Lost Kitten in Apartment

I have a 14 week old kitten, Binx, who is currently lost somewhere in my (rather small) apartment.  

I just got home from being away from him for the first time (just for a couple of days) and the catsitter said he was here and eating the last time they came.  I figured he might not be happy with me for leaving him and that I would have to be patient with him, but I've been home for about four hours now, and haven't heard anything from him (usually he hides under my bed and I can hear him rustling around, playing with toys there, and such), and he hasn't eaten any of the food I put out for him or used his litterbox at all.

If he's just hiding from me, I'm not too concerned about that, and I can be patient and let him come back around, but I'm a little worried he's stuck somewhere, even though I feel like I've checked everywhere... If he was stuck would he be making a lot of noise?  Does the quiet mean he's probably okay?

I'm worried that I may have let him into the whole apartment a little soon.  I had him in my bathroom for about five days, and then moved him into my bedroom for about a week, and then opened the door to the bedroom just a few days before I left so he could explore the rest of the apartment if he wants.  Does he need more time in a safe room?  My apartment only has two other rooms besides the bedroom and bathroom, so I didn't think it was too overstimulating to let him out early, but maybe I was wrong?  He's usually so full of energy--playing, and bouncing off the walls--so I thought the space would be good for him, but now I'm not sure...

Is he hiding behind a sofa or chair, or behind or under furniture?

Check your closets.. just in case... and your drawers.. 

leave out some smelly cat food or a can of tuna.. see if that attracts him. 

Cats have the strangest hiding places..

One time I searched all over for Artie. I just happened to look up towards the ceiling in my kitchen.. there he was!! On the top of the cabinets!! 

so look high also...

or could he be hiding on a dining room table, being hidden by a tablecloth..I have found Artie there also..

Sometimes they get way into the back corner of the area under the bed, where you cannot see them.. shine a flashlight and look for the bright eyes...

and ask your cat sitter where she happened to find him hiding on her...

good Luck..

I've left out saucers with baby food, his favorite wet food, and dry food around the apartment, and he hasn't eaten anything.  I even left for a little while in case he wasn't coming out because i was around, nothing was eaten.  At this point he hasn't eaten in seven hours at least, which isn't normal for him, and I haven't heard anything, which also isn't normal.  Unless his behavior has changed a ton since I left, I'm worried he either got out somehow... or is stuck or sick or...

I feel like I've checked everywhere.  I don't know what else to do...

Did you check inside your couch or chair? If there's a little rip maybe he got inside? Do you know your catsitter well? Maybe he got out while they were leaving or coming and they didn't notice or if they did notice maybe they don't know how to tell you? Any duct work in the apartment?

I'm really curious where you end up finding him

Cats really are good at hiding when they want to. Twice, our younger one was gone for hours in our home.  Once, we eventually found her wedged behind a radiator.  The second time, she was up in our attic (my fiance had left the door open just long enough for her to slip in). A few times, she was missing for short periods of time; we couldn't locate her in any of her usual places and found her on a shelf under our dining room table - right out in the open more or less but because she's a tortie and very brown colored and the furniture is brown, we just didn't notice her!

I agree with everyone else. If you can,  pull out the fridge away from the wall.  And check to see if she didn't wedge herself in between couch or bed springs - sometimes they tear a hole in the material and burrow in.

Having said all that, as already mentioned, I'd be questioning the sitter.  It just seems more likely she got out since you live in such a small space.  Seven hours is very long time for a cat to just hide, and if in trouble, most likely she'd be meowing to be let out of where she is stuck. 

I finally found him!  He was sitting under a blanket on my couch.  He was so tiny he barely made a bulge in the blanket so I didn't bother to check at first.  Thanks for the help with hiding spot ideas, and listening to me freak out...

Whew!  I've been following this thread, hoping you would find him soon.  This is great news!      

Cool beans!

Thank goodness!

That's funny! Glad you found him.

I have mine since 10 days now and I didn't open any other rooms to her beside the living room, which is a medium 15x15ish room.

I took my shower one night and left my bedroom door opened - couldn't find her when I got out... Turned out that she was hiding - afraid - under my camping gear in the closet. She didn't make a single sound for 24 hours lol.

so glad you found her!!  now you know one of her hiding places!!

Once Garfy went missing for some time after I made breakfast one morning.  He didn't "bother" me like he usually did when I ate anything and I thought well that's strange.  At the same time I kept hearing a door open/shut sound and thought it was next door or something.  Turns out, Garfy got in my little side pantry door when I opened it.  I never saw him go in!  He was trying to get out!  

