My outdoor cat hasn’t come home. What should I do?
Start here, with the last time someone definitely saw your cat. The three steps below come first; the checklist and answers after them help with the rest of the search.
If you find your cat injured or in immediate danger
Call a veterinary clinic or local animal service, give the exact location, and describe what you can see. 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
Walk your cat's usual routes, and ask close neighbors to open and check garages, sheds and other enclosed spaces.
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
Your cat’s normal routes and timing are the starting point. Look for what could have interrupted that routine, then move the search forward from the newest confirmed information. In one study, among cats allowed outside on their own that were found, half were within 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) of where they went missing.
Check with everyone at home and note the last confirmed place and time. Review doorbell, security, or driveway cameras if they cover routes your cat commonly uses. Separate a definite sighting from an assumption that your cat was nearby.
Walk the routes and nearby places your cat knows. Look for a closed garage or shed, construction, a recently moved vehicle, blocked access, or another change since your cat was last seen. Walk the route again after dark with a flashlight, when it is quiet: a frightened cat may come out only late at night.
Ask close neighbors to open and check garages, sheds, outbuildings, crawl spaces, stairwells, storage rooms, and vehicles before closing them again. A quick look through a window or a verbal answer may miss a quiet cat who is shut inside.
Show a current photo to neighbors, building staff, delivery workers, and other people who regularly pass through the area. Ask for the exact place and time, direction of travel, and a photo when one was taken. Search again from the latest sighting you can confirm.
Who should I call?
Contact local shelters, animal services, veterinary clinics, and rescue groups. Send a recent photo, ask how to report your missing cat, and ask 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 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 taken. Compare the details with your cat and search again around the newest sighting you can confirm.
What if someone has taken my cat inside?
Ask them to send a current photo and describe identifying details. Arrange a safe handoff once you are confident they have your cat. Close the public alert only after your cat is safely back with you.
What if there are no sightings yet?
Use a repeat-search checklist. An absence of sightings does not establish where your cat is.
- Revisit the last confirmed route and ask about garages, sheds, and vehicles that were inaccessible before.
- Ask neighbors who know your cat whether the usual visiting pattern has changed.
- Recheck shelters and found-cat reports; record who you contacted and when to follow up.
- Refresh your original alert and keep new tips labeled as unconfirmed until checked.
What if my cat is seen but does not come home?
Record when and where they appear and look for a pattern. You know the approach your cat normally responds to. If that is not working, ask local animal services or a rescue group about a humane trap. Many lend one and can help you plan around the location and timing of confirmed sightings. Check a set trap often, and release any wildlife you catch right away.
What should I do when my cat is home?
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 the search has ended. If anything about your cat’s 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.