UNDERSTANDING LOST CAT BEHAVIORS
INDOOR ONLY CAT : When an indoor only cat gets outside the typical behavior response is to hide and remain quiet, even from their owner. This is due to an instinctual response known as survival mode. This survival instinct keeps them safe and protects them from predators. Once an indoor only cat is lost, it is a difficult for an owner to understand why their bonded cat is not coming to their calls. Many owners become frantic and believe someone has taken their cat, or their cat is deceased. As an owner, understanding the feline survival instinct concept will significantly improve your chances of getting your beloved kitty home quicker and easier. This cat type has a predictable and mathematical behavior response which enables the owner to implement a plan effective for the cat to return. Lost indoor only cats will be found hiding within a 5-7 house radius of home. They will attempt to come back in to the home from the same exit they left, usually between the early morning hours of 4-7 am. Midnight and other hours of the night are also possible. The KEY is providing access back into the home, and luring with scent items.
DISPLACED CAT : A displaced cat is a cat lost in an unfamiliar area. This can be either an indoor only cat or an outdoor access cat. A displaced cat’s behavior responds with the same lost cat behavior as an indoor only cat lost at home. The cat will find a good hiding spot remaining quiet, still, and hidden. The steps to finding a displaced cat will be similar to the steps needed to find an indoor only cat.
OUTDOOR ACCESS CAT : An outdoor access cat knows home. If this cat type is missing, then something is preventing it from returning. Most often, the cat is trapped somewhere in its roaming area. A territorial dispute between the cat and another bully cat can also prevent the cat from returning home. In this case, the lost cat will typically move outside that territory within a 10 house radius of their home or further. An outdoor access cat may also be injured which could create the survival hiding mode instinct. Throughout the year, and especially during the cold months, many outdoor cats “hitch rides” accidentally as they crawl into a vehicle’s undercarriage for warmth. The other possibilities are that someone has picked up the cat and taken it home or to the local animal control. Other neighbors may also be feeding the cat believing it is a stray. The last, and most undesired scenario, is the cat is deceased.