My Cat is Lost!
By Elissa Wolfso
CATNIP, March 2006

Margaret Barker, of Ithaca, New York, recalls, "Piper was standing at the open door. He couldn't make up his mind whether to go in or out, so I gave him a little tap and told him, 'Just go out for a while!' Just then, there was a giant clap of thunder and Piper was gone."

Piper, then 15 years old, had been entrusted to Barker only six months earlier by her sister, who was traveling abroad. Piper didn't come home that day - or the next. Needless to say, Barker was worried sick.

" An unrelenting early November freeze had set in - and this was a cat from California who had never seen snow," says Barker.

Despite a huge workload, Barker spent every spare moment posting flyers, making phone calls, and going door to door, methodically covering her neighborhood.

PIPER'S STORY HAS HAPPY ENDING
" After one week, one neighbor told me point blank that foxes or coyotes had undoubtedly gotten her," recalls Barker. "On Day 10, I'd been out putting up more flyers, and decided to stop at home for a bit, just to warm up. As I pulled in, I noticed a car in my driveway. A woman got out, saying, 'I have your cat!' Although we were total strangers, we hugged and cried. She'd gotten my phone message. But it turned out I had called her accidentally - she had the same last name as another neighbor."

Piper had traveled more than a mile and turned up in the yard of the woman's neighbor, who disliked cats, but fortunately, called this woman and asked her to remove the cat. The kind-hearted woman had been feeding Piper in her garage.

" When Piper got home, he slept for a whole day, says Barker. "That's when he really became a house cat. He was happy to retire and lived to the age of 20."

If your cat slips out of an open door, chances are she will be nearby. But if a cat panics - as Piper did - she may bolt, cautions Alice Moon Fanelli, PhD, a certified-applied animal behaviorist and Clinical Assistant Professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. "Such non-focused running can lead a lost cat to run in front of a car or dog. That's a worse case scenario."

" Hiding is the behavior most typical of lost cats, particularly indoor cats," she adds. "Fearful cats are even more likely to hide - and more difficult to coax out. In such cases, a baited humane trap might help the owner catch her. For an indoor cat who is too frightened to hunt, or ineffective at hunting, the food in the trap might even save her life."

Outdoor cats, particularly confident ones, might recover more quickly from a scare, notes Dr. MoonFanelli. "Some outdoor cats who don't come home may be simply choosing to spend more time outside."

Dr. Moon-Fanelli cites one of her cats, a former feral who would regularly take off for a few days.

" She was four years old when we got her, and very street-savvy," recalls Dr. Moon-Fanelli. "She knew how to avoid coyotes by hugging the perimeter of the yard or zigzagging across, staying close to cover at all times. Farmers would laugh their heads off when I went out looking for her."

Former police detective turned pet detective Kathy "Kat" Albrecht, notes that when an outdoor cat doesn't come home, generally, the question is, 'What's happened to her?'

" The cat may have been injured by a car or by another animal, trapped, or may be deceased within her territory," says Albrecht, author of The Lost Pet Chronicles. "Or, the cat may have been transported out of the area - either intentionally, for example, by a cat-hating neighbor, or unintentionally, for example, by climbing into an open, parked van.

On the other hand, adds Albrecht, "If your indoor-only cat has escaped outside, there is good news - your cat is probably closer than you think. For indoor cats, hiding is an instinctive response. So for their owners, there's a different question: 'Where is the cat hiding?'"

TEMPERAMENTAL JOURNEYS
" How a cat behaves when in her normal territory will influence how she behaves when she becomes lost in unfamiliar territory," says Albrecht, adding, "It's a good idea to base your search strategy on the specific behavior of your cat." Albrecht separates cat personalities into these four basic groups:
1. Curious, gregarious cats. This type gets into trouble easily, runs to the door to greet strangers, and is not easily frightened. This type might initially hide if displaced, but then is likely to travel. "Place fluorescent orange posters within at least a five-block radius," advises Albrecht. "Also, interview neighbors door-to-door, thoroughly searching possible hiding places in yards and other areas near the escape point."

2. Aloof cats. This type often ignores people. They stand back and watch when a stranger comes in. They may hide initially if lost, but eventually they'll break cover and meow outside your door, or possibly travel. Again, says Albrecht, search nearby hiding places as above; if these efforts are unsuccessful, consider setting a baited humane trap.

