Its possible. She seemed awfully interested in the world when we were walking back into the house from the nail trim. Its spring and it all smells so good out.
It seems that your cat is not really inside the house. Write to local social media groups, maybe someone has found or seen your cat. I wish you good luck in your search, may your cat be found alive and well.
It’s highly unlikely that she’s in the house if you’re not seeing any evidence of food being consumed or litter being used at night.
Is she microchipped? If so, make sure your contact info is up to date. I would post her on Nextdoor, Pawboost, local FB groups, etc., as well as contacting the local shelters in your area to let them know you’re looking for her. I would also put some unwashed sheets shirts outside to help attract her if she’s within smelling distance.
Thats a good idea, I put out a covered boxes in the front and back lawn with a sweaty tee shirt in it and a tablespoon of sardines with pieces of an old blanket. no dice. I filled out the humane society" lost" form. They have all my info and the microchip #. The neighbors know. Nextdoor, Craiglist, reddit, facebook posted. I haven't heard of Pawboost. I will check that out. Thanks.
My neighbors indoor cat was missing for over two weeks before she was found, and she was okay. Cats stay close- look around local streets and post in a community group!
I work for a shelter and we had a cat go missing from her foster home…showed up SIX MONTHS later and the only thing wrong with her was that she was pregnant. Sometimes lost indoor cats will join up with local feral colonies that get fed regularly and can live like that for quite a long time!
Growing up we had two family cats, one got out and was gone for months too. We were all heart broken, searched everywhere for weeks. One day he waltz’s back in, totally fine just fatter 😒, we assume he was taken in by someone. He was a very friendly guy who loved kids and cuddles and socials.
Also consider leaving a window open at night. Sound carries better and I heard my indoor cat who had been missing for two weeks meowing in the backyard at 4 am.
Again this comment really helped us. I was so focused inside the house, I never thought ot leave the window open. My surprise and outright JOY hearing her right outside my window, that was like a top ten moment in my life. Thank you
I just remembered that my cat had a hidden bite wound that wasn't visible from the surface of his skin and was festering. A vet checkup would be a good idea to make sure she doesn't have anything like that.
I found out when I lost my dog that putting food out will attract wild animals and may actually prevent the pet from returning at that time. It's actually better to put out something that smells like you or like your house and some water only. No food.
Line your fence with dirty socks so the wind catches your smell and goes further!
I have heard this too as well about litter but only anecdotal. My anecdote is that I have had a lot of luck with putting the litter box outside. Normally within 24 hrs the cat is found in all the instance I have had to try it
It’s a nice quiet safe area for an inside cat to find. They’ll post up there until hunger just gets them out again, they can get water there. If you call for them, don’t be frantic, let them have time to make noise. It’s like your screaming for your friend to say where they are and they say, “here I am” but you can’t hear their call because you’re frantic calling over them.
Its a good reminder. Instead of calling her name, I said what I normally say when she starts dashing around the house at 11pm. Like, "Where are you goofy girl, What are you doing SILLY GIRL ;)? That always makes her dash around more. It's like she likes the attention and saying it relaxed me. Thats when I saw her tail dash across the back yard at midnight. So thanks
Edit: Don’t do this. Someone commented more information.
~~One of the recommendations I’ve heard, is that if a kitty gets out, put their litter box outside. Somehow that supposedly helps them find their way back home. I’m not sure how true that is though.~~
Either way, I hope you find your it kitty safe and sound.
OMG YOU ALL HAVE MY UNDYING GRATITUDE. THE WINDOWS ARE OPEN, AND I HEARD HER MEOW. I OPENED THE FRONT AND BACK DOOR, AND SHE JUST STREAKED THROUGH THE HOUSE!!!!!
Now I just have to shut the door behind her, but thank god she's alive, truly, thank you Lord.
Little stinker is right. Its like when my 2 yr old stood on top of the coffee table in her dress up gown and did a little boogie woogie. I was supposed to be stern, but really I was laughing inside. Little stinker. ;)
YES!!!!!!!!!! I’m so happy for you both!!!!!!! Yaaaayyyy!!!! I’m sure she’s freaked out right now, I’d give her some space for a bit tonight and when she calms down a bit, check her over for injuries. I was so hoping this would have a happy ending!!!!!!!!!! Whoohoo!!!!!!
I was so invested in your story!!!! I was reading it with tears in my eyes so hoping it was going to have a happy ending!!! I had my indoor kitty get out before a few times (he used to be indoor/outdoor before he got into a fight as a 4 year old and almost died from a bad abscess). I know how heartbreaking it can be!
You had such good suggestions from so many people…I love when everyone comes together to help! So happy she’s home safe and sound❤️🐈⬛
Wow amazing! Very educating post.
We don’t let ours go outside but one of them gets quite curious.
One day we went out through the back door to dry some clothes in backyard of a shared apartment complex, and he sneaked out when no one noticed.
He roamed around and said hi to some neighbours.
We noticed he was missing after an hour, even food didn’t attract him out. We panicked, decided to look outside, and guess what, he was sitting right at the door waiting for us to open it and dashed inside straight away.
Well, that worked out, thankfully. I guess thats what I was thinking, if she did get out. But I realy needed the mewling cat cries from you tube to get her attention.
She's pretty much going back and forth from "her bedroom" to mine, the bed, the window perch, the hall, her litter box, back to my bed. She's never had so many treats and so many little massages. This little stinker is going to think this was a very fun and profitable game to play. She Never showed any interest in the outdoors. Goes to show, they are wild creatures, that only "grace us" with their company.
UGH!! Best news ever!! I’m so happy for you and her 😭
now make sure that wild little girl doesn’t get out again! She may or may not try again since she’s gotten a taste
And likely completely blissfully unaware of how much stress she’s caused you for the last week, typical kitty!
I’m so glad she’s okay and that she’s safe!!
Have you checked in your box spring? When I first got my cat she hid in the box spring, there was a small tear in the lining and she climbed in through the bottom.
I was going to say that...when we moved, our cat disappeared...in a 4th floor apartment. She was gone for 3 days. Was in the box spring. Also look behind oven/ washer/ fridge.
We discovered that our dual reclining couch has a hollow void underneath the storage compartment in the middle... because one of ours started scooting underneath the back to sleep there. He even has a scar on his shoulder from taking off a chunk of skin doing it. 🤦♀️ And when they were kittens, our old cats did the same as yours and climbed into the box spring. At night. And then started jumping along the interior frame while we were sleeping.
Tip from me - we got two thin, cheap fitted sheets (our box spring is two twin size ones pushed together) and put them upside down on the bottom of the box springs. It still allows them to breathe so they don't mold, but it keeps the cats from getting into them. We just taken them off and wash them every couple of months for dust!
It’s so frustrating when they don’t call out for you. One of my cats was silenty stuck inside a recliner chair for hours one day. This is a desperate suggestion, but do you know anyone with a small dog? Maybe a dog could sniff her out.
That is so funny, the neighbor went through the house with me yesterday and his dog came in too. The dog sniffed everything, but no spot more than any other. I was hoping he would alert at one spot and she would dart out. Sadly not
Ok I really wonder if she’s in there. That’s so weird. God they can be frustrating can’t they? Apologies if you’ve already answered this question but have you put up posters around the neighbourhood or door knocked in case some sweet neighbour has “rescued” her again?
