There have been some wonderful newspaper stories over the years about cats going missing, often miles away from home yet still making their way back. This ability is also a well-known fictional trope, and I’ve lost track of the number of films I’ve seen in which it is depicted in some way.
Many people, understandingly, wonder whether the narratives in the news are genuinely the case or whether kitties do have this ability.
Cats, unlike dogs, are just half-domesticated animals. It could clarify why cats are natural wanderers; every cat parent is aware of this.
Some kitties are known to have a keen sense of direction. However, the reasons for this are unknown. We are unable to fully understand how a cat can find its way back home.
Can cats make their way home after a long-distance? Some of them can, and there are examples of cats who have done so. Cats’ senses are far more acute than we realize, and some animal behaviorists believe that extremely territorial felines have exceptional homing instincts. Unless your cat is missing, you should go to any length to find him.
How Long Could A Cat Stay Away At A Time?
Some kitties who are allowed to go out can spend an entire day outside before returning to eat in the late afternoon, while others may cuddle and nap inside throughout the day and go chasing at dark.
Some daring cats also can spend a few days outside and return as though nothing happened. They could have been directed by prey or smelled other cats in warmth and not followed their routine. They may return filthy and infested with fleas; it is critical to clean them and cure any parasites thoroughly.
You should not be worried if your cat goes missing. However, if it’s been more than two days, you must consider alerting the animal warden and your municipal vet that your pet has not returned, as it may have gotten injured and is unable to return home.
Why Do Cats Abandon Their Homes?
When a cat is stressed or scared, it may flee and lose its bearings. Can a scared cat find its way home? Can it end up leaving for a few days and then returning? A lost cat, who lacks the assets of a feral or stray cat, may face issues that hinder it from coming back home quickly.
The stories of furballs who have journeyed tens or maybe even hundreds of kilometers to find their relatives after a move are a mystery. How will they make it back home if they have never made the journey before?
How Can Lost Cats Make Their Way Home?
I’ve heard numerous stories about cats returning to a previous address after a family relocated. I regularly advise customers to keep their cats indoors at least a month after shifting to ensure that the furball does not try to return to the old home. The capacity of cats to work their way home astounds their families, vets, and research scientists. How do they accomplish this?
Cats have a homing instinct, meaning they can interpret direction utilizing senses other than the five basic ones of smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing.
Dolphins, geese, or other migrating birds use visual elements; homing pigeons use lower frequencies sound waves to find their way; salmon inscribe on the electromagnetic field and use aromatic cues, and wildebeest obey the smell of rain. And what about feline senses?
While both dogs and cats bond to humans, animal behaviorists know that cats also bond firmly to their homes, marking their territory with urine spraying or pinch-hitting scent glands positioned under their chin.
However, how a cat’s homing intuition works over long distances remains unknown to science. While anecdotal evidence abounds, there aren’t many studies on the homing instinct of cats. Just two published research exists.
We’re Not Sure What Gives Kitties Their Sense Of Direction.
But in the end, we have no idea why cats are so capable of finding their way back home.
Theories differ. The most common and widely accepted theory would be that it has something to do with odor markers, as cats have a fully advanced sense of smell. Kitties use aromas to assert their dominance, and with over 19 million fragrance receptors, it’s feasible that’s also how they adjust themselves toward their residences.
Some other theory is founded on studies with homing pigeons.
But, because there is so much we don’t know about cats’ tracer abilities, we can’t rely on them to always make their way home. If we could, kitties would never get lost, or if they did, they always would find their way back to us. We know that’s not the case; according to one 2017 study, roughly two-thirds of absent cats are never discovered by their owners.
How Established Is A Cat’s Sense Of Perspective?
Cats are endowed with keen senses. A cat’s ears and eyes weren’t the only organs whereby it perceives the world. Your cat’s fur and paws are in charge of gathering data from the world and quickly transmitting it to the brain for processing.
Cats also have a well-developed smell (more than 19 million scent receptors), intense hearing, and exact vision.
Although cats are brilliant animals, their explorations can expose them to a variety of dangers. Outdoor cats, for example, are more vulnerable to infectious viruses like feline leukemia.
While indoor cats can reside for up to 20 years, feral cats live for an average of 2 to 11 years.
Freezing temperatures, battles with the other cats, and people who hate felines can all turn your cat’s explorations into dangerous adventures.
Here’s A List Of Things You Can Do To Keep Your Pet Safe.
1. Know your neighborhood: How secure is your yard? Keep in mind that potential dangers for your cat can lurk in the most unexpected places! Always keep an eye out for plants species and exercise caution when using potent chemical pesticides.
2. Keep her close at hand: Cats, as you may have guessed, enjoy exploring. As a result, in most cases, building a wall is not the best solution. Even though there are methods of keeping your cat secure when she’s in the garden, it is sometimes unavoidable for your cat to flee.
3. Be wary of “dumped cats”: Who is the feral cat in your garden, and what has brought her there? Unfortunately, “dumped cats” are commonplace things. These are cats that have been neglected somewhere far from their previous location and are likely to pose a threat to your cat as the two contest for territory dominance.
These are all just a few ideas for keeping your cat safe.
When Indoor Cats Go Missing
- Determine The Point Of No Return.
Whenever an indoor-only cat manages to escape outside, the best method is to locate the escape point, which could be a cracked door.
- Take The Edge Of The Building Or House As A Guide.
Instead of slinking or clamping out into the open, a scared cat will usually follow all alongside the property. However, this is dependent on what happens when the little furball escapes — for example, if the postman is walking up the sidewalk, the cat might bolt and run straight across the street. However, most indoor cats will slink right or left along the side of the house.
- Look For The Most Convenient Hiding Places.
Following the edge of the residence to the right, take a glance for the first hiding spot — a deck connected directly under a house, a barn with an entrance, an open garage, etc. — and concentrate on that area. Then repeat on the left.
- Put Cameras, Humane Traps, Or Meals In Those Locations.
If you don’t see or discover the cat, you could indeed set up humane traps, wildlife cameras, or even a full meal to see if it disappears.
The situation of a missing cat is being investigated. “Where is the cat hiding?” is the investigatory question with dispossessed indoor-only cats that flee outside — and even outdoor-access kitties that bolt in panic.
- Using A GPS Tracker To Ensure That You Never End Up Losing Your Cat
It’s challenging to look for, let alone find, a missing cat. It is worth noting that, while neutering may calm it down, it does not help stop cats from heading outside. Even if it is spayed and neutered, a kitty who is allowed to go out appreciates climbing, walking, hunting, and, most importantly, finding a safe place to rest. As a result, they can be found anywhere.
A GPS tracker, which works with a sim card and a free smartphone app, is handy because it allows you to find lost animals quickly.
Document your lost cat to websites as well right away, get all the assistance you can, and do everything you can to get him back. Your cat is either waiting to be saved or working hard to find his path back to you.
