Missing & Lost Cats

Missing/Lost Cat

If you recently adopted a cat from CC4C and it is missing, please call the CC4C member you adopted from immediately or email help@communityconcernforcats.org. CC4C can provide helpful advice, trapping assistance, and resources to help find your cat.

Common Myths

• Myth: Leaving litter boxes out will attract your cat.
  Truth: This can attract predators instead of your cat.
• Myth: You shouldn’t leave out food because of predators.
  Truth: Leaving food is critical to drawing your cat back, even if it attracts other wildlife.
• Myth: Stop looking because the cat is probably stolen or has passed away.
  Truth: Most cats are still out there, and it’s your persistence that will bring them home.

Understand Cat Behavior

• Indoor Cats: Typically stay close to home, within 300 feet of where they went missing. They may hide in small, dark spaces like under porches, inside sheds, or under cars.
• Outdoor Cats: Usually stick to familiar territory but may roam further if scared or displaced.

Important: Cats in “survival mode” often remain silent and hide during the day. Most are found after dark when the environment is quieter. Lost cats are also more difficult for predators to target because they are on high alert.

IMPORTANT: Use Tools to Track and Rescue Them

Trail Cameras: Set up cameras near food stations to monitor activity. Trail cameras are affordable, easy to use, and help identify where your cat is visiting.

Humane Traps: Once you know your cat’s routine, use a humane trap to safely capture them. Line the trap with cardboard and bait it with food.

1. Set Up Food and Scent StationsIt’s more important to leave food than to worry about feeding other wildlife.
   • Food: Use wet food, kibble, or strong-smelling options like canned mackerel or KFC chicken.
   • Scent Markers: Soak rags in mackerel juice or use a piece of your clothing near the food station.
   • Placement: Put the station near cover (bushes, fences, walls) to make your cat feel safe. Set up multiple stations in the area to maximize the chances of attracting your cat.
   • If you have an indoor-only cat, it is unfamiliar with the outside world and is probably scared and hiding nearby. Many indoor-only cats don’t go beyond the yard or their immediate house and can be found hiding under bushes, hedges, plants, against the house, or in nearby hiding places.
2. Leave Food Out Consistently
   The most important thing you can do is leave food out day and night.
3. If your cat is microchipped, report your pet as “lost” to your microchip provider and verify the chip is registered with current contact information.
4. Advertise – Immediately! Don’t wait for the finder to advertise your pet as found.
   • Place “lost” posters with a photo of your pet in the vicinity where the pet was lost—markets, schools, etc.
   • Remove posters once your pet is found.
   • Report your pet as “lost” to the local animal shelter (Martinez Shelter: 925-335-8330) and provide them with a copy of the flyer and picture.
   • Notify neighbors and ask them to check their garages and sheds. Your cat may have been accidentally locked in.
   • Submit a “lost pet” notice on 24 Pet Connect.
   • Post local alerts and sign up for email alerts:
     • PawBoost.com or the PawBoost mobile app
     • Nextdoor.com or the Nextdoor mobile app
   • Advertise in your local newspaper’s “lost pets” section—it’s usually free.
5. Search Tips
   • Search at night with a flashlight. A cat’s eyes reflect light very well. Check bushes, decks, porches, and under cars.
   • Move quietly, call softly, and avoid sudden movements. A frightened cat may run if startled.
   • Talk to late-night walkers—they often notice animals others don’t. Bring flyers.
   • Post on:
     • PawBoost
     • PetHub
     • Petco Love Lost
     • Pet FBI
     • Craigslist (“Pets” section)
     • Facebook, Nextdoor, and local lost-and-found pet groups
     • Check “lost pets” on 24 Pet Connect frequently.

     Include photos, location, and contact information in every post.

   • Keep the window or door open that your cat escaped from. Place food near the entrance and create a food trail indoors.
   • If one of a pair of cats escapes, place the remaining cat in a carrier outside at dusk for an hour. Their scent or calls may draw the lost cat back.
   • Learn more about lost cat behavior at the Missing Animal Response Network.
6. Check with local and emergency veterinarians. Injured pets may be taken there. Leave your contact information.

Most Important: Never Give Up

Cats have been found weeks, months, and even years after going missing. Persistence brings cats home.

Continue checking food stations, monitoring cameras, talking to neighbors, and reposting flyers and online posts.

Don’t lose hope—they’re counting on you to bring them home!

Found Cat

1. Put our food and water! 
2. Check the cat for a microchip through your vet or shelter clinic. CC4C can help scan. If chipped, use the Microchip Registry Lookup. If unregistered, ask the company to “track-back” the purchaser—often a shelter or rescue with records.
3. Try to contact the owner. Put a break-away collar with a note (“Please call me”) and your phone number. If the cat is owned, the guardian will usually call within a day or two.
4. Post flyers where the cat was found.
5. Notify the County Animal Shelter (see Martinez Animal Services, Found Cat page). You must notify and hold the cat for 30 days before rehoming.
6. Submit a “Found Pet Notice” on 24 Pet Connect.
7. Post the cat as “found” on PawBoost, FidoAlert, Nextdoor, and similar neighborhood platforms.