My indoor cat is missing. Where should I look?
Start here, inside your home and at the way your cat got out. The three steps below come first; the checklist and answers after them help with the rest of the search.
If you find your cat in immediate danger
Call local animal services, give the exact location, and explain what is happening. Stay clear of traffic, unstable structures, and property you do not have permission to enter.
Do these three things now
Step 1: Search close to home, slowly
Check indoors first, then hiding places just outside: under porches, decks, sheds and cars.
How to searchStep 2: Call nearby shelters and animal services
Send a photo and description, and ask when to check back. A lost cat can take weeks to reach a shelter, so keep checking.
Who to callStep 3: Check your microchip contact details
Make sure the registry has your current phone number, and mark your cat as missing if it offers that.
How to check
Check nearby reports and shelter listings
Add a photo and where your cat was last seen. We’ll show you cats posted nearby that could be yours. Each one is a lead to check, not proof.
Search checklist
You know your cat's hiding places, routines, and familiar sounds. Begin there. Then add a slow, physical search of the closest sheltered spaces, even if your cat would normally answer you. In one study, among indoor-only cats that were found, half were within 39 meters (about 130 feet) of where they got out.
Think back to the last time someone saw your cat and any door, window, carrier, or hiding place involved. Search the home one room at a time, including closets, cabinets, drawers, box springs, behind appliances, inside furniture, and openings created by repairs or construction.
Start at the door, window, or other exit and work outward. Use a flashlight to look under porches, decks, shrubs, stairs, vehicles, and along sheltered edges. Search again after dark, when the street is quiet: frightened cats often come out only late at night. Use the sounds or routines you know your cat responds to.
Ask close neighbors to open and check garages, sheds, crawl spaces, stairwells, storage rooms, vehicles, and other places a cat could enter and become trapped. Ask permission before entering property yourself, and recheck spaces that have opened since your cat disappeared.
Who nearby should know?
Share a recent photo with neighbors and people who regularly pass through the area, plus the link to your public FindLostPets post if you've shared one. Contact local shelters, animal services, veterinary clinics, and rescue groups. Ask how to report your missing cat and when to check back. Visit shelters in person when you can, and keep checking: a lost cat can take weeks to reach a shelter.
Make sure the chip leads back to you.
A microchip cannot show where your cat is. It gives a shelter or veterinary clinic a way to find your registration and contact you after your cat is scanned.
I know the registry
Sign in or call now. Mark your cat as missing if that option is available. Check every phone number and email address, add a trusted backup contact, and ask whether the registry offers lost-pet alerts.
I have the chip number — United States
Enter the number in AAHA's registry lookup and call the first company listed. If that company cannot find the registration, try the next one. The lookup finds registries; each registry manages its own contact record.
I cannot find the chip number
Call the clinic, shelter, rescue, or breeder that arranged the chip. The number may also be in veterinary, adoption, insurance, or travel records. The search can continue while you look for the number.
Keep the full chip number with your private records. A registry, shelter, or veterinary team can use it when needed.
Find a U.S. microchip registry (opens in a new tab)What happens next?
What if I see my cat?
You know what your cat usually responds to. Ask other people to hang back and use the voice, sound, or routine that is familiar to them. Keep a secure way to bring them home nearby. If they move away, note exactly where they go and keep the area quiet.
What if my cat returns but will not come inside?
Note the time and exact place. A motion-activated camera may show whether your cat returns to the same spot or follows a pattern. If your familiar approach is not working, ask local animal services or a rescue group about a humane trap. Many lend one, and a local rescue can help you plan a safe way to bring your cat in. Check a set trap often, and release any wildlife you catch right away.
What if someone reports a sighting?
Ask for the exact place and time, what the cat was doing, which way they went, and a photo if one was safely taken. Compare the details with your cat, then search again around the latest sighting you can confirm.
What if there are no sightings yet?
Keep repeating the close search. No sightings does not show how far your cat has traveled.
- Record the hiding places checked and when. Ask neighbors to reopen garages and sheds you could not search earlier.
- Recheck nearby quiet spots using the sounds and routines your cat knows.
- Check new found-cat and shelter records, and follow up with local services on their recommended schedule.
- Keep one updated alert and a separate list of unconfirmed tips so helpers know where to focus.
What should I do when the search ends?
If you started a FindLostPets search or shared a post, close it, and take down your flyers. Let neighbors, shelters, clinics, and rescue groups know your cat is home. If anything about their condition concerns you after being away, contact the veterinary clinic you trust.
How do I check a lead?
- Compare markings, ears, tail, and body shape across more than one photo when available. A similar photo is a lead, not proof of identity.
- Check the found location and event date, not just when the listing was added. Ask the finder or shelter to clarify missing or conflicting details.
- Save the report link or animal ID. Use the report’s contact option or the shelter’s official contact details; keep full microchip numbers and ownership records out of public replies.
- Confirm with independent evidence, such as earlier photos, records, or a microchip scan through a veterinary clinic or shelter. If ownership is uncertain, ask local animal services to help before arranging a handoff.
Keep the search in one place
Check nearby reports and shelter listings, and keep sightings and notes together.