New kitten can’t be found in house

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #21

BigCoffinHunter

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 21, 2023
Messages
33
Purraise
174
Also look UP. Can any of your ceiling tiles be displaced? Any pipes or heating ducts? I have read more than 1 thread where the cat is hiding under the mattress springs or armchair.
I think the basement is likely, as there are exposed rafters. We’ve peered down the ones we can access, but there’s so many hiding places! Have to see what tonight brings on cam. I also put out toys and a small sprinkle of catnip as well as the fresh food, sardines and water.
 

ArtNJ

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
5,485
Purraise
6,957
I saw a lost cat on Facebook at the humane society but I’m not sure he’s the same. To me, the ears are placed differently. Might check it out when they open anyway, in case he did get outside.
The l W l pattern in the space above and between the eyes isn't totally unique of course, but it does seem relatively distinctive, and the other facial markings seem to match up. If he was found within a couple miles of your house, I'd bet good money that is the same cat. Certainly keep up your vigilance until you can chat with them, but tomorrow I'd send them the full body picture you have. It will be easier for them to compare with a full body shot than for you to go off a headshot.

P.S. Cat ears can swivel like crazy. I dont think the ear position is a real difference.

P.P.S. I've had my adult cat escape several times without my noticing. Cats be fast :)
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #24

BigCoffinHunter

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 21, 2023
Messages
33
Purraise
174
The l W l pattern in the space above and between the eyes isn't totally unique of course, but it does seem relatively distinctive, and the other facial markings seem to match up. If he was found within a couple miles of your house, I'd bet good money that is the same cat. Certainly keep up your vigilance until you can chat with them, but tomorrow I'd send them the full body picture you have.
Definitely!! I am going to stop by there and check him out, along with my pictures. It’s too bad I don’t know him better yet, but the staff may be able to tell his approximate age and will know where he was found.
 

catman925

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
74
Purraise
107
Location
Brentwood CA
Look very carefully through any piles of clothes, through all the sheets and blankets on the bed, lifting them off one at a time, behind things like books, dust pans.

Go into the basement and look up in the walls and in the attic and look down. Watch your other cat is he interested in any particular area in the house? If not, do you have a friend with a dog who likes to sniff out things? On a leash such a dog might well help. Don't be surprised if your cat starts focusing on a wall. If he does the new kitten could be behind that wall.
You just reminded me:

- Look behind the books on your bookshelves. I once had a foster kitten disappear and I couldn't find her anywhere and I knew all the hiding spots. I searched for hours. She had gotten behind the books on the bookshelf.
 

sidneykitty

Foster mama
Alpha Cat
Joined
Dec 25, 2015
Messages
694
Purraise
711
I agree the photos do look quite similar as far as the facial markings...

if you have a stove/oven and/or fridge, have you looked behind and underneath them? I just heard about an adult cat hiding behind the oven so if an adult can do it, a kitten definitely can!

Best wishes :redheartpump::redheartpump:

Edit: forgot to ask - is your kitty microchipped so you can verify if it is him vs. the found kitty?
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #28

BigCoffinHunter

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 21, 2023
Messages
33
Purraise
174
I agree the photos do look quite similar as far as the facial markings...

if you have a stove/oven and/or fridge, have you looked behind and underneath them? I just heard about an adult cat hiding behind the oven so if an adult can do it, a kitten definitely can!

Best wishes :redheartpump::redheartpump:
We went through all appliances (inside, behind, under) but no luck yet. Thanks for the suggestions, though!
In fact, thank you everyone for all the suggestions. I’ll be sure to update our search here.
 

catman925

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
74
Purraise
107
Location
Brentwood CA
We have moved the cam to the basement this afternoon, having thoroughly searched the upstairs. There is a door shutting it off. I purchased kitten food (we had adult cat food out) and sardines/tuna, changed the litter and are hoping for a sign tonight.

I saw a lost cat on Facebook at the humane society but I’m not sure he’s the same. To me, the ears are placed differently. Might check it out when they open anyway, in case he did get outside.

I see no indication on the outside of the house such as a broken screen, but I like the idea of posting signs, so I’ll do that tonight too.
On those pictures, I'm leaning towards it's not the same cat, but only because the one on the right seems to have bigger ears. The one on the left has darker markings where the whiskers are too but that could all just be because of lighting.

