We Found Our Neighbor's Missing Cat: Why Lost Pet Posters Actually Work
My fiancé and I have a Sunday night routine that includes doing laundry, but a few weeks ago we noticed something different in our apartment building laundry room. One of the lower windows that go floor to ceiling had been left open, which left us with a refreshing breeze that wasn't usually there. After we loaded our laundry, however, we noticed there was also a new paper on the community bulletin board.
It was a poster for a missing cat with a broken leg. In his picture, he wore a bright yellow cast, and his owners left clear instructions not to call or chase him. I always make a mental note when I see a missing pet poster, but I never think that a mental note will help reunite a pet and worried owner. I'm so glad I was wrong!
The Right Place at the Right Time
When we returned to take our laundry out of the dryer later that night, the motion-sensing lights in the room were off. As soon as we opened the door, though, we saw a fluffy blur of white, black, and neon yellow dash behind the row of washing machines.
And when we took a closer look, there was a big hole in the wall behind the machines! We've seen local outdoor cats go behind there before, so we knew we needed to give the missing cat's mama a call.
Needless to say, the worried cat owner rushed down to the laundry room with a bag of her cat's favorite treats. Before she could finish asking us if we were the ones who had called her, a desperate meow sounded from inside the walls. It was only a matter of seconds before the scared cat found his way out and into his owner's arms! We couldn't tell which one of them looked more relieved.
Why Missing Pet Posters Work
If we hadn't seen that lost cat poster, we wouldn't have thought twice about seeing a cat in the laundry room. In fact, we could've still missed it if it weren't for the kitty's bright-colored cast! Being at the right place at the right time is a big part of helping reunite a lost pet with their owner, but it also takes some effort from the owner.
She was smart to include a recent photo of the cat wearing the cast on his poster, since that's exactly what he looked like when he went missing. She included clear instructions of what to do if he's spotted, which ensured we didn't scare him even further away. Missing Animal Response Network also recommends making a poster that's large, fluorescent, and brief, especially if posting it in high-traffic areas like intersections.
Of course, lost pet posters aren't the only way to help bring a missing animal home. Posting on local social media groups and checking in with local shelters can prove to be helpful, too, but I'm so glad that this injured kitty and his worried mama didn't need to be apart for long.
