My Indoor Cat Has Escaped, What Should I Do?

Search very close to home first

Begin with your own property and the gardens either side. An indoor only cat has no established territory to head for, so the immediate area is worth the most attention, although how any individual cat reacts can vary.

Check quiet hiding places

• Under decking, sheds and garden furniture.
• Behind bins, planters and stacked materials.
• Inside open garages, porches and greenhouses.
• Dense hedges, borders and undergrowth.

Look under and behind objects

Use a torch to look underneath things even in daylight. A cat pressed into a dark corner can be very easy to miss from standing height.

Ask neighbours to check enclosed spaces

Ask for sheds, garages and outbuildings to be opened and checked, and to be left open at times if that suits them, so a hiding cat has a way out.

Keep the area calm

Large, loud search parties can make things harder. A calm garden with familiar voices may help a nervous cat settle enough to move, although this varies from cat to cat.

Search again when it is quiet

Return early in the morning and late in the evening, stand still and listen for movement rather than only calling.

What if there are no sightings?

Recheck the same close in places rather than immediately widening. A cat that has not been seen at all may still be very near, or shut in somewhere, so those spaces are worth checking again before the search grows.

When should you widen the search?

Widen when nearby spaces have been properly checked several times, or when a credible sighting takes you elsewhere. See how far a missing cat can travel.

Would a drone help?

Often not in the early stages. If your cat may be hiding very close to buildings, under decking or beneath objects, an aerial search cannot see into those places. A drone becomes relevant when sightings point to open ground, as explained in can a drone find a missing cat.

Thermal cameras cannot see through roofs, walls, sheds, vehicles or dense vegetation.