West Oxfordshire Cats Protection Branch Lost & Found Page

The first, and possibly the most important thing is

Cats are often deemed to be ‘missing’ when they miss a meal or aren’t where they are expected to be at a particular time!

It is important to remember that cats don’t wear watches and tend to act on messages from their stomachs first and foremost (or other more basic instincts if they are not neutered!). In most cases you will find that he or she will return home when they are hungry or cold and will have no idea what all the fuss is about!

Cats are usually pretty good at finding their way around and don’t very often get ‘lost’ within their own neighbourhood. It should be noted however that if a cat is frightened it will run first and think about where it is going second and therefore can be effectively ‘lost’ when actually very close to home.

Once these checks have been made it is a good idea to prepare a list of information before contacting other people who may be able to help. The details you will need to write down are:-

The name, age and colour of your cat.
Whether it is male or female, neutered or un-neutered.
Details of any distinguishing marks or features such as scarring from previous injury or surgery, white or other colour markings.
Whether the cat is mirco-chipped or tattooed.
When and where the cat was last seen.
Whether or not it was wearing a collar, and if so, what type/colour.
Do you have a clear photograph?

Once you are armed with your list, then is the time to make contact with the following:-

Our Branch Lost & Found Register co-ordinator on 01367 810789.
Email a small but clear photo if you have one to be linked with your cats details on our Lost Cat register.
Local Vets (ALL practices in your area and not just your own vet)
Local animal rescue organisations
Local Catteries
Local radio station (they often broadcast lost and found appeals)
Petsearch UK

The earlier you report your cat missing, and to the widest audience, the more likely it is that he/she will be found.

The next thing to do is widen your search area, safe in the knowledge that you are no longer the only person who knows that your cat is missing!

PLEASE NOTE if you are under 18 then you should NOT go looking for your cat alone after dark. Enlist the help of a friend, neighbour or family member to go with you, preferably during daylight hours.
Walk around your neighbourhood calling your pet by name (you may feel a bit daft but this often works) paying particular attention to any garages, lock-ups or empty houses.
Make sure that you stop and listen regularly - give your cat a chance to answer your call!
Stay in one area for several minutes to allow time for your pet to reach you if he is in the vicinity and has heard you calling.
Sometimes it is worth taking a box of cat-biscuits to shake or if your cat has a favourite squeaky toy then take that with you.

Prepare a leaflet or small poster with general information about your missing cat and include a photograph if you have one. It is important to give a good description of your cat but keep some identifying details back so that if anyone contacts you saying that they have found your cat you can check those extra details with them to make sure that they are genuine.

Make sure you put a land-line phone number as well as a mobile number as this will encourage people to contact you. If you are able to offer a reward then state ‘Reward Offered’ on your leaflet. Even if it is a small amount to you, it may be a large sum to another person or child and may be an added incentive for them to look for your cat.

Get plenty of copies made (if you don’t know anyone who can do this for you then most libraries have a photocopying facility available to the public) and distribute as follows:-

Post them through every door in your immediate area (not alone or after dark if under 18!)
Working within a 5-10 mile radius, display at vets, pet shops, newsagents, fish & chip shops, corner shops, garages, doctors/dentists, libraries, launderettes, hairdressers and pubs - anywhere with a notice board or an owner/manager who is prepared to put it in the window.
Notice boards in halls used by scouts, brownies, guides, play-groups, etc.
Tie or tape leaflets to telegraph poles, lamp-posts, phone-boxes and bus shelters locally.
Remember to put one on your own front gate or on your front door!

The first thing you should do is make a thorough search of your own home including any garages, sheds, greenhouses or other out-buildings.

Check every room in your house including any loft or cellar (if anyone has had either access open since the cat was last seen)
Look behind curtains, under duvets and bedding, behind settees, under beds and on top of wardrobes.
Look in your airing cupboard as cats often hide in amongst the clean laundry.
If you have a chimney, make sure your cat hasn’t climbed up inside.
Check any dustbins, compost bins, water-butts or other containers in anbd around your garden which the cat could have climbed into.
Check your vehicle (including the engine compartment!)
Finally search your garden and any neighbouring hedgerows and trees.

If your search proves unsuccessful then speak to your neighbours and ask if they would mind checking their garages / sheds etc.

Don’t forget that someone may have already found your cat and be advertising to find its owner!

Check adverts as you take yours around
Check the ‘Lost & Found’ section of your local newspaper
Speak to the postman, milkman, window-cleaner, coal-man, traffic warden, lollipop person and any dog-walkers you meet.

Whilst it can be a very difficult thing to do, it is also sensible to contact your local Environmental Health Department as they will be able to tell you whether or not a cat matching the description has been found killed on the road.

Lost a Cat?

Found a Cat?

Lost Cat Register

Found Cat Register

Whatever you do, don’t give up hope. Cats can disappear for several days and sometimes even weeks at a time, particularly in good weather, and turn up unharmed as if nothing has happened! We know of several cases where cats have been lost for weeks, even months, but were eventually reunited with their human family. Cats are very resourceful and will find food, water and shelter in the most unlikely of places.

When your cat comes back home, please remember to inform any authorities / organisations / Vets etc who have been asked to look for them, and retrieve the posters you distributed around the town! It is also a good idea to make sure that your cat is neutered and micro-chipped, to minimise the chance of losing them again.

Have you found a cat? Here’s what you should do:-

If the cat is hungry, please feed it and provide it with some clean, fresh water (not milk)
If you cannot take the cat into your home then please make sure that there is some shelter for it outside, which is dry. This can be as simple as a cardboard box covered with a bin-liner of clingfilm, with a blanket or old towel inside, and weighted down against the wind or tucked under a bush for stability.
Contact your local animal rescue groups, in case the cat has been reported as lost. Contact local vets with a description of the cat and check the local shops and newspapers for lost and found notices.
If possible, take the cat to a vet who will check for a microchip.
Make up a small notice saying ‘Cat Found’ with a description and contact telephone number, which can be displayed in local shops and newsagents. It is a good idea not to give a full description of the cat so that if someone contacts you saying that the cat belongs to them, you can check those extra details with them to ensure that they are the genuine owners and not just someone after a ‘free cat’.
If the owner cannot be traced, and you are not able to take the cat in yourself, contact your local rescue centre or Cats Protection Branch so that they can arrange to take the cat into their care and start the process of finding him or her a new home.

The following websites operate Lost and Found registers and may be worth checking whether you have Lost or Found a cat:.