Each year, thousands of Cats are lost in France, plunging their master into anxiety. Sometimes adventurous by nature, cats are able to travel several kilometers a day around their territory.
What do you do when you are faced with this extremely stressful situation? Can you increase the chances of your cat being found when it gets lost?
However, there is only one watchword: never lose hope. Today, many methods exist to find your cat. Among the most effective, use the Pet Alert network in order to mobilize Internet users and put all the chances on your side.
Here are our tips if you unfortunately lose your cat.
Have you just noticed the disappearance of your cat? First, try to stay calm. The situation is stressful, but you need to keep your cool to act as effectively as possible.
The first thing you should do when you notice that your pet is missing is to look for it near your home. Go around your neighborhood by calling your cat. Look under the cars, in the nooks and crannies. You can take a small box of sweets with you to attract him if you are lucky enough to find him.
Do not hesitate to question passers-by. Ring the doorbell to question the locals and question the traders. The aim is to alert as many people as possible to the disappearance of your feline. I saw my cat, what should I do? Above all, don't come out too loud and don't get agitated. You could frighten your feline and cause him to flee again. There's no need to shout or yell at him either. Try to draw him to you calmly, by calling him softly. If you have brought sweets, try to get them to you thanks to her. Praise your cat by caressing them when they approach you. Show him that his return is synonymous with joy.
If your walk around the neighborhood didn't help, then it's time to move on to the next step: creating posters. You will place these posters in very busy, clearly visible places, such as bus shelters, electric poles, trash cans. Also, do not hesitate to leave them in local shops, such as tobacco shops or grocery stores.
Your poster should be simple and legible. Write down your animal's name and date of disappearance. Specify if your cat is wearing a collar, if it is identified by a tattoo or a chip. Put a photo as well. Finally, leave a means of contact such as an email or telephone.
Once you have alerted the inhabitants of your neighborhood, multiply your chances of finding your four-legged friend by using the Pet Alert network. The PetAlert network, created in 2012, brings together millions of members throughout France, both in mainland France and overseas.
Present on Facebook, Pet Alert allows you to put an announcement on one line about the disappearance of your feline. Each French department has its own Pet Alert page to facilitate searches and focus efforts.
To post an ad, go to the Pet Alert site and click “Post an ad.” Enter your animal's name, date, and place of disappearance. Specify whether it is identified by chip or by tattoo. Give some information about his character. Pet Alert offers you to post your ad immediately for a financial consideration, but you can also put it online for free, with a delay of 24 hours. There is also the Boost option, which makes it possible to reach ten times more people.
Once your ad is posted on social media, Pet Alert volunteers get to work, while network users share your information with as many people as possible.
In this way, Pet Alert allows you to reach a lot more people than simple posters in your neighborhood. By using PetAlert, you maximize the chances of finding your feline. In any case, never lose hope. Sometimes some cats are found several years after they disappeared.
Also, continue the research on your end. If your cat is identified, immediately notify theI-CAD, the national identification file for domestic carnivores. Go to the I-CAD website to report the loss of your feline.
Then, notify the pound (s) in your area of the disappearance of your feline. Also notify the town hall and the police. Remember to leave your contact details so that we can contact you quickly.
Visit the pound regularly to make sure that your cat is not there. If it is not identified, know that it will be declared abandoned after eight days.
Finally, if you suspect theft, file a complaint immediately with the gendarmerie or the national police.
Also notify associations and shelters in your region. They will thus be able to warn you if your cat is brought in by the pound.
If your cat is not identified, this will limit the risks of it being put back for adoption. Call shelters and associations very regularly to keep up to date with the situation.
Also, don't forget to call veterinary clinics near you. Indeed, a person who found your four-legged friend may have taken him to the vet to check that he was not injured. If your dog doesn't have a tattoo or a chip, the vet will have no way of identifying it. He may then contact the pound or an association.
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On the other hand, if you have warned him, the practitioner will be able to recognize your four-legged friend and contact you to give you the good news.