However, the rest of the markings seem pretty spot on. The age is correct as well.

Who found the cat? If it is at a city pound, CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY and let them know it may be your cat. City "shelters" and animal control are notoriously indifferent to the well-being of animals in their care. In my local area in California, you have to contact them within 3 DAYS. After that, it's up to them what they do with it. Luckily yours is young. City pounds are way too quick to just euthanize when they get crowded and the first to go are older animals. They look at these animals as just something to deal with and not as individual, loving beings deserving of living.

In your case, since he's young but since he might not have a microchip, worst case is they'll send him off to a local rescue to get adopted which obviously you don't want either.

In any scenario, contact them the very next chance you can.
 

catman925

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
74
Purraise
107
Location
Brentwood CA
Watch your other cat is he interested in any particular area in the house? If not, do you have a friend with a dog who likes to sniff out things? On a leash such a dog might well help. Don't be surprised if your cat starts focusing on a wall. If he does the new kitten could be behind that wall.
This is an excellent suggestion. Really good way to find out where the pee smell is at is to bring in another cat. They'll pinpoint it immediately (I foster and tame lots of feral cats so I run into this problem more than I like).
 

mister obama

don daleiden at my house...
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
67
Purraise
97
Location
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
I think the basement is likely, as there are exposed rafters. We’ve peered down the ones we can access, but there’s so many hiding places! Have to see what tonight brings on cam. I also put out toys and a small sprinkle of catnip as well as the fresh food, sardines and water.
under box springs (beds) and furniture there is a thin dust cover, clever cats make a small hole and crawl up and into these hiding spots. my harry boy disappeared in a motel room! till I looked in the box-spring, (he didn't like car rides)
 

Alldara

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Apr 29, 2022
Messages
5,278
Purraise
8,912
Location
Canada
Once my roommate opened the door and came home from work. We were always watching for Lily to escape. He didn't see her go out and neither did I. Few hours later she didn't come for food. Find her outside sniffing flowers. Just to note that they are fast even as adults you might miss them.

Let us know how it goes at the rescue or if any progress made inside.
 

cmshap

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 21, 2019
Messages
1,490
Purraise
3,531
Location
Milwaukee, WI
Once my roommate opened the door and came home from work. We were always watching for Lily to escape. He didn't see her go out and neither did I.
Yes, exactly. They can get outside so easily.

I live in an apartment building, where "outside" is a public hallway with a few doors between it and the outside. So people in my building aren't as worried about their cats getting out.

But in the 8 years I've lived here, I've found 3 cats in the hallway that people didn't know were missing. Two were from people who had attitudes like "he/she runs out there all the time," but one was a neighbor I know well, who is a very responsible cat owner, and was POSITIVE there was no way her cat could have possibly gotten out into the hallway. Obviously, she was proven wrong.

Cats can sneak by even the most careful people. They are ninjas.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #38

BigCoffinHunter

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
May 21, 2023
Messages
33
Purraise
174
Hello all, I’m sorry to say I have no news yet. The cat posted by the humane society is actually at someone’s house, not the shelter. The finder decided to hold the kitty there. The humane society was contacting them to have them call me, but I haven’t heard yet. There has been no kitty sighting inside or out. My adult cat is acting the same as before the kitty came. Thanks for all the search suggestions- we’ve tried them but will keep an eye out. I put up signs in the neighborhood and talked with neighbors. That’s todays update :)
 

cmshap

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 21, 2019
Messages
1,490
Purraise
3,531
Location
Milwaukee, WI
At my house, I think its usually bringing an amazon package in. You are bent down and only looking at the package. Or at least thats an excuse I like to use.
I'm sure that's the context of when many cats sneak by. You are multitasking -- trying to carry in a package, or a bag of groceries, while also trying to block your cat from sneaking by you.

Like I said, I live in an apartment building, so I'm not as worried about my cat getting out as I would be if "outside" was actually outside... but I do try to block him when I am carrying stuff in. If he gets out, he will run down the hallway at full-speed (just because he can, according to cat-logic 😂). He will always come back to me, but I'm worried about a situation like if some other neighbor brings their dog out at precisely the time when my cat is in the hallway, and the dog attacks him.

So I actively try to block his escape, but he slithers through about 1/3 of the time.
 
Last edited:
Top