The Hunter

Many of us, cat owners are of the belief that our cat would never go out on hunting, especially since it is loved to the extent of being spoild and obviously very well fed. Why then, should it bother about birds and mice. Well, it is a cat after all, and a hunter is a part of the cat’s psyche and instinct.
Cats by nature seem lazy and tend to sleep sixty percent of the time by my estimates. But on shrewd observation you will realize that a cat uses a lot of energy in short bursts and sleeps to recuperate itself.
If one gets to see the hunting process of a cat, it is very similar to its big brothers of the same genus i.e. the big cats viz. lions, tigers, cheetah, leopard etc. It uses its front legs and claws to hit the prey and tries to dig its teeth into the victim’s neck.
Cats are opportunistic hunters. They hunt birds in the daytime and leave the rodents alone and vice versa at night. They also teach their children (kittens) the fine art of hunting, lest evolution take its toll. Kittens are born with the hunter’s instinct but the skills are honed by their mothers.
and the Hunted
Losing your cat is a very worrying experience, for that matter losing any of your pets is. Cats usually do not run away from home, its just that their curiosity gets better of them, sometimes.
The first place we should search is our own home, wherein it could hide may be in all the rooms, empty buckets, wardrobes, refrigerators, clothes dryers, washing machines, basements, garage, attics. Keep calling the name, although it might not respond all the time. Next its time to move on outdoors to the bushes in the garden, trees. Look in every possible space it could crawl into.
Check with immediate neighbors in all four directions and request them to do the same. Still not found, time to call in the army. Try recruiting neighborhood children who are old enough to help you search for the cat.
If this fails you will have to talk to people who frequent the neighborhood and show them a photograph of your cat and ask for help. Remember, never search for a lost cat at night alone.

Finally don’t lose hope on it, keep searching the same places periodically, don’t blame the world for your lost cat and you will see that your cat will return to you if not today then tomorrow certainly. Cats are known to have come back home after a long holiday of a few months at a stretch.

Lets suppose on your lucky day, you get a call saying that your cat has been found. In these cases exercise due caution and diligence and remember the following :

There are dangerous people in our society who prey upon victims by using "found" pets as a ploy.
NEVER respond to a "found" cat contact alone. Take a couple of friends along with you.
Arrange the meeting in a public place.
NEVER invite the person home unless you happen to know them very well.
Beware of money scams, like a trucker calling you to tell that he found your cat and has it. But since he is out of state he wants you to pay shipping so that he could return your cat. This person does not have your cat, he is only trying to make money at your expense.
Never give out all identification information about your cat. If the person who claims to have found your cat cannot describe these features to you, you know the scam..!