Are they really lost? Or are they somewhere in your home (or garden) playing hide-and-seek?
Before you go into a blind panic (and, honestly, who wouldn’t), first check that your kitten isn’t hiding somewhere inside the house.
This may sound silly, but kittens can hide under beds, in cupboards, under stairs… you get the idea. They may have climbed into an open cupboard which was closed behind them by mistake (or is now stuck inside a drawer). First have a proper sweep of the house to make sure your kitten isn’t just asleep somewhere in a strange place they’ve now decided will be Their Spot.
One way to lure them out is to walk around with some of their favourite treats, calling their name. It is, however, very important that you stay calm and not shout. Your kitten may think that they’ve done something wrong and hide or may just get scared at the sound of your raised voice.
If they are feeling under the weather they may also hide somewhere in the house, so if they haven’t quite seemed themselves, it may be that they have caught a bug and may need to go to the vet.
Alright, so you’ve searched the whole house a few times over, have opened every closet door and drawer and still no kitten. You’ve also scoured the garden and looked underneath every leaf and in every tree. Now it’s time to broaden the search.
- Start with the neighbours
Chances are your kitten may have wandered into the garden or into the neighbours’ garden if they don’t have an enclosure to play and sleep in. First ask your neighbours if they haven’t seen your kitten. It could even be that they didn’t know that the kitten that was strolling around their garden belongs to you.
- Make posters and start phoning
Start phoning your local vet(s) and shelter(s) to tell them that your kitten is missing. Make posters with a clear photo of your kitten to go and put up wherever you can. This includes the vet’s office, shelter, and local community notice boards.
- Time for technology
Tweet, post on Facebook or Instagram — anything that can help and everywhere where people from your community could see that your kitten is missing. Yes, this is the one time that people will not mind you asking for Retweets and shares. The more places you can get your kitten’s photo seen, the better. Now is not the time to be shy with kitten photos.
- Make a “welcome home box”
What you can do to ensure your kitten doesn’t get lost
There are various steps you can take to make sure that your kitten doesn’t get lost, but, especially if you are planning to let your kitten go outside, there are two main steps you can take — having your kitten microchipped and getting a cat enclosure.
Microchipping your kitten
What is the microchip?
The microchip that is implanted into the kitten is a small computer chip that serves as an identification tag. This computer chip contains information like your name, address, and telephone number. This means that your kitten can easily be identified and returned to you in the event that they get lost somehow. Many animal shelters microchip kittens before they’re adopted, so make sure that your kitten has been microchipped before you take them home.
How old must a kitten be to be microchipped?
A kitten can be microchipped as young as five weeks, but most shelters only microchip kittens when they are eight weeks old or weigh about two pounds. Under five weeks kittens are still too small and fragile for microchipping to take place.
Getting a cat enclosure
Kittens and cats alike are fascinated by the outdoors and a backyard cat enclosure is the perfect way to give them the freedom of being outside while also keeping them safe. No need to worry about traffic, neighbour’s pets being aggressive (or being carriers of illnesses that they give your kitten) or wildlife.
There are a wide range of cat enclosures available that are suitable for all sizes of homes, from apartments to family homes. Packed with toys, activities, and space for lots of catnaps, it will soon be their favourite place to hang out!
