Cats are famously good at getting into places humans cannot easily reach. Now, in Kazakhstan, some are putting that talent to work helping find missing pets. A project called GdeKotBot has recruited free-roaming cats as four-legged search volunteers, equipping them with tiny cameras and GPS trackers while artificial intelligence scans their footage for missing animals.

The idea builds on a digital service launched in 2025 that uses a Telegram chatbot to connect people who have lost cats with residents who spot them outdoors. The new initiative adds an unusual twist: instead of relying entirely on human volunteers, the search network can also gather footage from cats exploring their neighbourhoods.

According to GdeKotBot, the project has helped reunite 407 pets with their owners, while more than 28,000 users have joined the service. The team says the new volunteer-cat initiative is designed to expand the search into places where frightened animals might hide. The figures have been reported by local media, although they have not been independently audited.

The system begins when an owner reports a missing pet through the @GdeKotBot Telegram bot, submitting photographs and information about where the animal disappeared. Anyone who encounters a cat outdoors can then upload a photograph and its location. AI compares the submitted image with missing-pet reports and alerts the owner when it identifies a possible match.

The volunteer cats extend this process. Owners of free-roaming cats in neighbourhoods with many missing-pet reports are invited to participate. Their pets wear cameras and GPS trackers during their usual outings, recording other cats they encounter.

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