I Lost Her- PLEASE HELP!!!!

[LizzieCollie]

Dear Jesus I am the worst person ever. I dont deserve to have any animals. I didnt even have Ceci for a day when I lost her.

I came home around 1am and I opened the bathroom door to check on her and she was on top of the table and I startled her and she jumped and ran out of the bathroom. I didnt worry too much because I had closed the screen door.

Well I looked and looked and couldnt find her. So I went to sleep. Around 2 am I woke up and searched again. Then at 4, and now at 7. I have looked in every corner and under and in everything in my house and I cannot find her.

Im guessing she must have slid her paw in between the screen door and got out. I feel horrible, i've looked at her everywhere. Im waiting for DS's father to come over to see what we will do.

I dont know what i'll do if I cant find her, I really dont. I cant even think of calling her foster mom and telling her I lost her, I just cant.

Please, does anyone know if cats have a usual pattern of behavior when they get out? She is unfamiliar with her sorroundings, could she be in hiding somewhere near, or did she probably keep running? Thank God I took pictures of her yesterday, im going to show them around and see if anyone has seen her.

Please pray that I find her

 

[cindr]

The cat is somewhere in your house. Don't worry. If you had the door closed she would not have been able to get out. If you have time open a can of tuna and place it somewhere that she can smell it. The cat is just scared and that is normal. No worries

 

[Meggie]

My Mother-in-Law lost her indoor cat not too long ago, she was found about a week later by a neighbour. Mother-in-Law was positive it hadn't got out.

Does your screen door latch? How difficult is it to open?

Clean the litter box and check every once in a while to see if she's used it. If she doesn't know you well she may be skulking around out of your sight. Keep things quiet, if she's nervous a lot of noise and movement will scare her more.

Try the tuna trick in different areas of your house, check after a while to see if any of it's gone.

Rattle a bag of cat treats. Check every space with an opening bigger than the cat's head, it's amazing where they can squeeze their bodies. Check up under and inside box springs on the beds, under and inside couches. If she doesn't turn up, turn off everything noisey and station people in different areas of the house, rattle the treats, call to it, then listen. If you do figure out she's hiding, just leave some food and water nearby, she'll come out when she's more comfortable. Most likely at night when everybody's asleep.

Mother-in-Law's cat apparently slipped out when she reached out for the mail, she didn't even see it and only had the door open briefly.

When we were absolutely positive the cat wasn't in the house, we papered the neighbourhood with "Lost Cat" posters. They had a picture of her on it, contact info, and stated that the cat was in need of medication and a special diet. She actually was, but we were also told to do this anyway because, if somebody had taken her in, they would think twice about keeping her if they knew she was going to cost them big vet bills.

We put the posters low on the posts so kids could see them clearly. To some adults a poster's a piece of paper and a cat's a cat, but to a kid a lost cat is a challenge. Also a good time to get to know the neighbours. We took our kids over there and walked around chatting to anybody who was out, especially those with kids (we wouldn't approach a child without their parents around). Ask them to take a quick check of their backyards and sheds.

You might also want to put a bowl of food and water out, just in case. The people at the local shelter told us to take a peek outside in the wee hours of the morning because she might come back then, when it was quiet, less people and traffic about. Might work, but for us it only got us a well-fed tabby next door who still, two months later, visits Mother-in-Law's back door in the evenings.

Good luck, hope you find her soon!

 

[kalija]

Is she familiar with being outdoors? If not it is likely she is hiding nearby. When we moved to our new house, the first night our cat pushed through a screen window. He had never been outside in his life and our dog Dutchess found him in the morning, cowering and shaking under the deck, his heart racing, not ten feet from the window. Look in any surrounding bushes, trees, under porches or decks. Try shaking treats or putting a can of tuna outside too. Call her quietly, sit down on the ground, she may come to you, especially if she's scared.

 

[moxiegrl]

Let us know how its going!

 

[Whisper]

Aww, I'm really sorry! I agree that is the outside world is still a scary mystery she probably would stay somewhere around. It's good that you're going to put up signs. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Oh goodness! I'm so sorry! Have you found her yet??

 

[PoodleMommy]

look all over your house!

I swore I lost my cat when I first got her and she had torn a hole in my boxspring and was asleep in there.

later she tore a hole under my couch and a recliner and did the same thing!

keep looking she may very well be inside and CALM down. it will be ok

good luck

elissa

 

[mjb]

They can hide pretty well inside the house. Mine can go behind the dresser with all the drawers closed and get into a drawer. I thought we had lost her the first night we had her, but I knew for a fact she was closed in one room. She was in a drawer. She has gotten closed in closets several times because she slipped in there quietly, and the door closed behind her.

I was supposed to go over a feed a friend's cat when she had to go out of town for her father's funeral. I ended up having to go out of town also, and my husband took over feeding duties. The cat is uneasy around males, and he called me to tell me he couldn't find her anywhere. She had been there when he first got there, but when he was ready to leave, she had disappeared. We were both sure she had gotten outside somehow. I couldn't call my friend and add to her grief! We ended up calling her daughter who told us the cat could get in kitchen and bathroom cabinets without anyone opening them for her.

He never found out where she went, but I went over when I came back into town, and I saw her go inside their recliner, so I think that's where she might have been hiding.

They are excellent hiders!!!

 

[CrestedRep]

Keep looking and tell us how it comes out. They are great hiders. Good luck!!!

 

[LizzieCollie]

I found her! I was so sick with worry I didnt sleep all night, hoping I would hear her and kicking myself because I didnt put her collar on right away.

After I went to some of the houses showing pictures of her and asking around I decided to go back inside. Laika, my moms Golden was following me around acting all happy so I decided to let her in my house. Laika is famous for sniffing out lizards and mice, so I though 'why not?'

It took her all of 30 seconds to find her. I was so relieved I cried like a baby.

Ceci was under the play pen in the toy room. Now I have no idea where she was before that because I checked under the plapen a bazillion times, but oh well the good thing is she is here now!

Ceci is doing so much better today, she is no longer hiding, and has used the box. She hasnt eaten but im sure with her new found confidence she'll be eating in no time!

Thank you everyone for worrying, and im sorry it was for nothing, but i'd be even more sorry if I really had lost her!

 

[PoodleMommy]

SOOOO glad you found her, I knew you would!

like I said I had the same problem, so I know how you feel.

If you have one that is that good at hiding, it will happen to you again, be ready!

Elissa

 

[Squidbert]

YAY!! So glad to hear she's safe and sound!!

 

[Zoom]

Yay you found her!!

 

[AusCatDogs_4Ever]

So happy she is safe and sound. Good girl, Laika!

 

[Whisper]

I'm so glad you found her and that she's all safe!!!
I'm glad she's settling in well.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Yay! Congrats on finding her!! When we first got our kitten, pepper (RIP) We couldn't find him either, and he was hiding in the pull out bed in our couch! lol!

 

[Snark]

I'm glad she didn't get out and you found her!

We thought we lost Mr. Scritchie when we first brought him into the house, looked everywhere for him. My neighbor was coming over at the time to let my old dog out for me while I was at work and we were afraid she'd accidentally let him out. I was out searching the woods around the house when Sis called me - she'd found him sitting quietly inside one of the kitchen cabinets. Silly boy! He could have pushed the door to get out, but he didn't.

Our orange cat knows how to open the kitchen cabinets (and closet doors); we're thinking he opened the door for Mr. Scritchie, invited him to take a look then slammed the door shut. Probably thought he'd gotten rid of the new kid... Lol!