New cat, lost inside the house.

[veggietreegirl]

Hi everyone. I am new to the forum. I am hoping you can help me with a problem. We just got a new cat yesterday. I knew she would need time to feel confident so I set her up in the bathroom with everything she needs. This morning she came out from hiding behind the toilet, so I opened the bathroom door (front door to the house shut) and let her out to explore. She was happily exploring for a while and then suddenly squeezed under the dishwasher.  I thought I'd let her hang out under there for a bit before putting her back in the bathroom. I went about my business for a bit and then when I looked under the dishwasher she wasn't there. I've looked ALL over the house, in drawers, behind the stove and refrigerator, in cupboards etc. and can't find her. I'm worried she maybe crawled into the wall as there's a hole under our kitchen sink that I thought hubby had fixed but hadn't. I'm not sure where the hole leads, it may lead up to the attic, which we haven't checked yet. Please help. How can I find my cat? The door was closed the whole time so I don't think she could have gotten outside. I'm afraid she won't want to come out, because she's afraid of the dogs. I have to leave for work soon, but I told my husband to leave the dogs outside and leave food out.

 

[miss mew]

Welcome to TCS first of all!  Congratulations on your new kitty. When we got our cat Muggins when I was a kid she stayed under the bed for 2 weeks.  It all depends on the cat really.  I would suggest leaving food and water out in an area that she could access if she went into the hole in the wall.  If you think she might be afraid of the dogs I would keep the dogs away if possible as well.  I have also had pretty good success with Feliway diffusers to help ease the transition.

 

[catladylou]

Hello and welcome to the tcs. I have found cats hide in the most mad places. As mine are indoor cats i worry all the time about them getting out as this would kill me. There was a hole in the wall in the living room and i wouldnt let my cats go in there till hubby fixed this hole. Try some freash meat and she might come out. Hope you find her. Please keep us posted. Good luck with being a cat mom.

 

[chromium blues]

Places I've found some of our foster cats:

On the shoulders of the coats hanging up in the front closet (Duchess)

Squashed behind the china cabinet (Susan)

Wedged behind the books on the shelf (Dinah)

Between a stack of cat carriers and a steamer trunk, behind an old collapsed wire crate (Marianne Faithfull)

Inside the framework of the sofa (Roary)

Linen closet (Sage)

Behind large, immovable book shelf (Flossie and Wendy)

Behind the arm chair, hiding underneath the bottom of the drapes (Duchess, Marianne Faithfull)

On top of the china cabinet (Henry)

Hope this helps!

 

[hexiesfriend]

I know where she probably is, there is a space between the kitchen counter and cabinet below she is probably between there. Open up the cabinet below your kitchen sink and there should be a space in one of the upper corners where the hose from the dishwasher leads to the sink drain that's an opening that leads to the space between. I would leave the kitchen sink cabinet open and call her. See if you hear any movement.

 

[evamilly]

I'd try what catladylou suggested and leave out some freshly cooked meat or fish. My two cats seem to smell freshly shelled prawns from the top of the house and come running down to the kitchen in a flash!

It's amazing where my cats can hide, I've just realised that my older cat can open the sliding door to the storage space under the bed in the spare bedroom. Chromium Blues, those coats must have some 1980s style shoulder pads! lol3:

 

[Kat0121]

I just found my foster, Henry (AKA Brother 

, his new nickname) behind the roll top desk in his safe room. 

 

[veggietreegirl]

Still can't find her. I just got home from work so I will try leaving out meat and see how that goes. Thank you all.

 

[veggietreegirl]

Yay! I was preparing the dog's food in the kitchen just now and she must have gotten hungry enough, because she slinked out from behind the dishwasher. She must have been there all day, not sure where exactly since we check under it but oh well. Glad she is safely back in her safe room. She was happy to see me, letting me pet her and purring. She's a real sweet heart. Just got to get her adjusted to the dogs.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[jiskefet]

Leave some really smelly food out for her, salmon or sardine flavour cat food if you have any...

