Can't find cat since she hid 4 hours ago, advice please?

My youngest cat Marla hid behind the toilet 4 hours ago when my nephews were here, they are quite loud and strong energy so she feels scared and intimidated by them, so she'll go and hide straight away, they aren't here often but I was babysitting today for my sister and she hid behind toilet 4 hours ago. My house has been quiet since they left as I live alone, so I am obviously a very quiet person she's usually out within an hour but its been 4 hours and I have not seen or heard from her since. I am now becoming concerned, no access to outdoors so not lost outdoors. Definitely went behind the toilet as they followed her through there (not nastily they just wanted to say hello) and she's not come out since or made a noise. I don't like I can't see her. I have tried calling her for food, saying dinner, treats, juggling food  but no sign, I have tried calling her name softly, I just left her for the last 4 hours thinking she'd come out alone but 4 hours later I have tried everything to get her out as I can't hear a single thing. She's not making a noise or any movement. I ended up slightly tapping the bathroom cabinet to try shock her out as I am just getting worried about her in case something is wrong and I can't see or hear her, so I don't like that, anyone got any tips to get her out? I am worried something is wrong with her now cause I haven't seen or heard from her. Anyone elses cat hid this long before? She's very nervous in nature but her confidence has grown since being with me, she now approaches adults but children she still gets very nervous around, just wish she'd come out now because I am worried something is wrong especially as I can't hear her. I just don't like shes in a hiding place I can't see neither, I can't just rip off the toilet to make sure I can see her and she's safe. Here's hoping she comes out soon, she has no idea how much she's stressing her mummy out! Haha 

Are there any closets or cabinets in the room?  Have you checked to make sure she is not hiding in them?  Also make sure to check the wall behind the toilet to make sure there is no way she could have climbed inside the wall.  She may be holed up somewhere sleeping or she is still to scared to make any noise yet.  

Perhaps you could try sitting in the room on the floor and just reading a book to her.  She may just still be scared and sitting in the room calmly reading may encourage her to come out. The only other thing I can think of to try is using some sort of wand toy to try to get her to come out. Just sit on the floor and act like you would if you were playing with her and maybe it will get her attention.

This is not something I have personal experience with but I wanted you to know that someone read your post and cares.

I am hopeful that you will get better advice from someone who has experience with this situation.

Is there any way she could have crept into an open space in the wall behind the toilet or cabinet? Or anywhere she could have gotten stuck? She might just be a bit shell shocked because of the unexpected activity in the house and could still be nervous to come out, or giving you the cold shoulder. We recently house sat for our landlady's cats and while her two males warmed up to her right away when she got back, the female took a full week before she came around.

Is there anyway you can sequester her to a room or an area of the house next time your nephews come over? It will still stress her out (why am I stuck here?!) but in the  end it will cause you, and her, less grief.

My kittens like to hide in the small space between my bed and wall and they have slept back there for hours! She might just be curled up somewhere taking a destress nap.

@catlover73and @AnyMoose  both make excellent points.  The only thing I would add is:  Since you know what room she's in, warm up some tuna or canned cat food and put a bowl out for her.  The increased aroma might entice her out.   The other thing is that she might appear when it is meal time - this is often when my invisible cats have reappeared.   I've also learned that when Chula disappears for a long period of time without a peep, she is usually sleeping.  Four hours is not that long of a period of time to hide, although I do understand it's unusual for your girl.  

Checked all cabinets, she's nowhere to be seen. I can't check behind toilet, I have tried cause its literally completely covered with a white panel so I can't see behind it at all which is really worrying me a lot.  I wish I could rip the toilet off to check for her. Thank you going to try the toys and reading to her, hoping she comes out soon. 

I've no idea cause I can't see behind the toilet which is my biggest worry so I don't have a clue if she could have gotten stuck or got lost anywhere behind it  

Never had this issue before and I've had her over a year now and never lost her like this before. Yeah hopefully just shell shocked or giving me the cold shoulder, I'd feel so much more assured if I could just see behind, if I could see sign of her I'd feel a lot calmer but cause I can't see her at all I'm really starting to worry as its been 5 hours now. 

Yeah I will next time they come over, they are rarely here that I just didn't even think about it, but next time I'm going to shut her in the spare room as its quite spacious, has nothing in it and I can put toys etc in. I wish I had done that now but I didn't think at the time cause she's become so much more confident so I didn't expect her to become quite as scared as they haven't been to my flat in a while. Yeah hopefully she's just snapping or something, its worrying me, its not nice for them to go silent and not know if they are okay or not! 

