I Had a Sighting — What Do I Do Now?

Seeing your lost cat again is a huge moment. Your heart jumps, your cat bolts, and you’re left standing there wondering whether you just ruined everything. You didn’t. A sighting tells you more about your cat’s state of mind in one second than a full week of searching with nothing to go on.

This short quiz breaks down what your sighting actually means. It uses your cat’s behavior — how close they let you get, who they approached, how far they moved — to point you toward the fastest way to bring them home. You get a customized recovery plan based on real feline behavior, not guesses, not social media myths, and definitely not the “my neighbor said to try this” advice that sends people backwards.

Lost cat behavior isn’t random. Cats make choices based on fear, familiarity, territory, and which humans they believe can keep them safe. Once you understand those choices, the next steps become much clearer. Whether your cat darted away from you, showed up on a neighbor’s porch, or appeared only on a camera, the details matter. Small differences in behavior change everything about the strategy.

Every recommendation in this quiz comes from twenty-five years of fieldwork and more than fifteen hundred successful recoveries. You’ll learn when to use a trap, when the pillowcase method works, when leaving a door open gives you the highest odds, and when it’s time to activate the neighborhood. No fear tactics. No guilt. No superstition. Just behavior.

If you saw your cat — even once — you’re no longer searching in the dark. You’re tracking a pattern. This quiz helps you read that pattern so you can bring your cat home.