You could even leave out some sardines for human consumption, but only a little, as it is too salty for cats, really, but it would just be to lure her out.

Cats are quite good at hiding, so I am not surprised you cannot find her. And she is probably frightened and confused, so she will not be in a hurry to show herself

She will come out when she gets hungry.

Do try to keep the dogs away, though, or she will be to scared to show herself.

 

[maiaelizabeth]

Lol I lost Foley once in my studio apartment. He was behing the fridge but like inside it. I have no idea how he could have gotten there. Also once behind the stove. There's literally no space for anything in between the stove and the counter but somehow he squeezed in. Crazy kitties. Thank God you found him

 

[hexiesfriend]

Oh good!!! I will bet good money she was up under the counter. My cat used to pull open the cabinet under the kitchen sink and crawl in that space and sleep all day. Of course the cabinet door used to slam behind him so I had no idea where he was....

 

[jiskefet]

 
Leave some really smelly food out for her, salmon or sardine flavour cat food if you have any...

You could even leave out some sardines for human consumption, but only a little, as it is too salty for cats, really, but it would just be to lure her out.

Cats are quite good at hiding, so I am not surprised you cannot find her. And she is probably frightened and confused, so she will not be in a hurry to show herself

She will come out when she gets hungry.

Do try to keep the dogs away, though, or she will be to scared to show herself.

 
Yay! I was preparing the dog's food in the kitchen just now and she must have gotten hungry enough, because she slinked out from behind the dishwasher. She must have been there all day, not sure where exactly since we check under it but oh well. Glad she is safely back in her safe room. She was happy to see me, letting me pet her and purring. She's a real sweet heart. Just got to get her adjusted to the dogs.

Thanks again everyone!

Crossposted...

So happy she showed herself of her own accord and you did not have to get her from under or behind something, which would have added to her stress.

She will get more confident, now that she has received such a warm welcome as she came out.

Just be grateful she is too young to realize that hiding is a good way to get extra attention and yummy food...

 

[miss mew]

I'm so glad that she came out of hiding.  Here's hoping she adjusts to her new home quickly

 

[veggietreegirl]

 
Crossposted...

So happy she showed herself of her own accord and you did not have to get her from under or behind something, which would have added to her stress.

She will get more confident, now that she has received such a warm welcome as she came out.

Just be grateful she is too young to realize that hiding is a good way to get extra attention and yummy food...

Ha! Yeah, she's pretty young. I hope she doesn't learn that silly trick.

Thank you all.

 

[samnmag]

Been there, done that and had my stress level go up as a result.  One things cats are s-o-o-o-o-o-o good at is disappearing and not being found until they wish to come out.  My Pepper use to do that anytime someone would come to the house.  He is an indoor cat.  He would hide so well, despite my ripping everything apart, that I would actually go outside to hunt for him just in case.  Then, a couple of hours or so later, he would come out and act as if nothing happened.  He would look at me as if to say, yes I heard you calling and yes I heard the panic in your voice but I chose to not come out.  After some thought about what to do, the most successful thing was to ignore it.  Having said that, I would nonchalantly (and quietly) search around to see if I could find his hiding spot but I wouldn't call.  As a result, he got bored with that game and stopped doing it and am I ever pleased about that.  Quite often, kitties will hide if they are new to a place or not well.  I see some excellent suggestions given.  Be patient.  She needs some time to settle in.  Once her confidence is up and she is comfortable in her new surroundings, she will be underfoot and you will have so much fun with her. 

 

[catladylou]

Yay! I was preparing the dog's food in the kitchen just now and she must have gotten hungry enough, because she slinked out from behind the dishwasher. She must have been there all day, not sure where exactly since we check under it but oh well. Glad she is safely back in her safe room. She was happy to see me, letting me pet her and purring. She's a real sweet heart. Just got to get her adjusted to the dogs.

Thanks again everyone!

Thank god your found her. Meat always get the cat in the end lol.