Before you jump to any conclusions, make sure you've thoroughly checked your entire home. Sometimes we think our cat has gone missing when they simply got locked in the basement or they've found a nice secluded spot behind boxes in your closet. Cats are notorious for not responding when we call for them. 


1. Keep calm. The best thing you can do for your cat right now is calm down and think rationally about what's happened. 

2. Be Proactive. The first 48 hours after your cat has gone missing are the most important hours. The more you delay the search for your cat, the less likely you are to finding him or her.

"...cat owners tend to wait 3 days before searching for their cat, while dog owners tend to wait 1 day. Educating cat owners that if they lose their cat they should immediately search their neighborhood would be a great way to take a piece of this research and put it into action!"

- Dr. Emily Weiss, aspcapro.org 

3. Retrace Steps. Was there a door left open?  When was it left open? Try and think back and piece together when everything happened. 
Knowing where might offer clues into the direction your cat may be hiding and knowing when will let you know how far your cat may have gotten before hiding. If you live on a busy street, chances are, your cat will hide during busy hours unlike a quieter street where a cat will likely roam a while before going into shock. Sometimes non routine things we do sometimes set a cat off right out of their own home. Unlikely but can still happen. Always take in the atmosphere and environment, they influence your cat's decisions.

4. Start your search. Drop everything you're doing and look everywhere you can. Has your cat gotten out before? Or perhaps he's allowed out in the backyard? If your cats been out before, he probably has a spot where he feels safe. Check under the porch, behind any bushes or up any trees in your yard. Check all the area around your yard that look like they could be a potential hideout for your kitty. Also check for area that may look like they could have been used as escape routes. Holes  dug out under fences, opened gates, remember some cats will hop a fence!

4.5 Heading in & Back out. Head in and grab some essentials you'll need for your search. First, grab some kibble and your cat's bowl, or some of your cat's favourite treats. Second, you'll want to make some fliers. They don't need to be perfect, you can always print off some polished ones later. This step is more for having something while your out doing step 5. If you don't already have a flier stored, you can always grab a photo of your cat. This is a half step but it's still really important. I've labeled this an in between step because sometimes we have no time to do this step or you can do this after you've done step 5. 

5. Spread out. Once you've covered the immediate area, it's time to spread out from your own yard. First, check your neighbour's yards. If you're able to, try and do a search through their yards as thorough as you did yours. Once you've checked your neighbours, expand again. You probably won't be able to search everyone's yard but you can knock on doors and let people know your cat is missing. This is a good time to have fliers handy. Even if people aren't home, you can always leave one at the doorstep. Always keep an eye out for clues. An open fence or a hole under a fence could be the perfect escape for your cat to head under a neighbour's porch.

6. Re-energize. If you need a moment to take a break, don't be ashamed or feel like a bad kitty parent. You can't focus or effectively search if you're tired or hungry. Head in and re-energize. Head back out as soon as you feel you've collected yourself. You can use this time to also get a better flier ready or call your friends and family to help out. If you've got kids, even better!

7. Night search. The night search is important because cats are nocturnal creatures. If they are hiding, this may be the time they feel they can move from their hiding spot. Grab a flashlight and bundle up if its cold. Canvas the area with your bowl of food or treats and call your cat's name. Reassure him with a high pitched voice, as if you were talking to baby. Always try and have a calm voice. Your cats will pick up on any stress in your voice and may not come out. Always make sure to stop and listen every so often. The night search is the time you'll be able to hear your cat. Listen for cat meows or rustling. Your cat could be scared, stuck or injured.

8. Overnight. At some point you'll have to call it a night. Don't worry, there are still things you can do while you're asleep. Grab his water and litter box and place them on the front porch. Don't clean the litter box before you put it out but do keep a note on what's in it. This will help tell if its been used overnight. If your cat has a bed, you can also place that out there too. You can also place one of your old dirty shirts in his bed while it's out there. You want something that has your smell on it so don't put out anything fresh out of the dryer. You can place some food out front but always remember other cats may come along instead. The same goes for the litter, don't assume it's your cat thats gone in there overnight. You're doing all this, to hopefully keep your cat around the area and not stray any further. 

