Expert: Jessica - 8/31/2010

Question
My cat has been missing now for 7 days.  It's not like him to wander far.  I miss him deeply and i am worried that he won't come home.  We live in a very small town and I have looked endlessly for him, but to no avail. Any advice would greatly be appreciated

loranne

Answer
Hi Loranne,

I'm sorry to hear your pet has gone missing.  If you haven't posted flyers at your local veterinarians' offices, I would recommend doing this right away.  Also, notify your local shelter and animal officer that your cat is missing, and place a lost ad in your local newspaper.  These are often free of charge.  I also would suggest leaving some cat food out at night.  Many cats never leave their home base but stay hidden during the daytime hours because they're afraid.  They come out at night looking for food.  If you find the food missing, I would suggest setting up a humane trap to see if you can catch what you're feeding.  Perhaps it will, indeed, be your cat!  I've caught my lost cats this way a couple of times.  Sometimes your shelter or animal officer will have a humane trap to lend you, but if not, you can buy one relatively inexpensively at a pet supply or lawn and garden store.  The size for raccoons and skunks is the one you want.

You may also want to check out www.sherlockbones.com.  This is the website of a pet detective who goes by the name Sherlock Bones.  I hired him once, and he was a pleasure to work with.  He also has an e-book available for download that gives you tips to help you find your own lost pet.  

Best of luck!  I know how heart wrenching it is to lose a kitty.  I really hope he finds his way home.

Jessica