Missing pets are a pet parent's biggest nightmare. Imagine waking up to or coming home without your familiar furry friend. It would feel like losing your ray of sunshine and getting stuck into the dark unknown.
Losing your pet feels unpleasant and upsetting, and our lost furry friends need immediate help finding their way back home. If you are missing them right now as you read this post, know that it's not too late to solve things. This article will discuss practical ways to find and prevent lost pets.
Looking for a lost pet can be incredibly daunting. You will worry about their safety and well-being, but you still have to keep your hopes up and do everything you can.
Here are quick and effective tips to help you find your furry friend.
Pets love to find a secret place and stay there for long periods. So don't let panic overpower you, and don’t immediately skip the nearest places for the far areas. The first thing to do is to start searching the nearest areas because your pet might have gotten lost nearby.
Look in all the nooks and crannies of your home, especially in small corners where you think they'd fit. If you're unsure where to look, don't hesitate to ask your neighbors. Do these things sooner for a higher chance of finding your pet nearby.
Ask the community's help by filing a lost pet report and making flyers and posters. Ensure they bear your pet's photo, gender, breed, color, and age, as well as your contact details. Then, distribute and put them up in as many places as possible—for example, nearby businesses, animal shelters, police stations, and vet clinics.
You can also offer a reward, but be mindful of scams. Some people might make false claims or show more interest in the reward than your missing pet. To prevent this from happening, ask for specific evidence, such as a feature or trait of your pet, to validate their claim.
Nowadays, it's impossible not to use technology and social media to your advantage. They help you out with many things, including finding something or someone missing. Thus, you should make the most out of technology for a faster, wider, and more efficient search for your lost pet.
First, we recommend checking security cameras. Look for neighbors or establishments that have them installed and ask if they have footage of your pet.
Posting on various social media platforms is another great option. Some people search for "lost and found pets near me” on Facebook. You can also try to find your pet on a local lost pet website.
If you think your pet is lost in a familiar place, try luring them out by bringing their favorite food or toy. The smell of their favorite things might make them recognize your presence and come running to you.
It would also help to bring a tracking dog along. They can recognize your pet's scent from the toys and locate your missing furry buddy. However, this method doesn't work for long because scents fade away quickly. Thus, we recommend trying this as soon as you find out your pet has disappeared.
If you've done all the methods above but to no avail, consider searching animal shelters. Someone with good intentions might have found your pet somewhere and turned them in for safekeeping.
When visiting these shelters, show a photo of your missing pet and other identifying information for a faster process. If you're lucky, the animal shelter’s staff might even contact you first and help bring your furry friend back safely.
Unfortunately, this doesn't happen to every lost pet case. So by all means, take the initiative before it's too late.
While the tips above can be helpful, prevention is still better than cure. Thus, it is best to avoid losing your pet in the first place and spare yourself from anxious hours and sleepless nights. Below are four lost pet prevention tips to get started.
Pet microchipping is a small, inexpensive, and harmless implant placed between your pet's shoulder blades. It contains identifying information such as the pet's name, your contact details, and veterinarian or shelter information.
Microchipped pets are less likely to get lost. And if they do, others can easily figure out who the owner is, thanks to the microchip. Moreover, if someone makes a false claim in an attempt to steal your furry friend, the microchip will prove them wrong and recognize you as the true pet owner.
Another way to prevent losing pets is to keep them on a leash or in a fence with proper supervision. This way, they can’t run off and eventually get lost.
If you're using a fence, customize it according to your pet's size. For example, tall pets need high fences, while smaller ones need fences without large or loose gaps.
Meanwhile, use a leash if you're taking your pet somewhere. It will prevent them from getting lost, but only with supervision. Never leave your pet unsupervised with a leash; they might break loose, injure themselves from a fight with other pets, get stolen, or strangle from the leash.
Training your pet is not just for the show and strengthening your bond with each other. It also protects your pet from getting lost. A well-trained pet dog, for instance, will follow your stop command or come to you when you call for them instead of running away.
Training enhances communication between you and your pet, significantly preventing lost pet cases. At the same time, trained pets can still get lured by a certain sight or scent and wander off somewhere. But even if they do, they usually end up in shelters or in more familiar places where you can easily spot them.
One of the reasons your pet may wander off is because they're searching for a mate. In that case, spaying or neutering is a good preventive solution for overpopulation, missing pets, and animal conflict.
With neutering, your pet will become calmer and more dependable. Additionally, it will prolong their life span and help avoid certain illnesses. It's not as inexpensive as a pet microchip, but the pricing varies according to the pet's age and breed, the type of clinic you visit, and your location.
Losing your pet is one of the biggest challenges for a pet owner. However, this doesn't mean you should give up on becoming a pet parent. If you lose your furry friend, there are many ways to get them back safely. These include going on a meticulous search in close areas, posting on social media, knowing whom to call when you find a lost dog or cat, and working on lost pet prevention.
If you love pets but don’t want to risk losing them, try Perfect Petzzz as an alternative. We offer lifelike pets that “breathe,” giving you the companionship you need minus the hassle and worry. We also offer additional pet accessories to complete the realistic experience.
Ease your worries today and keep your furry friends safe at home with adorable, lifelike pets from Perfect Petzzz!
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