Find Your Missing Kitten: Quick, Safe Steps to Locate a Hidden Cat

Bringing home a new kitten can be an exciting experience, but her unfamiliar new home may seem somewhat scary to her at first. A frightened kitten may hide in your furniture or appliances to get away from it all or she might even become trapped inside your walls where you can't find your new cat in the house. With some detective work and a little food, you'll likely be able to find your lost kitten, wherever she's hiding in your home.

Check both behind and inside the washer and dryer for the kitten. Add clothing one piece at a time to the washer as some kittens like to hide in laundry baskets. Take a look inside the dishwasher to see if your new kitten found her way inside it. Finally, search behind your electronic devices as well, such as behind your TV.

Search inside the home structure

If you still can't find your new cat in the house, she may have crawled inside the walls or pipes. A curious kitten might climb inside a small hole in your drywall or an open duct to your HVAC system, becoming trapped inside. Go into your attic, garage, and basement, checking all spaces, including the rafters, in these areas. Look for open pipes that the kitty could have climbed inside, especially within bathroom and kitchen cabinets.

Tap your walls and listen for any signs of meowing or movement. If you hear your kitten meowing from inside your walls, pinpoint her location and slowly cut a small hole in the drywall with a jigsaw to help get her out.

Tempt the kitten with food

Tempting your kitten with food is another alternative if you can't find your new cat in the house. Run the can opener or open a bag of treats, the sounds of which may trigger her to emerge from her hiding spot, especially because a young kitten may not yet respond to her name.

Many times, kittens will come out for food.

Take a really pungent food, such as a can of tuna or some freshly chopped cooked chicken, and place it near where you last saw her. The scent just might tempt her out of hiding to grab a bite. Young kittens might respond most favorably to the scent of a bowl of cat food mixed with a little kitten milk replacement formula, especially if they were weaned recently.