FINDING A LOST CAT From The Lost Pet Chronicles: Adventures of a K-9 cop turned pet detective, by Kat Albrecht with Jana Murray. NY: Bloomsbury 2004 (with some added comments) PREVENTION Best assurance of return if someone finds the cat is collar with ID tag, and microchip injected under the skin by a vet. Indoor-only cats can get out the door and should be tagged and chipped anyway, especially since they behave like ferals once displaced. Use a breakaway collar, not too loose so cat won't get jaw or leg caught in it. START SEARCH AT HOME Search own property first, and neighbors' with permission, checking places where cat could be trapped, injured, or dead. Cats have been trapped inside tool sheds, trailers, under their own houses, between walls. Some sick cats have hidden in silence under a bed or in a closet inside the house. Of Albrecht's first 16 cases of finding cats injured or dead, 90% were within one house of home, often under a deck or in thick brush, and none had responded to calls. Search soon, search nearby, and search every possible (and impossible) place. Think like a scared cat, who would bypass yards with dogs to hide in one without them. LOST OUTDOOR-ACCESS CAT Injured or frightened cats hide, even within own territory, and keep silent. Because you do not see or hear the cat, and cat does not respond to calls, does NOT mean it isn't right there. Search hiding areas, starting with own property. Must get permission from neighbors to search in sheds, basements, garages, heavy brush, under decks and houses. Don't just ask neighbors to look for the cat because they won't crawl around searching as you need to do. Ask if anyone has recently replaced screens on basement windows, had a shed open, or otherwise allowed possible entry to a place that's now closed. One cat was found by the owner in a handyman's van several days after the handyman said it wasn't there. Highest probability area is within three-house radius of cat's territory (depending on size of lots). Use flashlight and be patient and hopeful. Call as you normally do. If cat is hurt or frightened, it may not respond for days or even weeks. Watch for flies and smell of decomposition. See http://catsinthebag.org/ for more suggestions. Check local shelters every few days, but home area is your best bet. See next section also, especially if cat is lost outside its territory, away from home. Trapping may be necessary. LOST SKITTISH INDOOR CAT OR OUTDOOR CAT AWAY FROM HOME See previous section. Also applies to outdoor-access cats lost away from familiar places. Frightened and tend to remain concealed and silent. Because you don't see or hear and cat doesn't respond to calls, does NOT mean it's not there. Search all hiding areas as in previous section, but also need to set humane traps. Primary tool for recovering frightened cat is a baited humane trap. See http://catsinthebag.org/ for instructions. Check local shelters and TNR (trap-neuter-return) groups. Be sure to tell shelter that your cat will probably act like a feral cat. Continue baiting traps and checking shelters because cat may lie low for days or even weeks, and might not end up in the shelter for months. The hiding place comes to smell more like home the longer the cat stays there, especially if the cat can get food the owner leaves out without a trap. Often cats will hide for a week or more and then be driven out of hiding and into the baited trap by hunger, so don't lose hope too soon. Join Yahoo MissingCatAssistance e-group discussion list; see www.lostapet.org Even when found or spotted, cat will probably continue to act as if feral and flee even familiar people, so don't give up on the trap. Once home for a day or two, cats settle down and become themselves again. DISTRIBUTE FLYERS Use bright fluorescent poster board (drug stores, office supply, craft stores). Use giant waterproof black Magic Marker for lettering, and duct tape or staples to secure the sign. "Reward" in giant letters at the top; "Lost Cat" ditto at bottom. In center, glue standard sheet with info about the cat and your phone number. Describe cat as briefly as possible in large letters at top, e.g Orange Longhair or Siamese; additional description below. Smaller signs cannot be read or noticed, especially from a car. Hang posters up to a mile from disappearance site; farther for vets, pet stores, etc. Consider distributing or mailing flyers to all houses in the area. See sherlockbones.com for more advice. Mention that the cat will be shy and frightened so people who see the cat run from them won't just assume it's feral. BE READY TO RESPOND Be sure someone is available at all times to respond right away to any reported sightings. If the caller is on a cell phone, ask them to stay on the line until you get there or at least to keep you updated on the cat's location; this is a highly effective tool. If you have to use an answering machine, change the message to include your cell phone number. If you don't have a cell phone, get or borrow one. PLACE AN AD Put ads in local and distant newspapers, and check the "Found" ads, but be aware of the time lag; an ad may not appear for several days after it's called in. Similarly, your ad won't appear right away, so anyone who checks only once, right away, won't see it. USE A LOCAL LOST-PET WEBSITE Post info and a photo on a local website run by a shelter, rescue group, or other source. Consider using PETS911 (www.1888pets911.org), which lists community-based pet services, including lost-and-found-pet websites. DON'T GET SCAMMED A scammer may call and say your cat got into their truck and ask you for money to send the cat back to you. Never agree to pay a reward until you have the cat in hand. If someone says they have your cat but won't return it until you give them money, play along and then call the police. Never go to pick up your cat alone; take at least one other adult, tell people exactly where you are going, and take a cell phone. Anyone can put a vest on a dog and claim that it's trained to search for lost pets and charge you a fee, so be sure to check references. DO NOT GIVE UP! It may take weeks or even months, but your cat is out there somewhere. Most lost cats are found less than half a mile from home. Though it's possible the cat is farther away, especially if it crawled into a vehicle, it is probably close to home and hiding. Your chances of finding it drop if you lose hope or let people discourage you. One of the reports on catprofiler.com says that the woman saw her cat on her condo property in the car headlights one night 67 days after he'd disappeared, and it took another week to trap him. RESOURCES http://catsinthebag.org/ -- elaborates on advice and resources given here. Includes info on likely behavior, trapping, how cat's appearance may change with time away from home, and on preventing disappearances. lostapet.org -- more advice on various topics, including DOGS, and what to do if you find an animal. Emphasizes that a frightened, scruffy cat or dog should be assumed to be lost, not feral or abused. http://www.petharbor.com/ -- links to local (and not so local) shelters and adoption groups sherlockbones.com -- advice on website, and over the phone for a fee; also makes posters and cards to distribute. The contact number and fact that you've hired a pro may catch the attention and stay in the mind where your number wouldn't. Has extensive database of contacts to check. 1888pets911.org -- advice on prevention and finding, and a place to post your lost pet's info or search for a "found" post according to zip code or area. pethunters.com -- pet detectives who will actively search for your pet; cover few locations but one agent lives in Baltimore: http://www.ljttraining.com/ katalbrecht.com -- author of the book from which most of this info came; source of the book, and also see FAQ page for more advice. lostpetfoundpet.com -- (website may be down) advice on prevention and on searching animal-care.com -- source for traps and capture equipment catprofiler.com -- gives advice over phone for fee after listening to description of cat and situation; has many stories of found cats to give you hope and suggestions ================== FINDING A LOST DOG listing info only when it differs from cat info above. Note first and last listings under "Resources" are primarily or only cats; others apply to dogs too. PREVENTION Have ID tags on all dogs, and microchip is good idea. Monitor and repair loose fencing and holes; use chicken wire attached to bottom and dug into ground or weighted with cinderblocks to prevent digging. If dog tries to jump or climb fence, see reputable trainer. In some circumstances, including careless service people, dog can get out anyway. If you find a stray, assume it's lost, not abandoned. SEARCH See section on cat searching-- start at home and nearby, and look everywhere dog could be trapped or hide. Check all shelters in your area; impossible to tell how far dog could go or where it might be turned in. Contact all rescue groups in area; shelter should have list. ELDERLY, DISABLED, OR SMALL DOGS Usually found quickly within a few blocks. Search within 3/4 mile radius, smaller if urban, larger if more open. As with cats, place highly-visible posters throughout the area and distribute flyers up to a mile away. FRIENDLY OR PUREBRED DOGS Often "rescued" by people; more likely to be noticed and assumed to have an owner, but also more likely to be kept. Vigorous poster and flyer campaign, including fairly distant vets, pet stores, breed rescue groups, etc. AGGRESSIVE, SHY, PANICKED, OR SKITTISH DOGS Harder to capture and may travel farther. May run blindly or for miles, and likely to then seek out areas away from people-- forest, creek, cemetery, etc. Focus posters and flyers in area of disappearance and eventually in areas of sightings. May not respond to voice or sight of owner; may run away. More likely to respond to another dog (on a thirty-foot leash), or may enter baited trap of appropriate size. DISTRIBUTE FLYERS BE READY TO RESPOND PLACE AN AD USE A LOCAL LOST-PET WEBSITE DON'T GET SCAMMED DO NOT GIVE UP! Sometimes dogs have been located months or even years after disappearing. Do not give up hope! ========================================= SHERLOCK BONES (John Keane) 1979: How to Find Your Missing Pet, emphasis on dogs Secret is not so much in looking as in letting others know you are looking. Eight hours spreading the word with posters and contacts are more useful than same time hunting on your own. Make it easy for people to respond. Blanket area with hundreds of posters-- often it takes seeing several to really get someone's attention. Job is 80% spreading the word and 20% your visits to shelters. You're trying to reach everyone-- men, women, especially children; those who know animals or don't; those who will go out of