Michelle C.
2 weeks ago
He’s most likely hiding close by. Indoor only cats get scared and will look for the closest hiding spot from their exit point. Get yourself a good flashlight then get down and look really well, underneath any decks/porches. He’ll be as far back as he can, possibly hiding behind posts. Check underneath any sheds/outbuildings, also check inside sheds too. Absolutely check underneath your house in the crawl space. Cats can easily squeeze in through a bent vent/broken screen but then can’t get back out. Look under any sitting vehicles, including wheel wells, under covered lawnmowers and piles of wood, grill, basically any type of makeshift shelter/burrow he could hide in or under in your yard or your nearest neighbors yard. If a cat can fit its head in, it can squeeze its body in. Check same places you’ve looked, over again. I’ve known people that searched same spots several times only to watch their cat crawl out of that same spot. If you can’t find him on your property after a thorough search then ask your neighbors on every side of your home, including rear neighbors, if you can personally search for him on their property, including checking their crawlspace and sheds. Also Look in dense bushes and look inside any nearby culverts! Lots of cats in my neighborhood hide in the culverts. Keep in mind that when cats are in this scared mode they will usually be completely quiet, even if you’re close by when calling them. Don’t assume he’s run far off because of his silence. Scared cats can hide for days if they’ve found a good place to hunker down. Most cats will come out of hiding in the middle of the night. Right away, I would open up the door he ran out from!! Put up any other pets while doing this. If he’s food motivated you could even clink on his food bowl and call from in your house and hopefully he’ll run back inside. If that doesn’t work, I would still leave the door cracked open as long as you can and just keep an eye to see if he comes back in. He may still be spooked so you don’t want to rush at him and have him run off again before you can shut the door. If he hasn’t run back in by bedtime, then place out familiar scented items that smell like you- blankets/dirty clothes/towels, plus his food/water outside the door or even better inside your garage with the door cracked, if you have one. Most cats wander around 1-4am so you should try to get up and shine a bright flashlight around your yard to see if you pick up his glowy eyes and keep checking in the garage. Again I can’t stress the importance of doing an aggressive physical search for him asap! Don’t be afraid to talk to neighbors and ask if you can search their property when looking for him. Also talk to anyone on your street or rear street that have ring or security cameras to see if he’s been spotted. Prayers you find him!!🙏🙏
