Understanding lost cat behavior is essential for all pet owners. With a little more knowledge, the search for your lost kitty can be far more effective.
Indoor and outdoor cats will behave differently. Individual personalities, likes and dislikes, and previous experiences will also impact the decisions our furry friends make when they are lost.
However, most cats will seek somewhere secluded and safe to hide in silence until they feel confident enough to try and find their way back home.
We explore the top reasons why cats go missing and offer PetRadar's best advice on how to find your missing kitty.
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Key takeaways
Understanding lost cat behavior
Why do cats go missing?
How to find a missing cat
FAQs
Final thoughts
Understanding lost cat behavior
As cat owners, the panic that sets in when your kitty goes missing can cloud your judgment. You may become convinced of a certain scenario or believe your furry friend will come back on their own. Wrong theories, grief avoidance, and tunnel vision can lead to ineffective searches.
To increase the chances of reuniting with your fur baby, it's important to understand lost cat behavior. It goes without saying that our little buddies have their own personalities, and this can impact how they act when they get lost. However, there are certain rules that apply to the majority of cats and can help you understand your kitty's actions better.
"Wrong theories, grief avoidance, and tunnel vision can lead to ineffective searches."
Indoor only cat behavior
Indoor only cats do often escape. When this happens, it's understandable to feel distressed. Your kitty may not have the survival skills that outdoor cats have learned. More importantly, cats are extremely territorial. If they find themselves outside of their territory, they are considered a displaced cat.
Ultimately, this means an indoor only cat will go into survival mode. The unknown means there could be potential predators and other dangers, so your kitty's first instinct will be to hide. Common places of concealment include:
Under cars: Your indoor kitty probably won't understand the concept of roads and cars. For this reason, a parked car seems like the perfect hiding place for a lost cat. However, the risk of traffic, oil spills, and engines means your fur baby could be in danger.
Up trees: A cat climbing up a tree is a classic image and one we associate with adventurous kitties. However, if they are in unfamiliar territory, a cat's natural instinct is to get high. And we're not talking catnip. This is so they can survey the area and spot any potential predators.
Gardens: Gardens are the perfect place for your panicked cat to wait and hide. It's close to home and offers plenty of hidden nooks and crannies. Think sheds, garages, bins, long grass, and outbuildings.
Once your indoor cat has found a place they consider safe, they will wait in silence. Don't expect your cat to meow in response to your calls or to be meowing in distress. In order to avoid unwanted attention from wild animals, they won't make any noise.
Once the adrenaline has worn off (usually around the 24-hour mark), your cat will most likely make their way back to your door. However, lost cat behavior does depend on their personality.
Outdoor access cat behavior
Lost outdoor access, cats behave a little differently. Their territory likely extends quite far, as they're used to exploring a little further afield. This means it takes a little more for them to become displaced. However, it does happen. Likely scenarios include:
Being chased by a wild animal
Becoming disoriented or injured
A missing outdoor access cat will likely behave in a similar way to indoor cats. This includes hiding in silence until they think it is safe enough to come out.
It may be harder to find lost outdoor cats because they won't be so close to home. This also depends on their personality. If they already have a fearful temperament, they may hide for a lot longer, meaning you'll need to start the search efforts as soon as possible.
Different cat personalities and their behavior
As pet owners, we know one of the most rewarding aspects of owning a cat is understanding their unique personalities. Whether they spend half the day sleeping or whether they have the zoomies more often than not, we love them for who they are.
How your kitty behaves when they're lost can depend on their personality traits. As long as you take into consideration the general instinctual behavior of cats first, you can then begin to consider how your lost cat would act.
Are they adventurous?
Are they timid?
Are they aggressive?
Are they sociable?
I remember an adventurous Bengal who used to live near me, and I would see him at the train station most mornings, trying to board the trains. Nothing scared him. Not trains, cars, people, not even dogs. If he became displaced, it's likely he'd find his way home pretty soon.
However, my old cat loved her bed and disliked and feared almost anything that would disturb her naps. If she was lost, she'd likely find somewhere to hide and stay there for a long time.
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Expert Insight: Many cats will exhibit fearful behavior when they're lost, regardless of their normal temperament. For this reason, make sure you start searching hiding places for your missing cat immediately.
Why do cats go missing?
There are plenty of reasons why cats go missing and become lost. Whether you have a naturally skittish cat or a confident and sociable kitty, every type of furry friend has the potential to run away. But why? Let's explore the potential situations that could cause your little buddy to scarper.
Disruption to their routine
Our high-maintenance friends love routine. Whether that's a bedtime, dinner time, or a dedicated snuggle session. If this is disrupted, you risk distressing your cat. Common disruptions include:
New visitors
New pets
Moving house
Building work
Loud noises
These can be enough to spook your kitty and cause them to run away. To prevent this from happening, respect your cat's space. After all, being a good cat owner means respecting that the home is as much theirs as it is yours. When making any changes, be sure to introduce them gradually so your fur baby can adjust.
"After all, being a good cat owner means respecting that the home is as much theirs as it is yours."
They are in heat
If your cat hasn't been neutered, they will want to seek a mate when they are in heat. This means even the most docile of cats can become the greatest of explorers when it comes to mating. To prevent this from happening, make sure you keep all doors and windows locked during this part of your cat's cycle.
