New cat lost?

[plisa21]

I need some advice regarding my new cat possibly hiding in a garage ceiling.

My fiancé and I adopted a cat from our local shelter. We set her up with her litter box, cat carrier/bed, and food and water in a small wash room off of our rec room in the basement. The only thing in the room are a wash tub and a shelf. We brought her home and left her carrier open while we set everything up. We allowed her to come out on her own and gave her some treats and love then she started to recede to the corner of the room, looking scared, so we gave her space. We left the door open to the rec room and went upstairs to give her space and time to explore on her own. The door at the top of our stairs was closed but does have a cat door she could come through if she wanted to. After an hour or two of eating and cleaning we went down to checked on her and found her sitting in her litter box.

We then had to leave to go shopping. We checked on her before walking into the garage to leave and she was still in her litter box. We were gone for 2-3 hours. When we returned she wasn't in the washroom. We couldn’t find her upstairs or downstairs. We looked in the garage thinking maybe she slipped through the door. Under beds, in closets, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, bathtubs and everywhere else we could think of. It was then that I realized there is a small hole in the drop ceiling tile. If she was agile enough to get on the edge of the wash tub then jump to the shelf, she could’ve easily reached the hole.

Now I’m worried because we looked in the ceiling of the rec room and don’t see her. My brother thought he heard a hiss when he was looking but we can’t be sure.

So my question is....if she was able to climb into the ceiling and maneuver her way to above the garage (which has a finished ceiling) what is the likelihood that we can coax her down? She doesn’t know us and is probably very scared in this new environment.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello! Welcome!!

Can you make it really easy for her to get back out, a ladder, sturdy boxes (try not to make too much noise), and put some stinky tuna on the floor? Also, try some soft pleasant music, classical harp music can help calm her.

 

[Furballsmom]

There's a little bit of info that could help in here

Help! My Cat Is Lost! [Step By Step Guidance To Find Your Beloved Kitty] - TheCatSite

When your cat is lost, it's crucial to act quickly and calmly. Our comprehensive guide provides practical steps to locate your cat, whether inside or outside the home. From using familiar scents to enlisting neighborhood help, these tips can help reunite you with your beloved pet.

thecatsite.com

 

[Mamanyt1953]

That is just what I would have suggested! If you use canned cat food, heat it VERY slightly so that the "stink" really develops. And do make a safe landing spot for her! There's a very good chance that she will come down on her own. If she does not, you may have to be prepared to go up after her.

 

[susanm9006]

A ceiling hole sounds like the kind of place a scared cat might find. There is almost no possibility to coax down a terrified cat but in all likelihood if she found her way up there she can find her way down when she is ready. I would make sure there is food, water and a litterbox within sight of her hole and at a few other places in your home. Then I would wait to see if any of the food is eaten or the litterbox used. If she hasn’t eaten anything within twelve hours I would put some food and water up inside the hole and check it again in another half day. If she is eating you can wait her out and she will eventually come out of hiding. If she isn’t eating or using the litterbox you may have to set a trap to get her out.

 

[Furballsmom]

Tips for finding a lost cat

Help! My Cat Is Lost! What You Don't Know About Lost Pets Can Hurt Them General Pet Search Tips

thecatsite.com

Here's some more info, thanks to mrsgreenjeens and jcat

 

[plisa21]

I want to thank everyone for their wonderful and quick replies!

I was checking the washroom for her about an hour ago and decided to check the garage one more time. I don't know why, but I felt the need to check under the hood of my car and there she was! She was sitting on the engine, looking at me! My dad came over (at midnight) to help wrangle her out. The entire time we were trying to grab her she didn't hiss, scratch or try to bite us even though the poor girl was so scared.

We got her into the carrier and brought her upstairs. I have her blocked into one of our spare bedrooms that I plan on using as an office. She currently hiding in the desk cubby kneading and purring. I'm not sure if it's because she's stressed from the whole ordeal of getting her out of my engine compartment, or happy because she's in a warmer environment. Either way, I'm just elated that she is safe and in a place where I can keep a good eye on her.

Again I want to thank everyone!

 

[Caspers Human]

After all this commotion, I think you should give her a nice, cozy place to hide.

A cardboard box, laid on its side, with a blanket or some towels would be a nice, little hideout. Put it in a corner, facing in a direction where she can see people coming and going but she can be out of the direct line of sight to people who come into the room.

 

[plisa21]

After all this commotion, I think you should give her a nice, cozy place to hide.

A cardboard box, laid on its side, with a blanket or some towels would be a nice, little hideout. Put it in a corner, facing in a direction where she can see people coming and going but she can be out of the direct line of sight to people who come into the room.

I have her carrier in there and I turned a tall laundry basket on it’s side and covered it with a blanket. I put her shelter blanket and new bed inside it.
She came out and explored a bit while I was sitting in there. She made up to me pretty quickly. She was rubbing against me and making small noises. So hopefully that’s a sign that she is starting to feel a bit safer.

 

[Caspers Human]

That's great!

If she's coming out and making friends with people on the first or second day, that's a really good sign. Although Casper came out on his first day, it was only for a few minutes to explore his new surroundings then it was back upstairs, under the bed, until after the humans were all in bed, asleep. It took a couple-three days for him to start moving around the house with confidence.

Casper's favorite hangout is a collapsible, mesh laundry basket that we got from Walmart for just a few bucks. Every time we did laundry, he'd come and occupy the laundry basket so we decided to get one especially for him.

 

[Maria Bayote]

I love happy endings - this one included.

She was rubbing against me and making small noises.

Awws, that is sweet. She is slowly and surely trusting you.Good sign, good sign.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's amazing, the places that they can get into, isn't it? But she is now in, and safe, and making friends, and all's well that ends well! YAY!

 

[ModernCatLady]

Yay so glad she is safe! Shes lucky to have you guys! She will most likely be explore the room/eat/play when everyone else is sleeping. That is what my kitten did. Also the first three days I had my kitten he would literally sleep in his litter box and play in there. I was so worried lol. Apparently it's normal and they feel comforted in there! Kittens love to play I'd suggest getting a cat wand (preferably without string) da bird original is a great option. They also love plastic springs, ping pong balls, small rolled up aluminum foil ball, throw some sheets of wrapping tissue paper in a card board box. You can sit in the room and put a treat in your hand so the kitty associates you with good things. Congrats on your new kitten!