lost & found
Click here for advice on the best course of action if you have lost your cat, or if a strange cat is hanging aroung your house. In due course, this section will allow you to register a lost or found cat online. At some point after that (time permitting!) the database of lost and found cats will be available via this site, so you will be able to search for your lost/found cat online.
We have a rota for answering the Lost & Found phone. There are four of us, so we have the phone one week out of four. One of us is unable to continue,
so we need another person. The job involves answering the mobile phone for a couple of hours a day - the times are completely up to you.
You will need a PC as our Lost & Found register is held electronically, but you don't need to be a computer-whiz! Training will be given,
and help will always be on hand for anything you feel unsure of.
If you are interested in finding out more, please email us.
This article has been reproduced with kind permission from The Cat, the official magazine of Cats Protection.
Nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming sense of loss felt when an adored pet goes missing. As cats are naturally curious and keen explorers, it is hardly surprising that so many roam, and sadly, some never return. The good news is that each year Cats Protection helps around 4,000 felines find their way home - the equivalent of 11 happy families every single day!
Keen to discover more about the reasons why so many cats disappear, the charity recently conducted a national survey in conjunction with The Cat magazine. Unfortunately, despite CP's efforts to continually promote responsible cat ownership (such as neutering, vaccinating, worming and microchipping), the responses revealed some worrying statistics.
Although 95% of the readers who responded had neutered their cats, only 45% had microchipped them. The fact that such a large percentage of cat owners are still not taking this precaution seriously hinders their chances of a happy reunion should their pet go missing.
On a more positive note, over half the cats reported missing were found or returned, the majority within the first week (42%). As expected, male cats were more likely to wander (64%), more cats went missing in the summer and winter months (65%), and the reasons given for their disappearance were varied.
The most popular explanation was that they had been mistakenly shut in a garage or shed (21%). Others included kidnapping or abduction (20%),
the call of the wild (14%), care from another cat lover (14%), being hit by a vehicle (13%) or climbing into a vehicle (7%), fear of dogs (4%),
moving house (4%) and fireworks (3%).
Results from the survey also showed that searching for your pet doubled the likelihood of success, but where you lived did not affect your
chances of finding him. Most owners started their search by combing the area, then contacting local vets (89%) and animal charities (81%).
Eighty-five percent advertised by poster, newspaper or radio and half offered a reward. Only 59% registered their cat as missing.
Fortunately, 54% of cats that returned did so of their own accord. Of the remaining 46% that were reunited with their owners, the majority were found through posters (17%) or neighours (17%). 12% were recovered through vets or animal charities, whilst 11% were returned in response to a newspaper ad. Disturbingly, less than 10% of cats that were found had been microchipped.
Microchipping
Microchipping your cat can mean the difference between finding him or losing him forever. It's simple and painless; a tiny microchip is inserted under the skin between the shoulder blade. Each chip carries a unique identification number linked to a database containing your cat's details and your name and address. If your puss goes missing, he can be scanned to reveal his details and quickly returned to you with the minimum of distress. Another advantage of microchipping is that it's permanent, unless collars and tags that may be lost, get snagged or cause injury.
CP's practice of scanning every cat that comes into care, along with our Lost & Found registers and the help we provide, all improve the chances of a lost cat being safely returned.
Beth Skillings, Head of Veterinary Services at Cats Protection explains: "It stands to reason that more cats would be reunited if they were microchipped - especially as most people choose to go to their vet or animal charities for help when their cat goes missing or if they find a cat."
However, microchipping can only be effective if you keep your details updated, so make sure you register your new address if you move.
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