Lucky Thirteen Awesome Tips for Finding Your Lost Pet

lost petHelp!!  I Have a Lost Pet!

It’s terrifying for your cat or dog to go missing. Your anxiety level goes sky high from the fear that he is seriously injured, run over or lost forever.  We hope you never experience the loss of a pet.  To assure that your pet does not go missing we recommend your read  our previous  blog post. But for now, let’s take a look at how to find your lost pet.

Thirteen Awesome Tips for Finding Your Lost Pet

Active Steps

  1. Fire up the grill with the most aromatic meat you can find.  Dogs and cats have strong scent senses and are attracted to the aroma of delicious meat.
  2. Put a bowl of water on the front porch or walkway.  They will get thirsty and will need to drink.
  3. Place one of their beds and an article of your clothing with your scent on it on the front porch or on the walkway.
  4. Notify your microchip company and use the on line posters they provide. Upload a recent high resolution photo of your lost pet for the poster. You do have one in an easily located file in your computer, don’t you??? Most microchip companies will locate the folks who have registered as part of the network and who live approximately 25 miles from where your pet went missing.
  5. Walk and drive around your neighborhood and other nearby neighborhoods to look for your pet.
  6. Go door to door to let neighbors know your pet is missing.  Leave your contact information with them. Ask permission to look in and under their out buildings as your pet may have sought shelter.

Communicate With Others

  1. Print the “lost pet” posters with a high resolution photo and your phone number in a large font. Laminate the posters and place on light poles at intersections near where your pet went missing.Post the posters on FaceBook. Several great pages include Lost and Found Dogs North Carolina, Mooresville Lost and Found Animals, Lost and Found LKN Pets, Lost and Found Pets of North Carolina, and Lost and Found Pets Iredell County.
  2. Join Nextdoor, a free private social network for your nearby neighborhoods. Posts on this network are categorized and we have found that neighbors are usually eager to help each other. We are in the Coddle Creek neighborhood and are able to connect with residents of nearby Curtis Pond, Kistler Mill, Franklin Grove, The Woodlands, Oaks on Main, Cherry Grove, Central Mooresville, Magnolia Street, Red Oaks, Linwood Farms, and Huntwyck Place.
  3. Often times people who find lost pets will take them to a veterinarian to check for a microchip and to get immediate necessary medical evaluation and treatment. Start by contacting your own vet and then other vets in your area. Click to see a listing of LKN area veterinary services.
  4. Contact local rescue organizations and post on their social media sites. Send the photo of your lost pet along with identifying information to administrators of social media pages that have demonstrated a willingness to share about lost and found pets.
  5. Contact your pet’s groomer so she can be on the lookout for your lost pet.
  6. Remember that lost pets quickly become disoriented.  It’s not uncommon for them to run from you. When you spot your lost pet resist the urge to move toward him. Move slowly and quietly to sit and allow your pet to come to you. Treats are helpful and a can of wet cat food will send off a delicious aroma which will attract your hungry pet.

Welcome Home!!

Praise your pet and love on her.  Make sure the return home is a totally happy experience. She has no idea how worried you have been.

Lost Pet

Eleven Awesome Tips to Keep Your Pet From Gettiing Lost

  Here’s the Low Down on How To Keep Your Pet From Getting Lost

Pet owners post pictures and pleas for help about their lost pets on social media on a daily basis.  It’s always heartbreaking to read. There’s nothing like a little prevention to avoid the heartbreak and to keep your pet from getting lost.  Just in case the unthinkable does happen, please get your pet micro chipped and place a collar with ID on your pet.

keep your pet from getting lost

Lost Pet!

Awesome Tips to Keep Your Pet From Getting Lost

keep your pet from getting lost

Nice Catio

1. Keep your cats indoors unless you are actively supervising their time outdoors.

2. If your cats enjoy the fresh air, consider building a catio for them. The catio can be a very simple structure or more elaborate.  The catio pictured to the right was featured in Landscape Design in a Day.  Animal Planet provides plans for the DIY tribe.

3. When entering and exiting your home, do so carefully. If you enter via the garage, be sure the garage door is shut completely before entering the main part of the house.

4. When someone else is pet sitting for you remember that your cat is not as likely to come to them as they are to come to you. So ask your pet sitter to keep your cat inside.

5. If your dog has a fenced in yard, check the perimeter of the fence on a weekly basis to make sure there are no gaps or breaks in the fence. Always check your fence after extreme weather too.

6. Check the latches on the gates on the same schedule.

7. Supervise your dog while she is outside even if you do have a secure fence.

keep your pet from getting lost

Gate with Lock

8. Consider adding a lock on your gate so that any workers (utility, landscape, pesticide etc) need to check with you to gain access.

9. When walking your dog always use a leash that is 4 to 6 feet long. Attach the leash to a harness or head collar that attaches under the chin. Please see the Doggy Care page of our website for recommendations. NEVER use a retractable leash….. they are NOT safe.

10. If your dog uses a doggy door close it when you are asleep or away from home. When someone pet sits your dogs, leave the doggy door closed.  Remember that in addition to pets going missing on their own, people do steal dogs, particularly if they are unsupervised.

11. When your cat or dog is riding in your vehicle, make sure they are in a carrier or crate or harnessed in. Although studies have not indicated such devices protect your pet in a serious crash, they will keep your pet from jumping out a broken window or door. Also, unrestrained pets create a distraction that can lead to an accident.


Prevention is always the best action.  Watch for our post coming soon where we share awesome tips to find a lost pet. As a segue, we remind you to get your pet micro-chipped.  Your pet should wear a collar with ID when you leave the home with your pet. There is divided opinion regarding whether it is safe for your pet to wear a collar when at home, so you decide on that one.