Shutting the windows can also help prevent your cat's scent from attracting cats to your house that are looking to mate.
They are pregnant
Pregnant cats need somewhere safe, secluded, and quiet to give birth. If your home doesn't provide this, they will likely leave to find somewhere that does. This often includes:
Abandoned buildings
Drawers, shelves, and closets
Cardboard boxes
Make sure you prepare a corner of your house specifically for your pregnant cat so they feel safe enough to give birth.
They are sick
Unfortunately, it's not a complete myth that cats go missing when they're about to die. Our kitties are intuitive and understand when they feel weaker and more vulnerable. If they are sick, they will seek somewhere completely isolated and secluded to hide so they don't encounter any predators.
This means most cats will often go missing before they die. Even if they are normally an indoor only cat, their instincts will tell them to up sticks. Remember, this isn't a reflection on you as an owner.
How to find a missing cat
If your fur baby has gone missing, follow our advice. We've reunited [[petsFoundBack]] cats with their owners already, so you're in good hands! It goes without saying that you should continue searching for your kitty until you find them. However, there are actions alongside this that can help speed up the process.
Include your neighbors
Starting a PetRadar search means you can reach thousands of your neighbors through social media. You choose the radius of your neighbors and we'll organize a sponsored ad campaign that will pop up on their Instagram and Facebook, telling them about your missing cat.
We've already reunited 8000+ cats with their owners, so you're in good hands. We'll support you throughout the whole process and instantly notify you when any sightings are reported.
Call and visit local shelters
Animal shelters are incredibly important resources for a local community. They offer a safe place for lost and unwanted cats to live until they can find their forever homes. The likelihood is that if a neighbor finds your lost kitty, their first instinct will be to hand them in to a local shelter.
Be sure to call not only local shelters but also organizations a little further afield. While our kitties tend to roam only a few hundred meters from home a day, if they are lost, they can walk 10-20 miles (16-32km) in a couple of days. This means it's very possible your little buddy has been handed in to a shelter from another neighborhood.
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Top Tip: Remember to visit and contact nearby vets as well as your local animal shelter. If your cat was injured or sick, it's likely they have been handed in to a veterinarian's office.
Lure your cat back home
In between your active physical search, you can make sure you are still attracting your cat back home. As we know, our kitties have fantastic homing instincts. With the ability to smell a scent from 4 miles (6.5km) away and to hear frequencies three times higher than humans, we can tap into these superpowers to lure our kitties back home.
To do this, gather items that will smell strongly like you, your family, and your kitty. These can include:
Blankets
Toys
Scratch posts
Your cat's litterbox
Next, you'll need to leave out food and treats. It's likely your fur baby is pretty hungry if they've been missing for a while. Make sure you leave fresh food out every night to help your cat locate you. While you may attract some unwanted wildlife, it's worth persevering. Also, remember to leave water out, as it's essential your kitty has access to drinking water.
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Top Tip: Set up digital wildlife cameras so you can see if your kitty is coming back for food. If you see that they are in the area, you can set up baited humane traps to secure your cat."
FAQs
Do cats know when they are lost?
Yes, cats do know when they are lost. Cats are very territorial, so if they become displaced, they won't recognize the area around them and can become disoriented.
When should I start worrying about a lost cat?
You should start worrying about a lost cat immediately. If they haven't come home for dinner as usual, start the search as soon as possible. If it's an indoor cat that has escaped, make sure you begin the search straight away.
How long will a cat hide if scared outside?
A cat will usually hide for around 24 hours if they are scared outside. Once the adrenaline wears off, they'll likely start to try and find their way back home. If they aren't used to the outdoors, they may hide for longer.
Do cats miss their owners when they are lost?
If a cat is lost and in unfamiliar territory, they will likely feel scared and distressed. Because of this, and because of the strong bond our kitties form with us, it's likely they do miss their owners when they are lost.
How long can cats disappear for?
Cats can disappear for anywhere between a few hours and even a few years! It's most likely your cat will disappear for 24 hours to a few days. But there are plenty of stories of cats returning home after years of being lost, so don't give up hope!
Where would indoor cats go if they were lost?
When indoor cats are lost, they go to hidden and secluded places. This is to protect themselves from predators, so be sure to check under cars, up trees, and in sheds or garages.
Should you look for a lost cat?
Yes, you should always look for a lost cat. Recent research has shown that a thorough physical search is the most effective way to find your missing kitty.
How do I attract my cat back home?
There are plenty of ways to attract your cat back home. These include:
Leaving their litter box outside
Leaving food and blankets outside
Opening up doors and windows[[/faq-answer]]
Final thoughts
Our favorite furry friends are notoriously difficult to understand. However, with some basic understanding of lost cat behavior, we can improve the odds of finding our missing kitties.
Our main priority at PetRadar is to reunite displaced cats with their worried owners. With a {{foundBackPercentage}} success rate, you're in good hands. We'll do all we can to help you through the tricky time of losing a pet.
Remember, your lost pet is likely waiting in a secure hiding place, so be patient and keep searching!
Written by
Lauren Jeffries
In this blog, I combine my two areas of expertise: pets and writing. I share my personal experiences alongside plenty of animal behavior research to help owners look after their pets. I have always lived with furry friends and am now a loving cat mum to two orange kitties.
