Losing a cat is one of the greatest fears of any cat parent. Almost everyone can relate to the feeling of having a cat get out, or at least the fear that they will – few of our feline companions have good recall skills, and all it takes is a too-wide open window or a door left ajar to realize our beloved pet has gotten out. Collars and microchips help, but some cats can still go years without coming back home.
A long journey home
Harriet the cat went missing at the ripe age of 4 – she is now 14 years old, discovered 9 years after her disappearance. Harriet originally went missing from her owner’s home in California – and was discovered almost 1000 miles away in Idaho. Susan Moore, her previous parent, had never expected to hear or see of her again. “My son was 8 years old when she went missing,” she said. “He’s now 17.” Harriet’s old family was identified based on her microchip scan, which led veterinarians back to the Moore family she had resided with so long ago. While the family is happy to know she is safe and are open to taking her back home, they have some worries that she may have found another home looking for her in her nine years of absence.
What to do when you lose a pet cat
Circumstances like Harriet’s story drive home how important it is to take precautions to recover your cat if they ever become lost. Keep a current photo of your cat for identification and/or missing posters, keep a collar with current ID tags on your cat, and microchip them for the best chance at finding your furry friend. Additionally, you may want to assemble a recovery kit with items you’d need to get your cat back home – things like a carrier, wet food or another treat that could tempt your cat, or any other items that would make your cat comfortable in a new, scary situation.
