What to do if you lose or find a lost cat.
Have you ever felt the intensity of losing a cat? It can be frightening when an indoor cat gets lost outside or if your outdoor cat doesn't come home. We’ve put together some critical steps you can do to help bring your beloved feline back home. We also have included what to do when you find a cat. One thing to always keep in mind is the one sure proof of ownership is microchipping. If that is not possible, always keep current photos of your cat along with vet records for proof of ownership.
Tips for Finding Your Feline:
Stick the used litter box outside the door:
The smell of the used litter box can wafer quite a distance and the familiar smell will lure them home.
Post a photo, location and contact information on Facebook and the Humane Society
Being active on social media has its perks. One of them is being able to post your lost cat and get social media to share that post. There are websites in the SW Missouri area that are dedicated to helping find lost and found pets. These are those sites on Facebook to join or follow for lost and found pets:
Check your local animal control site: https://health.springfieldmo.gov/2889/Animal-Control
Leigh’s Lost and Found: https://www.facebook.com/LeighsLostAndFound
Click the tab “Community” and you will see a spot to write a post. Include in that post the location of where your cat/cats/kittens went missing from (city and closest cross streets) have a recent photo and your contact information so you can be contacted. Once an admin responds then go to the tab “posts” and scroll down to your post, comment on it so you can be notified of comments and can follow along.
Make a post with the same requirements for the following lost and found pet sites on Facebook along with the Humane Society
Southwest Missouri Humane Society: https://www.swh.org/
Lost & found pets of Springfield, MO: https://www.facebook.com/groups/121575991237861
Springfield, MO lost dogs cats and pets: https://www.facebook.com/LostPetsSpringfieldMO
Simply Springfield Lost and Found: https://www.facebook.com/groups/208041082633347
Lost pets of Willard: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1901855183443805
Lost & Found Pets from Christian County: https://www.facebook.com/Christian-County-Mo-Lost-Found-Pets-1041665095949910
Republic MO missing fur babies And Rehoming: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553238154925695
Make a flier or poster
Make a flier with a large photo of your cat along with your phone number and where your cat went missing. Make a bunch of copies and canvass your neighborhood, don’t forget to remove them when you find your cat.
What happens if you find a feline?
The steps are essentially the same as when you lose a cat with these exceptions.
Take a photo of the cat and make a post on Facebook with the location you found the cat and contact information.
The next step is (if possible) to take the cat to the closest vet and have them scan for a microchip, this is a free service.
In the state of Missouri there is a law that states you must actively look for the owners of any pet found for a minimum of 5 days. The legal stray hold protects any animal found from being sold, kept or anything else
Springfield is blessed to have an abundance of cat specific rescues in the area.
Watching Over Whiskers:
This fund was established at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in 2015 where cat loving individuals can make tax deductible donations to help make a difference in the lives of felines in Southwest Missouri. Watching Over Whiskers supports routine vetting to help place kitties in loving homes, as well as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) assistance and emergency vet assistance for kitties on a case by case basis. To date, WOW has been able to TNR, vet and/or place well over 2000+ kitties and they couldn’t have done it without all of the support!
Follow them on this journey as they continue to work together, watching over whiskers.
https://www.facebook.com/WatchingOverWhiskers
http://www.watchingoverwhiskers.org/Eden Animal Haven:
Eden Animal Haven began in 2010 when Leslie Sawyer and Bill Stoll took up residence on a piece of land owned by a psychologist and his wife who wanted it used for animal welfare. While living in a small house on the land, Leslie and Bill converted a barn on the property into a temporary cat sanctuary to address a pronounced need for cat rescue efforts in the Springfield area. Eden formed a board and became a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in December 2013, and received their animal shelter license from the Missouri Department of Agriculture in June 2016. In May 2017, Eden began construction on a state-of-the-art, cage-free cat building on the property, modeled after Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah. The new shelter building currently houses about 80 cats at a time. Their goal for the future includes finishing the quarantine area for cats with infectious diseases, and are currently in the process of adding catios to the larger community rooms.
https://www.facebook.com/edenanimalhaven
https://www.edenanimalhaven.org/*Valley Hills Animal Rescue:
This rescue was founded by a nurse who had a problem of her own. “It wasn’t long after I moved here in 1999 that dumped dogs would end up on my property. I would try to find owners and when no one would claim them I would have to take them to animal control (at that time.) They soon started charging me $20 for every dog I brought them. I was bringing them one or two dogs a week. I could not afford to bring them anymore dogs, I had my own dogs. Then, one day, I called about bringing a Heeler to the pound. I told them I just cannot keep paying 20 bucks. I did not dump the dog, but some of the area farmers were going to shoot him because he kept running their cattle. It was a great dog that just needed some training. The voice on the other end said “ well it is not against the law to take a dog out behind the barn and shoot it.” I hung up, looked at the dog and said “Well, fella I guess we’re on our own.” I never took another dog to the pound. Instead I started finding homes for them. The word got out and it just grew and grew.” - Mary, Founder of Valley Hills.
https://www.valleyhillsanimalrescue.com/Care Rescue:
Castaway Animals Rescue Effort, otherwise known as C.A.R.E., is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals. Established in 1992, C.A.R.E. has saved over 25,000 lives and we are still counting. From our humble grassroots beginnings, we have grown into southwest Missouri's largest no-kill shelter. Operations are still overseen by founder and director, Melissa Sartin. Her compassion for all living creatures drives the organization forward. The Adoption Center gives guests the opportunity to meet some of our animals offering a one-on-one experience prior to adoption.
C.A.R.E. relies solely on the kindness and donations of the public to care for our animals. We are neither city- nor state-funded and all donations are tax deductible. We rescue approximately 1,000 animals a year, including dogs, cats, small mammals, horses, pigs and more. Your donations change the lives of so many animals who would otherwise not have a chance.
https://www.carerescue.org/
https://www.facebook.com/careanimalrescueSouthwest Missouri Humane Society:
The Humane Society of Southwest Missouri is an independent, 501(c)3 non-profit organization licensed by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
Funding for the organization comes from private donations. We do not receive any funding from the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society of Missouri, SPCA, or any government agencies
*Note that the animal control used when Mary first started taking dogs in is now under new management and has not had to euthanize an adoptable dog in over 7 years.
