Here’s one of the findings from that research:

About 33% of cats are returned to their home within 7 days, 56% within two months, and few after that.

First of all, our mission is to increase those numbers while also decreasing the number of lost cats.

So, one-third of cats get home within the first week.

What can you do during that first week to make sure YOUR cat comes home?

– let your neighbors know by knocking on doors and asking if they’ve seen your cat – you need a good photo for them to look at, and ask if you can check in their garage, shed or yard

– search the neighborhood, recognizing that if your cat hides under the bed when someone knocks on the door, he’s going to be hiding when he’s out of his element and completely freaked out by the sudden lack of a ceiling in his world

– for neighbors you can’t talk to personally, have some kind of flyer with a good photo of kitty as well as your contact information

– look for local resources such as online groups, online ad sites, rescues and humane societies

What if he’s not home after week 1? Well, there’s an almost equal chance that he’ll come home within the next few months.

Repeat. Weekly.

Look high and low.

Think like your cat thinks when he’s stressed. Where does he hide? What places outside your home look similar?