About FindYourCat.info

A couple of years back, I took in two half-frozen kittens for what I told myself would be one night. Just until the snow let up. Three years later, they run the household and I'm the tenant who pays the rent.

Not long after I officially adopted them, one of them slipped out. I went straight into panic mode and probably scared her from coming back right away. A couple of days later, I finally heard her crying from way up a Douglas fir. I called a pro who talked me through what to do, and by three in the morning (!!) she came down on her own and walked up to the back door like nothing happened. She was gone four days. Felt like four years. Anyone who's lost a pet knows that feeling: the dread, the sick quiet in the house, all of it.

Since then, I've seen post after post on Nextdoor from people going through the same hell. You can hear the hurt in their words. And to be fair, Oregon has some incredible folks who jump in to help. There are rescuers out there who'll climb trees, scale buildings, crawl under whatever they have to. A lot of them share tipsheets and advice, and I link to them whenever I can. I'm still learning who's who, but I'm grateful they exist.

The problem is: everything's scattered. If your pet goes missing, you end up jumping between apps, groups, comments, screenshots, Google Docs, and whatever else you can grab in the moment, all while you're half-out of your mind with worry. Some advice overlaps, some contradicts, some you don't even see because the platform buries it under ads or "engagement." And if you're out walking the streets calling your cat, you're in no shape to juggle a dozen tabs on your phone.

So I built FindYourCat.info. Not as some grand project, just a way to put the most useful guidance in one place so people don't have to hunt for the instructions while they're hunting for their cat. A Google Doc might've done the job, sure, but I figured a clearer layout couldn't hurt. I also wanted to ensure that it was tailored to the Portland Metro and the surrounding areas, but still helpful should a cat owner in South Dakota find it.

This site is a passion project, maintained by me. This is not my "get me Lambo" business, and I don't offer paid recovery services. I may do some fundraising so that I can maintain the site and build a site for lost dogs, but I won't divert anything to my cat litter fund.

If you're here because your cat's missing, I'm sorry you're going through it. I know how heavy it is. My hope is simple: that this site helps you hold steady, take the right steps, and with some luck, get your little troublemaker back home. And if not, at least you'll know you did everything you could.

I started this project based on my own experience and a lot of research of 100's of feline rescue, veterinarian, and cat behaviorist websites, along with four professional AI models. But the real, practical insights that shape this site come from dedicated community experts. I am very grateful for the help and guidance provided by:

• Allison Fuchs: A tireless cat rescuer in the Western Portland Metro area, Allison consistently goes out of her way, often at her own expense, to rescue cats. Her dedication extends to trapping 89 cats for TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs, showing deep expertise in feline behavior and recovery. She doesn't formally count the non-TNR rescues. I'd estimate helped almost the same number of rescues.
• Lisa Lowell: An exceptional individual in the Western Portland Metro area, Lisa helped train Allison, contributing significantly to cat rescue and TNR efforts. She developed a Google Doc checklist based on her knowledge and experience that is widely shared on NextDoor.com and the inspiration for this site. Her hands-on experience and practical knowledge have been key to making the advice on this site effective in the real world.

Their combined experience in trapping, handling, and understanding lost and stray cats has given us a depth of knowledge that research alone could not uncover. Their commitment to animal welfare and their willingness to share their expertise are cornerstones of what makes FindYourCat.info trustworthy and valuable.