My cat is suddenly missing!!!

I woke up this morning to find that my cat was no where to be found. I looked over her normal hide outs and she wasn't there. I started calling out to her, nothing. Then I went in my moms room to ask if she's seen her. I started panicking. I desperately searched everywhere for her: under the couch, behind the stove, cabinets, all rooms, bathroom, etc.. I checked for open windows, doors. All clear. Then I called my dad to ask if by any chance he left the door open when he went to work. He said that right before heading out he saw her by the fridge, so there's no way she could have gotten out & she must've found a good hiding spot. But where?! I went outside and searched everywhere around the house. Then I started walking down the streets. Nothing. I'm completely devastated right now. I'm assuming the worst and I can't stop shaking. I started crying and calling out to her, I'm pretty sure people heard and thought I was crazy. I felt like I'm about to get a heart attack and my heart won't stop pounding! Where could she be???!!! She's strictly an indoor cat, & she's usually startled easily. I feel like I'm about to go crazy because I can't find her!
I haven't yet introduced her to the new kitten I saved off the streets. But she was able to pick up on his scent and kept hissing at us. But I still gave her kisses & cuddles. So I'm assuming she must've ran away and now I'm never going to see her again!! I'm just so desperate to find her. I'm already assuming the worst and I can't calm down. I just want to find her. I've had her for almost 4 years and the thought of never seeing her again kills me!

And before anyone says "why'd you get a new kitten if you knew your resident cat wouldn't be ok with?" It wasn't that I randomly went out and brought a kitten home. I found a seriously ill kitten on the streets and the first thing that came to mind was "I need to get this cat off the streets & help it before it dies".

I fully understand how you feel believing your cat ran away... especially because you might think it is due to something you did (bringing in a new kitten). But don't panic! You need to calm down and think things through rationally.

Your Dad said he saw her next to the fridge before he left for work. That leads me to believe she is somewhere in your house and most likely hiding in a very secluded, yet clever spot!  Hunting her down at this point could possibly make her burrow in deeper because she really doesn't want to be found right now. Trust me, cats can find hiding spaces we would never imagine! 

I thought I had lost one of my cats once. He was gone for hours and I thought I had searched everywhere. Two hours later he came crawling out from under the bed! Yes, I had looked under there 10 times and he was NOT there! BUT... the little sh*t had torn a hole in the lining of the box-spring and crawled up inside and had himself a good nap. 

Deep, dark, and secluded spots are their favorite places. Look in your closets under and behind boxes, clothes, and blankets, and inside duffel-bags. Up on shelves, behind and under china cabinets and large furniture pieces, the under-lining of the couch and chairs (up inside sleeper-sofas is another good spot!). Did you check the dryer?

Even on the slight chance she did get outside, she has lived there for 4 years and will eventually be sitting outside the door meowing to be let back in. Keep your eyes and ears open.

In the meantime, keep an eye on her food dish (set out some fresh food and/or her favorite treat) and litter box. Hunger and the need to pee will bring her out of hiding, but she might be sneaky enough to grab a bite and do her thing only to slink back to her perfectly hidden spot. If you see evidence that she was out and about, you know she is not lost... just hiding. Give her space and she will come out when she is ready.

I agree with fyllis . Odds are very good that your girl is hiding in your house somewhere. I have also experienced the Mysteriously Vanished Cat and know how upsetting it can be. Most recently it happened in my tiny 1 BR apartment and I swear I looked everywhere but Chula was no where to be found. I never did figure out her hiding place but she eventually appeared as mysteriously as she'd vanished.

And good for you saving that kitten!

A lot of appliances have unexpected or hidden accesses into their "innards".... roll the fridge out, just to be sure, and --flashlight in hand-- get near the floor and look around for crevices into which she could have crawled. Check the base of your stove, too (I know - that sounds scary).

We have an older refurbished 1940s gas stove and in the back, at the base is a big gap underneath it for air flow, etc.

Before we brought our shelter kitten home, in kitten-proofing the house, I discovered this hidey place (which does heat up a bit when the oven is on, yikes).... and using the high temperature 3M heat tape, I securely taped mesh wire over it so that Milly would not hide under that stove. Thank goodness I did this, as she loves to dart around the stove and runs by that taped-over hidey place all of the time.

When you are in a calm moment, pause and try to look around the house at both high and low levels, think like a cat... and see if you can find any hidey places she might find to hide in.

Good luck! Crossing fingers for you!

You guys were right. I found her in a very good hiding spot! She was INSIDE the couch and I checked under there 100+ times! She was inside it all this time!

lallorona said:

You guys were right. I found her in a very good hiding spot! She was INSIDE the couch and I checked under there 100+ times! She was inside it all this time!

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LOL!  That was one of the many places I suggested looking! Don't be alarmed the next time you are curled up on the couch watching a scary movie late at night and you feel 'something' thumping against your butt!  It is just your kitty getting comfortable in her 'new' hidey spot! 

Fyllis said:

LOL!  That was one of the many places I suggested looking! Don't be alarmed the next time you are curled up on the couch watching a scary movie late at night and you feel 'something' thumping against your butt!  It is just your kitty getting comfortable in her 'new' hidey spot! 

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But what if it isn't her this time? :jaw: *michael Myers theme plays*