Your lovely companion feline friend that you have experienced almost every part of their existence is sadly missing and you might wonder how long they can survive in the wild.
In the wild, there is scarcity and competition for resources needed for any lost pet’s general well-being and they will find it hard to survive without any help from generous human strangers.
Survival of the fittest is the order of the day in the wild.
There are other lost pets out there struggling for limited resources and if your pet has zero survival skills which is likely for most domesticated pets, your pet might not survive for long out there.
However, there is a chance and the chances of your pet cat’s survival in the wild are based on varying factors.
1. Age And Health:
Young cats are more energetic, skillful, agile, playful, and curious.
Their attributes give them an edge over older cats in the wild who are slow, less agile, and more relaxed.
Young cats can run faster to secure food and also to avoid predators.
However, a healthy old cat is more likely to survive longer in the wild than a sick young cat.
Health is vital in cats of all ages and every other living creature.
A healthy cat is less susceptible to diseases and is likely to survive better in the wild where access to healthcare is a rare privilege.
2. Hunting And Survival Skills:
Humans have provided all basic needs for domesticated cats for so many generations causing most of them to lose their hunting instincts
A domestic pet that has never had to hunt for food, water, shelter, etc will struggle to do so when lost in the wild where they have to be independent without any training.
Their general well-being from food, water, medicine, treatment of injuries, etc has been the responsibility of their owners or caregivers.
They will struggle to provide on their own when suddenly lost and having to compete with others in the wild will be an uphill task.
3. Environment:
The environment in which a lost pet finds itself is crucial to their safety and survival.
In Urban areas, a lost pet cat can easily access food from generous human strangers, food from dustbins, and other sources littered around their environment.
There is also more prey to feast on and fewer predators to hide from in urban areas.
A cat can easily find someone who will adopt or report to the nearest rescue groups or shelter homes in urban areas.
Meanwhile, remote areas, wilderness, and rural areas have fewer resources and more predators.
A domesticated cat will struggle to secure basic needs and will be more exposed to predators.
They might also likely lose their lives in a highly predatory environment when faced with larger animals such as foxes, coyotes, etc.
How To Find A Lost Cat:
Discovering your feline friend is missing is such a horrible experience. You might have questions about where and how to go about a search.
Here are some steps to guide you on what best to do.
Search Your Home And Neighborhood:
There is a likelihood, no matter how little your cat might be hiding under the furniture, bed, or hidden areas in the house.
Search the indoor and outdoor area of the house thoroughly and if not found, proceed to nearby bushes, playgrounds, parks, and areas your cat loves.
While searching, it is advised to stay calm while you look for traces such as collars, toys, or any materials that can lead you to them.
Search At Quiet Moments:
Cats are easily startled by noise and will likely hide from noisy places.
It is advisable to concentrate more effort on looking for them during the early hours of the day or late at night with a flashlight.
Use Scents And Familiar Objects:
The use of familiar scents such as your clothes, favorite toys, litter box, or any object that has your smell or theirs can serve as a guide back home.
Cats do have a keen sense of smell. They can recognize familiar people or objects by their smell.
Inform Your Neighbors:
Notify your neighbors about the missing status of your cat.
Give them every necessary description about your cat and tell them to keep their pets such as bigger cats or dogs inside so they don’t scare your cat away.
Also, check their premises if possible and ask they carry out a thorough search in hidden places within their premises.
Contact Shelter Homes And Rescue Organisations:
shelter homes and rescue organizations nearby are one of the places anybody who finds your cat will likely report to.
Endeavor to visit all shelter homes and rescue groups nearby to report the missing status of your cat and provide them with all the information needed to easily identify your cat when found.
While there is a good chance your cat might survive out there in the wild if not found on time or at all, a higher percentage of missing cats have been reported dead.
The competition and struggle for limited resources such as shelter, food, water, and safety from predators, vehicles, humans, etc is very fierce.
Keep on the search for your cat no matter how hard, lonely, and frustrated it gets.