Re: How do animals know how to travel back home?

I'm afraid I wasn't able to find exact information on how dogs and cats find their way back home after being lost or abandoned. It is thought that birds use several methods to return to their nesting sites during migration. They utilize the sun, stars or the earth's magnetic field. Additionally, sights, smells and sounds help them return. Perhaps dogs and cats use similar methods. I would suspect smell plays an important role since it is so highly developed in these species.

We often hear these stories about pets returning to their homes. But for every pet that finds its way home, thousands of lost or abandoned dogs and cats never make it. They may be hit by cars or taken to animal shelters and euthanized. It is up to you as a pet owner to make sure your pet is properly identified with a collar and tags, a tattoo or implantable microchip.

For more information on dogs and cats see the Electronic Zoo.