If your cat has not returned, I understand your concern, but rather than asking you questions, it is important that you do everything possible to ensure that your cat returns. In this article, I tell you everything you need to know to make it come back.
My cat didn’t come home: Understanding cat habits
If your cat has left, it is for several reasons, which will allow you to understand why he left and to be able to better identify the place where he is likely to be.
Why do cats leave?
Cats that have access to the outdoors love to run around in nature, especially in summer and at night. So if your cat is gone, he will like to sneak into the trees, sleep in the sun but above all hunt prey like birds and mice.
Cats can sleep, eat and relieve themselves outside and this is what constitutes their outdoor activities and they love nature, its smells, especially and all that it abounds.
How long is this normal?
A cat often stays outside for several hours, sometimes all night and sometimes they stay outside for 24 hours, especially if they have been able to eat there and there is a source of drinking water in nature. After 24 hours, however, this is not normal and your cat should have returned by now.
Can he get lost?
Young cats can actually get lost because they do not master the place enough, hence the fact that you have to go there step by step when he is young so that he can measure the outside world gradually.
But on land, it is still unlikely that it will get lost because cats have a very advanced sense of direction, which is essential to them in their natural state.
Trees are especially where they can get stuck, as they are afraid to come back down, and they will usually meow for help. If you have large trees nearby, he may have found a way to get stuck there.
Cat that does not come back: The different causes
There are several reasons why the cat is not coming back, with each having specific solutions. Here are all the causes of a cat that does not come back and especially the solutions to implement to find your feline.
He is with a neighbor
Your cat may have gone to a neighbour’s house, especially if he is used to going to his yard, so the first thing to do is ask the neighbors, which often solves the problem. Your cat can eat there for example.
If your neighbors have trees for example, do not be surprised, he will love to perch there, he goes to the neighbor for something that he does not have at home. If he is not neutered, he can also hang out with other cats at the neighbour’s.
He got lost
A rare case but which can still happen. I advise you here to use a drone or Google Earth to see the horizons and determine where he could have gotten lost. He will hardly get lost in a wheat field or on flat ground, but if there are woods or more complex places, he may have gotten lost there.
Make sure to check the nearby areas or he could be lost by calling him when you look for him. Ideally, if you have a cat (get a harness) or even better a dog, use it so he can smell it and trace the trail back to him.
You can make him smell an odor like that of his cushion so that the dog understands what odor he must find.
Also come with fragrant food such as his mash for example to attract him more easily to you. Calming pheromones can also make him come to you if he’s around.
He is afraid of something about you
Your cat may have fled because he is afraid of something in your home, such as heavy work that can scare him and even scare him some of his hearing. So if there’s been a ruckus in your house, make sure you spare him the noise when he comes back.
In the meantime, look for it in the nearby surroundings, such as your garage or a nearby tree, in this case it moves away voluntarily and will not be lost several kilometers away. So make sure to find all the nearby spots he likes.
Where he hunts, where he drinks, where he relieves himself, where he sleeps, he will be in a place that corresponds to his habits and it is a case where your cat is easy to find. You can even put food he loves like sardines or chicken in a quiet corner of your yard so he can come back on his own.
He may be locked up
Garage, car from a craftsman who came to your house or even in a nearby ruined house, list everything that could cause it to be stuck somewhere. It can even be a place in your yard.
In the worst case, he may have gotten caught in a hunter’s trap in a forest and will be injured in one or more legs, which remains a very, very rare case.
He is injured (deceased in a few isolated cases)
Nature is adored by cats, but it is also full of danger and your cat could have been injured. First of all, he could have fallen, which is unlikely but can happen, from a tree for example while chasing a bird. Check the trees that are near you.
He may also have been run over by a car, one of the reflexes you must have is to take the car to look for him to see if he is injured on the side of the road. Start with the busy roads and end with the small paths.
Finally, especially if he is not sterilized, he may have fought with other cats and there too be injured in the fight. So if he’s not neutered, try to see if there are any feral cats around.