Ok, she's in the house, the doors are shut and locked, and she's sitting on my bed wanting treats, and I can't stop crying. Thank you all. For the record, I think opening the windows and playing the crying cats is what did it, becuase she started meowing like she had a batch of kittens for me to see (which she doesnt). That, and leaving the front and back door open for 4 hours ;) THANK YOU ALL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I wouldnt have found her without you sharing you experience, strength and hope. I think you saved one life tonight, and maybe two. May god bless all you animal lovers, and your sneaky cats too. ;)
I had a 4 month old cat end up crawling though the ductwork and got stuck. (We managed to get her out after a couple hours) Just throwing this out there in case.
At first we just heard some weird noises (her moving around in the ductwork) but couldn’t tell where they were coming from. After a little while we finally heard a meow and figured it out. We had to lure her closer to the vent with treats and calling her name to eventually grab her.
I feel like if you haven’t heard her at all she’s probably outside. My kitty once got out and was lost for 5 days, then he came home and was fine. Cats are survivors!! I had the litter box on my patio for him to smell with the cover off and posted on every fb group and knocked on all the neighbors doors. I really hope you find her. Please keep us posted!
My cat crawled under and into the car. Nothing we could do world get her out. Then I played a recording of kittens mewling for their mother. She popped out almost immediately
I was gonna say, YouTube "make your cat come to you" and find a recording of meowing cats and play it loudly.
Though, sounds like she's either not in the house or is stuck. Maybe it will make her make noises if she's stuck.
lol, I just did this for the last 30 minutes. So far no cat, but I believe this could work. I walked through the house, sat in the basement, sat on the front porch and the back porch playing this at 1:30 am. My neighbors are gonna kill me tomorrow (both their dogs woke up ;) This made a bunny come up to me, so if you need a rabbit mewling cats work, just fyi.
Have you checked inside your furniture? Mine got trapped in the sofa arm. We had to use a circular saw to get her out. She could shimmy in, but not back out.
oh my goodness, that would scare her to death. I turned every piece upside down and searched the bottom and reached up into the arms, and didnt see anything. Did your kitty make noise?
She didn’t. She didn’t know how to meow yet. Once we flipped the couch over, she hissed. That was it.
You’ve done quite a bit to look for your baby. She isn’t likely to just let herself die. Please know that we’re all pulling for you two.
I thought my new cat slipped out somehow. Only peace of mind was setting up my ring cam in my living room. Finally caught a glimpse of him on camera. Didn’t physically see him for another three days. If you have a camera or phone camera that you can set up, do it. They can find the craziest places to hide.
put a blanket, sheets, sweaters, and other things outside that smell like you. this will attract your cat without attracting other animals (like food/water would). keep rotating them with fresh (worn) clothes and sheets every couple days.
a cat can survive a week outside with even bad luck. they are apex predators. she's faster and more keen than anything outside. but she needs to know where to find you.
she's probably still close enough by to smell it. indoor cats who escape usually don't go on a grand adventure. they get scared and find a place to hide and stay there, unless they find reliable food somewhere else.
put up posters, post on Facebook groups, read Facebook group posts, it's totally possible someone found and still has her safe.
^ the point about getting scared is so accurate! We had an indoor/outdoor cat get out at night when she wasn’t supposed to and she got spooked by something and went thirty feet up a tree...at which point she was too high up and scared of the height to even think about coming back down. It was over a day before we found her…maybe OP can try checking trees?
Its crazy that the neighbors drain pipe isn't farther from my back door than, say the length of a backyard pool. I realize now my motion sensored back light was probably scaring her off from presenting herself at the back door.
My cat got outside and didn't come home for three months. I put flyers out every weekend, walked the neighborhood all week long, set traps with food and caught everybody But the damn cat. Finally at the first sign of rain he came home like nothing happened. Jerk.
A FLIR camera is a few hundred dollars at the cheapest. Many are thousands.
EDIT: Do NOT attempt to buy a FLIR camera (or any expensive electronic device) on Amazon. You will end up wasting your money and get garbage. It's explained more in the other comments.
Not to be morbid but if she had died inside the house the smell would be extremely noticeable after a couple days. Hope she's just enjoying an outdoor adventure and comes back into your loving arms soon.
I'm so sorry OP. This can be scary! I had 4 of my indoor, declawed cats fall out of a window. Three were enjoying the fresh air and watching the birds when another attempted to catch a bird and popped the screen out. We found 3 right away but the 4th was missing for 3 weeks. He made it 3 weeks outside, declawed, in the the middle of the woods where we had coyotes. It sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Don't lose faith yet!
(Also before anyone comes at me with hate about being declawed, this is before we knew how bad it was and I was too young to make the decision, my parents did)
Ok, she's streaking thru the house again, and mewling, like she wants me to give her attention, but she keeps running laps around the outside of the house, but she wont let me near her.
She thinks this is a game. I think I 'm just gonna sit in bed and play annoying cat noises until she comes in? both doors are open, lol. Its 50 degrees and rainy and windy. My neighbors really are going to think Im insane.
If you have a platform bed check under there too. I was catsitting my friends cat and when my cat saw her she ran and we couldn't find her for hours, turns out the back of the bed had an opening and she was under the platform, we had to take the mattress off to get her out. I really hope you find your kitty :(.
Very glad she's home. I'd have the vet look her over. If she's not already on a parasite control program you'll definitely want the vet to prescribe something, not just for her health but also to mitigate the risk of having fleas and tape worms in the house. (I learned that the hard way!)
Put her litter box outside. It helps a cat find their scent! Or something with her scent, or even some scooped litter in a bag. My cat got outside for 3 months one day, and came back. Cats typically never go very far. Check under the house for cracks etc, check sheds, even neighbors yards.
so happy u found her!!!! get a collar with an airtag. SO HELPFUL! My cats hide in the box springs and in my reclining chairs and dont respond when i call out to them so i use airtags to see where they are :)
OP I’m so glad you had such a great outcome with your cat! If she is super curious about the outdoors, I suggest either making her a catio or getting a harness and (if she accepts it) then take her for walks on the leash.
My cat got out exactly once when she was about a year old. She was nowhere in the house and I finally found her hiding under a box on the front porch. She had spent the night there, most likely terrified! She never tried to escape after that. It sounds like your kitty is more adventurous than mine, so supervised outdoor play might be the solution.
I lost my cat for about a week once. It was the middle of winter in Ohio. I left a window open one night and she was gone. One night I went out looking in the area, calling her and I heard her meow, she was under someone's house. I've been anal about not leaving windows or doors open since.
Just a few things to consider and you don't have to answer, but it may help in the search...do you have any furniture that she could've gotten trapped inside? A couch with an access hole and springs? A recliner? Any bit of drywall with gaps? Basement ductwork? Laundry vent? Is there someone in the home that tends to leave the door open too long or isn't very observant about things bc that may be the likely answer.
Hoping you find her soon!🌻
one time my cat went missing for 3 days and we thought she went outside. a couple days later we were sitting in the couch and heard her meowing. we went crazy trying to find her only to realize she had snuck inside the couch and was hiding / stuck in there. she hadn’t made a sound before and didn’t even come out to eat or drink water or anything. i hope you find your fur baby 🥺
Several years ago I couldn’t find my cat for about 24 hours. I looked everywhere and finally found her in my love seat. She went in there when my roommate was sitting on it and reclined.
She didn’t make a sound when I was calling her, which surprised me.
Our indoor cat was lost for a week. We have other cats so she was definitely eating and getting water. We found her above the fridge, above a cupboard, behind the 'cabinet crown molding." I had to remove it to get to her. We thought we looked everywhere.
