What to do IF Your Indoor Cat Just Disappeared from Inside

It is not unusual for an indoor-only cat to simply vanish from inside the house.  If this happens, it is possible that your cat slipped outside unseen.  This happens more often than you might think.  Even cats that have never tried to get outside before may sneak out a door that is momentarily left open.  

However, it is also possible that your cat is still inside the house, so you’ll want to rule this out.  The last thing you want to do is risk letting your missing cat outside when they are still in the house. 

If no one saw your cat get outside, then take a few moments to consider whether anything unusual or different happened prior to your cat going missing.  When was the last time that you saw your cat and what where they doing?  When did you notice that they were missing? 

Consider the following possibilities:

1. Were any areas of the house left open during this time - attic, basement, garage, crawl space, closets, drawers or cabinets?
2. Were any visitors over?  This could indicate an increased risk that your cat slipped out an open door or that they became frightened by the activity and hid.
3. Were any windows or doors left open even for a short time?  Are any screens loose, open or missing?  It doesn’t take much of an opportunity for an indoor cat to slip outside even if they have never shown interest in the outdoors before.
4. Were any luggage, boxes or furniture removed from the house?  Could your cat have been inside?  This happens most often with a couch or box spring mattress. 
5. Was any construction or repair done in your house at the time they went missing?  Some curious cats have been known to climb into walls, floors or bathtub frames.  They are then sealed inside when the construction is completed.

Search Inside Your Home

• If you are not 100% sure that your cat is outside, then be sure to conduct a thorough search within your home.
• Around 7% of lost indoor cats are ultimately found still inside.

If no one saw your cat get outside and there haven’t been any sightings outside, be sure to conduct a thorough search inside your home or the location where your cat was last seen (if lost away from home).  You may think that there’s no way that your cat is inside, but around 7% of missing indoor cats are ultimately found still inside the house. 

If your cat went missing within the past 24 hours or if you have limited daylight available, you might decide to start with your search outdoors, but be sure to later conduct a thorough indoor search if you don’t find your cat.  

If you did not initially search for your cat indoors, still consider doing so even it has been a week or more.  It is not uncommon to find a cat indoors after one week missing, and some cats have been found trapped inside (e.g. walls or basements) and still alive after as long as 4-6 weeks.

When an Indoor Search is Most Important

If your cat falls into any of the following categories, then an indoor search is important.

• There was no obvious opportunity for your cat to escape such as an open door or window.
• Your cat is a kitten, very skittish or newly adopted.  These cats may hide in fear, especially if there is some new or scary change in the household (e.g. visitors, new dog or even new furniture). 
• You recently moved, or your cat was lost from a location other than home (e.g. a friend’s house or vacation rental).
• Your cat has disappeared or become trapped in the house before.  Curious or frightened cats may get themselves stuck in strange places such as the attic, basement, crawl spaces, under floorboards, and even in walls. 
• Your cat is a senior, has a known medical condition or could be ill.  If you cat feels unwell, they are likely to hide someplace that they feel safe.  Sadly, some people do not conduct a thorough search within their home and later find their cat deceased.

How to Effectively Search Indoors

Don’t expect your cat to respond to your voice (e.g. come out or meow) if they are hiding or trapped.  Some cats will but the natural behavior of a frightened or sick cat is to remain silent.  If trapped, some cats will meow right away, but others will not meow until they have been trapped for several days; anywhere from 3-7 days is common and sometimes as many as 10 days.  This is described as the “threshold factor” and it is the point when their desire to be found overcomes their instinct to remain silent.  For this reason, you should conduct a thorough search a minimum of two times – once in the first few days and then again around one week missing.

1. First check all the places that your cat likes to hide or sleep.  Cats have been found trapped in drawers or caught up in blankets in closets.  These are also the most likely places to find your cat if they are sick or injured.
2. Check every possible hiding spot with a good flashlight.  A cat can fit into any space that their head will fit into, so don’t overlook small hiding spaces. 
3. During your search, check for evidence of anywhere your cat could have gotten outside such as open windows or loose screens, doors that don’t fully latch or were left ajar, or any other possible ways outside such as from the basement (more likely in older homes).
4. If you suspect that your cat could be in a room that you were unable to fully search, consider putting out some cat food to see if it gets eaten.  This is especially useful in little used rooms such as the attic, garage or basement.  You could also try putting out a clean litter box.  However, in either case, understand that it may take as long as 7-10 days for a very frightened cat to emerge from hiding.  If the food disappears, consider adding a security camera or webcam to monitor the food.  If you don’t have access to these, you could try putting play sand or flour around the food to catch cat tracks.  Alternatively, you might consider setting up a humane cat trap.
5. Is there any place that your cat could have entered and become trapped?  Was any remodeling done where you cat could have gotten inside a wall, floor or ceiling?  Could your cat have become locked in the attic, basement or garage?  Cats have been found trapped and alive after as long as 4-6 weeks.  When searching, don’t forget to use your sense of smell.  If trapped or hiding for a long period of time, your cat will eventually have to urinate and poop.  Hopefully this will not be the case, but also be aware for the smell of decomposition.
6. If you strongly suspect your cat may be in a wall or floor, you could try and check with your fire department about using a thermal imaging camera.  Note that this needs to be a high-end thermal camera (and not one you can buy for a couple hundred dollars) for it to show heat signatures through a wall.  A cheaper option would be a borescope (i.e. inspection camera), but this requires having a hole in the wall to insert the camera.  Some people have even had success taking video with their cell phone if you can fit your hand through a large enough gap.  If you can fit your entire hand into the hole, a digital camera also works well.
7. During the time that your cat went missing, was any furniture, boxes or luggage removed from your house?  If so, it is possible that your cat was accidentally transported out of the house.  Some cats have survived a month or longer and been transported thousands of miles.  Follow-up with whomever took the furniture or luggage to make sure that your cat is not inside. 
8. When searching for your cat, be sure to spend some time just sitting and listening.  You might hear them meowing or scratching if they are stuck somewhere.  Remember that some cats are more likely to meow after being stuck for 3-4 days or as long as 7-10 days.  
9. If you live in an apartment building, be sure to talk with your neighbors.  I have had a few cats that got into a hallway only to get into another apartment and hide without being seen.  One cat even got into the neighbor’s attic.

Suggested Locations to Search Indoors

• Behind and under furniture including dressers, beds and heaters
• Inside couches, chairs or box spring mattresses
• Inside or behind drawers
• Inside closets, possibly wrapped up in blankets
• Inside or under floorboards in crawl spaces
• Spaces between, under or behind cabinets
• Attics or crawl spaces 
• Basements
• Garages including inside car engines
• Inside drop-ceilings
• Holes into walls and heating vents
• Suitcases, bags or boxes that where packed during the time your cat went missing
• Under floorboards or in walls