New Kitten Gone Missing

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

So after my last thread about the cat distribution system we have adopted 2 feral kittens. They have been living in my daughter’s bedroom until we can get them more socialised. One of them has disappeared, we can’t find her anywhere. My daughter went to the loo in the middle of the night and when she got back the kitten was gone - she isn’t sure if she closed the bedroom door.

We have searched everywhere and are baffled. She is about 15 weeks old so still tiny. We’ve moved her sister into my bedroom with a new litter tray and food/water so we don’t lose her as well, and have left the old litter tray and food in my daughter’s bedroom, have opened every door we have (but not external doors) and have closed all windows. We hope when the kitten gets hungry, thirsty or needs the loo she will go back to her old litter tray. Can anyone think of anything else we can try? She has been missing since 0230am.

One very sad teenager.

 

[Equi]

I’m afraid they can find the tiniest holes! I’d start in the bedroom and look behind the cabinets and inside the drawers behind the annoying space at the back of them, under the bed, up the back of the curtains and warbrobe. If there is a hole you think “it can’t possibly fit through that” look there twice.

 

[Caski]

Equi is right, check absolutely everywhere. I 'lost' a rescue kitten for 3 days, we heard a tiny squeak behind a fitted wardrobe, had to call a carpenter to take the thing apart to reveal one lucky kitty. She had wriggled over the back of a drawer and dropped to the bottom behind everything.

We still have her, 15 years old now and still hides!!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

How bizarre, your poor daughter, but I think it is highly likely little kitty will reappear at some point, or even start howling to let you know where they have hidden up. I agree with Equi, if you see a tiny hole you think a mouse would struggle to get through, a kitten will happily squeeze themselves through it if it looks mildly interesting. Have you walked around banging a knife on the edge of a cat food tin or similar? That might wake them up and more likely if they are now getting hungry.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Check every nook and cranny, my mum has had it with 2 kittens before, one was hidden behind the stereo, which was on a shelf in a cabinet, the other who knows but she got to the point she thought she'd snuck out and reported her missing/was ringing round the vets - she then just appeared within the house as if nothing had happened, will never know where she went

Could you put a high value reward (smelly tuna etc) in the middle of the room to try and tempt her out?

It's so worrying but they can't half get into places you think they couldn't possibly get in, hopefully kitten turns up soon - it's trickier as kitten is feral so less likely to come to a person hence the suggestion of high value, tempting goodies

 

[FinnishLapphund]

So after my last thread about the cat distribution system we have adopted 2 feral kittens. They have been living in my daughter’s bedroom until we can get them more socialised. One of them has disappeared, we can’t find her anywhere. My daughter went to the loo in the middle of the night and when she got back the kitten was gone - she isn’t sure if she closed the bedroom door.

We have searched everywhere and are baffled. She is about 15 weeks old so still tiny. We’ve moved her sister into my bedroom with a new litter tray and food/water so we don’t lose her as well, and have left the old litter tray and food in my daughter’s bedroom, have opened every door we have (but not external doors) and have closed all windows. We hope when the kitten gets hungry, thirsty or needs the loo she will go back to her old litter tray. Can anyone think of anything else we can try? She has been missing since 0230am.

One very sad teenager.

Take your brightest torch, but don't only search with your eyes, remember to listen for any sound which might indicate a kitten moving around nearby. Search slowly to make sure you don't miss any movements, or glints of kitten eyes. Ideally be 2 persons when you search every room. Close the door when you enter a room, and when one of you lies contorted halfway in under a bed, the other person remains standing on lookout, making sure the little darling doesn't try to switch hiding places behind your back. After that you've thoroughly searched a room, close the door behind you so that the kitten can't sneak into a room you've already searched, when you're busy searching another room.

And I can only ditto what have already been said about that if you see anything, and think "They can't be there", look there twice. Don't exclude anything due to thinking it's too high, too small, too smelly, too noisy etc. Look through your dishwasher/washing machine if you have that. Scratch with your nails lightly on furniture just in case it can spark some involuntary curiosity/hunting/play instinct.

Fingers crossed you find the missing kitten soon.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

How is the kitten hunting going?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I still manage to lose my fully grown cats (born to a part feral, part stray mum) in my house. It's amazing the spaces they can make for themselves.

 

[Arzada]

I mislaid my quite large newly rehomed cat and eventually found her in the cupboard behind the washing machine. The gap each side was only about 3" with no access from above. Goodness knows how small a gap your kitten could get through. Wishing you luck finding her soon

 

[Lady Jane]

My semi ferals used to hide up the chimney, it was blocked at about 5ft but they stiil liked it. One of them got behind the bath panel, it was a tiny gap and the kitten was 6 months old. They really are very good at hiding in the tiniest places. Make sure you keep windows and external doors closed. As it was 2am I imagine the doors were closed but were there any windows open? Have you looked on the top of curtains? It sounds as though you can get hold of them so you could put the kitten you have in a puppy pen overnight, leave internal doors open and have a cat trap with high value food next to the pen. The puppy pen needs to be mostly covered. Its a bit drastic but if all else fails? The downside is when I was trying to catch feral kittens they weren't heavier enough to set off some of the traps. The traps were borrowed from Cats Protection and had been used outside so the mechanism wasn't as sensitive as when it was new. I do hope you find her

 

[FinnishLapphund]

A second thought, if you did have any windows open, don't presume that the kitten could only have jumped down to the ground, cats can go up as well as jump down. Well over 25 years ago, in our old house, someone who was working on a sort of outdoor chimney that house had, alerted us to that one of our cats had used their ladder to climb up on our roof. I had to use the same ladder to go up, and with some difficulty catch her, and carry her down without being able to use my hands to hold the ladder when going down.


