what do i do when i lose my iPod?

See: If you did not enable Find My iPhone on your missing device here > What to do if your iOS device is lost or stolen

Regardless of whether or not you're using iCloud, change your Apple ID password ASAP > Apple ID: Changing your password

CLG Frost wrote:

I lost my iPod today. I have not yet connected it pup with iCloud so find my iPod is useless.

Then you will have to use the old-fashioned way of finding it.

1. Think about where you may have dropped it or left I and check those places. (Walk around your house if that's where you last saw it.) Ask your parents if they have "tidied it away".
2. If you think you may have left it at a friend's house, ask them - and your friend's parents.
3. If you think you lost it in a public place (for example, the street), check with the police to see if anyone has handed it in.
4. If you think you lost it in your own street, ask neighbours to see if they have seen or found it.
5. If you think you lost it in a public building (library, swimming pool, school), check with their Lost Property Office to see if it has been handed in.
6. If you think you may have left it on a bus or train, check with the company's Lost Property Office to see if it has been handed in.