What you can do if you want to be very proactive while you sleep, purchase some bells or a baby's monitor, attach the bells to your cat's food or place the monitor near the litter. If your window is near the front porch you could keep it open to hear any bells jingling but your best bet is with the monitor. You'll be able to hear the bells jingling or the litter being used. You may also be able to hear cries at night if your cats hiding nearby.

9. Network. Start with contacting your vet, local RSPCA, shelter, pound, whatever the equivalent is in your area. Let them know your cat's gone missing asap. If you can, stop by with a flyer. If you know the local paper boy, you can always ask if he's able to hand one out with the daily paper. You can also find out if your local paper has a missing pet section. Call local pet stores, they usually have missing flyers by their front door. 

You can also start by updating your status on Facebook, "Felix got out, help me look for him!" or send a tweet on Twitter. Look on sites that offer local sections like Reddit and Craigslist. Reddit offers multiple ways to get in touch with people. You can post to your local subreddit and also post under subreddits of nearby towns and cities.  

More and more people are using online databases to find and post lost animals. Sites like Tabby Tracker have a lost and found section but also many more resources you can use. You can also try Pet  Harbour or Lost Found Pets. There are but a few, there are many more, many that are specific to your area or Country.

10. Don't lose hope. And don't give up! Cats have gone missing for weeks and even months. Just because its been a couple weeks doesn't mean your cat is gone for good. Keep following these steps. Talk with your neighbours and let them know he's still missing. People sometimes assume your cat has been found or forget if a couple of weeks have passed. Keep everyone updated. That includes flyers you've put out. You can update your flyers with "Still Missing". Call your vet along with local vets and local shelters and let them know he's still missing. You can also stop by and update the flyers you have there. Always stop by the shelter and take a look around at the cats. Sometimes your cat may not appear as the same cat in your photos especially if a couple weeks have passed. 

"...75 percent of cats reported lost were returned safely to their homes."

- National Lost Pet Survey, Huffingtonpost.com

I've spent a lot of time reading about problem cats and helping others' on forums with their urinating or spraying cat. A lot of the time there seems to be some confusion differentiating a cat urinating and a cat spraying.  Knowing what your cat is doing will help you determine what you need to do next.

Catching him in the Act

Diagram from @ http://www.sprayalert.com

       The Spraying cat will walk over to the area, usually he'll smell where he's going to do his business. Sometimes you'll notice him open his mouth slightly after smelling the area. He'll then turn his body around, backing up into the desired area, usually quivering his tail. Then he will spray that area with urine. Spraying is distinctive because you will see a light mist coming from his derrière, hence "spraying". Spraying is mostly done on vertical surfaces. Why? Spraying is a cat's way of communicating. The most effective place to put his message is somewhere that will align with another cat's face. Think of it as ads on a blog. They're usually placed where people will see them. If you had to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the blog, they wouldn't be as effective (though most of us want them there). Spraying can usually be found on furniture, walls, doors, anything with a vertical surface. 

       The Urinating cat will usually find an area where he feels safe. You wont find urine along your wall or along your drapes. Urinating cats will unload their bladder directly on the ground. They will use the same method of urinating as if they were doing it in their litter. This usually means back paws relatively flat on the ground, with their back hunched and rear very close to the ground. Cats who are urinating outside of the litter box will usually find other areas that resemble a litter box. This includes your bed, laundry baskets, towels, drawers etc.

Its not always so black and white. Sometimes you get a spraying cat who hunches his back  or a urinating cat that raises his hind while he's in his ltter. It's not as common but it happens.