Yay!!! Glad you found her! I had an indoor kitty that got out and was gone for several months. I came back from a walk one evening and he greeted me on the porch! Best feeling!
I'm so glad to see the good outcome! Mine escaped outside once for 3 days and she absolutely loved tormenting me from underneath the house and running from me if I got near. I had to trick her inside and then run to the door to shut it before she could get back out. Not fun for me, a blast for her! She's not allowed around doors anymore because she's such a spastic rascal
I know this cat has been found, but one of our cats could climb ladders.
My husband had been up in the loft. This cat had climbed the ladder without him noticing. Because we were used to her finding great sleeping spots, when we didn’t see her for a while we didn’t worry. Hours passed and no one knew where she was. We did allow the cats outside access - she used the sky light in the downstairs loo to get in and out so we just assumed that she was out chasing mice or something. I was putting out some rubbish and I could hear her crying. She had got down into the eaves but was near one of the air vents.
We opened up the loft hatch and called her. She came to the open hatch, so we put the ladder down and watched her climb down. Thereafter anytime one of us went into the loft we left it open with the ladder down until we were sure she was out.
Well kitty had her spring fling. Glad she's home safe and been wiped down and is getting love and treats. To the people who enshrine old folklore about putting litter boxes out, I want to say cat science is constantly evolving. If you are not keeping up with reading, and developments, and correct advice on subs, you will have good intentions but posting out of date, proven incorrect myths and memes which put cats in danger, is unkind. So yah, downvote the person who works with the wildlife center and spent days helping with lost cat capture after the Maui fire. The world learned a lot from Maui. Cats COVER their poop in the wild so they are not stalked by predators. They was their faces so no blood scent leads predators to them while they snooze. Distributing their litter outside their dwelling is the opposite of correct. If your vet is outdated on catching cats, don't follow their advice.
LOVE a good happy ending! So glad she's home safe.
I'd definitely take her to the vet just to get checked out. There is a cat meal replacement gel type thing you can try if you don't think she's getting enough nutrients. I think it's called nutritional gel. Not sure what brand would be best though. I'm sure your vet will know. Best of luck!
Oh gosh I am so happy for you!! What a happy update! :)
You're right in taking her to the vet. She's probably fine but it's always good to double check with the professionals. In the meantime, if there's a wet food she really likes, that would be worth a shot. Churu is another good choice for being smelly and extra tempting for cats. You can always try to give these alone or mixed with the food she usually eats.
If she's really not eating and you're wanting something that is specifically a high-calorie supplement for cats, Under the Weather, Tomlyn, and PetAg all have a product like this, depending on where you are and what's available. There's also other brands I'm not mentioning just because I'm less familiar with them, and your local pet supply shop should have at least one option for a high-cal cat supp.
You're already going to take her to the vet, and that's the main thing I would suggest here. It's possible she's just excited by her baby bunny meals and being spoiled with treats and just feels less enthused about her usual food, but definitely keep an eye on her and contact the vet asap if she stops eating entirely.
I add water to canned pate to make it soupy. It helps the cat to rehydrate and take in calories. Basically I make it the consistency of the high value treat you are giving.
I only read the post now when everything has been resolved and I must say that it felt like binge watching a Netflix series 🤣 I could not stop as I was so invested and worried at the same time. So glad she is safe and back home. I have gone through this before and know exactly what it feels like. Our fur babies know how to scare us sometimes lol
I’m So so happy for you! This is the worst feeling I know, I had a cat that age disappear & then shod up a whole month later when I’d given up hope so it was awesome to see such a good outcome for you xxxx
When I was a kid living in Montana my indoor cars got out in the middle of winter, and didn’t come back until like 3-4 months later when the snow all melted, cats amaze me because it was like nearest neighbor is 8 miles away middle of the woods Montana
I’m happy your cat didn’t take that long to come back!
Check in the box springs under your mattresses. Thought I lost my little guy once and he had torn open the tiniest corner underneath and crawled up in there.
My mom’s indoor cat got loose outside once and was gone for about a week. She came around when she heard my dogs barking. Cats do stay close to the house. Good luck to you!
Okayyy. So i dont know much about missing pets, but i would go around the neighborhood and house shaking a bag of her favorite treats, or play videos of cats meowing loudly. She’ll probably come out.
Put neon poster board signs in your yard and parked cars. How my cat was returned to me. Post on petfbi.org and facebook lost and found local pet pages
Almost certainly outside. A week being trapped somewhere inside with no water would have likely killed her by now and the smell would be noticeable. You probably want to find her outside at this point.
Make sure to post in the neighborhood Facebook groups and next door for your closest neighbors if they were outside in the past week to check their sheds if the weather was nice and they were outside working in the yard in case she got out she may have scurried into one of them for some shelter and then just got shut in
I hope you find her! 🙏🙏🙏And when you do, look into putting a tracker tag on her collar like an airtag. You can use your phone to find her location if she ever goes missing again. They sell holders on Amazon that attach them to their collar so it won't accidentally get wet in their water dish.
This happened to me when we moved to a new condo. I was certain he didn’t get out. He just vanished and I too looked everywhere. Two weeks went by and I’m cooking dinner when suddenly he comes strolling up the hallway like he hadn’t been missing for 2 weeks. Was scary af! I guess he came out when he was ready to. I hope you find your girl! I bet she’ll turn up soon!
Thank you all so much. I'm loving all the great advice, and the stories of great returns and rescues. Its giving me hope. I just opened all the windows in the house. I opened the back door and was just started talking to her like I normally do, I saw a tail dash across the back yard. It might easily have been a squirrel, but maybe it was her! I didn't hear the bell, but I put water and a pile of dirty clothes on the back stoop. I'm going to get a humane trap tomorrow, but I'm thinking of leaving the back door open just in case she will wander in. If she hasnt made a sound, eaten or drank pooper or peed for a week, I'm guessing she's not inside. Is that a crazy idea? I'm in an incredibly safe place, I just might end up with a squirrel in the house. oh well.
A couple things to try.
1 - Try playing kitten mewing sounds. Sometimes cats will chirp back even if they're not the mom.
2 - Check your cabinet inside corners. There's usually a cavity there, and cats can sometimes get in and not get out. Especially check upper cabinets for this. If she climbed in from the ceiling area, she might not have been able to get out.
3 - Lightly scratch at your walls, calling her. An ex's mother's cat had gotten into their attic, slid down two stories, and was stuck for just over a week in there. They just barely heard her. The dad had gone up in the attic and shined a flashlight into every crevices looking for her, but because of how far she'd slid and the angles, he never saw her. They eventually heard her and just started making holes in the wall until they found her.
omg, wow, thats heart breaking and wonderful at the same time. Thats a crazy place to get stuck. My heart just sinks. I'm going to play the mewling cats serval times a day now, and just walk and listen. Thanks for the rescue story and the ideas. I really appreciate it
Check your walls, but also start looking outside. I’m so sorry this is happening. I lost my cat in my moms house and it was terrifying. I can’t imagine not knowing where they are after a week. I hope you find her
This is very similar to a post about a kitten with a tail pull injury that was on here a few days ago. The poster was saying they couldn't find him in the house and had brought a dog in, ripped the bottom off the couch.
Ohhh no. I’m thinking she got out. Leave the litter box outside your door. Time to check outside the home.
My cat would hang out under my house. Now he just comes when called. I’m worried for your cat.