My mom's kitty Cissy also went missing quite a few times.  Once we found her in mom's coat closet, another time we found her behind mom's neatly placed bed pillows.  I saw the fringe shake a little bit and there she was!  Little stinker!

I remember years ago when I moved into my current home.  After refusing to come out of the basement one of my adult cats decided to open one of my kitchen cabinets and hide in it.  I went down to the basement to feed him and give him attention and could not find him.  Although he was staying in the basement by choice at that time he had stopped hiding from me by then.  He would usually climb on me for cuddle time when I fed him before he would even eat.  Hubby and I tore apart everything in the basement and could not find him.  He did not make any noise once he got into the cabinet.  Hours later my parents had stopped by and my dad heard what sounded like something walking around in my cabinet.  He opened the door and my cat flew out of the cabinet and fled back into the basement. This cat was an adult male that had been in my life since he was born.  He had never shown any interest in going into cabinets before.  He probably opened the door and locked himself in there while we were asleep. He must have decided to take a nap when he realized he was stuck.  This was my shy cat of the bunch and this was the only time my dad ever got to see him.  He never went back into any of my cabinets again after this.

catlover73 said:

 
I remember years ago when I moved into my current home.  After refusing to come out of the basement one of my adult cats decided to open one of my kitchen cabinets and hide in it.  I went down to the basement to feed him and give him attention and could not find him.  Although he was staying in the basement by choice at that time he had stopped hiding from me by then.  He would usually climb on me for cuddle time when I fed him before he would even eat.  Hubby and I tore apart everything in the basement and could not find him.  He did not make any noise once he got into the cabinet.  Hours later my parents had stopped by and my dad heard what sounded like something walking around in my cabinet.  He opened the door and my cat flew out of the cabinet and fled back into the basement. This cat was an adult male that had been in my life since he was born.  He had never shown any interest in going into cabinets before.  He probably opened the door and locked himself in there while we were asleep. He must have decided to take a nap when he realized he was stuck.  This was my shy cat of the bunch and this was the only time my dad ever got to see him.  He never went back into any of my cabinets again after this.

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What a shock for your dad!  LOL.  And I'm sure your kitty learnt his lesson after that.  

Ceruleiasaurus said:

 
I finally found him!  He was sitting under a blanket on my couch.  He was so tiny he barely made a bulge in the blanket so I didn't bother to check at first.  Thanks for the help with hiding spot ideas, and listening to me freak out...

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Good for you (and him)! I was following this thread, hoping the cat sitter had not made a mistake. 

Ceruleiasaurus said:

 
I finally found him!  He was sitting under a blanket on my couch.  He was so tiny he barely made a bulge in the blanket so I didn't bother to check at first.  Thanks for the help with hiding spot ideas, and listening to me freak out...

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Ha ha, cats are such jerks. My childhood cats would find spaces and refuse to come out so long we thought they'd gotten out of the house.

I'm so glad you found him! I couldn't find Angel anywhere when she was a baby one time.. I opened one of my dresser drawers and there she was asleep.  

We found one of ours in the basement duct work. We're bringing our two new ones today. God knows where we'll find them.

I have found kitties in all sorts of places.

I couldn't find one of my kittens one day (they were about 6 months at the time), I shook the cat treats, and then they appeared from a hole in the wall.

My house has a chimney, the fireplace is in the living room, the dining room is on the other side-it isn't used, it has been replaced with an electric fireplace. At the side of the chimney, in the dining room, there is a wooden bit, hiding some pipes, it goes all the way up to the ceiling, but doesn't reach all the way down to the floor, and is open on the bottom. There is a gap of about 5ish inches between the wooden bit ending, and the floor. It has been there since I moved in, and I never noticed it was open at the bottom before, until I saw the missing kitten (the tuxedo one, Mittens), climb out of it. They used that to hide a lot while I figured out what to do with it.

I have since boarded it up. I used wood and nails, but they somehow pulled that off. Now I have superglued the wood on, nailed it in, used cardboard from a box that contained pouches of cat food to make a cover for the wood, putting the flap of the box underneath the tiny gap between the wood and the floor, and used a lot of duck tape to tape over it. It hasn't been opened since. Looks a bit weird now though, but I am going to wallpaper over it when I decorate the dining room, so it wont be seen.

I decided to take a photo up there on my phone, with the flash on, to see what is up there.

I wondered what the strange silver circle with the red dot, shining back was.


I was confused about exactly what it could be, just dangling there. What could possibly be made of a reflective fabric, looks to have some sort of fastening on it, and whatever must that red metallic ball on the end of it be....

...


Oh.

I wondered where that went.