Go out early morning or after dark and quietly call your cat....chances are you cat is scared and hiding....take a flashlight ...if your cat doesn't come to you, shine it around to see if it catches it's eyes...under bushes and in the trees. Put a BIG, COLORFUL sign in YOUR yard so people know where your cat belongs if they spot him or her…ask your neighbors to check sheds, crawl spaces and garages. Go to your local shelters every day or 2 to look for yourself…please don't depend on a phone call. The person you speak to may not be aware that your pet might have been turned in.
Be sure to GO to your LOCAL SHELTERS with a photo and report your pet lost (your pet may have been taken to a shelter that is not the closest one to you). They have a board for both lost and found pets. Many finders take pets they find to them. Remember, NOT EVERYONE is on Social Media. There's some excellent advice on Missing Animal Response Network on Facebook as well as their website. Additional advice can be found on the website under the drop down menu labeled lost pet help.
Give flyers to the local shelter, vet offices and mail carriers too!!
Missing Animal Response Network has excellent advice on what to do when your pet goes missing. The section about NEON signs is a must but all of the tips will also help you in your efforts to find your pet. Try putting a large lost sign in your yard (someone else may have seen something).
Also check on Craigslist under pets lost/found.
Try posting on your local nextdoor app, lost. petcolove. org and watching Craigslist.🤞 Also try putting out unwashed laundry and some stinky shoes and hopefully your pet will smell it's way back home. DO NOT put out your pet's bedding out because it can attract predators where your scent will scare predators off but still attract your pet. If it comes down to it, try renting or borrowing a trap from the shelter. Putting up cameras may help too. If you are able, leave the door or window open a crack while you are there.
BEWARE of scammers saying they found your pet and want you to email them or send them a code. They will also tell you to text or connect through Instagram to a certain group that helped them find their pet. DON'T do it! It's a scam.