Usually not far. In one large study, half of the cats found alive were within about 165 feet of where they escaped.
The short answer
Most lost cats do not go far. In a study of 1,210 missing cats, the cats found alive had a median distance of 50 meters, about 165 feet, from where they escaped. Three quarters were within 500 meters, about a third of a mile. Indoor-only cats stayed closest, with a median of 39 meters, about 130 feet. Cats that were allowed outside unsupervised went further, with a median of 300 meters, about 1,000 feet. So search your own yard and your neighbors’ yards first, slowly and more than once, before you go anywhere else.
What the study looked at
The figures come from Huang and colleagues, published in the journal Animals in 2018. The authors used an online survey of people whose cats had gone missing, mostly in the US, Australia and Canada. Distances were reported for cats found alive, so the numbers do not cover cats that were never found. The people who took part were especially attached to their cats, and many were remembering events from long ago. Treat the numbers as a strong guide rather than a rule. The longest distance reported was 25 kilometers, so a far-off cat is possible, but that case was far from typical.
Indoor cats and outdoor cats
For indoor-only cats, half of those found alive were within 39 meters, and three quarters within 137 meters, which is about 450 feet. That is often your own yard, the neighbors on either side and the houses behind you. Indoor-outdoor cats allowed out unsupervised had a wider spread, with three quarters within about a mile. An outdoor cat knows its territory, so a sudden disappearance may mean it is shut in somewhere or has been taken in. Focus on garages, sheds and neighbors who may be feeding it. That is especially true for a friendly cat.
Where cats were actually found
Of the cats found alive, 83 percent were outside and 11 percent were inside someone else’s house. Among the most common places were in a yard, 20 percent; waiting outside the home, 19 percent; under vegetation or shrubbery, 16 percent; under a patio, deck or porch, 10 percent; and under the house, 5 percent. Almost one cat in five was simply waiting near home, so check your own doorstep at quiet hours. Fewer than 2 percent were recorded as being found at a shelter or municipal facility, although the authors note they did not count shelter finds accurately. Still file a report with your shelter, but do not count on it.
Search close, then wider
Divide the area into rings. The first ring is your own home and yard, checked twice. Some cats turn out never to have left. The second is the houses next door, behind you and across the street, and you should ask to check under decks, sheds, cars and bushes. The third is the rest of the block out to about 150 meters, or 500 feet. The fourth reaches 500 meters. Only go wider when these are done, or if someone gives you a real sighting. Ask for permission on private property, and offer to do the looking yourself.
How to use posters for a cat
A lost cat poster has a different job from a lost dog poster. You are not asking drivers to spot a running animal. You are asking neighbors to look in places only they can reach. Put a flyer at every door in the first three rings, and ask people to check their garage and shed, especially if they opened them around the time your cat went missing. Add a clear photo of the markings. Then put a few posters at the nearest corners and at the vets in the area. For many cats, a dozen neighbors checking their sheds will do more than a hundred posters across town.
Keep looking for longer than you think
Cats can take a long time to appear. In the same study, 34 percent of the cats had been found alive by day 7, 50 percent by day 30 and 61 percent by one year. The median time for those found alive was 6 days. A national ASPCA survey also found that about three quarters of lost cats were recovered, and 59 percent of those recovered came home on their own. So keep food and familiar smells near your door, and keep your posters fresh. Check the same hiding spots again, because a cat that was not there on Monday may be there on Thursday.
Sources
Huang et al., Animals, 2018: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5789300. Weiss, Slater and Lord, Animals, 2012: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4494319.