7 Reasons Your Outdoor Cat Is Missing

Outdoor access cats are those that live primarily indoors but are given time outside. The time outside can vary but usually these cats come indoors for the night. If an outdoor access cat disappears, there are several possibilities as to why. 

• Theft

A purebred or exotic that’s very friendly, wearing no collar, and living in a place like an apartment complex is at a higher risk than a dull-colored tabby that lives in the country. Are there indications that your cat has the high risk categories for theft? These include the cat being purebred, physical evidence to suggest theft, or revenge motives? 

• Rescue

Has someone found your pet and assumed it was abandoned? Maybe someone felt your cat needed to be “saved?” Often these rescuers don’t make an attempt to find the cat’s owner and kept it, turned it into a rescue group, or gave it to someone else. 

• Intentional Disposal

Did someone want to kill your pet or remove it from the area? Cats that defecate away from their owner’s yards are at high risk as they are known to upset neighbors. Also, cats that live in the area of bird fanciers, animal haters, and fighting dog ring members are at risk. 

• Unintentional Displacement

Maybe someone accidentally moved your pet out of the area but didn’t know it. This most often happens to cats that climb into open car windows, open moving vans, or have crawled into an object like a couch that was moved out of the area. Some cats are known to climb into cars whereas others fear cars and open vehicles. 

• Injury, Illness, or Death

Could the cat have suffered an illness, injury, or poisoning? These are always risks when a cat goes outdoors. Most cats, though, will seek shelter within its established territory. An injured cat often won’t meow when called by their owners. It’s best to obtain permission from neighbors to go into their yards and search for yourself. 

• Wildlife Kill

If you’ve see or heard coyotes, foxes, or bobcats in your area, then your pet is at some level of risk. Terrain and frequency of wild animal sightings dictate the level of risk. 

• Trapped

Cats are often victims of becoming trapped because they’re curious by nature. Whether inside a neighbor’s house, shed, under a house, up a tree, or inside a pipe, becoming trapped is a major reason cats disappear. Usually a cat will be trapped within its established territory.

Area Searching For Reptiles

There are several different search categories used in the Pet Detective business. One type of search is a thorough area search. A thorough area search is a slow, meticulous search of an area and is used for animals such as hamsters, lizards, turtles and snakes. Basically it’s used for animals that aren’t likely to travel very far. In law enforcement, a thorough area search is conducted when searching for physical evidence such as a shell casing used in a homicide that landed in tall grass. The search technique for this type of evidence involves a slow, careful, and intense search of a small area.

 The goal of a thorough area search is to search every square inch of a small area to see if the animal can be located. In many cases, the search for a missing cat will start out as an efficient search (covering a large area), but will involve portions in which a thorough search is conducted. For example, someone might conduct an efficient search moving from yard to yard in a neighborhood until evidence suggests examining a wood pile. At that point, a meticulous, thorough search begins by moving wood, piece by piece, until it’s been determined that the missing cat is trapped, hiding, or deceased inside the pile.

 Searching involves layers in a way. It’s best to start off large and then move small. The small areas that you choose to thoroughly examine can be chosen based on anything from intuition to tracks or pet hair in the area. A thorough search of a 1 acre lot could take hours! However, if you have a hunch that the animal of interest could be in a certain area then conduct a smaller scale but more comprehensive search.

Scent Luring To Retrieve Cats

Many experts recommend that if your cat is lost that you spread cat litter, cat feces, or scent articles of the cat owner around the home that the cat is missing from. The idea is that your cat ran away or is our of the area and by putting something with your scent on it, like a dirty T-shirt, in your yard, it will attract your cat and entice it to come home. This is likely not a very useful way to attract your cat.

Your scent is already dispersed outside of your home so there’s no need to lay scent articles all over the place. Cats don’t respond readily to scent, especially when they’re panicked and afraid. Once they’ve become accustomed to their new location (or hiding place) they sometimes will respond to scent. The scent they’ll respond to is usually only food scents and that’s because at this point they’re hungry. So use baited human traps with food instead.

There will be testimonials online from cat owners who swear by scent luring by spraying their urine, placing dirty clothing, or scattering dirty cat litter in their yards. Nearly all of these incidents involve cats that were indoor-only cats that escaped outdoors and in some cases outdoor-access cats. These particular cats probably returned home not from the scent, but rather from a behavior called “The Threshold Phenomenon” or their own temperament. Threshold Phenomenon, basically, is the time a cat will wait before it becomes hungry and starts to move. So cats that were believed to have come home due to scent would have come home anyway without a scent lure in the first place. 

Another reason why scent luring is not recommended for bringing cats home is that it’s a passive approach to finding a lost cat. Cat owners might believe they are being proactive by placing scent articles around when their time could be better utilized conducting an aggressive, physical search of their yard or by setting humane traps in the area. Of course, it’s less intrusive to your neighbor to lay a dirty t-shirt in your yard than it is to ask permission to crawl under their house, but obtaining permission from a neighbor to physically search their yard is a great method.

13 Reasons Why a Pet Might Disappear

Pets vanish for many reasons but usually the disappearances fit into one of 15 categories.

1. Intentionl Theft

People may steal a pet that has market value and sell it to someone else.  Pure-bred dogs and cats as well as exotic animals like reptiles and birds are often victims.

2. Intentional Theft

People might steal a pet to keep it for themselves.  Animal hobbyists or those that are interested in particular breeds are the culprits

3. Intentional Theft

Sometimes people will steal animals and sell them to research labs.  This is rare, but it does occur.

4. Relational Theft/Cruelty/Euthanasia

In order to retaliate against a relative for any reason, people often target their pets.