their way and those who can't be bothered. Newspaper ads are a drop in the bucket. Don't assume someone has the animal and is looking for you. Most people aren't interested in helping you; they have their own lives. Allow for all possible motivations, so make search as to as broad an audience as possible. You're mounting a small advertising campaign to interest members of the public in looking for the animal and responding to your notices, so appeal to all possible categories and offend none. First, get their attention-- simple, clear, frequently repeated. If the first poster doesn't do it, the sixth may. Give them a reason to notice and be interested-- a reward. A reward motivates them, and is proof you're serious. Reader will translate the amount into something they want and this will stick in their mind. If they have the pet and intend to sell, this is easier money. If an amount is stated, saves them the step of calling to ask how much. Say "for info leading to return of", since often someone can direct you without knowing exact location. This motivates people who don't actually have the animal, or who don't want to get involved with the person who does. Poster needs clear description of animal and time and place last seen. BW photos reproduce better, or use drawing or photo of breed. Show or emphasize distinctive markings. Description of breed is meaningless to most people. Prominently display phone number or numbers available any hour day or night, and make sure someone will answer. Don't say "stolen" even if you're sure it was. Suggest legal-size posters, 1000 within 20-block radius of last sighting so anyone in the area will see them often. BEFORE THE LOSS The pet should always wear a collar and tags-- could get out or off property at any time. Shelters respond differently to animals with collars, even if no tags. If tags jingle too much, tape them together. Tags should be up-to-date so info is on file with city or county. Your phone number is also crucial, including area code. Pet's name is good idea; your name and address not needed but vet's number good. If moving, get new tags before the move. Inspect fence often. Make sure gates swing shut and latch. Have animals spayed and neutered. Give a new dog a tour of the neighborhood. Teach obedience training. Have clear, up-to-date black and white photos against a contrasting solib background, showing pet's shape and any distinctive features. Have note of height, weight, eye color, unusual patches or colors, scars, lumps, etc. Know the location and number of local shelters, including private ones (SPCA etc.) and those in neighboring cities or counties. Pets may be turned in elsewhere. People may turn in pets claiming to be the owner, assuming the animal has a better chance of adoption that way. Look up "animal shelters" and "humane societies". Ask your public shelter for contacts with any others, but don't assume they communicate with each other. get hours of operation and how long they keep animals, both strays and those surrendered by '"owners". If you actually need to search, ask again in case info has changed. SEARCHING If you can't find your pet in the neighborhood, get serious quickly-- don't wait a few days, even if it's been gone a few days before. In a shelter, a few days is all it has. 1. Call local animal shelter, police department (may hold temporarily), vet clinics and emergency vet clinics. If the shelter or police say they don't have it or can't make a positive ID, go anyway and check. Don't rely on their assurance to call you if they see it. Tags may have been removed or lost. Finding the animal is your responsibility; they have many animals to deal with. 2. Decide on a reward. Don't start small and go up later. You don't know what will pay off so go all-out from the beginning. Suggestion (SF area in 1979) is $50-300, average $100. Vary according to your resources, likelihood someone would want to keep or sell the animal, any outstanding qualities. 3. Design a poster. REWARD amount, large photo or drawing, info in bullet form: name, breed, age, sex. size, color, possibly collar, distinctive marks, where and when last seen. Standard or legal-size is best for visibility and merchant acceptance. Omit your name and address. Don't mention need for meds unless likely to be exhibiting distinctive symptoms; is overused and some may shun a "sick" animal. 4. Print 1000 copies on white paper. May need halftone for photo, but consider using drawing if halftone will take an extra day. 5. Visit all the shelters in the area, ask about their procedures and ask for the names of other shelters. Visit each one every other day, depending on how long they hold animals. Ask to see all the cats / dogs and inspect each one closely, including the quarantine areas for bite cases. Some shelters keep lists of "found" reports, but may get confused with "lost" reports so ask to see both lists. Check for both males and females. Collars and tags may be lost. Put up your poster if allowed. If looking for a small dog, check the cat area in case put into a small cage there. 