Pet Goes Missing
The topic of missing animals is a challenging one for most animal communicators. A disappearance triggers so many emotions! This is entirely natural, but it causes a lot of "static" in communication. When an animal is simply out exploring, it can usually communicate with me clearly, telling me what it’s doing and sometimes even when it plans to return home. Sometimes, an animal chooses to find a new home. I once spoke with a missing cat who told me she had gone to live with a very sad girl who needed her more than her current owner. I shared this with her owner, and although it made her sad, she understood.
However, most cases of missing pets are accompanied by fear, despair, and sadness—not only for the humans but also for the animals. Sometimes, animals are stuck somewhere (accidentally or intentionally), hit by a car, attacked, or unable to find their way back home. This creates a lot of unrest, panic, and confusion for the animals, making clear communication very difficult. There’s a real risk of receiving incorrect information. In some cases, it may even be intentional, such as when the animal does not want to return home or doesn’t want to upset its humans.
Normally, I can clearly sense whether an animal is still alive or not. I verify this in various ways and am usually 99% accurate. But missing cases are different. Once, I worked with a cat that had been missing for some time. I doubted whether it was still alive, so I asked the cat directly. It convinced me multiple times that it had passed away. I shared this with its family, only for the cat to walk back home a few weeks later.
Of course, there are many cases where we’ve successfully reunited missing pets with their families, and for that, I’m very grateful! However, because these cases are so emotionally and mentally draining (sometimes taking weeks of day-and-night work) and because the information received is often unreliable, I’ve decided not to take on missing pet cases anymore. It’s very hard to give people hope and then not be able to help them further. That doesn’t feel right to me.
What You Can Do Yourself
I have personal experience with missing pets as well. Our cat Pim escaped the day after we moved into a new home. He had never been outside before and didn’t know the area. We did everything we could at the time (back then, I wasn’t yet consciously communicating with animals): posting flyers, contacting vets, registering with Amivedi, and so on. Whenever flyers were removed, I put up new ones. I felt that he was still alive, so I didn’t give up. After a month, I got a call from a woman who thought she had found Pim. She lived just one street over, and thankfully, it was him! He was very thin and covered in ticks, but he was safe. I was so happy and grateful. Although he was shaken by the experience, he still lived to be 17 years old.
When we moved to Germany, we still had our cat Smokey. On our farm, there were two additional cats that the previous owner couldn’t take with him. Naturally, Sunny and her son Pepino stayed with us. It took some time for them to get used to Smokey, but they soon lived peacefully together. One day, Pepino disappeared. We tried everything to find him, even asking for help from other animal communicators, but unfortunately, he was never found. Eventually, I felt that he had passed away and let him go. Still, I often catch myself looking for him. Whenever I see a cat that looks like him, I wonder, Could it be…?
Thankfully, there are many steps you can take to help ensure your pet returns home quickly:
Distribute flyers as many as possible and for as long as necessary.
Make sure your pet is microchipped. If they’re found, they can be returned to you quickly.
Register with organizations like Amivedi, Lost & Found Pets, NDG, and similar platforms. Use social media to reach as many people as possible.
Visualize a beacon or light above your home to guide your pet back.
Stay calm, no matter how hard it is. Your pet is emotionally connected to you and responds to your energy. If you panic, it becomes harder for them to return.
Talk to your pet. Let them know you’re doing everything to bring them home, that you love them, and that their place is waiting for them.
Missing Dogs
The situation with missing dogs is often different from missing cats. If luck is on your side, the dog is simply lost and will approach someone. If the person scans the dog’s microchip (if they’re chipped), they can quickly return home. Social media also plays a huge role, with many dogs successfully reunited thanks to shared posts.
However, dogs sometimes run off after being startled—by fireworks, for example. In such cases, they may panic, hide, or keep running.
It’s important to clearly state in shared posts that people should not approach the dog but call the owner instead.
A growing issue in recent years involves adopted dogs from abroad. These dogs often find the world here overwhelming and may either run away intentionally or out of fear. Many of these dogs have lived on the streets and know how to fend for themselves, making them difficult to retrieve.
Prevention is Key, Secure harnesses and microchips are essential. By staying calm and taking strategic action, you can maximize the chances of bringing your beloved pet back home quickly and safely.
These cases require calm handling, and chasing the dog is never a good idea. In extreme cases, tracking dogs or humane traps may be necessary.
