Finding your way back home is a essential part of being a cat. While most cats do not need to return to their home once per day, every day is a little bit of heaven.
You will know if you find your cat because he or she will be the most obvious option for re-entry into the world. When cats are kittens, they climb up trees and sip water from streams and rivers. As they get older, they use litter boxes and other areas where they can obtain food and/or shelter.
If you have a big window near your home that has natural sunlight, you may want to consider having your cat stay at the house instead of going out. Keeping an animal in its environment is more cost effective than transporting it back and forth for shots and socialization.
This article will go over how to teach your cat to find her way back home without having to take any steps into safety.
Contents:
Using visual landmarks
Besides using scent, your cat can find her way back home by using visual landmarks, such as a tree or building, that she remembers coming into contact with while looking for her home.
If your cat has recently returned to his or her normal routine following a trip outside, then chances are high that he or she has learned how to find their way back home through this routine.
This may be using what you know about the area they live in, such as a neighborhood or condo complex, but can also be using specific buildings or items they have lived in before, such as an apartment I know they like to stay in.
As stated before, this process is sometimes called re-finding or re-finding oneself, so that it becomes more automatic.
Using visual markers
As mentioned earlier, cats navigate their world using vision to find places, people, and things. This can be useful for the uninformed, as cats can be perceived as social animals that look for interaction.
However, this does not mean they do not rely on other sources of information. As humans are their most important source of information, we would assume that if a cat did not find a home at an immediate glance, it would look for another family member’s home or possibly the neighbors’ home to find a new family.
The way they move and how they vocalize is examples of what they use to find their way back home. If you see them looking lost or just plain sad, give them some food or water to keep them engaged and occupied.
Going back the same route
If your cat has trouble finding his or her way back home, there are a few things you can do to help. Try widening the path and increasing the accessibility to your cat.
If you live in a rural area, add some obstacles such as waterfalls or creeks to find your way back home. If you have more populated areas, add some signs or installed paths so they know how to get back home.
If you install signs, they should be large and placed in a prominent location so other cats know they are safe to come back. If other animals find them, it can help reduce stress on the system.
Addresses should be covered in plastic so no one can see them unless the cat goes out of door. Cleaning those up should be done annually to keep them working.
Using their sense of smell
Using their sense of smell, the majority of cats find their way back to a home environment by scent. This means that when you come into your home, the cats in your environment have smelled you and picked you as a safe place to return to.
Like people, cats have personal scent traits. While some of these may be non-essential, it can make a difference in how well they feel in their new environment. If you think your cat may be scent sensitive, having some smell amenities in its new environment can help reduce this.
If a cat is unfamiliar to its surroundings, it will search for something (or someone) familiar to guide itself back home. This is called seeking out an explanation or finding somebody else who can fix the problem.
To keep them calm and amused, have fun with them and give them what they want.
Cats use both stationary and moving visual markers
While adults use visual cues such as cats painted on the side of a building, children’s markers, toy cars, and organizational systems such as diaries and pouches/clothing labels can help start finding your cat again.
Cats are very curious and will search out anything new to attack. If your cat does not seem concerned about finding his or her way back home, it is possible he or she may be interested in another home.
If you think your cat may be interested in another home, attempt to meet the owner before going door-to-door to make sure your cat is allowed into the home. Also, try introducing your cat to one more household before moving them due to safety concerns.
They memorize the way back home using visual markers
It’s possible for a cat to learn how to find her home by watching other cats. If you have a roughly 2-year-old male, you may be able to try this.
2-year-old cats can be quite the navigation experts. They use their tails and bodies as landmarks to find their way back home.
If your cat does not have a specific pattern of returning home every day, try keeping track of his daily activities. Doing this may help create some patterns in your brain and help you find him.
If you think your cat may be sick, try putting him in a crate or closing his door for the night if you can stand the sound of his meowing and sleeping. Both of these things may help save his health if he is not back at home in reasonably clear evidence within the next few days.
They use familiar paths with recognizable surface textures
When cats need to find their home, they look for paths that have a lot of leaf contour, short grass, and/or rock formations. They also like to stalk animals and make them feel safe where they wander!
Making use of familiar paths and short grasses or windsocks helps cats find their way back home, as does having recognizable surfaces in the neighborhood.
Since cats vary in size, having a small pack of cats is alright! A large-sized household may not be ideal, as too many cats can be expensive. But small homes may not be missed more easily, so a single cat may be enough!
If you have a single cat in need of a home, help them get re-adjusted to the community by using them with the others.
They orient themselves by recognizing prominent visual features
Individually, cats have very little to tell them about where they should go or what they should look for. However, there are a few cues that cats use to find their way back home.
These clues include signs such as trees, bushes, and other mammals that produce a scent that is similar to their family. Additionally, cats typically wander around for days before settling on a place they feel comfortable.
Unfortunately, this process can take a really long time! Try ridding with your cat for at least a week to see if it returns. If not, try another home or location with a similar setup!
Some clues that indicate the cat has stopped using its environment as orientation include: sawing through the foliage with its nose, finding no safe place to sleep, and picking fights with other pets.