Your cat went missing in winter - where to look

In summer a cat can stay out all night and be fine. In winter it looks for warmth and shelter, and that changes where you should look.

A cold cat crawls in where it is warm and dry. Under decks, in sheds, in garages and in basements. It can also climb into the engine bay of a car that was recently running. Knock on the bonnet before you start the car, and ask your neighbours to do the same.

Snow and cold make cats move less. A cat hiding from the cold often stays in the same spot for a long time. That means it is probably closer than you think, but also that it will not come out on its own.

Start close to home and walk slowly. Listen for meowing by sheds and garages. Look for tracks in the snow, they can show where the cat has gone. Put something that smells of home, a blanket or the litter box, by the front door. Ask neighbours whether you can look in their sheds, or ask them to.

It gets dark early in winter, so there are more hours when the cat can move without anyone seeing it. Go out late in the evening or early in the morning when it is quiet, and bring a torch.

A lost-cat alert on Kattkompis helps a lot here. The alert goes to neighbours nearby, and most people who get it can check their own garage in a minute. Those are exactly the spaces you cannot get into yourself.

If your cat is missing in the cold, do not wait. Post an alert the same day at kattkompis.se.