AND in the Houston area: Houston Save-a-Pet and Pet Support - This Facebook page is for rehoming animals, soliciting for fosters/rescues, posting adoptable animals, asking questions…etc.

If searching for a lost cat, we highly recommend you check out the Lost Cat Finder (aka The Lost Cat Pet Detective or Kim Freeman)

Click here to find other Lost Pet Detectives (for cats and dogs) by state.

We know that a tipped ear means that the cat was previously TNR’d. However, it does not always mean that it is a free-roaming, outdoors only community cat. Many of us live with cats and kittens with tipped ears. When these cats somehow get out, we pray that the person who finds him/her will take a bit of time to check the lost cat listings for the area and check for a microchip. And we hope that the person realizes that this cat who may not have lived outside for a very long time might be very afraid and appear feral.

Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter offers these tips for finding a lost pet:

Make an Effective Flyer for your area and local vets – Use the 5+5+55 Rule

At any typical intersection, you only have five seconds and five words to get your message across to drivers who are passing through the area where your pet is missing. So:

Make them GIANT so that people driving by cannot miss them.
Make them FLUORESCENT so that the color attracts the attention of everyone.
Put them in your yard, major intersections near where you lost your pet, and in areas of sightings.
Keep them BRIEF and to the point.
Let them convey a VISUAL IMAGE of what you have lost.

Click here for more tips and links to local animal shelters.

The Missing Animal Response Network offers online training that includes:

Lost Dog Behavior
Lost Cat Behavior
How to Make Large Neon Posters
Why We Say Don’t Call Your Dog!
How to Tag Your Car Like a Mobile Billboard and so much more!!!

If your cat is used to being outside but usually stays close to the house and doesn’t wander, If they wandered farther than they are used to and became lost/displaced, those cats are almost always hiding nearby but may be spooked. Leave a door, garage or window open for them to re enter if possible. (Keep in mind this is at your own risk due to safety concerns and other pets would need to be secured first). Tell all your neighbors and put up neon poster board lost cat signs. Put some of your dirty clothes outside so they can smell their way home. Use a flashlight at night to look for eyes. Fear can make even the most tame cat act feral so some may need to be trapped. It's not recommended to put out a litter box as it can attract other cats and wildlife that might run off or kill your cat. Otherwise, something may have happened to prevent your cat from coming home. Have your neighbors check all their garages and sheds in case he got locked inside. Put up the lost cat flyers in case someone took him in.

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lnside-only cats are almost always hiding very close unless they have been chased out of the area. Tell all your neighbors and put up neon poster board lost cat signs. Leave a window, garage, or door open to your house if it’s safe to do so for them to re-enter. (Keep in mind this is at your own risk due to safety concerns and other pets would need to be secured first.) It is very likely they will try to re-enter through the door they escaped from. Put some clothing, shoes, towels, etc. that has your scent as this can help them find their way home. Physical searches in a 5-house radius (500 yards) of your house is one of the most important things you can do. Look in trees, on roofs, bushes, storm drains and under/in everything. This includes under and in parked cars as scared cats will climb inside their undercarriage. Use a flashlight late at night to look for eyes as they will glow. Scared cats may still move around so you may need to check the same places multiple times. Fear can make even the most tame cat act feral so some need to be trapped. They probably won’t come to your call. It is also not uncommon for them to be missing for over a week before they come out of hiding. It's not recommended to put their litter box or food outside because it can attract other cats and wildlife that might run off or kill your cat. Watch this short video on how to help find your lost cat. https://www.facebook.com/FrontStreetAnimalShelter/videos/204603164050824/

Lost & Found Cats

Whether you are missing a cat or want to check to see if a cat has been reported missing before trapping it, the sites below are some of the many resources available. Key lost & found pages include CraigsList, Nextdoor, PawBoost, Facebook Lost & Found pages, and your local animal shelters.

If searching for a lost cat, we highly recommend you check out the Lost Cat Finder (aka The Lost Cat Pet Detective or Kim Freeman)

Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter offers these tips for finding a lost pet:

Visit us on Facebook!