You’ve searched every corner of the house for your beloved kitten, but your efforts have come up empty. It’s time to put on your detective hat and try to figure out where she could be hiding.
Losing a pet can be an incredibly stressful and traumatic experience. It’s important to stay calm, take a step back, and think through the possibilities before taking any drastic steps. By assessing each possible hiding place, you may find that your furry friend has simply been cleverly concealed from sight.
Fortunately, there are a few tactics you can use to locate your lost kitten when you’re feeling stuck and helpless. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from triggers that might lure them out of hiding to areas in the home where they might be trying to hide. We’ll also talk about how to prepare yourself for when you do eventually find her again.
Conduct a Thorough Search of Your Home
If you can’t find your kitten in the house, the first step is to do a thorough search. Start by looking under furniture, in cabinets, and any other areas your kitten may have snuck into. It’s also a good idea to check closets and containers where your kitten may be hiding out of surprise or fear. Make sure to take your time and look at every possible spot—your kitten could be hiding anywhere!
When searching for your kitten, remember that the police will need a search warrant to enter and gather evidence inside your home. Even if someone else offers to let the police search their property, they may still need a warrant. Evidence obtained through illegal searches is not admissible in a court of law, so ensure that everyone who is helping with the search follows proper protocol when looking for your kitty.
Check All Hiding Spots a Kitten May Squeeze Into
If you can’t find your kitten, it’s a safe bet that he has gone into hiding. All cats, especially kittens, love to hide in tight spaces.
Start by taking a quick look around the rooms of your house to find potential hiding spots that kittens may squeeze into:
- Cardboard boxes
- Closets
- Behind furniture
- The boxspring of your bed
- Inside the bathroom sink
- On top of kitchen cabinets
- Cat beds
- Cat caves
- Cat hammocks
- Paper bags
- Shoeboxes
- Cat teepees
Don’t forget to check under the bed, under and behind dressers, and in the corners of closets and cupboards. Even if you think he could not fit there – check it anyway!
Listen Closely for Any Sounds the Kitten May Make
When the entire house is quiet and your search for the kitten yields nothing, it’s time to break out some more advanced tactics. Using an amplified listening device can help you pick up on subtle audio cues, like a scared meow or scampering feet hiding in hard-to-reach places.
Cats rely heavily on their excellent hearing, so usually when they hear their owner’s voice, they will meow back—even if it’s a quiet one. Make sure to call out for your kitten even in areas you’ve already checked once before – it can help to know that their owner is still looking for them.
Another great tip is to listen for bird alarm calls—sometimes a hidden cat will cause nearby birds to alert other animals of its presence! This can give you an important clue as to where your furry friend is hiding out.
Use Toys, Treats or Food to Try and Lure the Kitten Out
If your kitten is hiding and you can’t coax them out, you can use their natural curiosity and love of treats to bring them out of hiding. Toys, treats, and food can be used to create an inviting environment for a curious kitten.
Toys
Choose toys that have a strong aroma, such as catnip-filled toys or toys with feathers on them. Some cats may find the motion of a toy enticing, while others may find its smell more interesting. Either way, it’s worth presenting your kitten with the option of playing with toys in order to try to lure them out of their hiding spot.
Treats
Treats are an excellent way to entice your little one out of their secret place – particularly if you make sure it’s something delicious. Strong-smelling foods such as tuna or chicken can be used to pique their interest – as long as they’re not too overpowering for any other pets in the house! Additionally, if you have any cans of baby food lying around, catnip, sardines, anchovies, or cooked chicken can be used as treats too.
Non-Food Bait
Another tactic is using catnip as a non-food bait inside traps – that way, when they enter the trap, they will be rewarded with something they truly enjoy – though not in excess.
Ask Family Members to Help Search While Calling the Kitten’s Name
If your search of the inside of your house does not yield any results, it’s time to reach out for help. Tap into the resources around you, and don’t forget to ask family members where they last saw your furry friend. Ask them to help you search throughout the house while calling out their name. Let them know what kind of sound they normally make if they respond to their name being called or other noises they may use to call attention. Have everyone in the house check in on their rooms and common areas around the house, such as closets and ventilation shafts.
Also, don’t forget to ask your neighbors if they have seen them. If they haven’t, kindly ask them to check around their homes or other homes in the area just in case your kitten has gone further than you thought. As a last resort, enlist help from friends and family who are nearby and can lend a hand by posting flyers in and around your neighborhood or spreading the word about your missing pet through social media.
