We empathize deeply with the heartache and worry that accompany the loss of a loved cat. It’s a distressing ordeal, marked by moments of profound sadness, tears, and the desperate quest for answers. To assist those enduring this challenging situation, we’ve gathered vital tips on reuniting with your missing feline companion. But before delving into these strategies, allow us to recount a personal experience: the three weeks when our own beloved cat went missing, among the most sorrowful moments of our lives.

Our Cat went missing for 3 weeks – Story time

Due to personal reasons at the last minute, we had to travel to the UK for about two weeks. While we typically rely on Rover for pet sitting services, we couldn’t find anyone available at that time. So, we opted to post a request on Facebook, hoping to find someone who could care for our cat during our absence.

We received numerous responses, one of which came from an individual who already had a cat and offered to look after ours. Since we hadn’t known this person prior to our trip, we visited her home to introduce the cats, and everything seemed satisfactory. Moreover, her residence was conveniently located near ours, just a three-minute drive away, which made the arrangement even more convenient.

On the morning of our departure, we dropped off our cat at her house and headed to the airport. She kept us updated with pictures, and everything appeared to be going smoothly. However, the following day, before we even reached our destination, we received a distressing message: “Your cat is missing. We don’t know where he is.”… that’s how our nightmare started…

We reached our destination feeling utterly helpless. We were 5000 km away from home, and we didn’t know what to do. We reached out to friends in the area and asked them to start looking for him. However, we realized that we needed to be there for our beloved cat. After spending a day trying to sort out our personal matters, we made the decision that I (the catmom) needed to return home as soon as possible. So I travelled the next day back home. It was a heavy-hearted journey back, filled with the sole purpose of FINDING MY BELOVED CAT.

Our friends helped us search, while I (the cat mom) scoured the neighborhood every day, walking day and night. Despite our efforts, days passed without a single clue to his whereabouts. Our cat is afraid of loud noises, like cars, which made the search more challenging. Additionally, there’s a small forest near our home where I searched multiple times day and night, but found nothing. This happened three years ago in October, as the weather grew colder, intensifying our urgency to find him.

When my husband returned, we intensified our search efforts. We would comb the area late at night from 11:00 pm to 12:00 am and in the early hours from 3:00 am to 4:00 am. This routine continued for several days. Despite receiving messages claiming sightings of our cat, they turned out to be other cats. Coincidentally, we even helped two other cat owners find their missing pets. It was a bittersweet feeling; we were happy for the owners, yet simultaneously saddened by the lack of news about our own pet.

Three weeks after his disappearance, during our routine search around the sitter’s house, we returned home. Almost at midnight, we received a message from the sitter, informing us that our cat showed up at her home and would be returned home soon. When my husband heard the familiar cry, he exclaimed, “It’s him!” However, I needed to confirm it myself before celebrating. Upon opening the carrier, there he was, and tears of happiness filled my eyes. Finally, our cat was home.

Although he was in poor shape, appearing to have gone without food during those three weeks, he was home. He had lost a significant amount of weight, appeared extremely hungry. The next day, we took him to the vet to ensure his well-being. Thankfully, apart from needing to gain weight, he was healthy.

These are some of the things we did during those three weeks:

• Neighborhood search: Begin a physical search around the neighborhoods and gradually expand the search radius each day to cover more ground. Take their favorite toys with you, since they will hae their essence in it. Also, wet cat food, can attract them.

• Enlist the help of friends and neighbors in the search, and conduct thorough checks under decks and porches, in garages and sheds, and other potential hiding spots where a cat could be trapped. Keep in mind that indoor cats may be scared and hesitant to explore outside their familiar surroundings.

• Knock on doors and put up large, colorful “lost cat” posters in your area. It’s alright if some neighbors don’t answer, but the more people who are aware, the better the chances of finding your pet.

• Post on social media. There are multiple groups in your area dedicated to missing pets. Share a picture of your cat along with your contact information.

• Submit lost reports to your local animal shelters and vet clinics in your area. If your cat is microchipped, anyone who finds them can bring them to the clinics, where they can scan the chip to access your contact information.

• We used to play videos at home featuring cat meows to attract other cats, which our cat was familiar with. Coincidentally or not, we played some of those sounds on the day he was found during our neighborhood search. We can’t be certain that it helped, but why not give it a try?

Don’t give up. Stay persistent and hold onto hope that you will find your pet. It can be exhausting, but keep pushing forward.