Protect your cat by microchipping it and strapping an ID collar on it.If a scared dog bolts from home, it’s likely to run as fast and far as it can. But if a house cat panics, it’s more likely to slink away and stop at the first good hiding place it finds.
Because the getaway is so different, the search has to be, too, says Nancy Peterson, cat programs manager for the Humane Society of the United States and a registered veterinarian technician.
Don’t run to a shelter or post signs right away, she says. Immediately after you notice your pet is missing, search your yard, contact neighbors and show a photo to mail carriers, delivery drivers and paperboys.
“Most cats that escape or leave home won’t go more than five houses away, so you should go to neighbor homes and ask if you can check their backyards,” she says. “If the cat does get further, it’s because a dog or another cat chased it. Unfortunately, the farther away it gets, the harder it is for it to get home.”
The search for your feline friend tends to be tougher going than if you had lost a dog, experts say. Good Samaritans often come to the rescue of dog owners, picking up pooches and making a call to the owner or taking them to a shelter. But there is no cavalry for cats, and domestic ones are not easily caught – you can’t just open a car door and coax it to hop in. But you can protect against the loss of your cat by microchipping it and strapping on an ID collar.