencies as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The prime focus must be on not freaking out. It is alright to be concerned and worried, but panicking would not solve it. It can be more harmful to your health and slow down the procedure.

You must pay attention to your cat’s pattern to figure out where it might have gone. Look out for all the places.

Try to catch up on every lead. Remember, even the slightest clue matters. When you get your mischievous cat back, you might consider setting up a GPS on its collar tag to avoid such mishaps in the future.

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