I am sorry for your loss.You could increase your chances of recovery by placing a chip in your animals and certainly a color and tag....especially since this happens over again. In fact for your cat you are required to display a current rabies vaccination tab...but of course you know that. Good luck.
@Deeper Throat:
Thank you. Im not sure they chip bunnies? Our cat HAD a collar but we took it off to buy her a new one bc it was starting to get too small and OF COURSE she jumped over my leg to get out, the day she didn't have it on. She is an indoor cat who apparently wants to be an outdoor cat. 4951