He left with other cats
There too, a rare case, but if for example he is very young and there are other kittens in the area, he may have bonded with them and lived with them for some time. This is not the worst case, as the kittens will be taken back by their mother and if the kitten belongs to someone, it will not be in danger.
Check for other cats and kittens in the area to see if this is a plausible cause for your cat’s flight. When he returns, show him that you are his family to avoid recurrences in the future.
My cat still hasn’t come back: Generic solutions
If your cat does not return home after 24 hours, certain reflexes are very important to implement, here is everything you can put in place to find him as soon as possible:
Notify ICAD and check that your contact details are up to date
It is a first base, often insufficient, but it is a cartridge sometimes essential for your cat to be found. So if your cat has fled, this first reflex is essential. Here is the contact of the icad for lost animals.
Place an ad on your department’s Facebook Pet Alert
The Facebook Pet Alert of your city or your department will allow you to place an ad or better still to see if people have found your cat.
Notify nearby veterinarians, the town hall and the gendarmerie
If you live in a small town, it will be easier for the veterinarian, you can even ask him to place an ad in order to find your dear cat.
Post photo posters in nearby businesses
Putting up posters in the busiest places with photos of your cat and your number will allow people who see your cat to come back to the poster to let you know that your cat has been found.
Post ads in neighborhood mailboxes
In your village or your block, make sure that each inhabitant is informed so that he can bring your cat back to you if he sees it somewhere or at least that he warns you that he sees it there. .
Call the SPA in case your pet has been brought to them
People who find cats often have the reflex to bring it back to the SPA, so when you go there you may have a good surprise. And even if not, make sure that the SPA has his photos and cos coordinates in case someone brings him back there.
View announcements
Local newspaper ads can tell you that your cat has been found because people sometimes post ads when they find your cat. Consult the PQR in bar-tabac to get an idea.
Explore the neighborhood by calling it
This is an idea that I mentioned earlier but which is essential so that your cat can be found, target potential places where it could be to save time, avoid wasteland for example where it will not be.
Call your cat at regular intervals and even more at nightfall.
Cats can poke their muzzle out at nightfall, so if your cat is out at night out of habit, searching and calling at nightfall may be more effective than during the day. You can take your smartphone and broadcast the sound of a cat in heat if it is not neutered to attract it.
Use a drone
A drone makes it possible to cover larger areas, so if your cat is lost, using it makes it possible to trace the entire territory very quickly for a faster and more complete search, but on the other hand less precise.
How to avoid recurrences?
Once your cat is found, make sure it is never lost again and that you can make sure you know where it is at all times.
For this, a GPS collar is ideal, because connected to your smartphone, you will know where your cat is to the nearest millimeter, and you can always find it.
Putting a collar on him also helps keep him under control in case the gps has a problem, the collar lets people know how to contact you.
If he is not neutered, act, you will increase his life expectancy because he will take less risk in the wild life.
If he is young, go gradually by putting him in a harness to begin with and only bringing him out during the day under supervision.
Finally, if he is one of the more adventurous and does not take enough security, a cat fence will keep him in the yard and prevent him from endangering himself in the wilderness where he should not go. A fence is highly recommended if you live near a busy road.
The special cases of certain countries
If you are in Switzerland, Belgium or Metropolitan France, you do not have to consider this point, but be aware that there are special cases for certain countries.
For example, Quebecers who read me should know that the cold of Canada in winter can endanger the life of your cat and that he should not go out there in winter.
For the DOM-TOM, the predators are different and sometimes merciless if they come across your cat, for example, raptors can kidnap your kitten and you will have to wait until it is big enough to let it out.
My cat does not come back: The final word
If your cat has not returned after 24 hours, do everything possible to find it and to avoid any recurrence. It is vital to be able to trace a cat that has access to the outside. Also take into account your environment, different if you live in Europe and South America for example.