Indoor cat vanished

[Tillmers]

Our very shy indoor rescue cat has simply vanished. We've been through every inch on the house with a fine tooth comb and can find no sign of her what so ever. She's two years old and has never been outside and I'm beside myself with worry about her.

I saw her in our living room at approx 2:00am today (couldnt sleep) all the windows and doors were closed however she hasn't been seen since. We have 4 and 6 year old DC who did wake up before us so I can only assume one of them has opened the door for some reason and she's slipped out, there's literally no other explanation.

I have left her litter tray and some food by the back door and we have been out searching but no joy 😢 I don't know what I'm asking really, any ideas about where she could be or what we should do next wellcome, thank you

Is she chipped, Op?

When we lost one of our inside cats, she had found a tiny space in the kickboards in the kitchen and had crawled right up and round the corner!

One of our other cats found her - she kept going to the same spot and miaowing.

Do you have a garage at all op? Any chance it could be there?

Thinking of you op. Second what pps have said, back of the fridge, in the curtain lining, cupboard under the sink (cat had opened it to get in but couldn't get out) are all places my sister has found her cat after Thinking he was for sure lost - hope you find her soon

One of mine used to go underneath the kitchen units through a small gap in the kickboard near the dishwasher - is this possible?
Another favourite hiding place was the base of my divan bed, they made a small hole and climbed through and used to hide in there

Oh and we had a cat in my childhood home th at climbed up the chimney once

Ours was once missing and found inside one of the kitchen cupboards. She must have jumped in when I got a pan out and I somehow didn't notice, searched the whole house. Finally heard a meowing in the kitchen later on. Hopefully y yours is similar and reappears soon!

I think my concern now, if you believe the DC didn't open a door or window, is that they've played a game with her and shut her in somewhere / something and forgotten.

Our neighbours cat was rescued in the nick of time, after a couple of days, when the DC had shut her in the play house in the height of the heatwave last summer.

Have you checked all the toy chests and places they put their teddies etc? Any boxes, containers or things that you've discounted on your first search because she couldn't get in there on her own?

On top of wardobes, in beds, insides the sofas or chairs? Insides the cupboards?

One of my indoor cats did this when she was a kitten.

we searched all outside for hours and hours, came home and found her in the coffee table draw some how she managed to climb in the back of it and was fast asleep!

Hope your cat returns soon. X

They get in ridiculous places. Ours managed to get through a tiny gap behind the inbuilt toilet. She had a bell on her collar and I heard the tiniest tinkle otherwise I wouldn't have known she was there. There wasn't enough room for her to turn to get back out again. Dh had to take the unit apart to get her out. The size of the gap she squeezed through seemed impossible for her size.
I hope you find her soon, op.

Thank you everyone. We have gone through the whole house again, looked inside and under everything, emptied all cupboards, boxes, drawers etc. I can't get the base board off the kitchen cupboards but I have pulled out the washing machine so she has a clear exit if she is under there. We've put up a poster and done some leafletting of the houses immediately around ours. We'll report her missing to the microchip company and local cat rescue. It's also on Facebook. I'm not sure what else we can do.

For those asking, my 6 year old is pretty switched on and would definitely be abe to open a door or window if he wanted to, but first thing in the morning they just go down to the living room and watch TV. I'm 99.9% certain they wouldn't have let her out, plus he'd probably have got upset about it and told me.

Thank you for all your suggestions, I will update if she makes an appearance.

Oh what a worry. You know that you will be sat watching tv or eating dinner tonight and she will just trot in wondering what all the fuss is about.

Have you tried microwaving some fish and setting it out? The smell might bring her out.

Ring the council and all the local vets just in case she has been picked up . Hope you find her soon .

This happened to us one/ except I was positive no doors or windows had been opened. She had managed to get behind the bath panel and vanished down the side of the drainage pipe/ was curled up under the floorboards!

Have you asked your 6yo?

I would also leave a window open at night, it’s quite common for cats that are missing to come back at night, but hide out in the daytime. I do still recommend getting a trap from local rescuers too, time is really of the essence in these situations. Also, go out at night with a torch and look underneath hedges and flowerbeds, etc - torch reflects their eyes back. Ask neighbours to check in sheds.

I hope you find her.

Have you tried behind bath panel?

so sorry you’re going through this

Oh no @Tillmers I REALLY hoped kitty would have wandered back by now, but hey, some cats take DAYS - or even weeks to come back. I am sure she's OK, and will re-appear soon. xxx

Oh no I was hoping you'd have good news by now.

It's been less than 48 hours hasn't it? She's unlikely to have come to harm in that time. I think I'd redouble efforts inside the house in case she is stuck somewhere. We accidentally trapped a neighbours' cat inside for 72hrs once (had no idea as it was deadly silent) and it was fine, apart from peeing all over the room it was in!

Have you got anywhere she could get through a tiny hole in the floorboards? somewhere like an understair cupboard or under the bath? behind an appliance?

I really hope your cat reappears. A good tip for keeping track of cats is to get a large bell on a collar. I can hear my cat now wherever she goes and it cuts down on dead birds too.

OK, I've not been in this position but put her litter tray out, the contents of the hoover, an item of clothes. Search for her by torchlight and hopefully you will find her by her eyes.

Get her on every single cat rescue page local to you via FB, and ring the local vets and the council.

Contact her chip company too and let them know she's missing. Fingers crossed x

Also get your neighbours to check all outhouses/check empty properties. My dad once found my mum's missing cat - he was looking out the upstairs window of an empty house!