Adopted My First Cat Yesterday, And Now I Can't Find Him.

[maeglutz]

Hi everyone! I'm a long time lurker on this site, I've been reading about cats for months waiting for my boyfriend to finally agree to getting one, and yesterday was the day I got to bring one home!

I read about the cat-safe room, and I was planning to keep him in my computer room, where I stay in majority of my day, working quietly. I live in a small apartment, where our bedroom would have too many places to hide, and the living room is quite cluttered as well. But, that didn't go as planned because he got out last night and is now hiding.. somewhere. The first time he hid in my closet, he was purring loudly as I pet him and let me pick him up and we cuddled on the couch for a while while he kneaded his paws.

Now it's been almost 16 hours and I haven't seen him. He hasn't eaten any food since he got here, except for a few treats he ate out of my hand. He also hasn't used the litterbox at all. I want to bring him back into the room so I can monitor him better and he can settle down and get used to the new place, but I literally can't find him. I've been looking for almost 4 hours.. I put out new dry food, water, and a can of tuna to try to lure him out, with no success. I honestly think he's either caught up in a sofa in either of the rooms, or behind the kitchen cabinets (we have one of the rotating pantries in the bottom cabinets, and there's a large gap that I just found today..)

I'm really nervous because the shelter said he was a shy boy, and I don't want him to have to be a kitty that feels like he has to hide constantly. I work from home and am really lonely, and I think we'd make good pals. He's very nice, he never hissed or growled at all, I've only heard him purr.. Please help

 

[jcat]

He probably just needs a few days to settle down (and in) at his own pace. It's not unusual for shy cats to hide at first, and some of them won't eat or use the litter box for the first day. It would probably be best if you simply made sure he has access to food, water, as well as his box, and just let him be.

Purring and taking treats are good signs.

 

[maeglutz]

Okay, thank you jcat. I was just worried since I found that hole in the cabinet. I thought I messed up big time but not using the "safe room" method, but if he's okay I'll let him come out at his own pace.

How long until not eating/using the litterbox is something I should be worried about?

 

[Furballsmom]

Do you have a vet yet that you could call regarding the time factor of the not eating/drinking issue? You might consider sitting in front of that cabinet you mentioned, just sit and talk about whatever with a happy voice, for a while and see if you hear a purr. He sounds like an absolute sweetie!

 

[maeglutz]

Thank you for your reply furballsmom! We don't have a regular vet yet, but my boyfriend's mom has lots of pets so we were just going to take him to that one. I was going to call and schedule a check-up tomorrow.

I'll try that! I've been making all kind of happy kitty noises every hour or so, jingling bell toys, crinking treat bags, rustling the dry food in a bowl, opening a can.. but since he's so new I don't even know if he understands/likes those sounds. I'll try again in a few, I've been trying to be quiet between kitty noises so he doesn't feel threatened.

 

[Furballsmom]

You're on the right track, and good for you for being such a loving kitty mom!!

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome to The Cat Site. And congrats on your adoption of that cutie-pie kitty. It's hard to tell from the picture, is he a kitten or an adult? That will make a difference of where he may be hiding.

Where does the hole in the cabinet lead to?

 

[maeglutz]

Hi rubysmama! Thank you.

He's a year and a half old. The shelter said he was left in a crate in an apartment complex after someone moved out He's a bigger cat, he actually didn't fit the bell collar I got him.. which makes this more nerve wracking.

The hole in the cabinet is just a gap between the cylinder shape part where the pantry rotates, and the walls. My boyfriend came home from work and was able to reach in there to shine his phone and record a video, but it turned up empty. He also checked all the cabinet shelves that I'm too short to see, and he wasn't there either

 

[Furballsmom]

Ah, good thinking on both your parts. I'd keep an eye on the food and litter, it's possible he's coming out when you're elsewhere? You probably thought of this too, can you see underneath the sofas?

