My heart aches every time I see a post on Facebook or a sign in the pet shop about a lost cat. While some ‘lost cat’ stories end up happily ever after, others are not so lucky. Sometimes if a lost cat is found and the owner cannot be identified, the cat will end up in a shelter.u

However, the most important thing to remember is that you can avoid this tragedy, by prevention! Here are a number of steps that you can take to avoid losing your kitty or have more chances of finding him.

Train Your Cat

You may think that training your cat is impossible, but the truth is that it’s easier than you imagine. While cats aren’t as cooperative as dogs are, it’s actually possible to teach your cat to come when called. It’s crucial for your cat to become familiar with being called. This familiarity can prevent your cat from getting lost and be helpful in an emergency.

If you know what motivates your cat, then you can use it to train him. Food is a perfect way to get your cat to come. If your cat knows the sound of a treat bag, then it’s pretty easy to combine this sound with his name. Training your cat to come will significantly cut down the chances of him wandering off just because he’s bored or curious.

Secure Your House And Yard

Especially for indoor cats, it’s really easy to get lost, as they’re not familiar with the new environment. Outdoor cats live half as long as indoor cats since they are exposed to more dangers, from traffic and diseases to attacks from other animals.

If you want your indoor cats to spend some time outside, you can take a fun playpen, catio, or tent enclosure that will allow your furry friend to experience the outdoors while being safe. Also, cats are perfect jumpers, so lining the top of your fence with chicken wire may help prevent them from getting out.

Microchip your cat

Over the last years, microchips have significantly helped reduce the number of lost pets that never find their way back home. Thanks to them, shelters can quickly scan the microchip and identify your cat’s name and your own information, so that they can contact you.Your Cat Won’t Get Lost

Microchips are placed directly under the skin, the procedure is completely painless for cats to get and they’ll go their entire lives not even knowing it’s there.

Spay or Neuter

Spaying and neutering your cats significantly reduces the chances of them getting lost. Male cats who aren’t neutered have a high sexual drive. This will make them try to escape from the house and go out searching for nearby female cats to mate with. Female cats, on the other hand, will try to put their scent in as many places as possible, so that males will discover it.

Neutering and spaying will relax your cats and make them better pets who actually want to stay near you.

Keep an Eye On Your Cat

Paying attention may seem like a simple rule, but it can be one of the most forgotten ones.

Work, kids, families, and daily routine, can make you forget to check your cat. However, remember that your cat is another member of your family. You wouldn’t forget to pay attention to your kids if they were playing outside.

No matter how many tips we can give you on how to keep your cat safe, there is always the possibility of losing your cat. In that case, prevention is really important, so that you increase the chances of finding him. Check here to find out what you can do in advance, so that you can find your cat easily if he gets lost.

Do you have any tips to prevent your cat from getting lost? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Source: Cattime

Photo: Mohak Makin & Mario Vazquez