by B. Iris Tanner

Created on: July 17, 2008   Last Updated: September 25, 2010

You open the door to pick up the morning paper and a furry missile launches itself through the doorway before you can stop it. The latch on the back door doesn't latch all the way and some feline individual decides it's a nice day for exploring. Or you're having a window repaired and the contractor takes a coffee break without putting a shield in place. . . and kitty hears a bird outside and literally flies out after it.

All these experiences are certainly the stuff of which nightmares are made, and each one happened to me personally. While the cats I just mentioned were all safely recovered eventually there are many others that never find their way back to their owners safely. I certainly hope you aren't reading this because this has happened to you, but if you are, here are some steps you can take that may help you find your lost cat.

First Things First

Where to start? This will depend on how soon you discover the cat's absence. If it has sneaked past you through the crack of an open door, you are probably in luck because you will be able to act quickly and try to lure it back. More about this in a minute.

However, if you have discovered that kitty is missing, and realize, belatedly, that the back door latch wasn't closed or a window was open (or some other means of exit became unexpectedly available), your job will be a lot harder and the top priority becomes getting the word out to others in your area and motivating them to aid your search. There are some brand-new ways to do this that are more effective than posting flyers; again, read on and we'll get to them.x

If Your Cat Is Withing Sight...

Try to keep it within visual range as long as you can, and begin talking to it in as normal a tone of voice as you can muster under the circumstances. Do NOT yell or scream. . . you will frighten the cat and it may decide you are angry and/or dangerous and move away from you at top speed. If you remain calm, keep talking to the cat, and slowly advance toward it, there's a possibility that it may come to you.

I once had a very outgoing Turkish Angora female slip between my legs as I put the garbage out one Friday morning. She went straight down my back stairs and right up the trunk of a tree in my backyard. I was supposed to leave for the weekend in an hour or so, and had a nonrefundable plane ticket oh joy. Thank god there was a dangly, glittery cat toy within easy reach on the kitchen table. Somehow I managed to keep my cool, grabbed the toy, and headed down the

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>