3. Cautious, occasionally shy cats. 'When a stranger comes to the door, this type tends to dart and hide. They may peek and eventually come out. When displaced, they will likely hide immediately out of fear. They may eventually return to the place where a they escaped, or meow when their person comes looking - typically either within the first two days, after .~ ~ the cat has built up confidence, or not until at least a week later, when hunger or thirst finally overwhelms fear.
Conduct a tightly-focused search and set baited humane traps in neighbors' yards," Albrecht advises.

4. Xenophobic cats. This type is afraid of anything unfamiliar. Genetics and/or kittenhood experiences have hard wired this fearful behavior into their character. These cats are nervous about being held or petted. They also hide when strangers come into their home, and. typically won't come out until well after the company has left. When displaced, they bolt, then hide in silence, immobilized with fear.
The primary strategy to recover xenophobic cats is to set baited ~ humane traps, says Albrecht.
Albrecht cites a case in point, in which her client took her xenophobic cat to be spayed. The cat bolted from the exam room.
"After searching everywhere, the veterinary staff noticed a loose ceiling tile," recalls Albrecht. "They put a humane trap up there, waited two days, then took it down and called us for a consultation. Knowing that a xenophobic cat can remain virtually paralyzed for over a week, we advised them to put the trap back up. It took 22 days for that cat to finally enter the trap."
She continues, "One of the most tragic misinterpretations of feline behavior occurs when rescuers find a xenophobic cat and assume that the cat is an untamed feral. If taken to a shelter, the cat may be euthanized. Shelter staff should scan all so-called 'feral' cats for microchips, then check the classified ads and lost cat reports to determine if the new 'feral' is actually someone's xenophobic pet cat who escaped outdoors, perhaps months before being found."

 

When you first notice your cat missing, leave food out, keep things quiet, and walk around your house in widening circles calling your cat, advises Dr. Moon-Fanelli.

" If your cat is habituated to the sound of a can opener, or dry food being poured, make those sounds outside and she may come running," explains Dr. Moon-Fanelli. "If not, look under bushes, porches, and steps close to your home. I don't know how cats do it, but they can make themselves almost invisible."

Albrecht agrees, adding, "Look in and under every conceivable space near your home. One limitation is the silence factor - panicked, sick or injured cats will hide in silence."

But how the cat behaves is only part of the equation. Owner behavior and rescuer behavior each playa role in influencing whether or not a lost cat will be reunited with her family. Albrecht calls this "the lost cat triad."

" Owners often behave in ways that actually inhibit the chances of finding their lost cat," notes Albrecht. "They may use ineffective search strategies. They may experience grief avoidance and give up the search effort prematurely. On the other hand, owners that are strongly bonded to their cats may go to extremes to find them."

Unfortunately, says Albrecht, even the most dedicated owners typically focus their efforts on posting lost-cat flyers and searching local shelters.

" Although these techniques are important, your primary mission should be to obtain permission from your neighbors to enter their yards, conduct an aggressive physical search for the missing cat, and set baited humane traps when necessary," advises Albrecht, adding, "Simply asking a neighbor to 'look' for the lost cat is not sufficient. Your neighbors are not going to crawl under their decks or houses. Their idea of looking will be to call you if they notice your cat sitting on their patio."

Albrecht recalls Manuel a 14-year old cat who had been missing for a month. "We noticed that a screen at the base of his house was broken and had clumps of cat hair stuck to it," she says. "He had been going in and out of there regularly. We crawled under that house as well as neighboring houses, but couldn't find him. Fortunately, other neighbors who just happened to be doing work under their house, heard Manuel's cries. They had recently installed new screens under the house, accidentally entombing Manuel. He'd been there without food or water for nearly five weeks. He'd survived by licking condensation from the pipes. Although Manuel sustained some kidney damage, he was basically okay, and was still alive two years later."

Albrecht's take-home message? "Don't give up hope!" Dr. Moon-Fanelli recommends installing a double door system at the entrance to your home, so that if the cat slips out, she'll be in the mud room rather than the great outdoors.

" Take a head count before leaving the house and upon arriving, to make sure everyone's there," advises Dr. Moon-Fanelli. "A lit-up entry area really helps when entering. I have a glass door so I can see inside. I yell, 'Get inside!' as I'm coming in - and they do!"

Adds Albrecht, "It's impossible to guarantee that your cat will never escape. "A burglar, natural disaster, or car accident could leave your doors opened. However, there are certain precautions owners can take.

" Make sure your screens are sturdy. Train indoor cats to go into a humane trap," she instructs.

Both Albrecht and Dr. Moon-Fanelli advise all caring cat owners to outfit theirs cats with identification tags, collars and microchips.

