My cat is inside my neighbour’s wall cavity

[SerenityNowInsanityLater]

So, we’re presently a wrecking ball of anxiety and sadness as my kids and I wait to find out if we’ll ever hold our cat again.

He went out, two nights ago, at 2am. I’d been up preparing for a hearing (divorce). He was sitting at the back door, always an indication that he needs to go out. He’s out every night and home by 7am, sleeping on a patio chair.

He didn’t come home. Didn’t think much of it. Attended hearing (5 hours) and around 2pm asked my kids if they’d seen Gus. They hadn’t. DD had mentioned that she was aware that he hadn’t come to her room for daily snoozy snuggles.

I put out an alert on neighborhood watch and it turns out, he’d wandered into my neighbour’s house and looked utterly terrified to be there. She sent photos her painter had taken of my cat (homeowner was at work). They are having building works. Apparently he was hiding underneath a table, the painter tried to coax him out and grabbed him. The cat got totally spooked and they are pretty sure he ran into an opening of a newly built/plastered basement wall and climbed inside the cavity, they ‘think’. Their last sighting of him was in the wall’s opening climbing an electric cable. It’s all so grim.

I’ve gone over with food, talking to him, tapping, calling for him, chatting to him. I can see into the wall’s cavity. It’s an incredibly tight squeeze and this immediately scared me. The space is limited and the neighbour’s father in law built the wall and explained that the cat wouldn’t have much space to explore as it’s very limited and extremely tight.

There’s been no sound. Nothing. I heard nothing. Nobody’s heard a thing. Food has gone untouched. Fire Brigade has visited twice with thermal cameras and they’ve detected nothing both times (the space however is full of beams, cables, and insulation which could inhibit detection). RSPCA said I’ve basically done all that I can.

What more can be done? What’s crazy is he’s such a timid cat. None of the neighbours really know him because, although he wanders, he’s not the Six Dinner Sid our ginger cat is, visiting all and sundry like relatives at Christmas. Our little timid boy isn’t like that. He is extremely shy of humans. He looked absolutely terrified in the photos the painter shared. I hate to think the worst.

But what now, 38 hours on? 😢

Call the fire brigade. It is within their remit to rescue trapped animals.

They've already visited twice!

Could he have got out with no one spotting him and is now hiding somewhere else?

@invisiblecat The fire brigade have attended twice, it's in the OP.

Is there any chance Gus is hiding somewhere else and the wall is a red herring? Could he have got back out of the house? Have you done door to doors?

I don't know what else can be done regarding the wall if there's no indication he's in there other than the original sighting. I hope he turns up though, you must be very worried.

Oh how awful 😭 sending lots of positive thoughts to you and your children. Agree with PPs there could be a chance he isn't in the wall cavity, escaped without anyone noticing. I really hope Gus is home with you soon 🤞🤞🤞

I'd go back and call his name one more time, then at least you've tried. Bring a torch to see into the cavity wall properly.

Oh thank you all so much! I’m feeling so awful about the whole thing. I have been hoping beyond hope that he’s actually escaped the house. But I worry. Our garden literally overlooks theirs. My back gate opens to our communal alleyway and my neighbour’s gate is right there, looking at mine. So I keep thinking he may be hiding elsewhere but… home is right here. The alleyway is familiar territory and I would imagine he’d have come running home by now.

Although a spooked cat won’t make rational decisions in the moment (do cats ever make rational decisions? 😆).

He was so scared, terrified, the painter said. I do wonder if he’s bypassed the wall and is hiding elsewhere. Nobody has seen him.😢

The best thing ( if your neighbour will agree) is to leave him alone and keep away, making as little noise as possible. All the attention will be scaring him more, they get frozen in panic.

38 hours is no problem for a well fed cat who is doing nothing, though he will get thirsty. Don’t leave food or water by the hole, you need him to come out , not eat or feed and then go back in.

My cat decided to go under a neighbours floor boards after she had been chased by a fox, we couldn’t get her out and she would normally come to my call. She came out after two days, none the worse.

I’m just so grateful for your kindness and handholding. I just keep wondering if I’ve missed anything. I’ll definitely go back to my neighbour’s house with my torch on and have another hopeful go.
It’s strange that he went in there. He’ll wander around but he absolutely avoids people. He’s so shy. My postman has never met him in all these years, whereas my ginger boy stalks the postie relentlessly.

Update us when he comes home. I'd love to know. I hope he comes home soon ❤️

Allthegoodnamesarechosen

Oh that’s such helpful and wonderful advice. I’m so sorry your kitty went though such an ordeal. I’m so relieved to hear about your happy outcome. This really gives me hope! Thank you!
I had wondered if he jumped the neighbour’s fence after seeing our other neighbour’s dog in the alleyway. He’s an enormous dog with a muzzle to match his might. And he goes through the alleyway each morning around 7/8 en route to his walk in the local park. I’d wondered if they crossed paths and Gus just tore into the nearest garden with an open back door.

I promise you I will Beautiful3.
Thank you. 🥹❤️
Thank you, you loving, supportive MNers. Where would I be without you?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GZCVFRp-ZSI&pp=ygUcY2F0cyBtZW93aW5nIHRvIGF0dHJhY3QgY2F0cw%3D%3D

Have you tried playing other cats meiowing near the hole entrance I’ve tried a similar video for my cat when he went under our bath and he came out

there are a lot of comments on the video to say it worked to get back their lost/stuck cats

good luck hope he comes back home soon

Have you heard any meowing? Do you think you would hear it through the wall? If the wall isn't too thick and yet you haven't heard anything I'd be assuming that he's out somewhere.
I hope he comes back soon!

This is a good idea, whenever I play Facebook videos of cats and they’re meowing my cats come running over to check out the strange ‘cat’.

If he uses a litter box it might also be an idea to put a bit of used litter outside your door, it can help cats remember where home is.

I hope he is safely home soon, I know what a worry it is when they are missing x

The wall needs to be taken down they can't just leave him in there

If he is chipped, could you trace him through that?

Could he have got into the floor through it ?

Can't you contact a plumber/drains type company. They normally have cables with cameras on the end. Ask them to put them in the wall and search that way.

Could you set up a video camera by the hole. When our cat was lost he freaked out and hid even when we were calling him. Maybe when it's quiet you might pick up some noise or some movement to indicate he's there. In the meantime put fliers with his picture on it through all the house nearby asking them to call you with a sighting. I really feel for you, it's such a horrible feeling.

This is a great idea.

A microchip only works by being scammed so that the finder can determine the cats ownership details.

It's not a traceable device.

That's what I was thinking...

Does he meow? Our cat got stuck under the floor my husband was laying and we only knew because we could hear the faintest meow!

Is there any way the cavity opens up into more walls of the house? If not and you can’t hear him I wonder if he did get out and is elsewhere.

@SerenityNowInsanityLater

TtBH, I think we were probably more stressed and upset than her by the end. She must have spent most of the time asleep, unless she had experienced a complete personality change.

When she came out, She and her sister both had chicken and DH and I had a large Scotch … I hope you can do the same soon.