Never Give Up on a Lost Cat

Cats are brilliant and troublesome creatures. For those of us who love them, they fill a vital need, entertaining and comforting us throughout our lives. Losing your beloved furball can be a heart-wrenching experience. Cats, domesticated only six to nine thousand years ago, retain their wild nature. This disobedient attitude is part of their charm, but it is also the reason why so many cats refuse to wear a life saving collar and tag.

According to a recent survey in a southwestern Ohio city, 71 percent of lost dogs were returned as opposed to just 53 percent of lost cats, while 48 percent of lost dogs had a tag or a microchip and just 18 percent of cats had either identifying device. Cats, in keeping with their nature, were five times more likely to return home on their own than dogs. More than half of all reported lost cats returned at their own discretion.

Cats are notorious for perplexing disappearing acts. While a dog's over-enthusiasm is easily found to be the cause of its accidental displacement, a cat's motivations for disappearance are more difficult to assess. Similarly, cats have been known to reappear without explanation, sometimes years later. However, cat curiosity can sometimes land your feline in situations which can carry them hundreds if not thousands of miles. You cannot always count on your cat to find his or her way home.

If you own a cat, you must make it wear a collar with a tag or implant it with a microchip. Which method is best is debatable. A collar and tag is easily visible, but some cats absolutely refuse to wear them. On the other hand, a microchip is permanent, but the cat must be caught by the right people in order to be identified. According to MSNBC, one such cat, by the name of Sneakers, was recently reunited with his family after 10 years of separation, by means of an implanted microchip.