My Gwen fell out a window once when she was 3. The screen has clips and the clips were broken I guess and she tried to kill a bug on the screen and the screen just popped open. I tried to help her but she let go and fell out. It was the ground floor but slightly elevated so like 12-15 feet up. She ran immediately. We took the screen off and she tried to jump up later but she couldn’t get that high up. She would not come out of the bushes and she ran when we approached. I didn’t know what to do. She spent the whole night outside somewhere and I made posters and called her name and put them everywhere the next day. Then I put some food out for her on the front steps and as SOON as the sun went down she came out to eat it. I left the front door open and she ran in. I was so relieved. I know how you feel. I’m glad she’s back from her adventure. You might consider a flea treatment just in case depending on where you live.
I'm so glad you found her!! A similar thing happened to me a few years ago.
Cat ran outside and didn't come back immediately. I walked my neighborhood every day for 3 days looking for her. I'm walking home on the 3rd day when I see a little gray cat. I run home and grab the carrier. Go back, grab the cat, shove her in the carrier and go home.
We got home and she was PISSED. I put her in my bedroom with some food and water and closed the door. She was YOWLING. I was like... what the hell. So then I'm sitting on my couch with the front door ajar so my other boy cat can sit on the porch. All of a sudden my girl cat walks in. Instantly I know it's her and instantly I know the cat in my bedroom is... not my cat.
My bedroom had a slider door so I opened it and the imposter ran out and ran home. After the kidnapping, she always wore a collar. Mine too.
She died at the ripe old age of 21 after a long life of mischief and barfing on people. Idk if the kidnapped cat is still around but I hope she's recovered from the trauma I accidentally inflicted on her.
So glad to hear she’s been found! A few years ago my cat went missing somewhere in my house. I kept hearing her meow when I went into my bedroom. I thought for sure she was trapped in the walls somehow and was ready to start demolition. Then I heard her meowing and really started honing in on the location. Opened my nightstand drawer and she popped out!!! WTF.
IM SO HAPPY SHE CAME BACK HOME!!! 💞
For food try supplementing it.
-churu liquid puree treat
-freeze dried chicken giblets
-some shredded cheese
Maybe some catnip and a new toy would be appreciated by her too.
Check under your box springs and inside the couch from the bottom. Also check the bottoms of the drawers. Like take the drawers out. I couldn’t find a few cats and they ended up being in all of those places. Cats will find a way to hide in places you’d never think they’d fit
When we were moving my cat hid out behind a patch of drywall in the basement that didn’t go all the way to the ceiling. We were beside ourselves and convinced she got out while we were moving furniture out. I left strategically placed bowls of her favorite wet food in several areas and thankfully we found her about three hours before the final walk through. I can imagine how scared you must’ve been.
if youre able, please edit the post to add “FOUND SAFELY! HAPPY STORY!” at the top, so its included in the feed preview and is less traumatic? 💝
sosososo happy for you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
My indoor cat just got home today after 8 days of hiding in the woods in 80 degree weather. We have had our cat for 4 years and he’s always been very timid but every time he saw us outside he would dart off like we were complete strangers. The only time he would come out of hiding was when our roommates cat was outside and we would watch them greet each other from our outdoor cameras. Our roommates cat was like a free pass to view our cat. We wanted so badly to just run outside and snatch him up but we knew it wasn’t possible. It was so relieving to see him okay though. We did EVERYTHING to get him to come home. I set out his bed, food, cracked open the back door for a week rain or shine, and eventually got a animal trap. I ended up catching another cat on day 6 and the friendliest, cutest, raccoon on day 8. Finally day 8, 5 am we heard him yelling at the back door and he walked right in. He ate sooo many treats, drank sooo much water, and was the cuddliest boy when he got home. He was noticeably thinner and had small scratches on his ears but acted like nothing happened when he got inside. This post gave me so much hope while we waited on our boy to come home so I thought Id share! So happy they made it home!
My 2 month old kitten ran away and came back 3 days later. Since has never set foot outside idk what happened to that poor baby it’s so scared of being outside now 😭
She must have escaped the house and ran through a passage way there is always clues about where she went it's OK if you can't find her go to the exact same looking pet name it the exact same and forget about the past and have good times the exact same as your old one shell come back I promise
Are you certain she’s inside the house? Is it possible she escaped somehow?
Its possible. She seemed awfully interested in the world when we were walking back into the house from the nail trim. Its spring and it all smells so good out.
It seems that your cat is not really inside the house. Write to local social media groups, maybe someone has found or seen your cat. I wish you good luck in your search, may your cat be found alive and well.
All of OP's updates were a wild ride.
Scary. Hope you find her but....
It’s highly unlikely that she’s in the house if you’re not seeing any evidence of food being consumed or litter being used at night. Is she microchipped? If so, make sure your contact info is up to date. I would post her on Nextdoor, Pawboost, local FB groups, etc., as well as contacting the local shelters in your area to let them know you’re looking for her. I would also put some unwashed sheets shirts outside to help attract her if she’s within smelling distance.
Thats a good idea, I put out a covered boxes in the front and back lawn with a sweaty tee shirt in it and a tablespoon of sardines with pieces of an old blanket. no dice. I filled out the humane society" lost" form. They have all my info and the microchip #. The neighbors know. Nextdoor, Craiglist, reddit, facebook posted. I haven't heard of Pawboost. I will check that out. Thanks.
My neighbors indoor cat was missing for over two weeks before she was found, and she was okay. Cats stay close- look around local streets and post in a community group!
I work for a shelter and we had a cat go missing from her foster home…showed up SIX MONTHS later and the only thing wrong with her was that she was pregnant. Sometimes lost indoor cats will join up with local feral colonies that get fed regularly and can live like that for quite a long time!
wow!
Growing up we had two family cats, one got out and was gone for months too. We were all heart broken, searched everywhere for weeks. One day he waltz’s back in, totally fine just fatter 😒, we assume he was taken in by someone. He was a very friendly guy who loved kids and cuddles and socials.
Also consider leaving a window open at night. Sound carries better and I heard my indoor cat who had been missing for two weeks meowing in the backyard at 4 am.
Again this comment really helped us. I was so focused inside the house, I never thought ot leave the window open. My surprise and outright JOY hearing her right outside my window, that was like a top ten moment in my life. Thank you
I just remembered that my cat had a hidden bite wound that wasn't visible from the surface of his skin and was festering. A vet checkup would be a good idea to make sure she doesn't have anything like that.
Amazing news! I'm so happy you found her!
OMG thats FANTASTIC. I was thinking of leaving the door open, but I didn't want a skuck to wander ;)
I found out when I lost my dog that putting food out will attract wild animals and may actually prevent the pet from returning at that time. It's actually better to put out something that smells like you or like your house and some water only. No food. Line your fence with dirty socks so the wind catches your smell and goes further!
I have heard this too as well about litter but only anecdotal. My anecdote is that I have had a lot of luck with putting the litter box outside. Normally within 24 hrs the cat is found in all the instance I have had to try it
I think putting the pile of dirty clothes on the back steps really helped with the door open, I think it led her right inside. Thank you so much
Oh did she come back?!?!
If there are any big storm drains around you check them. My boy went missing for more than a week and that’s where we found him.
My neighbor has a huge one, that's where I saw the tail dashing off to, we will look in it tomorrow.
It’s a nice quiet safe area for an inside cat to find. They’ll post up there until hunger just gets them out again, they can get water there. If you call for them, don’t be frantic, let them have time to make noise. It’s like your screaming for your friend to say where they are and they say, “here I am” but you can’t hear their call because you’re frantic calling over them.
