Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

Help! I think new cat got under the floorboards

85 replies

Startingagainandagain · 24/12/2023 08:58

I am so upset and don't know what to do. I got a rescue cat three days ago and all was going well. I had closed all the access I could think of.

The cat slept on my bed last night and everything was fine.

Then morning no sign of her.

I then realised the door that led to the utility cupboard was slightly ajar although I had closed it the night before and put a big plant in front of it to secure it further. No idea how it got open.

There is the electrics board and also the stopcock and a small access that lead under the floorboards of the living room so all I can think of is that the cat got in there as I have searched the entire house several times...

I don't know what to do. I can't hear her anywhere. I tried calling and shining a flashlight in there.

I am absolutely heartbroken and worried she got herself stuck in there, can't get back out and that I will never see her again.

Any suggestions apart from just randomly removing some of the wood flooring and hoping I can locate her?

It is a 1930s house and there is quite a big gap between the floorboard and all the pipe work so she could be anywhere by now...

I really hate myself for not securing the hole better. I have the light on in the cupboard hoping it might guide her back out and I am listening for any noise and mewing sounds.

OP posts:
Scampuss · 24/12/2023 19:15

She will be fine! She's clearly an exploring in the dark sort of cat, so provide lots of tunnels and boxes and leave gaps under furniture so she can create routes around the house.

Don't try and grab her, just wait until she's securely away from her special hole, and in another room, shut the door on her and go and block access.

LostCats · 24/12/2023 19:20

Really do try not worry (easy to say I know).

We were having our loft redone and it was open right to the roof tiles with the weird little holes under the eaves. DH hasn’t ever had cats before so left loft door open. I’m not sure the cat even touched the floor in his speed to bolt into the hole. DH was in pieces that ‘the cat is gone forever!!!!’ I was more ‘meh, he’ll be out soon.’ Poor DH was sitting outside the hole in almost hysterics (cat is his soul animal). I shook food pouch downstairs. ‘Miraculous’ escape and sprint down the stairs by said cat. DH never left the door open again.

cardibach · 24/12/2023 19:24

Don’t try to catch her. She’s there because it’s dark and private. She’s coming out for food (and hopefully the litter tray). Trying to catch her will just freak her out. Wait until she’s properly out and then block the hole.

margotrose · 24/12/2023 20:34

The more you try and catch her, the more likely she is to stay under there.

I know it's hard but honestly, just leave her. She's fine. She won't get herself stuck and she'll come out for food/drink/litter tray when she needs it.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 24/12/2023 20:46

Now you have seen her twice, move the food a little bit away as you know she is coming out to eat. Where is her litter tray ?

Original poster
Startingagainandagain · 24/12/2023 20:57

@OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon

Yes I have done that: I moved the food further away to tempt her out of the cupboard.

I have two litter trays, one in the spare room upstairs and one downstairs not too far from where she is in the living room.

OP posts:
StillWantingADog · 24/12/2023 21:07

I can see this is very frustrating but dcat is fine which is the main thing.
I’d move the food further and further from the hole and next time you catch him sneaking out if possible focus on blocking the hole rather than catching him

sparkedsparkle · 24/12/2023 21:09

My cat did simular once, got into an open cupboard where the backboard wasn't attached properly but couldn't get back out, had to remove the ledge thingy under the cupboard for him to come out!

Caterina99 · 24/12/2023 21:16

She’ll be fine! She’s just loving exploring this new space and will get bored soon enough and will be back up for food and attention.

Hopefully she’ll come out when you’re there and you can shut the hole up

We have a hole in the back of the cupboard in our spare room that goes behind the walls and into the loft space (old house). DH had to nail some wood over it after our cat had great fun exploring and wouldn’t come out for a few days. As soon as that cupboard is open she’s straight in there hoping to relive that experience!

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 24/12/2023 21:18

Dh went into the loft to fix a hole. (Fixed!!) but left the hatch open, the loft ladder in place and the bedroom door open whilst he had lunch. Despite being told to be careful — no he said, the cats can’t get up there.
Could not find one of the cats. We have five.
Guess where ALL FIVE were. Yep up in the loft doing the wall of death around the rafters. Of course being cats they could negotiate the ladder to get back down. So Dh had to go back up and attempt to catch all five, whilst not putting a foot through the ceiling and hoping to god that the walls truly were fireproof as we are part of 150+ terraces….

I was below attempting to catch the cats as they were unceremoniously evicted from their new play quarters.

vipersnest1 · 24/12/2023 21:57

Don't worry, OP, she'll be out once she's got over the feeling that she's big stuff exploring.
I had a cat who disappeared under the kitchen units when I took the plinth off to install a new dishwasher. She eventually emerged, strewn in cobwebs with some reddish-brown stuff stuck to it. My DC2 was terrified, but to be fair the cat looked like something from Halloween....

Original poster
Startingagainandagain · 24/12/2023 21:58

Got her!

I came back downstairs after I moved the food away from the utility cupboard.

She was just sitting on one of the rugs staring at me with a look of complete innocence.

I quickly got into the utility cupboard and covered the hole for now with what I could find. I then stuck heavy tape on the door to seal it shut! and put a small table and plants in front of it...

I will get my handyman to cover the hole properly after Christmas.

She was happy to be stroked and ate lots of food...

I can't bear thinking what she will be like when I try to introduce her to the outdoors in a few weeks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Startingagainandagain · 24/12/2023 22:01

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 that story did make me smile.

I think 5 cats would be the end of me! one is hard enough to keep track of...

Good point about the loft. Something else I will have to be mindful of.

OP posts:
Longlazyday · 24/12/2023 22:02

Excellent. Merry Christmas 🎄

ANightmareBeforeChristmas · 24/12/2023 22:02

Happy ending - yay! May you have many happy years together!

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 24/12/2023 22:04

@Startingagainandagain I regularly have to do head counts during the day, at least one will have locked themselves in a cupboard, become wedged in a small space/box/up a cat tree.
But they are worth it all.

Lenax · 24/12/2023 22:04

Glad you found your cat! There are videos on YouTube and TikTok for attracting your cat to cuddle, search them up, they may help if you should need to try to find your cat again

CrunchyCarrot · 24/12/2023 22:18

Cats just love to do this to us. They are testing their hooman to see if we are keepers! My first kitten managed to tuck himself away in all sorts of tiny gaps, resulting in me panicking then eventually finding him. Or he'd just appear. After 6 cats I am now used to their foibles but they really do like to ramp up the stress.

I'm sure your kitty will be fine, OP. She is just testing you! Certainly could have timed it better, though!

Scampuss · 24/12/2023 22:18

Brilliant news.

YankeeDad · 24/12/2023 22:22

She has just shown you that her favourite game is hide-and-go-seek. Making you worry brings her lots of extra attention. The game ended so well for her, with special food and cuddles, that she is bound to play again.

Good luck!

LittleMissSleepyUK · 24/12/2023 22:28

Glad you’ve got her!!! You can’t post about a cat without posting a photo though!!

Original poster
Startingagainandagain · 24/12/2023 22:37

Yes sorry I forgot the cat tax! there she is @LittleMissSleepyUK

Help! I think new cat got under the floorboards
OP posts:
sassyduck · 24/12/2023 22:42

What a pretty cat. Glad you've got her.

TheShellBeach · 24/12/2023 22:45

Oh she's gorgeous!
I'm so glad this thread had a happy ending.
Merry Christmas OP.

Sunshineboo · 24/12/2023 22:46

this is the good news thread i am
sure we all needed! I nearly didn't dare read it worrying that the ending would not be so good.....

beautiful cat.