 

[orange&white]

Since he came out and snuggled with you a bit and took treats, he'll come out again. I've had new cats tear a little hole in the underside of the box spring on the bed and crawl up in there, or do the same with the sofa. They will also run into closets or pantries or just want to dash to the other side of any closed door, given the opportunity. Sounds like you've looked all those places, so I'd just let him come out on his own time. He's probably napping wherever he is, and having nice kitty dreams about his comfortable new home. Thank you for adopting him! He'll come out when he's hungry or needs to potty.

 

[maeglutz]

Nothing in the litterbox yet, and no dry food eaten that I can tell.. I asked my boyfriend to pick up wet food on his way home (he had to go back after his lunch break) and I'll put some of that out. It's making me nervous because he disappeared before he really got to see where his food was, I did put him by his litterbox and he hopped out and went back into my computer room.

I'm thinking that inside the couch is the only place he could be. The fabric on the couches have been hanging open for as long as I remember (hand me down couches from my grandma, who also had a cat). I pulled the cushions off the top and pressed gently between the springs to see if I could feel a kitty, but nothing as far as I could tell.

 

[orange&white]

You know not to just "plop down" on the couch or chairs, but sit down gingerly, until he comes out from wherever he's hiding. You and your boyfriend could gently turn the couch on its back to look for him when your boyfriend gets home, if the kitty hasn't shown up by then.

 

[maeglutz]

Yeah, when boyfriend went to put his shoes on he started to sit down and I yelled "no!! He might be in there!"

Okay, I'll try that when he gets back.

 

[Furballsmom]

Good thinking about the wet food - tuna juice is a good stinky "tempter" as well.

You and your boyfriend could gently turn the couch on its back to look for him

 

[orange&white]

I had a very shy cat who was most comfortable making her "appearances" when I was stretched out lying down, either on the sofa or in bed. She'd come up and join me, but if I was moving around, she preferred to hide somewhere in the room. So getting very still and lying down, instead of moving around looking everywhere, may be a successful alternate strategy.

 

[rubysmama]

So there's no way he could have gotten out of the apartment, right. If not, then he's somewhere inside!

Check all closets, again. He could be curled up behind shoes and he's dark so might be easily hidden. And, yes, as orange&white suggested, check box springs and sofa for torn lining. Check in tub/shower. Behind toilet. Check any baskets or boxes. Check under covers of any spare beds, or even your own bed. Check top of shelves, behind curtains. He's gotta be somewhere!

 

[jinxybean]

Well, he's gotta be there somewhere! Here are a list of curious places my adult cats have gone to hide:

1. Hiding behind the cable box, inside the entertainment center. Electronics throw off heat and they make a cozy spot to curl and snooze when in kitty-defilade mode.
2. Inside a bathroom cabinet, tucked into the back of a shelf. Cats can open cabinet doors, fyi! Check all cabinets in the apartment with hinged doors.
3. Underneath the china cabinet, curio hutch. The opening is as tall as a dollar bill, but my adult kitty can skeedadle her fanny and slip under!

Search with a flashlight. Glints off of their eyes will help you spot them. Oh, and excellent advice about sitting down and relaxing. Cats tend to stay hidden when they are searched for.

 

[Furballsmom]

Search with a flashlight. Glints off of their eyes will help you spot them

Oh great idea!

 

[maeglutz]

Thanks for that advice orange&white! I've been working on my computer all day, the most noise I'm making over my soft music is typing.. I'll take a break here in a bit and lay down, maybe play a game with headphones on so I'm nice and quiet.

Im 99% sure there's no way he got out, unless there's a magic hole that leads to Narnia somewhere in here!! The only door that leads outside is behind a couch and we haven't used in months.. The other door leads to the entry way for the apartment complex, but I lost track of him before anyone even used that door I feel like I'm going insane, because I've checked everywhere I can reach/move myself!! How a 11 pound chunky kitty is hiding in my 900sq. feet apartment is literally magic to me!!

Thank you guys for all your advice, I hope you don't think I'm dismissing some!! I'm just getting really upset because I feel like I failed day one of cat moming

 

[maeglutz]

Oh!! Sorry to double reply but I just thought of something!! We have a security camera in the living room, and I can set it up to manual record! Maybe when I'm sleeping I'll find a glimpse of him!!