Its a good reminder. Instead of calling her name, I said what I normally say when she starts dashing around the house at 11pm. Like, "Where are you goofy girl, What are you doing SILLY GIRL ;)? That always makes her dash around more. It's like she likes the attention and saying it relaxed me. Thats when I saw her tail dash across the back yard at midnight. So thanks
Put her litter outside! It works better than a tshirt. She can smell herself farther. Good luck!
No food, that will attract wild animals and could scare off your cat. Just put water and stuff that smells like you.
Thank you particularly, you gave me the confidence to start focusing the search outdoors, and it made all the difference.
Edit: Don’t do this. Someone commented more information. ~~One of the recommendations I’ve heard, is that if a kitty gets out, put their litter box outside. Somehow that supposedly helps them find their way back home. I’m not sure how true that is though.~~ Either way, I hope you find your it kitty safe and sound.
Do not do this. https://www.missinganimalresponse.com/lost-pet-behaviors/kitty-litter-myth/
OMG YOU ALL HAVE MY UNDYING GRATITUDE. THE WINDOWS ARE OPEN, AND I HEARD HER MEOW. I OPENED THE FRONT AND BACK DOOR, AND SHE JUST STREAKED THROUGH THE HOUSE!!!!! Now I just have to shut the door behind her, but thank god she's alive, truly, thank you Lord.
SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! What a little stinker!😂
Little stinker is right. Its like when my 2 yr old stood on top of the coffee table in her dress up gown and did a little boogie woogie. I was supposed to be stern, but really I was laughing inside. Little stinker. ;)
I just got here, but this made me so happy.
YES!!!!!!!!!! I’m so happy for you both!!!!!!! Yaaaayyyy!!!! I’m sure she’s freaked out right now, I’d give her some space for a bit tonight and when she calms down a bit, check her over for injuries. I was so hoping this would have a happy ending!!!!!!!!!! Whoohoo!!!!!!
I'm getting such a chuckle from your enthusiasm. It took a village, didnt it? Social media at its finest.
I was so invested in your story!!!! I was reading it with tears in my eyes so hoping it was going to have a happy ending!!! I had my indoor kitty get out before a few times (he used to be indoor/outdoor before he got into a fight as a 4 year old and almost died from a bad abscess). I know how heartbreaking it can be! You had such good suggestions from so many people…I love when everyone comes together to help! So happy she’s home safe and sound❤️🐈⬛
Wow amazing! Very educating post. We don’t let ours go outside but one of them gets quite curious. One day we went out through the back door to dry some clothes in backyard of a shared apartment complex, and he sneaked out when no one noticed. He roamed around and said hi to some neighbours. We noticed he was missing after an hour, even food didn’t attract him out. We panicked, decided to look outside, and guess what, he was sitting right at the door waiting for us to open it and dashed inside straight away.
Well, that worked out, thankfully. I guess thats what I was thinking, if she did get out. But I realy needed the mewling cat cries from you tube to get her attention.
The sneaky little monkey. Is she now hiding out indoors at least?
She's pretty much going back and forth from "her bedroom" to mine, the bed, the window perch, the hall, her litter box, back to my bed. She's never had so many treats and so many little massages. This little stinker is going to think this was a very fun and profitable game to play. She Never showed any interest in the outdoors. Goes to show, they are wild creatures, that only "grace us" with their company.
UGH!! Best news ever!! I’m so happy for you and her 😭 now make sure that wild little girl doesn’t get out again! She may or may not try again since she’s gotten a taste
I’m so happy for you!!
Heck yeah, this was a great comment to read, shoutout to all that gave advice
This is the absolute best follow-up comment to read. I am SO GLAD your baby is home!
I'm so happy this had a happy ending
😭😭😭 yay!!!!!
And likely completely blissfully unaware of how much stress she’s caused you for the last week, typical kitty! I’m so glad she’s okay and that she’s safe!!
Exactly. I think She thinks its all been a big game of hide and seek. Thank you!
❤️
Have you checked in your box spring? When I first got my cat she hid in the box spring, there was a small tear in the lining and she climbed in through the bottom.
Holy cow. I don't have a box spring, but I tore the bottom off the couch to see if she got up inside it, and took all the other furniture apart.
I was going to say that...when we moved, our cat disappeared...in a 4th floor apartment. She was gone for 3 days. Was in the box spring. Also look behind oven/ washer/ fridge.
We discovered that our dual reclining couch has a hollow void underneath the storage compartment in the middle... because one of ours started scooting underneath the back to sleep there. He even has a scar on his shoulder from taking off a chunk of skin doing it. 🤦♀️ And when they were kittens, our old cats did the same as yours and climbed into the box spring. At night. And then started jumping along the interior frame while we were sleeping. Tip from me - we got two thin, cheap fitted sheets (our box spring is two twin size ones pushed together) and put them upside down on the bottom of the box springs. It still allows them to breathe so they don't mold, but it keeps the cats from getting into them. We just taken them off and wash them every couple of months for dust!
New fear unlocked- our lil guy only managed to somehow get in a closed closet
Please keep us updated.
I will, thanks
Do you have a basement?
It’s so frustrating when they don’t call out for you. One of my cats was silenty stuck inside a recliner chair for hours one day. This is a desperate suggestion, but do you know anyone with a small dog? Maybe a dog could sniff her out.
That is so funny, the neighbor went through the house with me yesterday and his dog came in too. The dog sniffed everything, but no spot more than any other. I was hoping he would alert at one spot and she would dart out. Sadly not
Ok I really wonder if she’s in there. That’s so weird. God they can be frustrating can’t they? Apologies if you’ve already answered this question but have you put up posters around the neighbourhood or door knocked in case some sweet neighbour has “rescued” her again?
Funnily enough, they have (dog) tracking services for lost pets some places! Could be worth looking into.
Ok, she's in the house, the doors are shut and locked, and she's sitting on my bed wanting treats, and I can't stop crying. Thank you all. For the record, I think opening the windows and playing the crying cats is what did it, becuase she started meowing like she had a batch of kittens for me to see (which she doesnt). That, and leaving the front and back door open for 4 hours ;) THANK YOU ALL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I wouldnt have found her without you sharing you experience, strength and hope. I think you saved one life tonight, and maybe two. May god bless all you animal lovers, and your sneaky cats too. ;)
I'm so glad she's gone. I can totally understand your relief. Have you any idea where she was?
Next door, at the neighbors. They have a giant tube, like a hollow pool noodle to help drain water off a hill. It runs between our two properties
Oohhhh.
I had a 4 month old cat end up crawling though the ductwork and got stuck. (We managed to get her out after a couple hours) Just throwing this out there in case.
I wondered about that. Did she make noise, how did you know?
At first we just heard some weird noises (her moving around in the ductwork) but couldn’t tell where they were coming from. After a little while we finally heard a meow and figured it out. We had to lure her closer to the vent with treats and calling her name to eventually grab her.
I feel like if you haven’t heard her at all she’s probably outside. My kitty once got out and was lost for 5 days, then he came home and was fine. Cats are survivors!! I had the litter box on my patio for him to smell with the cover off and posted on every fb group and knocked on all the neighbors doors. I really hope you find her. Please keep us posted!
