As soon as you notice your cat is missing, talk to your family members or housemates and ask where and when they last saw your cat. Search your home carefully—under beds, in closets, dark places, small places, behind bulky furniture— in case your cat is hiding or sleeping somewhere.
How To Find Your Missing CatMy cat-finding process begins by trying to coax him out from where he is hiding with food. I open noisily a can of cat food and I jiggle a bag of cat treats. Usually this works. But tough luck when your cat decided to vanish just after you have fed him and he is not hungry.
How to find them
- Secure the house Immediately close all external doors and windows. Additionally, see “My cat got out of my home” if any were open, as this could indicate that your cat is outside.
- Inform everyone that Kitty is out and alert all members of the household.
- Shut interior doors Shut as many doors as you can inside the house to make it easier to locate them and prevent them from fleeing.
- Search each room Search each area very thoroughly. Think like a frightened cat – look in tiny spaces.
- Employ a torch at night If you are unable to locate them during the day, look for them using a torch at night as their eyeshine will reflect the light.
- If you’re still not able to locate them, close as many doors as you can and place food, water, and a litter tray in each room. They’ll come out for food when you’re asleep. You’ll be able to narrow down where they are.
Real cats have hidden in these real places.
- Between the fridge motor and fridge
- Within the upright freezer’s motor cavity, within a 15 cm by 20 cm opening
- On top of the fridge
- By lowering the space between the kitchen sink’s base and the kitchen cabinet’s back
- In the dishwasher
- Between the dishwasher and cupboard
- Behind the microwave
- In the cutlery drawer
- In cupboards
- In the pantry
- In the refrigerator (he sneaked in when the door was open because he couldn’t resist the food offerings)
- On chairs under tables
- To retrieve her, plaster and roof tiles had to be removed from the flu up behind the heater.
- Under the sofa
- Inside the sofa
- Beneath a reclining lounge chair (she had to be careful to remove her arm after it became stuck in the wire).
- In a vent in wall
- By opening the ducting and taking off the cover for a ducted heating vent
- Up the chimney
- On the curtain rail and pelmet
- In drawers
- Behind desks
- Behind entertainment units
- Inside entertainment units
- Under the bed
- In the lining under a bed
- In wardrobes
- In boxes in wardrobes, including on the top shelf
- In chests of drawers
- Behind the drawer under the bed
- In boxes
- On top of high shelves
- Behind, in and under bathroom vanity
- On the S-bend of the toilet
- On top of the shower screen
- Behind, under and inside the washing machine
- Behind, under and inside the drier
- Behind, under and in the sink cupboard
- In boxes
- In cupboards
- Behind cupboards
- Under ‘false bottoms’ of cupboards (check with mirror)
- In drawers
- On top of high shelves
- On top of doors
- On top of curtain rails and pelmets
- Behind furniture
- Under furniture
- On top of furniture
- use the manhole to access
Check out these real-life hiding spots
FAQ
Is it normal for cats to disappear in the house?
Pet Advice. It’s not unusual for cats to go ‘missing’ from time to time. Sometimes they may disappear for a few hours, other times you may not see them for a day or two. It’s important to understand that these vanishing acts are perfectly normal.
How long should my cat be missing before I worry?
You do not need to worry if your cat leaves, however, if it has been more than two days, you should consider notifying your local vet and animal warden that your animal has not come back, as they might have been injured, preventing them from coming home.
Why is my cat hiding and I can’t find it?
It’s part of a cat’s normal behaviour to hide – whether this is finding a safe place to sleep, lying in wait to pounce on a toy, or just because they feel safer hidden away. If you notice your cat hiding more than usual, however, it could be that they’re feeling stressed or anxious, or are feeling unwell.