       If you're not able to catch him doing it, but the evidence is all around. Its still possible to tell even with those tricky situations. Note where the spray or urine is, relative to where your cat spends most of his time. Is it located in a highly trafficked area of your home? One of the biggest giveaways, is the smell. Spray tends to be a stronger smell. If its spray the smell will be alot more concentrated. You'll probably be able to smell it if you're in the same room. Also look for droplets of urine. Spraying cats sometimes want to aim on something specific which may require him to crouch a little. If you see a spray like pattern or a triangular imprint of urine then you know its spray.



      You can also purchase a black light. Ultraviolet lights are able to pick up urine stains. You'll want to get a decent sized one, they can be purchased at most large retailers like Walmart or a larger pet store. In my personal experience, I'd steer from the small UV lights you can purchase from pets store. I've had no luck getting them to show any stains. The larger florescent UV lighting tubes work perfectly. With any black light, you'll want the area to be as dark as possible, so you're able to yield the best results. 

If you do purchase a black light, make sure to scan around all your furniture, walls and doors. Take your time to go over everything in the room. Older stains will not be as strong as newer ones. Also remember other stains will also show up under a UV light.

Who cares what the difference is, its still Urine

Yes both cases are urine but knowing the difference is key to helping you cat. Your cat is doing either of the two for several reasons. 

Reasons for Spraying

www.chartgo.com

       The most common cause of spraying is from unaltered male and female cats. When a male or female cat reaches adulthood, they attract each other through scents. Spraying is their strongest form of communication. Think of it as a billboard broadcasting your cat in all his or her glory!

Spraying is also done to mark territory. We use fences, doors and locks to keep other people from entering our home. Cats don't need barricades, spraying gets their message across. It's their way of saying "Back off!". 

Reasons for Urinating

        Most cats will stop using their litter box because they're ill. Urinating outside the litter box is their way of communicating with us. If your cat has just started urinating outside of the litter box, and it's just randomly started, I would strongly advise you to contact your veterinarian immediately.

Stress

Stress can both produce a spraying and urinating cat. For me, this is the most widely misunderstood subject when it comes to cats spraying and urinating. Unfortunately we can't communicate with our cats to find out what exactly is stressing them. So we have no choice but to play the Guessing game. We look for clues and we try different solutions. This is probably the most used reason why cats end up in shelters or put down. 

Eww, Cats Like the Smell of their Urine?

A cat's smell is different than our own. We smell horrible urine smell, they smell a unique I.d associated with whatever cat left the urine and a message. Urine contains this wonderful thing called pheromones. It allows them to communicate different messages within their urine. This is how a cat who comes across another cat's spray, will know he's looking for a mate, or he's not accepting visitors.

 Mojo's the newest addition to the family. He's a first generation (F1) Bengal cat. This means one of his parents (his father) is an Asian Leopard Cat (ALC). His mother is an SBT Bengal ( this means the mother is at least 4 generations from the ALC). 

I was originally looking for another Bengal, specifically an early generation to add to our family. I searched for quite awhile, contacting several breeders in the area. The only reputable breeder who was breeding F1s within driving distance had taken a break from breeding. I needed to extend my search. Finally I came across a breeder(on the other side of the continent!) who had just bred an F1 litter. I knew once I saw little Mojo that I had to have him. At 6 weeks old Mojo was flown by airplane to the airport where we picked him up. Words can't explain the panic of having to fly such a small guy but everything went more than well.

It's been almost a year since we first got him.  He is the love of my life. Unlike a regular cat, Mojo loves to play with water, better yet he's obsessed with water. He enjoys spending time in the shower with me or helping me clean the dishes. He loves to play hide and seek, fetch, he even plays in the lake at our cottage! He's best buds with our Bengal, Amazon and he's helped him regain some confidence. 

He's got moxie we've never seen in other cats and hes passed it on to the other cats in our household. He runs around with his Zena call and gets all the other cats frisky and ready to play. He really is something special.

Amazon is our 7 year old  Bengal Cat. 