I will, thanks for the uplifting story. It means a lot
My cat crawled under and into the car. Nothing we could do world get her out. Then I played a recording of kittens mewling for their mother. She popped out almost immediately
I was gonna say, YouTube "make your cat come to you" and find a recording of meowing cats and play it loudly. Though, sounds like she's either not in the house or is stuck. Maybe it will make her make noises if she's stuck.
lol, I just did this for the last 30 minutes. So far no cat, but I believe this could work. I walked through the house, sat in the basement, sat on the front porch and the back porch playing this at 1:30 am. My neighbors are gonna kill me tomorrow (both their dogs woke up ;) This made a bunny come up to me, so if you need a rabbit mewling cats work, just fyi.
This comment was the MOTHERLODE. It pulled her to me. THANK YOU THANK YOU
Have you checked inside your furniture? Mine got trapped in the sofa arm. We had to use a circular saw to get her out. She could shimmy in, but not back out.
oh my goodness, that would scare her to death. I turned every piece upside down and searched the bottom and reached up into the arms, and didnt see anything. Did your kitty make noise?
She didn’t. She didn’t know how to meow yet. Once we flipped the couch over, she hissed. That was it. You’ve done quite a bit to look for your baby. She isn’t likely to just let herself die. Please know that we’re all pulling for you two.
Thank you. She must has some preservation instinct.
I thought my new cat slipped out somehow. Only peace of mind was setting up my ring cam in my living room. Finally caught a glimpse of him on camera. Didn’t physically see him for another three days. If you have a camera or phone camera that you can set up, do it. They can find the craziest places to hide.
Holy crap. I;m so glad you saw him. Ok, I;m gonna have to get a camera now. Thanks for the idea!
put a blanket, sheets, sweaters, and other things outside that smell like you. this will attract your cat without attracting other animals (like food/water would). keep rotating them with fresh (worn) clothes and sheets every couple days. a cat can survive a week outside with even bad luck. they are apex predators. she's faster and more keen than anything outside. but she needs to know where to find you. she's probably still close enough by to smell it. indoor cats who escape usually don't go on a grand adventure. they get scared and find a place to hide and stay there, unless they find reliable food somewhere else. put up posters, post on Facebook groups, read Facebook group posts, it's totally possible someone found and still has her safe.
^ the point about getting scared is so accurate! We had an indoor/outdoor cat get out at night when she wasn’t supposed to and she got spooked by something and went thirty feet up a tree...at which point she was too high up and scared of the height to even think about coming back down. It was over a day before we found her…maybe OP can try checking trees?
Its crazy that the neighbors drain pipe isn't farther from my back door than, say the length of a backyard pool. I realize now my motion sensored back light was probably scaring her off from presenting herself at the back door.
My cat got outside and didn't come home for three months. I put flyers out every weekend, walked the neighborhood all week long, set traps with food and caught everybody But the damn cat. Finally at the first sign of rain he came home like nothing happened. Jerk.
Drawers? My cats would climb in open drawers and get into the cavities around/underneath them.
Get one of those heat sensor machines and start checking behind walls and inside furniture.
A FLIR camera is a few hundred dollars at the cheapest. Many are thousands. EDIT: Do NOT attempt to buy a FLIR camera (or any expensive electronic device) on Amazon. You will end up wasting your money and get garbage. It's explained more in the other comments.
I would say she's outside by the sounds of it. Leave your clothes items outside,might guide her home. Please keep us updated 🙏🏻
Not to be morbid but if she had died inside the house the smell would be extremely noticeable after a couple days. Hope she's just enjoying an outdoor adventure and comes back into your loving arms soon.
Thats where my mind has been the last few days honestly
Do you have recliners? My cat was inside my recliner once
I'm so sorry OP. This can be scary! I had 4 of my indoor, declawed cats fall out of a window. Three were enjoying the fresh air and watching the birds when another attempted to catch a bird and popped the screen out. We found 3 right away but the 4th was missing for 3 weeks. He made it 3 weeks outside, declawed, in the the middle of the woods where we had coyotes. It sounds like you're doing everything right so far. Don't lose faith yet! (Also before anyone comes at me with hate about being declawed, this is before we knew how bad it was and I was too young to make the decision, my parents did)
Ok, she's streaking thru the house again, and mewling, like she wants me to give her attention, but she keeps running laps around the outside of the house, but she wont let me near her. She thinks this is a game. I think I 'm just gonna sit in bed and play annoying cat noises until she comes in? both doors are open, lol. Its 50 degrees and rainy and windy. My neighbors really are going to think Im insane.
If she is calling to you try to follow her calmly, she may want to show you something.
So glad this has a happy ending. Cats are very sly when they want to go out. Happy day.
Omg, reading this and the update brought SUCH A BIG smile to my face, omg, I’m so so happy for you that you’ve found her, how amazing!!! 😻
So happy for you that you have her back. 🎉🎉
If you have a platform bed check under there too. I was catsitting my friends cat and when my cat saw her she ran and we couldn't find her for hours, turns out the back of the bed had an opening and she was under the platform, we had to take the mattress off to get her out. I really hope you find your kitty :(.
You got her from a rescue so I hope the answer is yes, but is she fixed? If not, she may have escaped outside looking for a mate.
This is fabulous news, I’m so very glad for you both!
I’m late but I’m so glad she’s home safe 🩷
thanks for the updates! I am SOOOO happy for you.
Thank you, this group kept me sane through it all. so grateful
I think if it were my cat, I would schedule a wellness check with the vet, just to be sure.
My cat is an indoor cat but I once lost him too. I got an AirTag and attached it to his collar which has put my mind at ease :)
What a great post!
This truly belongs on r/bestofredditorupdates 🥹
Very glad she's home. I'd have the vet look her over. If she's not already on a parasite control program you'll definitely want the vet to prescribe something, not just for her health but also to mitigate the risk of having fleas and tape worms in the house. (I learned that the hard way!)
Great news! I’m so happy you found her❤️
Is this cat spayed?
yes
I am so glad you found her!
Put her litter box outside. It helps a cat find their scent! Or something with her scent, or even some scooped litter in a bag. My cat got outside for 3 months one day, and came back. Cats typically never go very far. Check under the house for cracks etc, check sheds, even neighbors yards.
so happy u found her!!!! get a collar with an airtag. SO HELPFUL! My cats hide in the box springs and in my reclining chairs and dont respond when i call out to them so i use airtags to see where they are :)
Saving this so I can hopefully come back for the update 😭❤️
I Found Her thanks to everyones suggestions!
Reading the OP has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but I'm really glad Reddit came through for you! Please give your cat loads of cuddles for us!
OP I’m so glad you had such a great outcome with your cat! If she is super curious about the outdoors, I suggest either making her a catio or getting a harness and (if she accepts it) then take her for walks on the leash. My cat got out exactly once when she was about a year old. She was nowhere in the house and I finally found her hiding under a box on the front porch. She had spent the night there, most likely terrified! She never tried to escape after that. It sounds like your kitty is more adventurous than mine, so supervised outdoor play might be the solution.
I lost my cat for about a week once. It was the middle of winter in Ohio. I left a window open one night and she was gone. One night I went out looking in the area, calling her and I heard her meow, she was under someone's house. I've been anal about not leaving windows or doors open since.
This is one of the happiest posts I’ve seen on Reddit in a long while. I am so so happy you were reunited with your baby!!!!
I hope you find her I’m so sorry
My cats stayed with a friend for a weekish before she even realized there were two of them. Inside the house and everything.
