Before you start doing anything you need to determine what type of cat you have. A house cat that has never been out before will act very differently from a cat that is allowed to roam. A house cat will normally be found within 5 houses of home and maybe hiding down somewhere. You average cat that is allowed to roam maybe just off his territory, and be confused and able to find the way back home.
Make a plan before running around the streets calling for him and shaking treats, in my opinion, this does not work. Write down the last time you cat was seen, was it day or night? if day time maybe you can could have climbed into a delivery van, or scared away by a noisy lorry. At night you cat could have been chased off his area by a fox or another cat. Therefore a good chance he is just lost as he is on new territory.
Try to work out what area around your home is your cats territory, how far did he go when outside, and did he have regular places and areas that he liked to visit. The areas that he visit regular would be my first step to search for him, maybe he has been shut in a shed, garage or greenhouse on his local area.
Door knock and have conversations with your neighbours, ask if they have seen him and does he visit their property, at this point you can ask them to check sheds and garages if they have had them open and he could be trapped inside. Having conversations with local people can help get your cat found quickly as neighbours are aware you are worried and want to help you.
It is important you act quickly when you cat is missing, so leaflet the area as soon as possible, stating where and when he went missing. Print a map of your local area and work in sections leafleting, work close to home first and work outwards, there is a good chance he is lost and hiding in someone's garden.
Poster the area, a good clear photo of your cat and information of how to contact you someone come across your cat. Speak to local delivery drivers and postal workers who can look for on their rounds.
Report your cat missing with your vet and other local vets, make sure you contact your microchipping company and check all details are up to date. Also check in with local rescue groups, as these groups will also look out for him
Leave doors or windows open at home, this may help me smell his way home. Best time to go searching is first thing in the morning before people are up or very late at night and traffic is slow and the streets are empty and quiet.
Make use of social to help you find your cat, share on local sites and ask other people to share for you. Nextdoor app and facebook are great for getting people engaging with your story so make sure you add all the necessary information on your post.
Be patient, sometimes it takes a while to tract down your missing cat so dont give up hope to quickly. Continue your search and continue to leaflet, sometimes your cat will be found very quickly and often do find their way home, sometimes if can takes weeks or months so don't give up, keep going with your search.
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