Oh thank you I will do that with the tuna now! Yeah she's usually out by now, within an hour when she knows its quiet she usually reappears and cause I have my other cat Marvel she usually reappears to him for comfort so to have her nowhere near him and not come out into sight just concerns me but hopefully she's just stressed out or sleeping and will be out soon. I will try all the suggestions now and let you all know if I have any luck! 

From what you just mentioned it seems like Marvel may be a security blanket to her. Can you hang out in the room with Marvel.  Feed Marvel in that room and try playing with him.   Maybe she will decide she feels comfortable communicating with Marvel and let you know where she is.  Use the suggestion Margd gave you but also involve Marvel.

Is Marvel looking for her?  If he is actively looking for her and making noises it might help her to hear and see him in the room.

The only other thing I can think of is to try calling a handy man or a plumber to see if they think that panel is able to be removed.They may not be able to tell you without seeing the bathroom.  I do not think that removing the panel or the toilet needs to be done yet. But it may not be a bad idea to reach out and get options in case this needs to done.

Ok very worried I ended up bashing down the bathroom panel as my concerns are growing she's not there guys. There's stuff further up, I dunno whats happened or where she's gone, extremely worried now, what if shes stuck somewhere :'( 

I'm really concerned, i live in rented property but dont care i ended up banging the panel in and breaking it down as no signs of her and shes not there i dunno what to do. There stuff further up, but its narrow what if somethings happened and something is seriously wrong, shes nowhere to be seen

Don't worry about the damage just be honest with your landlord and offer to pay for/repair the damage once you find your cat. Has the door to the room been opened since she hid in there?  Is it possible she could be hiding somewhere else in the apartment now?  I would check every single cabinet, closet and piece of furniture in your house. If she did get in there and somehow got stuck you have now given her a way out that she did not have before. Does she have a favorite or safe room in the apartment?  That is the first place I would start the search. It is possible she could be farther up and you can not see her. Cats are extremely good at getting into and out of small places.  Please keep an eye on Marvel and make sure he does not get into the wall.

My oldest cat is extremely scared of anyone other than us. She hides under our bed when we have company and will only come out at night when they are asleep. I have a waterbed frame and I can not see her under there sometimes.  She will not always come out when I call her even if the door to the bedroom is closed. She will not even come out for our cat sitter that all my other cats adore.  My cat sitter has my permission to dismantle my bed frame or even break it if there is a reason she has to get Starbuck out of there for her safety.

She's been found thank you everyone. It turns out one of the boys must have let her outdoors, I found her hidden in a corner cowering outdoors. Never been so worried in my life! 

She must have thought I'd done it on purpose cause she rejected me completely at first but she eventually started cuddling and purring me. She's now got some tuna to make up for it but poor little thing was traumatised, she definitely isn't an outdoors cat, my other would have been gone exploring but she was just cowering the poor thing. So glad I've got her back. 

I am so glad you found your baby and she is ok.  She may be scared from being outdoors and still try to hide inside. I would close that bathroom door until the damage is repaired. Call your landlord before you make repairs to get his approval on who he/she wants to make the repairs. If you are honest with your landlord and pay for the damage then you hopefully will not have any issues.

 

Happy Dance that she's home!  

Thankfully I managed to put the board back up and you can't even tell I took it off!  

I know I'm so relieved, I was so worried. Glad she's half forgiven me, she was really upset at me as if I had locked her outdoors on purpose. 

I doubt that she would have let the kids put her outside if she was that scared of them. I suspect there must be a way out somewhere behind the toilet :/. Better look into that before the cats get any big ideas .

Willowy said:

I doubt that she would have let the kids put her outside if she was that scared of them. I suspect there must be a way out somewhere behind the toilet :/. Better look into that before the cats get any big ideas

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That is a great point. 

I'm in an upstairs flat and checked all behind board and noway out, think she must have bolted out back door when kids were trying to get to her to get away from them and i've locked the door as i couldnt see her initially and they said she'd gone behind the toilets. Doh

Well hopefully she learned that being outside is scary and she will not try to go out again.  My Casey is a people cat and when he was a kitten he used to greet anyone coming in my house when I opened the front door.  One time he ran out the door to greet a pizza delivery person.  I was very luck this delivery driver happened to be a cat person she put down the food in the driveway, picked Casey up and carried him back to the house. After she handed him to me he got locked in the powder room while I was paying for the food.  I gave the lady an extra large tip for bringing Casey back to me.   He never ran out the door again after that.  I still make sure he is not in front of the door two years later when I am opening it.

Huzzah! You found her! That's wonderful news!

What an adventure for her. One I suspect she won't want to repeat (nor you ).Enjoy giving her a cuddle

Yeah I will be extra careful now around that back door! She definitely felt traumatised and is still hidden under my bed but least she's safe and well. 

Thank you