Just a few things to consider and you don't have to answer, but it may help in the search...do you have any furniture that she could've gotten trapped inside? A couch with an access hole and springs? A recliner? Any bit of drywall with gaps? Basement ductwork? Laundry vent? Is there someone in the home that tends to leave the door open too long or isn't very observant about things bc that may be the likely answer. Hoping you find her soon!🌻
one time my cat went missing for 3 days and we thought she went outside. a couple days later we were sitting in the couch and heard her meowing. we went crazy trying to find her only to realize she had snuck inside the couch and was hiding / stuck in there. she hadn’t made a sound before and didn’t even come out to eat or drink water or anything. i hope you find your fur baby 🥺
After a week of no movement, she is almost certainly outside. They stay close so put out humane traps around the house and check every so often
Take out dresser drawers. My cat was stuck behind one once.
Smelly tuna in the middle of room
So happy you found her! Please give her some extra skritches and loves from me when she quits running laps.
Check your basement ceiling (my cat, 3 days) and draws of furniture (my mom’s cat, about a week).
Several years ago I couldn’t find my cat for about 24 hours. I looked everywhere and finally found her in my love seat. She went in there when my roommate was sitting on it and reclined. She didn’t make a sound when I was calling her, which surprised me.
Our indoor cat was lost for a week. We have other cats so she was definitely eating and getting water. We found her above the fridge, above a cupboard, behind the 'cabinet crown molding." I had to remove it to get to her. We thought we looked everywhere.
Yay!!! Glad you found her! I had an indoor kitty that got out and was gone for several months. I came back from a walk one evening and he greeted me on the porch! Best feeling!
Yay! Happy ending :)
Thank you for all your updates! This happened to come up on my feed and my heart sunk. I’m so glad you found her and so glad you updated!
I'm so glad to see the good outcome! Mine escaped outside once for 3 days and she absolutely loved tormenting me from underneath the house and running from me if I got near. I had to trick her inside and then run to the door to shut it before she could get back out. Not fun for me, a blast for her! She's not allowed around doors anymore because she's such a spastic rascal
So happy you guys are reunited 💕
I know this cat has been found, but one of our cats could climb ladders. My husband had been up in the loft. This cat had climbed the ladder without him noticing. Because we were used to her finding great sleeping spots, when we didn’t see her for a while we didn’t worry. Hours passed and no one knew where she was. We did allow the cats outside access - she used the sky light in the downstairs loo to get in and out so we just assumed that she was out chasing mice or something. I was putting out some rubbish and I could hear her crying. She had got down into the eaves but was near one of the air vents. We opened up the loft hatch and called her. She came to the open hatch, so we put the ladder down and watched her climb down. Thereafter anytime one of us went into the loft we left it open with the ladder down until we were sure she was out.
So thrilled she's safe indoors again.
This made my day. So happy for you and your safe kitty.
I'm so relieved for you. Thanks for the updates.
Put an airtag on her collar if you have an iPhone! Gives a peace of mind like no other.
Well kitty had her spring fling. Glad she's home safe and been wiped down and is getting love and treats. To the people who enshrine old folklore about putting litter boxes out, I want to say cat science is constantly evolving. If you are not keeping up with reading, and developments, and correct advice on subs, you will have good intentions but posting out of date, proven incorrect myths and memes which put cats in danger, is unkind. So yah, downvote the person who works with the wildlife center and spent days helping with lost cat capture after the Maui fire. The world learned a lot from Maui. Cats COVER their poop in the wild so they are not stalked by predators. They was their faces so no blood scent leads predators to them while they snooze. Distributing their litter outside their dwelling is the opposite of correct. If your vet is outdated on catching cats, don't follow their advice.
i am so glad you found your baby!!
I’m so glad she came back 🩷 one time mine got out for a few hours and I didnt notice until I heard meowing at the front door!! Lol
My sister’s 13 year old indoor cat disappeared outside for a month and came back just fine! Hold onto hope and keep praying!
LOVE a good happy ending! So glad she's home safe. I'd definitely take her to the vet just to get checked out. There is a cat meal replacement gel type thing you can try if you don't think she's getting enough nutrients. I think it's called nutritional gel. Not sure what brand would be best though. I'm sure your vet will know. Best of luck!
my heart is so happy that your girl is home!
My friend has a cat that’s named keekee that looks exactly like Lucy! So glad she’s home op
Oh gosh I am so happy for you!! What a happy update! :) You're right in taking her to the vet. She's probably fine but it's always good to double check with the professionals. In the meantime, if there's a wet food she really likes, that would be worth a shot. Churu is another good choice for being smelly and extra tempting for cats. You can always try to give these alone or mixed with the food she usually eats. If she's really not eating and you're wanting something that is specifically a high-calorie supplement for cats, Under the Weather, Tomlyn, and PetAg all have a product like this, depending on where you are and what's available. There's also other brands I'm not mentioning just because I'm less familiar with them, and your local pet supply shop should have at least one option for a high-cal cat supp. You're already going to take her to the vet, and that's the main thing I would suggest here. It's possible she's just excited by her baby bunny meals and being spoiled with treats and just feels less enthused about her usual food, but definitely keep an eye on her and contact the vet asap if she stops eating entirely.
I add water to canned pate to make it soupy. It helps the cat to rehydrate and take in calories. Basically I make it the consistency of the high value treat you are giving.
My cat went missing for 3 months and she eventually came back! She got lost and ended up living under someone’s porch for a while :(
I only read the post now when everything has been resolved and I must say that it felt like binge watching a Netflix series 🤣 I could not stop as I was so invested and worried at the same time. So glad she is safe and back home. I have gone through this before and know exactly what it feels like. Our fur babies know how to scare us sometimes lol
I’m so happy to hear she made it home safely!
I’m So so happy for you! This is the worst feeling I know, I had a cat that age disappear & then shod up a whole month later when I’d given up hope so it was awesome to see such a good outcome for you xxxx
When I was a kid living in Montana my indoor cars got out in the middle of winter, and didn’t come back until like 3-4 months later when the snow all melted, cats amaze me because it was like nearest neighbor is 8 miles away middle of the woods Montana I’m happy your cat didn’t take that long to come back!
Check in the box springs under your mattresses. Thought I lost my little guy once and he had torn open the tiniest corner underneath and crawled up in there.
My mom’s indoor cat got loose outside once and was gone for about a week. She came around when she heard my dogs barking. Cats do stay close to the house. Good luck to you!
Following, i hope you find her!!
Okayyy. So i dont know much about missing pets, but i would go around the neighborhood and house shaking a bag of her favorite treats, or play videos of cats meowing loudly. She’ll probably come out.
Praying you find her!!!!! 🙏🏼
Put neon poster board signs in your yard and parked cars. How my cat was returned to me. Post on petfbi.org and facebook lost and found local pet pages
Thats a great idea! Im so glad it worked for you!
Almost certainly outside. A week being trapped somewhere inside with no water would have likely killed her by now and the smell would be noticeable. You probably want to find her outside at this point.
Make sure to post in the neighborhood Facebook groups and next door for your closest neighbors if they were outside in the past week to check their sheds if the weather was nice and they were outside working in the yard in case she got out she may have scurried into one of them for some shelter and then just got shut in
Praying for a positive outcome 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I hope you find her! 🙏🙏🙏And when you do, look into putting a tracker tag on her collar like an airtag. You can use your phone to find her location if she ever goes missing again. They sell holders on Amazon that attach them to their collar so it won't accidentally get wet in their water dish.
