SpotKat
A grey tabby cat peeks out from under a garden hedge next to a shed.

How far does a lost cat go?

Usually not far. Most lost cats hide close to home, scared and quiet. Here is where to look, and what really helps.

Where to look for your cat

Tell us a bit about your cat. The glow shows where it is most likely to be.

Start here
230 m
3 min walk
The most likely spot. Search every garden, shed and hedge.
Widen up to
1.3 km
16 min walk
Nearly all cats are found inside this line.
Does it go outside?
With strangers
Sex
Neutered
Age
Widen up toStart here
More likelyLess likelyMap 4 km across

Based on studies of more than a thousand lost cats. Even after weeks, the centre stays the most likely place.

What helps

  1. A ginger and white cat hides under a wooden garden deck.
    01

    Start at your own back door

    Lost cats rarely run far. They hide a few houses away: under a deck, in a hedge, behind a shed. Search there first, slowly and thoroughly.

    Half of lost cats are found within 50 metres of home. That's two or three houses.

  2. A black and white cat sits inside a neighbour's open garden shed.
    02

    Look in your neighbours' gardens

    Cats get shut in sheds and garages, or hide in a quiet garden. Ask your neighbours if you may look yourself: you know where your cat likes to hide.

    Owners who searched their neighbours' gardens found their cat most often.

  3. A tortoiseshell cat crouches under a flowering shrub at dusk.
    03

    Go slow, stay quiet, listen

    A scared cat freezes. It may hear you call and still not come out. Search at dusk or at night with a torch, look under things and listen for a soft meow.

    Half of the cats looked scared when they were found.

  4. A tabby cat waits on the doormat in front of a green front door.
    04

    Don't give up after a few days

    Many cats are back within the first week, but lots turn up after weeks. Keep looking, keep your posters up and ask around again.

    6 in 10 lost cats were found alive within a year.

  • Check your chip details

    A chip only helps if someone scans it and your phone number is up to date. Check it today.

  • Don't just wait for the shelter

    Very few lost cats end up in a shelter. Your own street is the place to search.

  • Seen a cat that looks lost?

    Take a photo from a distance and don't chase it. The owner will know what to do.

Things you'll read that aren't true

  • “Only 2% of lost cats are ever found.”

    That number is about cats in shelters. Most lost cats are found by their own people, close to home.

  • “Cats can travel 20 miles in two days.”

    No study backs this up. Most lost cats are found a few houses away.

  • “A cat always finds its way home.”

    Many do, but not all. Don't wait for it: go out and look.

  • “My cat is chipped, so it will come back.”

    Chipped cats weren't found more often. Owners said searching in person helped most.

Cats are found by people who go out and look.

Search close to home, ask your neighbours and keep going. With SpotKat your whole street keeps an eye out with you.

See how SpotKat helps you search
Sources (8)

SpotKat uses these studies to set the search area and the advice in the app.