LOST your cat? Don’t panic! Be patient!

This page is meant as a quick “what to do” guide, but please check our Resources page to find more detailed information, and don’t forget to enter your lost cat’s details in our database.

When indoor cats get loose, they are usually scared and go into hiding and WILL NOT come out even if they hear you calling. Even though you don't see your cat, most likely she is hunkered down somewhere very close to home. (If she is an outdoor cat, then she's probably not able to come home for some reason—either she's trapped somewhere, a good samaritan picked her up, or... something bad happened to her.)

First things first—check EVERYWHERE in your house. Think of every cabinet, closet, appliance, and box you opened since you lost saw your cat, and check all those places. Cats have hopped into open storage totes that were then closed up and put away; they’ve climbed into dishwashers; they’ve curled up for a nap in the darkest corner of that closet that never gets opened.

If you are certain your cat has gotten out, put something outside that has her scent on it—a kitty bed, or a dirty litter box. Put out a dish of very smelly food as well (like tuna or canned cat food). Keep that food dish full and fresh until you find your cat. You can also make “litter trails” with used litter leading back to your property to help your cat find its way.

As soon as possible, saturate the area around your home with “lost cat” posters. Cats don’t wander very far, so concentrate on the streets immediately around your home. If possible, knock on doors and give the flyer to your neighbors personally. Ask them to check under their decks, in any backyard sheds, inside their garages, etc.

There are also paid services that will help you locate your cat. Dogs Finding Dogs is a local non-profit that uses search dogs to find missing pets (cats too!). FindToto will robo-call homes near where your cat went missing with a recording describing the cat and giving your contact information.

If your cat is microchipped, immediately notify the microchip company. (If you don’t know the name of the company, the veterinarian who inserted the chip can tell you.) The microchip company will usually send out an alert to all local veterinary clinics and shelters, as well as individuals who have signed up to receive their alerts.

Report your cat as “lost” to your local shelter/animal control. (Actually, it doesn’t hurt to report your lost cat to ALL the local shelters; sometimes people will pick up a cat in one area and take it to a shelter in another.) You can submit a lost cat report online to the Maryland SPCA here. You can download a lost cat PDF form to email/fax to BARCS here. And to report a lost cat to Baltimore County Animal Control, email ilostmypet@baltimorecountymd.gov. Click here for a list of other Central Maryland shelters.

You should also visit your local shelters IN PERSON every couple of days. Most shelters do not have enough staff to try to match up lost/found pet reports and it's better if you physically go look for your pet yourself. Doing this will also help you get to know the shelter workers/volunteers, and they will be more likely to remember you and notice if a cat comes in matching your cat's description. You can also look through some of the local shelters’ listings online. (Again, this should be in addition to going to the shelter in person!) You can view a list of cats brought in as “stray” to Baltimore County Animal Control here. BARCS does not maintain a separate list of strays, but all cats currently at the shelter are listed here. (Note: don’t rely solely on the search function to look through the listings, as many times the cat’s color or sex is listed incorrectly.) The Maryland SPCA maintains an online listing of cats found in the community here. (Note: these cats are not usually AT the MDSPCA itself.)

Because your cat is scared, she most likely will hide until it gets very quiet, very late at night (or early in the morning). You’ll have better luck looking for your cat at these times—set your alarm and get up at 3 or 4 AM; take a flashlight outside with you and bring some smelly cat food, and sit quietly outside for 10 or 15 minutes, quietly calling for your cat. Shine the flashlight around and look for a cat’s eyes glowing in the dark.

If your cat won’t come out, that doesn’t mean she’s not there; she’s just too scared. See if your local SPCA/shelter/whatever will lend you a humane trap. Set it overnight with something really stinky like tuna. (Put the trap near whatever looks like the most cat-friendly hiding spot near where the cat went missing.) You may want to use several traps. Your kitty will likely venture out overnight or in the early morning hours when it's quiet and there's no one around, and there's a good chance you'll be able to trap her. (You might also catch all sorts of other things, but be patient and keep up with it!) Check the trap several times throughout the night.

If you don’t find your cat in a day or two, you’ll need to do more to get the word out. Give a flyer to your mail carrier, local bus drivers, and dog walkers.Think of the places that your neighbors frequent: local grocery and convenience stores, libraries, coffee shops, post offices, hardware stores, etc. Also hang flyers at any establishments that cater to pet owners: local pet supply stores, dog parks, veterinary clinics, etc. Check this map of local caretakers of feral/stray cats, and send a description of your cat to the caretakers closest to you.

If you’re on Facebook, create a page for your lost cat. You can then purchase Facebook ads for your page that are targeted by location. (See this article for more information.) Post your cat’s photo on the Facebook wall of local businesses’ pages, and ask them to share it. If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, use it to share your cat’s photo—use hashtags to narrow down your location (neighborhood name, ZIP code, etc.), and contact local businesses, media outlets, and personalities that are on Twitter and ask them to retweet. Check to see if your neighborhood has a site on Nextdoor.com and share your cat’s information there. If you have a local community association, ask them to put out the word as well; you can find a list of Baltimore City neighborhood associations here.

Above all, be prepared for the long haul. Cats can and do survive outside quite well, especially if they find good sources of food and shelter. Keep reposting those flyers, keep sharing your cat’s information on social media and with neighborhood groups. Don’t give up!

Make sure to look through our Resources page for tons of links with more detailed information.