Mystery, cat disappeared. Chimney?

[FabulousUsername]

My cats were staying in my son's flat for a few days and when I went to collect them yesterday I seem to have lost one?! The missing one is very timid and not too athletic (they are indoor cats). Anyway, I looked everywhere and sadly no sign, flatmate just texted to say good & water are untouched overnight.

All doors & windows have been kept shut. Is it possible she's gone up the chimney?? I waited yesterday and took some pictures but couldn't see or hear anything.

Picture of chimney: it looks like an impossible climb to me!

Have you tried under the baseboards in the kitchen?
I looked after a friends cat & that’s where they went. It was like a magic trick, followed her into the kitchen & she’d just -poof- vanished!

Try airing cupboard, ironing basket, behind tumble dryer.......

Or more likely it has slipped out of the front door unnoticed - this happened to one of mine when we were living in an 8th floor apartment - it must have been me who opened the door but I didn't see it happen. Searched high and low (we weren't allowed animals in the building!) and 24 hours later she slinked out, very scared, from behind an open fire door.

Thanks so much for suggestions! Think I'll have to take time off work today to search. I thought she'd have come out during the night but the food/water untouched has worried me. She's a real scaredy cat and she's in a strange place!

Get some tuna, place in various places around the flat and listen carefully. Either she will.come out or even a timid cat will make noise if stuck somewhere and hungry. If you can't hear her then I think she might not be in the flat anymore and you need to widen your search.

Chimneys have a little ledge low down usually - depending on how you took the photo it might not show in the photo - hard to explain! You should be able to feel it if you put your hand there.

Have you looked on top of wardrobes, bookshelves, kitchen cabinets etc. high places? Under or behind things, any small spaces really, they seem to fit into the smallest of gaps.

I also own a very nervous one. Check tiny spaces. All kitchen/bathroom cupboards, on top of any high cupboard/shelf, down the side of furniture - mine once squeezed between cabinet and wall and got stuck head first; all corners of rooms - mine once stood up on her back legs between the wall and back corner of sofa to hide from a workman; down the back of any furniture - mine once got suspended in mid-air between back of bookshelf and wall; underneath sofa and beds - can she get inside them?, all corners of wardrobes or storage cupboards, behind the toilet...

I'd be surprised if she'd gone up the chimney but do check for a ledge as others have mentioned and check corridor outside flats. Ask neighbours in case anyone's taken her in (or let her out).

One of mine hid for a week under the kitchen units, when I first adopted her. Took me ages to work out where she was!

Have you looked in drawers? One of mine got into a closed chest of drawers from underneath as although the drawers were shut they did not meet the back of the chest and so there was a gap. She must have climbed into like a ladder.

Or on a clothes rail in a wardrobe. That was another of her places

Thought we had lost dcat yesterday as we are staying in a holiday apartment. One of the beds can be adjusted electronically so the mattress sits you up (can’t remember what they’re called) and he had got under there.
On a previous holiday we found him on top of a wardrobe.
And when he vanishes at my mom’s, he is usually in a narrow gap behind the dressing table.
He just likes to frighten us!

Our very timid cat disappeared into the lining of an arm chair. You’d never know she was there!

We also had a cat get into the lining of a chair, tub type chair that was ripped a little underneath, would never have found if hadn't heard very faint noise. Same cat used to get into drawers and a divan bed. Also had a cat when younger fall out of an upstairs window (cat was fine!) although if the flat you are talking about is higher up might not be ok! Did they have windows open in this heat?

Thanks all....just worried now as it's so hot! Unfortunately she's not motivated by food, previous cats always appeared when they heard tuna cans opening! As I'm not living in the flat it's so difficult. Going down now (hours drive) to look for her.

No sign of cat. I'm sitting quietly to listen for signs but other than that not sure what I can do. I've called and shaked food, no reply 😔

My Cat jumped on top of the kitchen units when we got him and fell down a small gap between the last cupboard and the wall. Look for where there could be gaps, its probably there.

go systematically through the house. Every room. looking floor to ceiling. some cats can open cupboard doors, so check there too.

Queen I did that...pulled things out of cupboards, took drawers out. There must be something I'm missing. Although she could have got out while the boys weren't looking (unlikely but possibly) or she could be up the chimney. I put some fresh water out, the boys will tell me if she's eaten/ drunk anything overnight.

Like others have said sofas, chairs and divan beds often have linings which a cat might have crawled through.

Also kitchen cupboards often have a fake back to make them stand out from the wall a bit further.The fake back doesn't always go all the way from the floor to the worktop IYSWIM so a cat could access the gap between there and the wall.

Thanks for all the suggestions-- I pulled baseboards off and opened every cupboard today when I was there. Looked up the chimney again but couldn't see anything. More to the point I couldn't hear anything. I went all around the flat shaking by food and calling her but it was silent. I'm so annoyed with myself for leaving them. Now I'm dealing with an 'only' cat, she's ok but meowing a lot, didn't always get on with her sister but they've always lived together. The boys are going to be listening out for her tonight.

Is it worth posting some notes through neighbours' doors just in case she managed to slip out? I do hope you find her.

Is she microchipped?

It's definitely worth now starting to put up posters in the area, asking neighbours, contacting local vet's and cat charities etc. A shy cat in particular is easily mistaken for a stray/feral if outdoors so you will want as many people as possible to look out for her and to know she has an owner.

Is she a black cat? I spent a whole day looking for mine and discovered him hiding in plain sight in the bread oven ( in fireplace) when he opened his eyes. Completely invisible until then!

Any sign of her yet?

Are there bookshelves? My cat hid behind the books in one with no backboards.
Also side of cooker or washing machine and in sofa if cloth base, can claw a hole.
Top of wardrobes or kitchen units.
Also might be worth bringing other cat back, might be able to spot her or encourage her out.

No sign at all. 😔 So strange. I'm going to out flyers through the doors of the neighbors, she's microchipped but no collar. Really annoyed with myself for losing her but I don't know what we could have done differently, doors and windows were closed. Still wondering if she went up the chimney!?