Lost Pet: What to Do and How to Prevent it
There are several steps you can take when your dog or cat is missing. Time is critical, so it is wise to begin your search immediately. You will want to contact friends and neighbors, post signs and contact your local animal shelters and animal rescue organizations to help locate your missing pet. Look in your local phone book and start calling every vet, animal shelter and rescue organization. The best method of searching is to have one family member make phone calls, while the other does the search. Here are other steps you can take to help located your lost furry friend:
Call Around: The first step you should take when your pet is missing is to contact friends and neighbors. Ask around to see if anyone has seen your dog or cat in their yard. Get permission to look inside your neighbor’s gardens, shrubs and landscaping. Scared cats find hiding spots. Let them know where and how to contact you if your pet is found. Check with other animal owners around your house, too. Your dog or cat might be attracted to the smells or sounds of other cats or dogs.
In addition to calling the local neighbors, you need to contact the local animal shelters and pet rescue organizations. If you have several animal shelters in your area, call everyday to see if your pet has been brought to the shelter. It might even be a good idea to give them a copy of your poster so they can see what your pet looks like. Also, call local vet clinics to see if anyone has called about your pet. You might even want to visit the shelters in person because shelters are sometimes understaffed or your pet may not be recognizable from the photo.
Check Small Spaces: If you have a small cat or dog, you will need to check any small spaces your pet could get stuck inside. Look on roofs, crawlspaces, holes, and under storage buildings or underneath debris. Cats are notorious for hiding in small spaces when they are lost or scared. Do not forget to check your neighbor’s yard and garden area. Shrubs are also favorite hiding spots for cats and small dogs. If your pet is injured, he or she may hide in small dark places.
Post Signs: Now that you have asked around, you will need to post signs around your neighborhood. You need to include vital information about your pet, such as the breed, color, identifying marks, name he or she may answer to, and your contact information. Don’t make the mistake of relying on collars. Cats loose collars easily and so can dogs, however, if you pet is wearing a collar, mention that as well. If your dog or cat takes regular medication, you should include that information on your sign, as well. Include a recent picture of your pet, too. A couple of pictures are even better. Use one of your pet’s face and another picture of your pet’s body. This can help anyone who finds your pet easily identify your pet. Consider laminating your posters so they can hold up better in wet weather. Ask storeowners if you can post your signs in their shop windows or on billboards in the store. Most are more than willing to lend a hand.
Hopefully your beloved pet will turn up. Here are some tips to prevent your pet from getting lost:
Proper Identification: When you have a pet that goes outside, it is common sense to provide your pet with proper identification. A good collar and tags can help those who might find your dog or cat locate you. Indoor pets can also benefit from identification tags. With cats, you will need to purchase a break-away collar. These are specially designed with cats in mind. When a cat becomes entangled in a tree or other snares, a collar can choke a cat. The break away collars are designed to break when a cat becomes trapped, preventing choking. Dogs need a collar that fits their size. Collars are marked with neck size to properly fit the different sizes of dogs. Carefully measure your dog to determine which size will work best. The rule of thumb for both cats and dogs is that you should be able to slip two fingers between the collar and your pet’s neck. Less than that means it is too tight and more than that means that it can slip off.
After you have properly fit your pet with a collar, obtain identification tags. There are machines in many pet stores that can engrave your pet’s tag on the spot. Make sure you include your pet’s name, your home address and contact numbers. If your pet is on medication, you should also include that information on the tags. When you have your pet vaccinated for rabies, your veterinarian will provide you will a rabies tag with the vet’s information in the tag. This is also important information because your vet can track you with the rabies information on the pet’s tag.
Collars should not be the only form of identification because they can often get lost or slip of off your pet’s neck. An increasingly popular form of pet identification is the microchip. A microchip is a permanent form of identification that is interested just under the pet’s skin near the shoulder blade. The insertion of the microchip does not hurt because it is injected and is very small. The microchip contains personal information about you and your pet that can help reunite you with your lost pet. All animal shelters now scan incoming pets for microchips so this is often a great way to help identify your pet.
Other ways to help prevent your dog or cat from getting lost is to frequently check the whereabouts of your pet. Be extra careful around open doors and windows. Even screened windows can become escape routes for crafty pets that learn to push the screen out of place. Check your fence lines for holes or broken areas that can provide a place for dogs to get out of your yard. Also, teaching your dog simple commands can help keep your dog in place when you need it. If your pet travels with your, always secure your pet in a travel crate. A dog or cat and escape from an open door on a car or window.