Half throwing myself in a rugby tackle to catch a cat on a sloping tile roof is not something I hope to ever experience again.

 

[Dasher66]

Our small adult cat creeps into drawers to have a quiet Kip. And storage boxes under the bed.

 

[Griffin]

Lots of kitten finding vibes, it's such a worry when they go missing.

I agree with other posters about looking absolutely everywhere. Both my kittens managed to get in the space behind the toe kick under the kitchen cupboards when they were smaller. They got through the tiniest gap.

If your kittens are fairly well bonded, it's worth watching the other to see if they know where they are. Years ago, a friend of mine had a cat get clipped by a car (thankfully not badly) and he ran off and hid, they only found him because his sister kept going to the same area of hedge, he had hidden himself right at the back and was impossible to see from the path.

You could also try running a wand/feather toy around the edges of sofas etc. My feral kitten cannot resist a wand toy and even if she is hiding, she will dive out.

 

[snowangel5]

Any update on the missing kitty yet

 

[Gloi]

Mine used to get behind the washing machine when she was tiny. If you leave food she might appear in the dark to eat.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

No news but thank you for all of your suggestions. We left all internal doors open last night (except my bedroom as I am guarding her sister) and left food and water for the kitten. The food was untouched this morning and litter tray hasn’t been used. Today we are going to go through each room in turn and move everything. Her sister was crying for her last night which was heartbreaking but her calls didn’t get a reply. We turned off all the lights last night and searched with a torch hoping to see eye reflection but nothing sadly.

I am worried that while looking yesterday we blocked an exit route whilst moving stuff. Daughter is devastated.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Thanks for the update, even if you haven't found her yet. I can very well imagine the worry, stress, and frustration that you all must be feeling over not having found her. Yet.

Fingers crossed for that you have more luck today, and find her somewhere safe and sound.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Do check in every drawer, I know an adult cat who managed to get into a closed chest of drawers and couldn't get out

 

[Squeak]

Really feel for you, you must be so stressed and worried. Hope you manage to find her soon.

 

[asmp]

Do you know of anyone who can lend you a thermal camera?

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Still no sign of her. We have systematically gone through the rooms in the house moving and opening everything. Beds, wardrobes, bookcases, cupboards, sofas, drawers, everything. Daughter is distraught and blaming herself. She is ND and the kittens were a reward for getting 9s in her GCSEs.

 

[cava14una]

Really feel for you! Try this St. Anthony look around "lost item" is lost and must be found

 

[FieldOrnaments]

is there any possibility she is under the floorboards or inside a cavity wall?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Still no sign of her. We have systematically gone through the rooms in the house moving and opening everything. Beds, wardrobes, bookcases, cupboards, sofas, drawers, everything. Daughter is distraught and blaming herself. She is ND and the kittens were a reward for getting 9s in her GCSEs.

I'm sorry that you've not found the missing kitten. I'm also sorry for your daughter, please tell her that the 2nd* most difficult thing with pet owning is to have to accept that no matter how good you are as an owner, no matter how much you love them, you will make mistakes, sometimes small, sometimes big, and you will blame yourself for those mistakes, but all you can do is try to not make the same mistake twice, and continue to be a good owner.

Unless a window was open somewhere, and the missing kitten managed to get out, surely she must be somewhere indoors? Could you record the remaining sister when she meows as if calling for her sister? Then play it in other areas of your home, and/or even outdoors?
And don't give up hope yet, even though you think you've looked everywhere, can you do yet another search of your home tomorrow?

*The most difficult thing with pet owning is to have to decide about euthanasia.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

My cats have the cutest little habit of digging in amongst pillows / cuddly toys / anything soft they can create a cave in.

Don't forget to check inside pillow cases and duvet covers.

 

[Squeak]

Possibly not a helpful suggestion but is it worth getting a friend or someone who knows your home less well to look? Just thinking that a pair of fresh eyes might see additional kitten hiding opportunities?

Or can you put food in every room of the house and see if any of them get eaten?

I really hope she does turn up soon.

 

[cloverlea]

Ask your neighbours if there are any near. Someone may have picked her up not knowing where she belongs. Ask the postman if he has seen her.

 

[cowgirl16]

Not sure if it's already been mentioned, but could you employ the help of someone's dog to sniff her out? I know our dog could do something like that. (He has a bit of a cat fixation!)

 

[cava14una]

Are there any made up but unused beds? I lost one of my kittens in the house. I thought I'd looked everywhere then I sat down on a bed and it moved. He was between the mattress and the mattress protector spread out as flat as he could get himself

 

[honetpot]

We had two that went missing, in theory they were confined to my bedroom, but they went through a gap in the boxing for the waste into the next bedroom, and managed to escape through a top opening window. We checked the internal boxing with a fexible camera just to make sure they were not in there.I put food outside under the hedge and then moved it to an old rabit hutch under the window when I realised they were eating the food. I eventually worked out that they were living in the cavity wall of the house, my husband had taken an air brick out to inspect the insulation, so we had to wait until they were eating food, and run around and block it.
The food I put out moved from the outside to the internal window ledge, and eventually if it was wet they would come in at night and sleep in the wardrobe, this all took about four months. One got killed on the road, the other is a total user, disapears for days, then turns up for food then lays beside me on the bed like a dog.
The small kitten, about ten weeks, who my daughter found on the road had obviously survived on insects, apart from cars an foxes good at survival.
I would put out food, where you think it might be, and make a safe spot for it. The downside was I ended up with my neighbours cat, in the wardrobe as well.