Have you lost your cat in your home even when you live in an apartment?
It sounds a bit crazy but it is certainly possible to lose your cat in your own home even when your home is quite a small place because cats are incredibly stealthy, they are quick, they hide beautifully and sometimes you just cannot see where they’re going and even if you know your home inside out you can still lose your cat.
When this happens you might start to panic and you might start to think your cat has escaped to the outside. You might start to think that your cat has jumped into the washing machine and, oh my God, the washing machine is running!
You search high and low. You search in every place that you know. You cannot believe that you can’t find your darling cat because you know for sure that he is there but where?
The picture illustrating this page, which I believe was taken by Ms Wallace of her cat Clancy is a good example. This is black-on-black and just one of the hazards.
Today, as has happened on other days, I lost my cat. I live in a relatively small home but I still lost him and I searched for about 15 minutes. I eventually found him in the hallway. What I believe had happened was that I’d come in via the hallway, closed the entrance of the hallway and while I was doing that he had stealthily entered the area without me noticing.
Thereafter I searched every area except the hallway and when I finally did search the hallway I discovered him. In fact, he was sitting proudly on top of a radiator for everyone to see except me!
On other occasions I have looked in all the usual hiding places and failed to find him. On these occasions I have almost decided that he has escaped from my apartment. When I have paused in searching for him, having almost given up and feeling distraught, he calmly trots up behind me as if nothing has happened, from I don’t know where. I am relieved and bemused at the same time.
In the case of Ms Wallace and her cat Clancy, she states that she spent 10 minutes searching for her cat. She even went outside and then checked the living room, bedrooms and found nothing. When she rechecked the living room where there are plenty of places to hide, she finally realised that her cat was sitting proudly on top of the television cabinet!iding
Have you ever been in a situation when you have got into a bit of a panic about losing your cat in your home, right in front of you, within yards of where you are standing but failing to see him/her? The word “panic” is important because when we get a bit panicky we search poorly and envisage the worst case scenario.
I think it is distinctly possible that this can happen because of my experiences and because I know that cats are incredibly stealthy and they can find places to hide which you did not realize existed.
Good training. Associating her name and something good about to happen. Gabriel is training me along the same lines 😉 .
My 10 month old cat responds to her name 8/10 (she is a cat, can’t expect 10/10), she has learned good things happen when she comes, usually it means a game of chase the laser, I recorded myself playing “Silent Night” on my Squeezebox and every time I play the recording on my phone she runs to me…of course she may be trying to switch it off 🙁 but I like to think she enjoys it.
This is a good description of what Gabriel does 😉 . We share the same problem.
Nice one. Do all your cats respond to their names? Or is that your goal?
Well, I am pleased you understand the scenario. The one time I sort of panicked was when Gabriel was very young and a foster cat. I even went outside to search for him. I had given up almost and found him in a place I hadn’t thought of.
Thanks Riverside but I am not sure it would have helped because he stays still.