5. Misappropriation of Lost Property

6. Captured by Animal Control

7. Turned In To Animal Control/Humane Society

8. Self-Adopted by a well meaning person

If a person is unaware that the pet they find is lost, they sometimes just keep it for themselves.

9. Rescued and Adopted Out by Rescue Groups

10. Victim of Animal Cruelty

This can include mutilation, animal sacrifice, etc.

11. Hit and Run

These are often unidentified animals in veterinary clinics

12. Transported out of Area

Pets can wind up at distant shelters, rescue groups, etc.

13. Trapped or Deceased and Never Recovered

Animals can end up under homes, down wells, etc.

Trapping Techniques Part 1

How do traps work?

A  humane trap is designed to contain an animal without harming it. It’s basically a cage with a door held open lightly by means of a latch. Food is used to entice an animal inside and is placed on a trip plate. When the animal puts its weight an the trap it releases the latch causing the door to drop down behind the animal, trapping it inside. The trap you want should have a quiet mechanism so that the trapped animal is not frightened.

Where can I get a trap?

You can buy traps at hardware stores and they’re also available for loan or rent at certain animal shelters. In some places renting a trap for a week can equal the cost of simply buying a new trap. If you’re considering buying a new trap, remember that you might be using it for several weeks in order to retrieve your animal.   

How many traps do I need?

Get two traps, if possible. Two will allow you to place a trap in two areas at the same time and cuts down on the time and any inconveniences that only having one trap may cause. If you live in a country or forest area with many good hiding places, having two traps will allow you to cover twice as much ground in the same amount of time.

What kinds of preparations should I make before trapping?

• Get permission from neighbors to trap. Don’t assume they’re animals lovers!
• Create a map of the neighborhood and pinpoint areas that could be great hiding places as well as places a pet would avoid.
• Document the names and addresses of neighbors that you’ve obtained permission to trap in their yards.

Observing and Ducking to Retrieve Skittish Dogs

Dogs that have a xenophobic personality type or are generally “skittish” are very challenging to retrieve, even for their owners. These dogs are hardwired to be fearful. There are ways to get them back should they escape, though.

One method for getting close to a fearful dog is called the “Observe and Duck” technique. It’s been referred to by different names and all mean the same thing. When a skittish dog is observed during a search or if a person spots a dog in general, it’s best to immediately “duck” or crouch into a sitting or lying position. This behavior makes a dog curious and it’s non-threatening. Keep the dog in sight with peripheral vision and don’t look directly at the dog or its eyes.

When in the crouched or lying position with the dog in sight, begin to yawn. Behavioral studies have shown that animals don’t yawn while hunting. Also while yawning don’t show your teeth or try to cover your mouth with your hands. Should the dog not “buy” any of this and dart away, you’ll still be able to tell in which direction it went even though your head is turned. Of course, don’t wear sunglasses to cover your eyes!

The idea is to calm a skittish dog so that the dog will approach out of curiosity. If you have food with you that you can offer that’s helpful as well. Whatever you do don’t make sudden, quick movements. If you act calmly the dog may begin to trust you.

A Cat’s Personality Type Influences its Travel Distance

The temperament of a cat influences its actions. Understanding how a cat behaves when in its usual surroundings will influence how it behaves when it’s displaced into unfamiliar territory. In addition to posting flyers and checking the cages of local shelters, you should develop a search strategy based on the behavior of your cat. You might not even know what behavior-type your cat falls into. Here’s a guide of the 4 main cat personality types.  What kind of cat do you have?

• Curious & Clown Cat  

These are super-friendly cats that are interested in everything that comes their way, including strangers.  They’re not afraid of anything. When displaced, they hide at first, but soon begin to travel and explore their new world. Fluorescent posters within a five block radius is a great strategy to find them. Also, talk to neighbors and search possible hiding places in yards of houses and other areas within a close proximity to the escape point. Although gregarious, you can’t assume this type of cat will come when you call as it might think its having too much fun to come home!

• Careless Cat

These are aloof cats don’t have much interest in people at all. When approached by a stranger they’ll usually just stand back and watch. When lost they’ll likely hide at first and then soon break cover and come back to the door, meow, or possibly travel. The strategy should be to search hiding places nearby and ask neighbors search their yards. Setting a baited human trap is another option.

• Cautious Cat

These cats are generally stable personalities and often show shyness. They like people in general but they dart and hide in the presence of someone new. They hide first and then when everything appears safe they’ll investigate. When lost, they’ll immediately hide and be fearful. If they haven’t been scared off from their initial hiding place, they’ll likely return to the escape point or they’ll meow when they hear their  owner’s voice when the owner comes to look for them. This behavior starts within the first two days (after the cat has built up confidence) or not until seven to ten days later when they become hungry and thirsty and have reached and are ready to respond. The strategy for the retrieval of these types of cats would be to conduct a tight search in neighbors’ yards and to set baited humane traps.

• Catatonic & Xenophobic Cat

Xenophobia means “fear of things unknown.” Xenophobic cats are afraid of just about everything. This behavior is hardwired into their character through genetics or experiences they’ve had as kittens. These cats will hide around strangers and they’ll typically not come out until long after the “coast is clear”. They don’t do well with being held or petted and are disturbed by any change in their environment. When lost, they dart away and then hide in silence. They tend to remain in the same hiding place and become frozen with fear. If they’re found by a stranger they’re usually mistaken as being feral. The primary strategy to recover these cats would be to set baited human traps. Xenophobic cats that become lost are usually absorbed into the feral cat population.

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