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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Help - she’s lost the kitten

83 replies

ConstantlyChanging · 16/04/2021 18:00

My sister got a long-awaited kitten today for her 11 year old. The 11 year old was meant to keep kitty in her room till he settles in and appeared soon after kitty arrived saying kitty was missing. Despite the fact kitty was meant to be contained, 11 year old is not confident that the door was shut at all times and so may not be in her room. Her room is small so hard to see where he could be if he’s in there. They can’t find him anywhere. Door to the outside was closed so it must be in the house. Other complication is that they have a dog and introductions haven’t happened yet. Dog is now in the porch (kitty definitely isn’t) but sister is tearing her hair out at the fact that kitten could be anywhere in the 3 bedroom house and doesn’t know basic things like where the food, water or litter tray is. What will happen? What can they do?
I’m v far away so can’t go and help look (plus - Covid) and am feeling helplessly worried about the poor scared thing, incredibly annoyed with my niece but also, aware that niece (adopted) would be severely traumatised if this kitten doesn’t turn up. She’s had a lot of loss in her life and has been desperate for her own pet for years. All tips and positive experiences appreciated.

OP posts:
Veterinari · 16/04/2021 21:55

@ConstantlyChanging

I suspect he’s still in her room because although she left the door open that was after she initially couldn’t find him, all other upstairs doors were shut and so he’d have had to climb down a big (curved) staircase to be anywhere else. Maybe he did or maybe one of the other doors wasn’t shut upstairs but I still think he’s most likely in her room.
Honestly like I said before, stinky warm fish and keep quiet
cricketmum84 · 16/04/2021 21:56

They hide in the weirdest of places. Befor e Betsy got too big we would find her hiding under the big armchair in the living room. It's only an inch or so off the floor so god knows how she got there.

We once lost Ivy (aged 4) and were searching for her everywhere. Eventually spotted her fast asleep on top of the downstairs bathroom door like 7 feet up!!

I'm sure kitten will turn up somewhere totally random.

eurochick · 16/04/2021 22:02

When we were burgled I couldn't find our full grown cats for hours. They are indoor cats but we assumed they must have run away through the smashed door. I went round the entire house shaking dreamies and waving catnip around multiple times. About three hours later they came downstairs. Cats are brilliant hiders.

SeaTurtles92 · 16/04/2021 22:17

I think the kitten will be looking for warmth. Try behind radiators, in draws even in duvets. Oh and the window ledge.

When our family cat was pregnant we set her up to have a babies in a nice quiet spot.

We couldn't find her any where until my dad complained about a weird noise under the bed. She was tucked right at back behind a box having her babies!

bumpdownthestairs · 16/04/2021 22:26

We had an old gas fire in our living room, a one mounted the wall type thing and there was a hole no bigger that a tennis ball underneath that the kitten worked her way into and was behind the fire. Found her at midnight and thought we were going to have to phone someone to come out immediately to take the fire off but out popped her little head eventually. Had to stuff the hole with cloths until she was to big to be able to go back in 😂

ladyinacampervan · 16/04/2021 22:32

My first kitten was under the kickboards in the kitchen, got in through a tiny weeny gap.

Then later she somehow got into a gap in a wall I didn't know was there in my blocked off cellar stairs and had got into the filled in/blocked cellar. Lured her out with food, took a day!

Kitten will turned up, food is the answer.

Theunamedcat · 16/04/2021 22:37

I found a kitten in a knee high boot he refused to come out but at least I found him!

rainbowthoughts · 16/04/2021 22:40

Put the lights off and use the torch on a phone to go round the room methodically, shine it into all the nooks and crannies. Kittens eyes will shine like diamonds Grin

autumnboys · 16/04/2021 22:42

We had a kitten once that squeeeeeezed down the side of the fridge and settled in behind it. We couldn’t find her and we were terribly worried. Couldn’t find her anywhere. They are absolute buggers for getting into the tiniest of gaps.

MumofSpud · 16/04/2021 22:43

Any update yet?
As others have said be v v careful sitting on beds / sofas - no plonking yourself down .... just in case!

Happenchance · 16/04/2021 22:52

Oh and shit the door! I feel a name change coming on Grin

caringcarer · 16/04/2021 22:56

One of our kittens once ran up the chimney and refused to come down. We had to put head and arm up to get it down. We bought a little fire guard.

Original poster
ConstantlyChanging · 16/04/2021 23:00

FOUND HIM!!!

Thank you all so so much for the help and suggestions and very reassuring anecdotes. As you said, it was lights off and food out that did the trick. Tearful 11 year old lying down to sleep suddenly heard scrabbling, kitten pops out from behind the wardrobe (where we looked earlier!) and jumps on the bed meowing loudly. My sister is having a stiff drink now and my niece is very very happy.

OP posts:
Original poster
ConstantlyChanging · 16/04/2021 23:02

Photo of the culprit attached! (From the litter pics - don’t think they’ve got any photos of him yet thanks to his disappearing act!)

Help - she’s lost the kitten
OP posts:
Pomped · 16/04/2021 23:05

He is SO gorgeous! And I’m so pleased he’s found, safe and well. Kittens are scamps and will hide away in the strangest of places! I’m sure with lots of love and gentleness he’ll soon be settled.

TaraR2020 · 16/04/2021 23:31

Oh he is soooooo handsome!!!

Glad he turned up safe and well :)

hagsrus0 · 16/04/2021 23:34

See "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls" by Robert Heinlein. (Actually, don't bother - the title is far better than the book!)

KihoBebiluPute · 16/04/2021 23:38

Such a good kitten.

Our cats are nearly 2 and are still capable of walking out of a room that you have searched several times and definitely didn't have a cat in them. They have portal abilities.

SirVixofVixHall · 16/04/2021 23:45

So pretty ! Glad he came out.
My two rescue kittens (many years ago now) squeezed under the cooker, it was a tiny gap, but they managed it . Another kitten got under the fitted sheet on the bed, I suddenly spotted the bump !

PainterInPeril · 17/04/2021 00:34

What a beautiful kitten! 💗

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 17/04/2021 04:14

@ConstantlyChanging

Photo of the culprit attached! (From the litter pics - don’t think they’ve got any photos of him yet thanks to his disappearing act!)
Beautiful little kitten! Awww look at that little face ! ❤️❤️
SeaTurtles92 · 17/04/2021 06:23

Oh my he is gorgeous!

claireb7rg · 17/04/2021 07:07

Oh he's a handsome little dude!!!

The first night we got our 10 month old kitten, she vanished we couldn't find her anywhere in the tiny room we had confined her to.
Turns out there was a gap down the back of the larder cupboard that we didn't know about 😩 she jumped onto the top of the cupboard and fallen down the back. Luckily there was a ledge less than a metre down and she'd landed on that. Though she couldn't move. She'd been stuck like that for about 4 or 5 hours when we found her 😢 we've now blocked up the hole.

BruceAndNosh · 17/04/2021 07:15

That face!
Definitely a trouble maker.

Have they named it yet?
Houdini sounds apt...

WishingHopingThinkingPraying · 17/04/2021 07:17

Many years ago when mine went missing, I sat down on my bed to have a cry (I was 9) only to sit on the kitten who had managed to get up on bed and under the duvet for a nap.