Many cats will hide for a long time if they are afraid, and may only be found or return home after days or even weeks so you shouldn't give up. It may take some time to find your cat but it will be worth the time and effort to have them safely home.
All cats have a homing instinct, whether they are indoor, outdoor, or stray cats. However, much like people having a sense of direction, some cats may have stronger instincts than others and be able to follow the trail home more effectively.
Anxiety & Fear Reactions Can Cause a Pet to Run Away. Due to extremely acute hearing, both cats and dogs tend to be naturally terrified of loud noises such as thunder, fireworks, gunshots, or even a car backfiring.
Of stray animals entering shelters in USA and Australia, reported reclaim percentages for cats are typically 2–4% compared to reclaim percentages for dogs which usually range from 26–40%, but can be as high as 90% [6,7,8]. Cats are 13 times more likely to return to owners by means other than a visit to a shelter [9].
If you're starting your cat's retraining during the winter, a warm, dry bed to snuggle in may be just the ticket to convince them to stay inside. If they try to make a break for the door, rattle a jar of pennies or give them a squirt with a water gun. Never hit, kick or yell at them; they'll become afraid of you.
They may be frightened or just wary about something unfamiliar and might want to keep out of the way, just in case. If you leave them to it you will usually find that they will come out of hiding once the threat has gone or they have realised that whatever it was they were frightened of isn't actually scary at all.
The most common places for cats to hide are in closets, under beds, in basements, and in laundry rooms. Under and behind large objects are favorite spots too. Cats seem to go to the farthest point from scary sounds, so keep that in mind.
You do not need to worry if your cat leaves, however, if it has been more than two days, you should consider notifying your local vet and animal warden that your animal has not come back, as they might have been injured, preventing them from coming home.
You must continue to search in all ways possible and you must not give up too soon. While most pets are recovered within thirty days, cats may not "surface" for many weeks or even months. It is not unusual for for Pet FBI users to report happy reunions long after their cat went missing.
These cats are used to being out and about and usually if they do not return it means that something may have happened to prevent their normal behaviour of returning home. This could include injury, illness, or mistakenly being removed by a passerby.
When frightened, some cats may hide, try to appear smaller, pull their ears back and be immobile. Other cats may show signs of agitation or aggression, such as dilated pupils, arched back, pilo-erection (hair standing on end), and hissing.
Indoor or outdoor cats can be found outside under decks, on rooves, under parked cars, in tall trees, dense bushes or in drains. Most cats, when feeling overwhelmed or lost, will hide instead of run. They can spend long periods of time in one area moving from hiding spot to hiding spot.
Looking through years of case records of hundreds of missing cats, the number one way cats are found is that they simply come home in about twenty percent of missing cat cases.
In some cases, cats can even stay away from home for up to 10 days at a time. We also know of cats that leave home while their humans are away on holiday, returning soon after the family arrives back. And in some instances, cats that have been missing for years have eventually been reunited with their owners.
Even if you have a cat that usually has free reign of the outdoors, keep them inside for a few weeks so they can familiarise themselves with being home again.
Signs of Emotional Trauma in Cats and Dogs
Trauma can also manifest as “shaking, hiding, urination and/or defecation when the trigger attempts to interact, howling, pacing, excessive vocalization, and panting,” says Pia Silvani, director of behavioral rehabilitation at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.
Your cat is scared.
A frightened cat may start out with protest meows, but more often fear turns cries into hisses and growls.
Fifty-nine percent of cat guardians found their cat because it returned home on its own; 30 percent found their cat by searching the neighborhood; and. Only 6 percent of dog guardians and 2 percent of cat guardians found their lost pets at a shelter.
Yes, they do. The cats miss the owners whenever they are away or have been detached from the owner. They notice the absence of all the showered love their owners have left for them.
When an indoor cat is lost or displaced, its primary instinct would be to protect itself by looking for a hiding place and stay there without making a sound. Meowing would give away his location to would-be predators, so it wouldn't meow, even if it hears you calling.
Most cats can safely spend time outdoors nearly all year long. But when temperatures drop, your furry friends may need a little help to stay warm, dry, and well-fed.
Why are cats shy or fearful? Shy or fearful behavior is most often caused by negative associations made in early life. If a cat doesn't interact with people often or experiences abuse or trauma, later, he or she may be afraid to trust human caretakers and become a skittish kitty.
One of the most effective ways to decrease your cat's anxiety level is to remain calm and relaxed during the visit. Speak to your cat in a calm and soothing voice and reassure her by petting her on her head or stroking her in her favorite spot.
In the home, cats are often scared of noisy household appliances, especially if they didn't become accustomed to them as young kittens. Vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, printers, washing machines and hairdryers are common culprits.