Cats can be especially difficult to find if they escape their home. Check out these cat-specific tips (Spanish version).

1. Search around your house (especially for cats). Indoor cats will sometimes get spooked and find a place to hide where they feel safe. Make sure to thoroughly check bushes, under decks and porches, crawlspaces, etc. Let your neighbors know that your pet is lost and ask them to check around their home.
2. Put a sign in front of your house letting people know that your pet is missing. Even just a quick note written in marker on a delivery box could be the neon sign that a neighbor needs to reunite you with your pet. Many people will walk or drive the neighborhood where a pet was found to look for an owner.
3. Contact the microchip company to report the loss and make sure your contact information is up to date. For more information about microchips, go to Pet Identification.
4. Contact the veterinarian that provided your pet’s most recent rabies vaccination to make sure that your contact information is correct and let them know your pet is lost. A NC rabies tag can be traced to the clinic that issued it.
5. Contact your local Animal Control Agency to report your pet lost, to see if they have picked up your pet, or been contacted by a finder.
6. Check the Wake County Animal Center intake gallery. Click “Date in Shelter” to see the most recent arrivals. Strays (shown as “Not Yet Available”) are on this website for at least 72 hours.
   • If you live near another county or jurisdiction, notify their Animal Control, as well.
   • Rescue organizations do not typically take in strays but may do so at their discretion. You can reach out to them directly and individually, but most should be advertising found animals on the websites listed in step 7.

7. Post lost flyers in your neighborhood. Flyers and lost reports can be made on the following websites:
   • Petco Love Lost
   • Pawboost

8. Post on social media.
   • Nextdoor is a great way to let others in your neighborhood know that your pet is lost and to see if someone has already found them.
   • Facebook has many lost and found groups that range from local to state-wide and regional. In the beginning, focus on local groups but, as time goes on, expand your postings to more distant locations. The Wake County Animal Center has our own Facebook group dedicated to helping pets lost and found within Wake County: Wake County Lost & Found Pets | Facebook.

9. Lure your pet home with smells. It might seem silly, but animals have an amazing sense of smell and sometimes the allure of bacon or steak grilling can be enough to get them back home. You can also put out a piece of clothing that you have worn but not washed out near your front or back door so your pet can smell something familiar.
10. Go to the Wake County Animal Center in person at least every other day. Found animals can be viewed on the website, but owners are strongly recommended to view the animals in person. Staff cannot make identifications over the phone.

11. Set a humane trap. If your pet is extremely fearful, it may be safest and fastest to lure them into a trap.

    • Tips on trapping:
      • Missing Animal Response Network – Pet Trapping
      • Lost Pet Research & Recovery – Trapping
    • Animal Control may have dog or cat traps available.
    • The following local rescue groups will loan out traps if available:
      • Dog and cat traps:
        • The SPCA of Wake County - Select “Trap Rental” as the help topic.
      • Cat traps:
        • Alley Cats & Angels
        • Operation Catnip
        • Second Chance Pet Adoptions
        • Independent Animal Rescue
        • SAFE Haven for Cats
12. Enlist the help of a pet detective or pet tracker. These services may not be free. Keep in mind that using a scent-tracking dog is not recommended in all situations.

Pet detectives

• Lost Pet Research & Recovery – Virtual consultation
• Dogs Finding Dogs – Phone consultation with a 501(c)(3)
   

Pet trackers

• Missing Animal Response Network
• Missing Animal Scent Dog Network
• Bravo K911

Note: If the pet cannot be safely handled due to medical or behavioral concerns, contact your local Animal Control Agency for assistance. DO NOT GET BITTEN. A bite on its record can be life-threatening for the animal.

1. Check the pet for identification tags. A NC rabies tag can be traced to the clinic that issued it.
2. Put a sign in front of your house letting people know that you found a pet. Even just a quick note written in marker on a delivery box could be the beacon of hope that an owner is looking for. Many people will walk or drive around their neighborhood looking for their lost pet.
3. Check with your neighbors in case someone has a new pet, or they’ve seen the pet around the neighborhood and know where they live, or already know of someone looking for a lost pet.
4. Have the pet scanned for a microchip. Any veterinary clinic can do this, as well as the Wake County Animal Center. Depending on privacy practices, a clinic may not provide you with the owner’s information or even the microchip number, but they can get your permission to pass along your name and contact information to the pet owner, if they are able to reach them.
5. Contact your local Animal Control Agency to report the found pet and to see if an owner has reached out to them (or if they recognize the pet as a “frequent flyer” and can escort them home).
   • If you live near another county or jurisdiction, notify their Animal Control, as well.

6. Post found flyers in your neighborhood. Flyers and found reports can be made on the following websites: 
   • Petco Love Lost
   • Pawboost

7. Post on social media.
   • Nextdoor is a great way to let others in your neighborhood know that you have found a pet and to see if anyone recognizes them.
   • Facebook has many lost and found groups that range from local to statewide and regional. The Wake County Animal Center has our own Facebook group dedicated to helping pets lost and found within Wake County: Wake County Lost & Found Pets | Facebook.
8. If you found a pet within Wake County and were unable to locate the owner, please call the Wake County Animal Center at 919-212-7387 to schedule an appointment.

If you see a cat loitering in your neighborhood or out and about in Wake County, keep in mind the following:

If the cat is sick or injured, call Animal Control.
Do not attempt to catch, move or handle a cat that appears sick or injured. There is risk of disease and further injury to both feline and human if the cat is not safely handled.

Indoor cats will hide if they escape.
If the cat is truly lost and in need of assistance, you will likely not see them. Most housecats that are not used to being outdoors will find a place to hide and may not emerge for hours or days. It is very unlikely that you will see these cats sauntering around.

The cat may live in the area.
The last thing you want to do is kidnap a cat that was on its way home. You can snap a picture of the cat and post it on social media; many people connect on Nextdoor or Facebook with found animals.

Kittens under 6 weeks old have a much better chance of survival when cared for by their mom.
If the family is safe, it is best to leave them where they are until the kittens are weaned and mom can be trapped for TNVR.

The leash law in Wake County applies to both dogs and cats, except for municipalities with community cat ordinances.
The City of Raleigh and Towns of Holly Springs and Garner do not have ordinances supporting community cats. If Animal Control in those locations is called about a nuisance cat, they will likely trap the cat and impound it. The cat’s chance of survival is reduced because they cannot be released back to the community where they came from.

If you feed, they will come.
Animals will find food. If the cat appears healthy, they likely have known feeding spots or are indoor/outdoor and do not need you to feed them. If you choose to put food out, do not be surprised when you attract the attention of all the cats in the neighborhood as well as opossums and raccoons.

References:

• What to Do if You Find Kittens Outdoors (alleycat.org)
• Found a Stray Dog or Cat | Best Friends Animal Society
• What Should I Do if I Find a Lost Cat? | Hill's Pet (hillspet.com)