Is your cat missing? We know how stressful it is to lose a furry family member. This information will hopefully help you to find your cat.
If you are missing a cat please regularly check the SPCA in case your cat has been taken there.
Contact all your local vets, Cats Protection League and the SPCA with a good description of your cat. Send a photo if you can. It can help to call the SPCA back regularly.
Put up posters with a photo of your cat at local shops and on your front fence. Posters with a colour photo will probably get the best results and more notice. Put flyers in all the letterboxes in the neighbourhood and go door-knocking. Ask everyone to check their sheds/garages/under-house storage areas.
In the evening try going out and calling your cat. It’s quieter at night so they are more likely to hear you calling. They may also be too scared to come out during the day.
List your pet on LostPet.co.nz, Trade Me, Facebook Lost Cats Christchurch and check through the listings of found pets.
Place an ad in the local newspaper. Never underestimate how far a scared or undesexed cat can travel.
If you have just moved house, chances are your cat is trying to return to where he/she knows. Check the old house and door-knock, flyer-drop and put up posters in the neighborhood, and in between your old and new house. When you move house, it’s best to keep your cat inside at all times for at least 2 weeks to ensure he/she is fully settled in.
Cat Identification
There are some things you can do to increase your chances of being reunited with your cat if he/she goes missing.
Fit your cat with a safety collar and ID tag with your contact details. Make sure the collar is on correctly – tight enough so your cat cannot get a leg or jaw stuck through it but not too tight to cause discomfort.
Have your cat microchipped. If your cat is not yet microchipped, please consider getting this done as soon as possible at your local vet clinic. Microchipping hugely increases the chance of finding your lost cat – over 80% of microchipped cats are reunited with their family, and quickly too! Your contact details are entered into the NZ Companion Animal Register which allows shelters, rescue organisations, vets and the SPCA to contact you if someone brings in your cat. Please make sure you always update your details on the database if you move house or change any of your contact numbers.