What Are the Chances of a Lost Cat Returning Home?

A lost cat is plenty of cause for concern, what with infectious disease, passing cars and extreme weather conditions to consider. Felines have strong senses of direction, but that doesn't mean they all can find their ways back home -- hence the importance of conducting an active search.

  1. Chances of a Lost Cat Returning Home

    • If your beloved pet cat is lost, you have about a 75 percent chance of him returning, according to a study the ASPCA performed in 2010. This study was established on findings from a five-year period. The figure for cats is significantly lower than that for dogs. Lost dogs have about a 93 percent chance of finding their way home to their owners.

    How Cats Come Home

    • Cats usually come back home all by themselves. Canines often come back home by themselves, too, but also frequently require tracking down by their owners. Many pooches are also retrieved through forms of name identification -- think collars with tags. It is not as common for felines to sport name identification.

    Shelters

    • Shelters and rescue organizations are always full of sad-eyed animals just waiting to find their ways back into the arms of their loving owners, or into new peoples' hearts. Between 6 million and 8 million cats are placed into shelters annually, reports the Humane Society of the United States. Not even 2 percent of felines in shelters ever see their owners again. As for canines in shelters, between 15 percent and 30 percent of them are lucky enough to go back to their cozy and familiar homes. These low percentages may be the result of owners who surrender the notion of ever getting their pets back or perhaps of people who simply don't know where to start.

    Tips

    • If your cat is lost, it is important to be as diligent in your search as possible. Some cats wander back into their homes after months or even years away, so it is crucial to not lose hope. Not only is is vital to scour the neighborhood, inform people of the situation and give out flyers with recent pictures of your pet, it also is vital to visit area rescue organizations and shelters, frequently. Online postings on websites and message boards can serve your quest to bring your cat home. Affixing a collar with your contact information on it is just smart pet ownership -- as are microchipping and other means of detailed identification.