Most of us pet owners have had at least a scare from a missing cat or dog. Usually, they turn up a few hours after we expected them or perhaps the next day like nothing even happened. To us, however, it’s a traumatizing experience. And around this time of year, with the strange celebrations and the frightening fireworks, pets go missing in even greater numbers. When you think your pet may have gone missing, here are some pointers to keep in mind.
First, stay calm. Problems are rarely solved by panicking, so keep your head on straight and think things through. When was the last time you saw your pet and where? Go there first and call their name. Bring a toy of theirs to entice them, either with its scent of with its sound if it’s a squeaky toy. Maybe they got themselves trapped in a closet or a garbage can or something. If you can’t find them after a thorough search, then it can’t hurt to put in a few calls to neighbors, and after that, call your local animal shelters and tell them you have a missing pet.
You don’t have to be complacent about the situation. Go search the neighborhood, make up some posters with a recent photo of your pet on it and mention that there’s a reward (don’t put a dollar amount on it, though). While the shelters and animal control people are on the lookout for your pet, you can be doing the same. Don’t give up on them!
And when you do recover that precious pet, you might consider getting them some easily readable tags or even a microchip for the day they decide to take another road trip.
