What to do if your pet disappears!
Tips on reuniting your family as soon as possible!
We hope it never happens – but too often, it does. A pet goes missing and the family (and usually the pet) is distraught and terrified.
Here are the steps to take …
Call the local shelter, and nearby vets. If your pet is ID’d any vet or shelter will be able to identify them quickly. If they are not, get them microchipped ASAP. (RAPS Animal Hospital can do this. Call 604-242-1666.) If your pet is microchipped, always make sure their contact information is up-to-date with your vet and the microchip company.
Don’t wait, search for the pet. Chances are it’s hiding out nearby. Cats will often hunker down for the day and come out at dusk. Shake some favourite treats. Call their name.
Post on your community Facebook group. Also search for “Lost pet” groups in your area.
Put up posters. Your neighbours may have seen your pet. Print posters with your pet’s picture and your phone number.
Leave some worn clothing and/or a favourite blanket outside in a sheltered area to keep kitty nearby.
Ask neighbours to check sheds and garages. Also ask if they can review their ring camera footage to see if your pet has come by.
Cats especially don’t like wide open spaces, so check nooks and crannies. They can get into surprisingly small crevices and a scared kitty is unlikely to travel very far at first.
If you don’t have one, see if you can borrow a trail camera from friends. Or perhaps your local rescue. They may lend you one with a refundable deposit. You can place the trail cam near where you believe the pet may have escaped.
Here’s an unexpected possibility: Sometimes kitties are hidden indoors where we can’t see them. You may think they’ve escaped, but they’re actually hiding indoors. Keep all windows and doors closed and leave treats around where other pets can’t get them. If this food gets eaten, it’s likely that kitty is still inside. If, by the next day, food isn’t eaten and it’s safe for other pets safe for other pets leave a window or door cracked open and kitty may come in when you least expect it.
Widen your search the longer your pet has been away. It’s more likely they have traveled further during the dark of night – this is especially true of cats.
If kitty is elderly, don’t assume that they went off to die. This is a myth that leaves many senior cats forgotten at rescues and shelters.
If your pet has been outside for a few days, sometimes if it can become fearful enough that they won’t come to you. Setting a humane trap may be your only option. If you don’t have access to a humane trap often, local rescues will lend you one with a deposit.
DON’T put a litter box or food outside! Some people suggest this approach, but it can actually attract wildlife that can harm your kitty and may chase them away.
Preventative advice …
Although we encourage people to keep their cats indoors, mistakes happen and cats sometimes sneak out. In preparation for this, we recommend that you work on recall with your kitties. It can be something as simple as a phrase that means treat time, or an alarm that means dinner. If they are consistently rewarded when this sound is heard, they are more likely to respond to it even in a fearful situation like being lost. This type of training is a great way to connect with your cat and bonus it can help keep their mind sharp.
RAPS loans out live traps and also provide trapping tips. We are not mandated to take in stray animals, but we can take reports of lost and found animals. Call us or email info@rapsbc.com.