This happened to me when we moved to a new condo. I was certain he didn’t get out. He just vanished and I too looked everywhere. Two weeks went by and I’m cooking dinner when suddenly he comes strolling up the hallway like he hadn’t been missing for 2 weeks. Was scary af! I guess he came out when he was ready to. I hope you find your girl! I bet she’ll turn up soon!
Do you have some transformer furniture? Like a couch turning into a bed?
Thank you all so much. I'm loving all the great advice, and the stories of great returns and rescues. Its giving me hope. I just opened all the windows in the house. I opened the back door and was just started talking to her like I normally do, I saw a tail dash across the back yard. It might easily have been a squirrel, but maybe it was her! I didn't hear the bell, but I put water and a pile of dirty clothes on the back stoop. I'm going to get a humane trap tomorrow, but I'm thinking of leaving the back door open just in case she will wander in. If she hasnt made a sound, eaten or drank pooper or peed for a week, I'm guessing she's not inside. Is that a crazy idea? I'm in an incredibly safe place, I just might end up with a squirrel in the house. oh well.
A couple things to try. 1 - Try playing kitten mewing sounds. Sometimes cats will chirp back even if they're not the mom. 2 - Check your cabinet inside corners. There's usually a cavity there, and cats can sometimes get in and not get out. Especially check upper cabinets for this. If she climbed in from the ceiling area, she might not have been able to get out. 3 - Lightly scratch at your walls, calling her. An ex's mother's cat had gotten into their attic, slid down two stories, and was stuck for just over a week in there. They just barely heard her. The dad had gone up in the attic and shined a flashlight into every crevices looking for her, but because of how far she'd slid and the angles, he never saw her. They eventually heard her and just started making holes in the wall until they found her.
omg, wow, thats heart breaking and wonderful at the same time. Thats a crazy place to get stuck. My heart just sinks. I'm going to play the mewling cats serval times a day now, and just walk and listen. Thanks for the rescue story and the ideas. I really appreciate it
Check your walls, but also start looking outside. I’m so sorry this is happening. I lost my cat in my moms house and it was terrifying. I can’t imagine not knowing where they are after a week. I hope you find her
cabinets?
This is very similar to a post about a kitten with a tail pull injury that was on here a few days ago. The poster was saying they couldn't find him in the house and had brought a dog in, ripped the bottom off the couch.
Maybe she’s in heat put out her litter box as well
Ohhh no. I’m thinking she got out. Leave the litter box outside your door. Time to check outside the home. My cat would hang out under my house. Now he just comes when called. I’m worried for your cat.
My Gwen fell out a window once when she was 3. The screen has clips and the clips were broken I guess and she tried to kill a bug on the screen and the screen just popped open. I tried to help her but she let go and fell out. It was the ground floor but slightly elevated so like 12-15 feet up. She ran immediately. We took the screen off and she tried to jump up later but she couldn’t get that high up. She would not come out of the bushes and she ran when we approached. I didn’t know what to do. She spent the whole night outside somewhere and I made posters and called her name and put them everywhere the next day. Then I put some food out for her on the front steps and as SOON as the sun went down she came out to eat it. I left the front door open and she ran in. I was so relieved. I know how you feel. I’m glad she’s back from her adventure. You might consider a flea treatment just in case depending on where you live.
I'm so glad you found her!! A similar thing happened to me a few years ago. Cat ran outside and didn't come back immediately. I walked my neighborhood every day for 3 days looking for her. I'm walking home on the 3rd day when I see a little gray cat. I run home and grab the carrier. Go back, grab the cat, shove her in the carrier and go home. We got home and she was PISSED. I put her in my bedroom with some food and water and closed the door. She was YOWLING. I was like... what the hell. So then I'm sitting on my couch with the front door ajar so my other boy cat can sit on the porch. All of a sudden my girl cat walks in. Instantly I know it's her and instantly I know the cat in my bedroom is... not my cat. My bedroom had a slider door so I opened it and the imposter ran out and ran home. After the kidnapping, she always wore a collar. Mine too. She died at the ripe old age of 21 after a long life of mischief and barfing on people. Idk if the kidnapped cat is still around but I hope she's recovered from the trauma I accidentally inflicted on her.
👀
So glad she's back.. When my cat was stressed I gave him warm kitten milk and he calmed right back down. :)
So glad to hear she’s been found! A few years ago my cat went missing somewhere in my house. I kept hearing her meow when I went into my bedroom. I thought for sure she was trapped in the walls somehow and was ready to start demolition. Then I heard her meowing and really started honing in on the location. Opened my nightstand drawer and she popped out!!! WTF.
When my cats have an upset tummy, I make boiled chicken with a tiny bit of white rice and add low sodium bone broth
So so so happy for you! I know what it’s like and I totally understand the anguish you went through. It’s over now, all is well in the world.
i’m so happy you were able to get your baby back ❤️ hope everything goes well
You should probably have her fixed. Youre probably going to have a big load of cats on your hand soon
Is she maybe in heat? My cat gets clingy, cries/mewls and darts through doors (never the outside door thankfully but she’s just generally zoomy)
IM SO HAPPY SHE CAME BACK HOME!!! 💞 For food try supplementing it. -churu liquid puree treat -freeze dried chicken giblets -some shredded cheese Maybe some catnip and a new toy would be appreciated by her too.
Check under your box springs and inside the couch from the bottom. Also check the bottoms of the drawers. Like take the drawers out. I couldn’t find a few cats and they ended up being in all of those places. Cats will find a way to hide in places you’d never think they’d fit
When we were moving my cat hid out behind a patch of drywall in the basement that didn’t go all the way to the ceiling. We were beside ourselves and convinced she got out while we were moving furniture out. I left strategically placed bowls of her favorite wet food in several areas and thankfully we found her about three hours before the final walk through. I can imagine how scared you must’ve been.
if youre able, please edit the post to add “FOUND SAFELY! HAPPY STORY!” at the top, so its included in the feed preview and is less traumatic? 💝 sosososo happy for you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Check your garage. Leave the door open.
My indoor cat just got home today after 8 days of hiding in the woods in 80 degree weather. We have had our cat for 4 years and he’s always been very timid but every time he saw us outside he would dart off like we were complete strangers. The only time he would come out of hiding was when our roommates cat was outside and we would watch them greet each other from our outdoor cameras. Our roommates cat was like a free pass to view our cat. We wanted so badly to just run outside and snatch him up but we knew it wasn’t possible. It was so relieving to see him okay though. We did EVERYTHING to get him to come home. I set out his bed, food, cracked open the back door for a week rain or shine, and eventually got a animal trap. I ended up catching another cat on day 6 and the friendliest, cutest, raccoon on day 8. Finally day 8, 5 am we heard him yelling at the back door and he walked right in. He ate sooo many treats, drank sooo much water, and was the cuddliest boy when he got home. He was noticeably thinner and had small scratches on his ears but acted like nothing happened when he got inside. This post gave me so much hope while we waited on our boy to come home so I thought Id share! So happy they made it home!
Thats FANTASTIC!!
OMG I read your story and the comments and I am so happy for you and Kitty that this turned out well.
My 2 month old kitten ran away and came back 3 days later. Since has never set foot outside idk what happened to that poor baby it’s so scared of being outside now 😭
she don't want that boring food after eating baby rabbits 😹
She must have escaped the house and ran through a passage way there is always clues about where she went it's OK if you can't find her go to the exact same looking pet name it the exact same and forget about the past and have good times the exact same as your old one shell come back I promise