How to Help Find a Lost Maine Coon in Canada | PetzLover

How can you tell a Maine Coon may be lost?

A Maine Coon is easy to notice: a large, long-haired cat, with mature males reaching or exceeding 20 lb (about 9 kg), a heavy, shaggy coat and often a ruff at the chest. An indoor cat that has slipped out is often badly frightened and hard to approach.

• It hides under porches, decks, parked cars or bushes rather than walking openly.
• It cries at doors, or seems unfamiliar with the street.
• Its coat is matted, wet or dirty, or it looks thin.
• It wears a collar but no one in the street knows it.

In the 2018 study, most cats found outside were hiding under porches, cars or objects near the house, and owners often reported that their cat meowed back when called but did not come. A cat you see may be only a few houses from home.

What should you do first when you see a lost Maine Coon?

1. Do not chase it. A frightened cat runs and hides deeper.
2. Note the exact place, time and direction it went, and take a photo from a distance.
3. Check lost-cat ads near you; you can search lost Maine Coon ads by location and message the poster with your photo and the place you saw it.
4. Look for a collar and tag without grabbing the cat. Toronto requires cats to wear a licence tag, and Calgary requires tags unless the cat has a microchip or legible tattoo.
5. Tell neighbours and building staff, and check whether a door camera caught the cat.

If there is no ad yet, you can post a found-pet ad with the photo and the area, keeping one detail back so you can check the owner later.

How do you safely contain a frightened Maine Coon?

• Approach slowly, crouch, and let it come to you; offer strong-smelling food.
• Use a carrier, or wrap it in a thick towel; a large cat in a panic can scratch and bite.
• If it will not come, leave food and water nearby and tell the owner or animal services where it is.
• Keep it away from your own pets, in a quiet room or a closed garage with water and a litter tray.
• Do not feed people food; Toronto Animal Services warns it can do more harm than good.

Who should you contact about a lost Maine Coon in Canada?

Rules on found animals differ between cities, so follow what your animal services tell you. If no owner comes forward, the shelter may place the cat for adoption; people hoping to give it a home can read how to adopt a Maine Coon.

How do you check that someone really owns the Maine Coon?

• Ask for photos of the cat at home, ideally several from different times.
• Ask for a detail you kept back, such as an extra toe, a scar, a coat marking or a collar colour.
• Ask for the microchip number, licence number or vet records, and compare them with the scan.
• Meet at animal services, a vet clinic or another public place.

How can neighbours help in the first week?

• Check your own garage, shed, basement and under decks; in the study, about one in nine cats found alive were inside someone else's house.
• Search at dusk and dawn with a flashlight; eye shine shows a hidden cat.
• Share the owner's poster and lost ad in local groups and building chats.
• Report new sightings to the owner with the time and place, even if you are unsure.

In the 2018 study, owners whose cats were found alive rated a physical search as the most helpful method in about two thirds of the cases where they used one. The owner's side is covered in what to do when your Maine Coon is lost, and shelters placing an unclaimed cat can read how to list a Maine Coon for adoption.