Do you have a cat in your neighborhood or yard that appears to be a stray or is too fearful to actually approach?  Here’s a method that will likely work every time… 

Attach a string to a stick and use the stick to prop up a laundry basket.  Place a plate underneath the basket that contains something a cat would like to eat.  Tuna works great since it has an odor that carries for long distances.  The string should be long enough that it can extend to somewhere where you’ll be watching in secrecy out of view of the skittish cat. 

The cat will approach your setup cautiously.  It will be attracted to the tuna and will likely begin eating.  Allow the cat time to become comfortable eating the tuna.  After a minute or so it will feel safe and let it’s guard down.  This is the time where you can pull the string and the basket will come down over the cat, trapping it inside.

 Once the cat is trapped inside the basket, it’s important to quickly run to the basket and put something heavy on it so that a frantic cat that’s bouncing around won’t escape or knock over the light laundry basket and run away.  A large book such as a dictionary works well.  

You’ll get one shot at this.  If the cat escapes it will likely avoid a similar trap in the future. The success rate for this kind of capture is very high.  Also, it’s a lot of fun!  The cat is completely unharmed and once it’s under the laundry basket you can call animal control to have the cat humanely removed.

There are a number of methods that cat owners can use to identify their beloved pets, from collars and harnesses with engraved tags to more permanent solutions such as tattoos. There are pros and cons to each so we’ll take a look!

Collars and Tags 

Collars come in a wide variety of colors, materials, and styles as do the identification tags they hold. In towns requiring registration, collars and tags are sometimes mandatory just like some places that require rabies vaccinations for cats. ID tags should contain the owner’s name, phone number, and the veterinarian’s phone number. 

Pros and Cons:

• Inexpensive, easily available, and do not have to be installed by a professional.
• The information you can put on an ID tag is limited because of the small size.
• Can easily be removed by someone who wants to steal your cat.
• Must be replaced as the collar wears out.
• Some cats just don’t like collars.
• Collars can cause issues in the fur of long-haired cats. 

Tattooing 

Tattoos can be placed either on the inner leg of the cat or inside of the outer portion of the ear. Both methods will require shaving. Tattooing is usually associated with a registry which assigns a number and keeps the information on file for the cat associated with the number. There are several registries so the finder of a lost cat may be confused as to which registry to call. Tattoos should be administered by a trained specialist. 

Pros and Cons:

• Permanent but may fade over time and become illegible.
• Doesn’t take a long time to administer to the cat.
• The tattoo registries themselves don’t move but there are multiple registries which make locating an owner more difficult.
• May lessen the possibility of theft
• Can be altered by someone that really intends to steal the cat.
• A tattooed kitten will grow and so will the tattoo so it might become disfigured over time
• Many people don’t even think to look for a tattoo on a lost cat.
• Anesthesia is required to administer a tattoo – this could be dangerous to an older or sick cat. 

Whatever you choose, it’s important to choose something. All pets need an identity. It does no good for a stranger to find your cat only to be unable to locate you. Proper identification of cats can greatly increase their odds of going home.

Cats, due to their size, curiosity, and flexibility, can end up in many places, some of which are unexpected. 

• Trapped

Trapped cats can be found in sheds, basements, inside RV’s or used and unused cars, and neighbor’s homes. They also find their way into chimney’s, walls, underground pipes, under homes, and up poles and trees. Keep an eye open for wires and branches that point inwards towards good hiding places. 

• Displaced

Believe it or not, many cats escape from facilities such as the vet’s office, pet sitters, boarding facilities, airports, and car accidents. 

• Injured, ill, or deceased

A cat that’s in unfamiliar territory is subject to many risks. These include being hit by cars, natural causes like illnesses, and wildlife. Wildlife predators that can put a cat at risk are coyotes, hawks and owls, bobcats, raccoons, large snakes, and cougars. It’s unlikely that all of these predators are in your area and sometimes none of them will be. Other physical risks to cats include rat poison and antifreeze. Also, when a cat is injured or sick, it will often become silent as a protective measure. 

• Stolen

Yes – people steal pets and especially cats. Many purebred and exotic species are targets mainly because they can be resold at a profit. Stealing a pet for revenge against someone is another common motive. 

• Fireworks, storms, and gunshots

During incidents of loud sounds dogs will run but cats will hide. 

• Unintentional transport

Cats can find their way into open moving vans, inside transported furniture, service vehicles of plumbers and roofers, and any other open vehicle. 

• Intentional transport

People will remove cats for many reasons. Cat-hating neighbors that have birds as pets could be the culprits. Apartment and condo managers have been known to do this also.

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.

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.

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.