The research also gave us some clues about how your individual cat may react when she’s suddenly out in the big world alone.

For instance, my Ziggy is firmly pro-ceiling. Both times she unexpectedly ended up outside, her initial reaction was to try and get back in as quickly as possible. If we hadn’t noticed right away that something was amiss, her next response would be to hide. And cry.

So I know Ziggy is easy to find.

But little Ruby has a different personality. She is an explorer, the kind of cat who dusts every corner in the house, high and low. When she got outside, she darted to the nearest structure and then kept going until she found a neighbor’s garage where she could hide. She doesn’t call out, and she’s black, which makes it harder to find her in the corners of an old garage.

Think about your cat’s personality — is she gregarious, outgoing? Would she be likely to head to someone’s back door and demand to be fed? Or, is she timid, maybe a bit of a hider?

These are important ways you can tailor your search for your lost cat, and increase the odds of getting Kitty back home.