Don’t Give Up! Keep Looking and Stay Positive Your Kitten Is in the House
It may seem impossible to find your lost kitten, especially with the daunting task of combing through every nook and cranny of your house. But if you don’t give up hope, your little furball may just be huddled somewhere out of sight, waiting for the right moment to show itself.
Here are some tips to keep in mind as you continue searching:
- Hire a pet detective. There are professionals out there with tracking skills specifically designed for finding lost cats, so don’t hesitate to enlist their help.
- Consider luring strategies. Cats respond positively to familiar scents like those from bedding, blankets, and cat trees. So use these items as bait and try enticing them back with their favorite treats.
- Stay positive. Believing that your kitten is still in the house can go a long way toward helping you stay motivated during the search process. And if all else fails, confining a new feline friend indoors for a period of time can help it adjust to the new home!
Check the Basement or Attic
Once you’ve looked everywhere else in the house, it is time to check for your furry friend in the basement or attic.
You’ll want to start by looking for open pipes in the kitchen and basement. Small kittens can easily fit through a pipe that looks too small to us but not to them. Even if the pipe opening is smaller, they might somehow manage to get themselves stuck, so take some time to inspect any open pipes in the rafters.
Next, you’ll want to look for cats in closets, cabinets, attics, and basements. If a door can be opened, there’s a chance your kitten has wandered into one of these spots, since cats like hideaways with small access points and tight spaces. Be sure to check with your flashlight under furniture and other dark spaces, peeking around for any eyes reflecting back towards you–an indication that your kitten may be nearby.
Finally, don’t forget about any hiding spots behind washers, dryers, and refrigerators that may not have been easy to spot during your initial search around the house.
Try Early Morning or Late Evening When Kittens Are Most Active
If you’re really desperate to find your kitten, you should try looking in the early morning or late evening, when kitties are typically most active. Kittens usually sleep during the day, but when night falls and they become alert, it’s the perfect time to sneak up on a hiding spot. To make sure your kitten is sleeping during the day, you can provide them with exercise and stimulation earlier in the evening.
Providing appropriate amounts of exercise can help your kitten sleep better during the day so that they can be ready for their late evening “hunt”. You can also provide them with physical and mental stimulation by setting up puzzle feeders that give them an interesting challenge while they look for a snack. Puzzle feeders are an excellent way to keep cats entertained while providing them with nutrition!
Make “Kissing” Noises and Check for Meows
One of the most effective ways to find your kitten if you can’t find them in the house is by listening closely for meows or responding with ‘kissing’ sounds. Cats will often meow quietly when they recognize the sound of their owner’s voice, so in moments when your noise is louder than usual, speak quietly and distinctly. If you have a deaf cat, they may be emitting an especially intense and noisy meow – so keep an ear out for those!
It can also help to invest in a special toy that your kitten loves – try calling out to them while shaking the toy or making ‘clicking’ noises. If your kitten is feeling distressed or regretful after being relocated to a new home, they might yowl in response to hearing their old toy noises.
Be sure to search both low and high hiding places before giving up on finding your beloved pet. Despite their size, cats are incredibly talented when it comes to squeezing into small corners!
If All Else Fails, Set a Humane Trap to Safely Catch Your Kitten
When all else fails, you might need to take the drastic step of setting a humane trap. If done correctly, this will help you capture your missing kitten without causing them any harm.
Kitten-sized humane traps are available and can be set up in your house or yard. Dusk is usually the best time to set a trap, as the sun is setting and kittens tend to wander more at this time. Just be sure to watch the trap closely and check it often so that there are no safety issues for the trapped kitten.
If you have not yet successfully set up a trap, check with local agencies first to ensure it is legal and safe in your area. Once you’ve gotten clearance, it’s important to be aware of what should go into setting a safe trap: make sure it’s baited with something the kitten will find appealing; make sure the opening is properly sized; and make sure it’s placed away from direct sunlight or rain.
With a little bit of patience and care, you can use a humane trap to safely capture your beloved pet when they’re lost in your home or yard.
Conclusion
If you’ve taken all the necessary steps to find kittens in the house, it’s time to take the search outside. Check the garage, look around the property for any clues, or even check under the deck. If you’re still unsuccessful, maybe it’s time to check with the local animal shelters or post on social media a description of your kitten. Whatever you do, don’t give up – stay persistent and keep looking until you find your beloved kitten.
Your furry friend may be hiding in a nook or cranny, but chances are you’ll need a little extra help to locate your kitten, so don’t be afraid to ask for it. Our guide provides a comprehensive roadmap for finding your lost kitten, so use the tips and resources we provide and keep your eyes keen – the search for your beloved four-legged family member is worth it. Good luck!
