Hi everyone!
To help you out...
You’ve lost or found a cat... what should you do?
If you have lost your cat:
- Check cellars, garages, and sheds in case they’ve accidentally been locked in (check your own place and ask the neighbours to do the same).
- Try calling your cat as often as possible during the quietest times of the day, and try making a noise they recognise (tapping their bowl on the floor, shaking a bag of dry food, etc.).
- If your pet is microchipped or tattooed, report them as lost to the microchip database they are registered with (such as Petlog or Identibase). Take this opportunity to make sure your contact details are fully up to date.
- Print some posters. These need to be eye-catching: use a big, clear "LOST CAT" heading, a photo of your cat, a brief description with the essential info (colour, breed, size, sex), the date and approximate location where they went missing, and your contact details. Mentioning a "Reward" can often be a good motivator...
- Hand these posters out everywhere: at the vets, the local council, the police station, local rescue centres/pounds, and animal charities, as well as to neighbours, passers-by, and local shopkeepers. At the same time, put up posters protected from the rain in plastic wallets in busy areas: bus stops, schools, and on lamp posts at eye level for drivers.
- The faster you act, the more people will be on the lookout, and the better your chances of finding your pet. Don’t hesitate to use specialist websites (see below).
If you have found a cat:
- Check if they are wearing a collar with a tag or an ID tube, or if they have a tattoo inside their ear or on their inner thigh. If they have a tattoo, contact the microchip/identification databases. If they don’t, they might still have a microchip; these are invisible to the naked eye but can be scanned for free by any vet, rescue centre, or local charity.
- Check if any posters have been put up in the neighbourhood or if a "missing" ad has been posted in local newspapers or on the websites listed below. Post an ad yourself on these sites to say you’ve found a cat, and let the local vets and people in your area know!
- A word of warning: if you have found an unidentified cat, keep one specific feature secret (a certain patch of colour, a scar, the colour of their collar, etc.) so you can be sure the people who contact you are the rightful owners when the time comes.
Websites where you can report a lost or found cat:
https://www.animalsearchuk.co.uk/
https://www.petslocated.com/
https://www.nationalpetregister.org/
https://www.facebook.com/ (Check for local "Lost and Found Pets" groups in your area)
Source: CHAT'CUN UNE PLACE