With better knowledge of lost cat behavior and better strategies for recovering lost cats, Albrecht believes that people can greatly increase the probability of bringing a beloved kitty back home. She knows firsthand. Within the past eight years, Albrecht has reunited over 1,800 lost pets with their much relieved owners.

TWO GROUPS THAT HELP DEAL WITH LOST PETS
Kathy Albrecht is the founder of Missing Pet Partnership, a national nonprofit organization working to conduct research into the behavior patterns of lost pets, while providing training and educational materials for shelter staff and volunteers.

She also founded Pet Hunters International in 2004, an academy that trains Missing Animal Response (MAR) technicians to find lost pets, using behavioral analysis, law enforcement techniques, and search-and-rescue dogs.

FINDING A LOST CAT
Sandy Robins
CatFancy June 2007

One evening late last year, Catherine Murray of Aptos, Calif., put down dinner for her 1O-year old cat, Tony, and immediately began to worry when he didn't respond to her calls. In fact, the house seemed unusually empty. There had been workmen there that day, so she began searching the house and the yard, but Tony was nowhere in sight.

Murray called pet detective Kat Albrecht of Pet Hunters International, head-quartered in Clovis, Calif. Albrecht brought Rachel, a search dog trained specifically to locate cats.

" Together, we searched every inch of Tony's neighborhood," Albrecht says. "Once Rachel had determined that Tony was not trapped, injured or deceased within his territory, it was obvious that he was no longer in the immediate area."

Tony had a history of climbing into cars, so Murray checked with the contractor who had seen no sign of the missing cat. Murray asked to check the van herself, and the contractor agreed.

" At first I couldn't find him, either," Murray said. "But after calling his name over and over, I finally heard a faint 'meow' and there he was under the back seat, where he'd been hiding for three days!"

" This is a classic example of how a displaced cat behaves in unfamiliar surroundings," Albrecht says. "Even though the contractor had gone to two other jobs and opened his van, Tony remained silent because he was too terrified to come out of hiding."

RECOVERY STRATEGIES
When pets go missing, whether they get lost, run away or are stolen, it often seems as if they have vanished without a trace.

The temperament of your cat influences how the animal becomes lost and what distance it's likely to travel. Other factors include the weather, terrain and population density of the area.

Albrecht advises making a copy of these temperament traits. - Curiosity: Gregarious cats will run up to anyone and aren't afraid of anything. When displaced, they may hide initially but are most likely to travel and can quickly cover territory five blocks from their home turf. A strategy for recovery involves placing eye-catching posters within a five-block radius. Go to neigbors door-to-door, thoroughly searching possible hiding places in yards and other areas near the escape point.

-Carelessness: When strangers come in, aloof cats stand back and watch. When displaced, they may hide at first but eventually will come back to the door and meow. Search nearby hiding places and neighboring yards. If these efforts do not produce results, consider setting a baited humane trap.

-Caution: Cautious cats are friendly but shy. When strangers come to the door, they hide but eventually come out to investigate. If lost, they will most likely hide in fear. If not scared away from their hiding place, they will typically return to the point where they escaped or will meow when their owners call for them. Typically, they respond within the first two days (after building up confidence), but it may take seven to 10 days for their hunger or thirst to reach a point where they will respond. Do a very detailed search of neighbors' yards and set baited humane traps.

-Fear: Scared cats are afraid of everything unfamiliar to them. They hide when strangers come into their homes and are easily disturbed by changes in their environment. When displaced, they bolt and hide in silence. They tend to remain in the same hiding place, immobilized with fear. If someone other than their owner finds them, they are typically mistaken as "feral." The primary strategy to recover these cats is to set baited humane traps.

CONSIDER A PET DETECTIVE
Costs to hire a pet detective vary around the country, from between $300 to $1,000 per day. Some pet detectives offer free 10 minute phone consultations, so ask.

Contact www.lostapet.org for a referral to a pet detective in your area. This service also offers information on how to set a baited trap. You can also download a free module called HOW TO FIND YOUR LOST CAT from www.homeagain.com.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES
-Your cat can never wear too much information. All pets, even indoor-only ones, should wear a collar in case they escape.
-Make sure the tag says "Reward for Return" and include your telephone number.
-Microchip your cat. Shelters and veterinarians are more aware of the importance of scanning stray pets. If your cat's collar and tag are lost, you stand a better chance of finding your pet if it is microchipped. For more information on microchipping, go to www.homeagain.com.
-Put an LED-flashing device on your pet's collar to help you locate it in the dark.
-Always keep current photographs of your pet.

 

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