Dane County Lost Pet Search Resources - Can use info for any location. These resources are also handy if you find an animal and need to find its owner
- Search and find a report online with the Dane Co Humane Society to see if your missing pet was taken to the Dane County Humane Society. Every few days, do a walk through to see if was turned in, especially if you see a cat with similar markings. Once the report is filed, they will ask for photos which are emailed to [email protected] with the subject line Find My Pet and it will be entered in their database.
- If you found a lost pet, fill out a report on their lost pet website and send pictures. They will put it up online.
- Send the same information to other local rescues in your area. See the Local Adoption Resources tab on this website
- Local police and non emergency numbers for the Dane County Area
- Lost cats of Wisconsin facebook page to put up your lost cat, generate flyers and network and an excellent handout on how to look for your lost cat.
- You can also generate a flyer through Pawboost. They have facebook groups for major cities, where lost pets are posted. This is one for Madison, WI.
- Check with your neighborhood association and see if they have an email listserv. Also post the pet on Nextdoor for your neighborhood and surrounding area
- Advertise on Facebook, Craigslist (Madison Craiglist link) and your local newspaper. Wisconsin State Journal used to do a lost pet ad for free, call them at 608-252-6100
- Stoughton has local lost and found pets facebook group.
- North side of Madison has the Northside Cat Resources Facebook group. They have a chip scanner and traps and can loan both, [email protected], 608-616-0167
- Dane County has a Lost and Found Pets Facebook Group
- If you live in an apartment or a condo, contact your rental office or condo association. They may be able to send an all-resident e-mail with a notice about your lost cat. Ask them if you can put flyers in lobbies or doors. Ask the maintenance staff to keep an eye out as they are working around the complex.
- As a pet owner, keep your chip registration current if you move or rehome a pet. Some microchip companies charge a fee for change of info and some do a lifetime fee so that you can inform them of changes at any time during the life of the pet. Please look over your microchip information to make sure everything is up to date. If you find an animal, Microchip help if the info on the found animal's chip is not accurate.
FLYER INFO SHOULD INCLUDE
- The cat's name, age, color, sex and anything special about the cat. Declawed? Unusual markings or physical anomalies like a missing eye or extra toes? If it has special needs, like needs medicine or elderly?
- Is the cat wearing a collar or tags? Microchipped? Fixed?
- Is the cat friendly or skittish? Indoor or outdoor? Recently moved and in an unfamiliar area. Remind people to call you and NOT to chase the cat
- Where was the cat lost? Give your address as well as the nearest cross street.
- When was the cat lost?
- Who should people call if they find him or her? Include phone numbers.
- Ask people to look in their yard (under porches, decks, sheds, cars, in sheds/garages, brush, woodpiles, look up trees) and check their ring cam footage
- In the winter ask people to set out dry food and bang on the hood of the car in case the cat got into the engine. In the summer, ask to set out both food and water.
- Is there a reward?
- A clear photo of the cat is most helpful.
- Tear-off phone numbers at the bottom of the flier are a plus.
- Download Sample Flyer in Mirosoft Word
- Give flyers to all your neighbors, stick in doors or put a bit under the mat. Give to rental office or condo association and put up in lobbies, near mailboxes, etc
- A good hack is to use stretch wrap instead of staples on light posts (metal and wooden). It does not leave any glue residue but it sticks the flyer to the post. www.homedepot.com/p/Pratt-Retail-Specialties-15-in-x-1000-ft-Movers-Furniture-Wrap-15X1000MOVWRP/316259103
- If you can't accesss stretch wrap, staple flyers with a heavy duty stapler to light posts and expand your area if the cat is not sighted within several blocks of your home. These flyers get ripped off often so you may have to reflyer.
- Give the flyer to your mail carrier, Amazon/UPS/Fedex drivers and newspaper delivery person. These people are in the neighborhood on a regular basis and may notice your cat as they go about their rounds
- Distribute flyers at vet clinics, since people may take a lost cat to their nearest vet
- Give flyers to local businesses that people visit, such as pet stores, grocery stores, gas stations, salons, laundromats, restaurants, banks, gyms, etc.
- This lost cat guide from Cat in the Bag has tips where cats tend to hide and ways to find them.
- Another lost cat behavior guide with very useful downloadable tips from Missing Pet Partnership and tips for bright and noticeable flyers
- Lost cat video from Front Street Project, excellent resources and tips
- Do a yard crawl within several blocks and look at the cat hiding spots.
- Ask if you can check under decks, porches, sheds and in sheds and garages; take a look around woodpiles, under cars brush and in bushes. Give every neighbor a flyer, stick in their door or give in person and ask them to look around their yard for the cat and let you look. Ask them to check ring cam footage for any cat passing through. Take a look up in trees in case it climbed up and cannot get down.
- Leave smelly food out and get a trail cam (about 50 bucks at Walmart or Fleet Farm or online) and see who is eating the food. If you don't have access to a cam, put some flour and look for cat tracks around the bowl. The ones below have an LCD screen so that you can process the pictures without having to take out the SD car. The cheaper cams do not have a screen so you have to take out the SD card and view the pictures on your computer.
- Garde Pro gets good reviews https://www.amazon.com/GardePro-A3S-Technology-Activated-Waterproof/dp/B087G8W2PY/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Garde+Pro+trail+cam&qid=1675015805&sr=8-5
- You can try a wireless cam for about $60 www.amazon.com/dp/B089D5STLM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&fbclid=IwAR3CyOwVCJ53B00NbdselEWI-HcvHAyk_P6n2xkjLKfiDyiAEKaeCysilZU
- This type of a cam transmits pictures right to your phone, so you can view them remotely. You will have to pay $10-15 a month for data service.
- In the winter use a heating pad to keep wet food warm. Otherwise use a chemical hand warmer in between two paper plates. Set up a shelter a plastic bin or wooden box and a heating pad. Alternatively use straw in a bin or a styrofoam box as a cat shelter. Never use blankets or hay, they absorb moisture. See the TNR section for shelter instructions. In the summer, put out both food and water.
- At dusk rattle treats and call the cat's name, take a flashlight and look for glowing cat eyes. If there is a cat sighting, you may have to put your food and trail cam where the cat is sighted and feed consistently. Skittish cats may need to be live trapped after consistent feeding. You can rent a trap at your shelter.
- You can try to leave your door or garage door open a crack and see if the cat will come in. Bribe with some food but stay back. Don't make any sudden movements, or it may flee outdoors again. Once it is in the house and away from the door, carefully close the door.
- Once your cat is back, put it in a separate room to decompress for a few days. Take to the vet if it has been gone for a while to make sure it is healthy and treat for fleas and worms. Keep all windows closed and be vigilant about entries and exits in and out of the house. Oversee all visitors and remind kids to watch for the cat. Some cats get the outdoor bug and may want to run outside again after their great adventure. You may then want to invest in a cat fence. See the DIY cat fence link on this website. Microchip your cat and affix an air tag or a tile type GPS device to the collar for more precise tracking.
SAMPLE FLYER EXAMPLE