   We adopted Amazon 7 years ago from our local animal shelter. He was 7 months old, malnourished and unsocialized. The shelter mentioned he was part of a breeding program gone bad. The breeder had fallen ill and left the cats in a house unattended for a long period of time.The shelter was only willing to give limited information about his past.

  Being from a cat-loving family, we had done our research on the Bengal cat. During the 90's and early 2000's, Bengals were very pricey and in their early stage of development as a breed. We waited it out in hopes something would come up. Several years later while my sister was volunteering at our local shelter, Amazon arrived and we scooped him up right away. Our long wait had finally come. We had no idea what the future lay ahead. Amazon would be prove to be the most demanding, passionate,  and expensive pet we've ever owned but worth every penny and day.

 We had no idea what bringing home an unsocialized bengal would entail. For the first couple of months during his kittenhood, no one could catch him or cuddle him. Cuddling and touching was on his terms! He bonded with me almost instantly but still was very timid. We had a older Siamese, Akia in our home and she wanted nothing to do with him but he wanted everything to do with her. She is strongly bonded with me, which caused some conflict between the two. He'd chase her out of my room and cuddle up beside me, not wanting to share me. This went on for a very long time. Even now it still goes on. 

 Because we knew nothing about Amazon's past, we were left guessing and coming to conclusions about some of his behavior. He was extremely skiddish, especially with abrupt noises. Moving your feet suddenly would send him flying in the air. He's very dominant at the food bowl and very territorial. He sprays and continuously tries to mount every other cat in our household. We have no idea if perhaps he was in training to become the next stud for the breeder or just learned behavior from other studs he may have been in contact with.  Perhaps he should of been neutered sooner, or we just happened to get a very dominant male cat. 

Amazon's physical health was another issue. All of his canines were chipped. We were boggled by how a 7 month old kitten could have chipped all 4 canine teeth. The only answer we could seem to agree on was that these cats had been neglected for quite some time. They were not little chips from rough housing or simply biting down too hard on kibble. These chips were pretty substantial and only worsened with time. Eventually Amazon's bottom canines were completely removed. We also noticed a lump on his right paw. So far it hasn't developed into anything serious but every so often we have it checked.

 Aside from all the bonuses we received with Amazon, he's just like your regular Bengal cat, with glitter to boot! He loves perching up high and communicating with us: telling us how his day is going, what he's spotted out the window. He communicates so much just with his tail. By watching it, we're able to tell when he's not happy with something and when he's excited, or when he's had enough.

 Amazon has taught us a lot over the past 7 years and will continue to do so. We love him very much and never regret having him. He has become a part of our family. 

Akia is a traditional Siemese cat.

  We had a family tragedy before the Christmas of 1997, so my mother decided a companion would do me some good. My aunt always had Siamese cats and I loved them. So, I decided I was going to find a Siamese cat. My mom broke the news that if I were going to get a cat, it would be from the humane society. I agreed but had no idea finding purebred cats was any different than your regular short hairs, especially finding one in a shelter. 

 As fate would have it, we walked into our local shelter and there was a 6 month old, Siamese kitten who was brought in the day before. I knew it was meant to be. I vaguely remember her curled up in a little ball with her big blue eyes watching my mother and I. She was watching me look around at the other cats hissing and caterwauling. She just stared me, scared for her life. 

 She was an extremely timid cat. It took her a very long time to come out of her shell. She was always hiding and waiting until night time to come out of her hiding spot. Then she'd sniff me out while I slept( I woke up once, to her standing on my stomach checking me out). Eventually she figured out we're okay people.

 When she was younger, she had an obsession for rolled up socks, underwear and wool. She would dig through the laundry basket and place gifts at the front door. In hopes we would have company over! She was also a natural hunter, bringing us the occasional outside prey. There's nothing Akia likes more, then being by my side. She is the most loyal cat I've ever had.

Akia is now 16 years old and spends her days on the couch while i blog. Even though shes's considered an elderly, she's still got her moxie!