6. Put up posters in 20-block radius of last sighting. Include public gathering places outside the area-- shopping centers, schools, etc. If recently moved across town, include old area. Set aside about 150 posters for later. Put up the others using map, tape, heavy-duty staple gun (rentable). Start in center and work out; most pets found within ten blocks. Best to have a friend helping drive. Place on opposite sides of every other utility pole, in zigzag pattern down each street. Place at low level so easy to read including for children and angled for pedestrians. If use tape, wrap all the way around the pole top and bottom. For drivers, place where they slow down and at each of four preceding poles, low enough so driver can see them through passenger windows. Catch their eye so they pause to read it. Place posters where people congregate: bus stops, newspaper stands, outside schools, parks, shops, pools, etc. Place them in stores, especially high-traffic areas: supermarkets, drug stores, convenience stores, vet offices, pet stores, beauty shops, barbershops, gas stations, laundromats, liquor stores, hobby shops. Speak to manager and put it up yourself; don't just leave poster with clerk. Best results if ask help with problem rather than a favor. Try for eye-level on or next to door. Visit school offices to see if you can put one on a bulletin board. Keep posters low in and outside of schools. At vet, speak to clerk and ask them to keep eye out for someone brining animal in. Mail poster to vets outside area, including note that you just want the animal back, not a legal issue. Mail same thing to groomers, boarders, even airline animal transporters. Blanket the area so anyone passing through will become aware of the missing animal-- may trigger an association past or future. Talk to as many people as possible and give them posters-- postmen, garbagemen, delivery people, newspaper carriers, police, meter readers, etc. Ask about posting inside post office and police station. Have several where news delivery people get drop-offs. Hand posters out to any kids you see. Check your posters every few days, and take them down when not needed. 7. Run newspaper ads. Read by few people but may reach farther; most effective if someone found untagged animal and is looking for owner. Lag time in placing may miss the days when they're reading. Make ad clear and easy to read with same info as poster, but keep location more general and not too narrow. Suggest major dailies, local weeklies (maybe even quarter-page). Be sure to read "found" ads starting day after disappearance, from library if necessary. Call local newspapers, radio, TV if anything unusual about pet or circumstances; they may run a story. 8. Be ready for leads to come in. Make sure someone will answer the phone at all hours. Keep a map by the phone and plot reports. Take posters along to put more up in reported area. Get caller's name and number ASAP in case they back out or hang up. Be casual; try not to sound desperate or make caller defensive. Avoid asking kids leading questions-- what did animal look like, not "did it look like X?" If you think it's a prank, get the number and call back. 9. try positive imaging-- can't hurt. Several times a day, try to relax and imagine happy reunion. Pay attention to subconscious-- it may remember or have seen something that you don't consciously recall. 10. Use caution and common sense in responding to calls. Very few are scams or crooks, but a few may be. Meet at their home unless it sounds fishy, then suggest public place and take a friend. Have cash or cashier's check ready at any time for reward; don't give a personal check with your info on it. Have the animal before you pay; OK to sit in car and ask to have animal brought to you. If told someone else has the animal, go there without phoning, no-nonsense "I understand you found my pet" and offer half the reward (other half to your unnamed informant). If hostile, mention you've registered your loss with the proper authorities; ask friend to watch house while you go to police. ================ Finding a pet may require more knowledge of human behavior than animal behavior. Lost dogs may seek quiet areas-- parks, cemeteries-- during the day and come out 5-8AM, evening and late at night. Empty streets in early morning are good time to look. Loss while traveling: Leave home-scented article of clothing where last seen, to encourage animal to stay there, and check often. Arrange to have calls forwarded from number on tag if no one will be there. List local and another (collect) number on posters in case you have to leave the area. Contact local newspapers, radio & TV stations who may run your story. Consider humane trap. Cats: usually stronger bond to place than to people; may adapt to new provider (even without leaving home). Follow ten steps above and also check garages, sheds, closets, boxes, trunks, basements, under bushes, etc. where may be shut in or hiding injured. Check shelters; some people will turn in a neighbor's cat. Always wear breakaway or expandable collar and tags. If you find a pet: If you're sure it's lost, secure it. If has official tag, call shelter; register as found even if you're willing to keep it until owner is contacted rather than taking it to shelter. If no tag or collar, don't assume no one is looking for it. Take it to local shelter or notify them and all others in area. Run ad, read back ads, ask around, look for posters. Animal has better chance with you than at shelter. If tag has your old number: will be forwarded to new number but only for a while. If time has expired, contact company, and go to president if you have to to ask for a bending of rule. if license tag was old, notify shelter and put up posters there.