My cat is missing. What now?
Take a breath. Most missing cats are hiding a few houses away, scared and quiet. Start close to home and work through this list.
Search close to home
A frightened cat doesn't run far. It crawls into the first safe spot it finds and stays there, quiet.
Search your own home first
Indoor cats in particular often just hide inside: in cupboards, behind the washing machine, inside the sofa or in the attic. Look everywhere, even where it never goes.
Then your garden and your neighbours'
Look under decks, in hedges, behind sheds and under cars. Take a torch: a cat's eyes light up in the dark.
Ask if you can check sheds and garages yourself
Cats get shut in sheds, garages and cellars. Look yourself if you can: you know where your cat likes to hide, and a scared cat won't respond to a stranger.
Leave a door or window open
If it's safe, leave a cat flap, door or window open so it can come in at any time. Put its own bed and water by the door.
Report your cat missing everywhere
The sooner people know about your cat, the sooner someone can call you. A few calls, and everyone knows who to look out for.
Report your cat missing in SpotKat
One report sets a lot in motion straight away, so the whole neighbourhood starts looking with you today.
- People near you get an alert and take a photo of every cat they see. We show you which one could be yours.
- You get a poster with a QR code that you can print right away.
- You get your own link to the missing report, with photos and all the details, to share in neighbourhood apps and groups.
Download SpotKat now
Check your chip details and report it missing
A chip only helps if your phone number and address are right. Look up on chipnummer.nl which registry holds your cat's chip, check your details there and report your cat missing. The chip number is in its pet passport, or ask your vet.
Go to chipnummer.nlCall the animal ambulance, shelters and vets
Ask the animal ambulance (dierenambulance) in your area whether they picked up a cat that looks like yours. Call the shelters and vets nearby and drop off a photo or poster. Call again after a few days.
Ask your municipality too
The municipality (gemeente) or its cleaning service collects animals found by the road. It's a hard call to make, but it gives you certainty.
Report it to Amivedi too
Amivedi is the national contact point for missing and found animals in the Netherlands. Put your cat on it as well and check the found animals in your area now and then.
Get the neighbourhood looking
Owners usually find their cat themselves, but often because a neighbour says: I saw that one in my garden yesterday.
Hang posters where many people pass
At bus stops, the supermarket, bottle banks, post boxes and cash machines. Use a clear photo, what it looks like, where and when it went missing and your phone number. Note: some municipalities fine you for posters in the street.
Make your poster with a QR code in the appShare it in neighbourhood apps and on social media
Post in your street's WhatsApp group, on Nextdoor, Facebook and Instagram. A clear photo and the street where it went missing is all you need. Ask people to share.
Report your cat in the app and share the link with photos and all the detailsPost it in a lost cat group for your area
Facebook has groups for missing and found cats per city or region. The people there really pay attention. Below are the groups we know.
Share the link to your missing report from the app there
Search well: quiet, slow and in the dark
A scared cat freezes. It may hear you call and still not come out. By day it stays still; in the dark it dares to move again.
Search at dusk and at night
When the street is quiet, a scared cat is more likely to show itself. Take a torch and shine it under bushes, fences and cars.
Call softly and listen
Use sounds it knows, like rattling its food bowl or the bag of biscuits. Call, wait a moment and listen for a soft meow. Cats that are ill or hurt sometimes don't answer.
Look up
A frightened cat sometimes climbs a tree or a shed roof and then doesn't dare come down. Check the trees in gardens and along the street.
Think of building work
Is someone renovating nearby? Cats crawl under floors and behind new walls or kitchen units. Ask if you can have a quick look.
When things are a bit different
You've just moved
Cats sometimes walk back to their old home. Tell the new residents and your old neighbours, hang posters there as well and put your new address in the chip registry.
Your cat never goes outside
An indoor cat is usually very close. Set up a spot by the door or window it got out of: water, food, its used litter box and a box on its side with a worn jumper inside. Leave it there for at least a week.
Your cat isn't chipped
Then it matters even more that people know what it looks like: posters, neighbourhood apps and SpotKat. Have it chipped and registered as soon as it's back.
Facebook groups for missing cats
In these groups, local people share missing and found cats. Post your cat in the group for your area.
We're putting the groups together here
We've only just started this list. Know a good group for your town or region? Let us know.
Do you run a group for missing cats?
Then we'd love to list your group here, with its name, your region and a link. Email us the link to your group. It's free.
Don't give up after a few days.
Many cats are back within a week, but lots turn up after weeks. 6 in 10 missing cats are found alive within a year. Keep looking, keep your posters up and ask the neighbours again.
Read what research says about where to lookIs your cat back?
- Tell everyone you reported it to: the chip registry, Amivedi, the animal ambulance, shelters, vets and the groups.
- Take your posters down and thank the neighbours.
- Have the vet check it if it was gone a long time, is thin or behaves oddly.
- Not chipped? Have it chipped and registered now. Chipped? Check your details are still right.
Frequently asked questions
How far does a missing cat go?
Usually not far. Half of missing cats are found within 50 metres of home, two or three houses away. Indoor cats are often even closer.
Should I wait a day before reporting my cat missing?
No. Report your cat in SpotKat, to the chip registry and to the animal ambulance straight away. If it comes back by itself, report it found just as quickly.
Can I hang posters in the street?
Every municipality has its own rules for posters in the street, and some fine you. Ask shops if you can put a poster in the window or on their notice board. You can make a poster with a QR code in the SpotKat app.
How do I find out which registry holds my cat's chip?
Enter the chip number on chipnummer.nl. It shows which registry knows the chip. Check your details there and report your cat missing.
Does it help to put the litter box outside?
For an indoor cat that never goes out it can help: put its used litter box by the spot where it got out, with water and food. For an outdoor cat it draws other cats too, so searching nearby helps more.
How long can a cat stay away and still come back?
Sometimes weeks or months. Many cats are back within a week, but some are found after a long time. Keep looking and keep your report open.
Install SpotKat on your phone
Seen a cat outside? Take a photo in the app and it goes straight to the owner. Lost your own cat? Report it, and people nearby help you look.