# I've failed the cat lady



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

*EDIT: Cat was finally recovered after being trapped for nine days.* :thumbup:

Got a referral from a very loyal customer to go help out a co-worker who just moved into a townhouse with her three cats.

One of them is missing, somewhere in the bowels of the house.

She's heard the cat crying; even has recordings of it. I tore open ductwork and made swiss cheese of the drywall with a 4" hole saw with no luck. She called a historical restoration company, and the guy came over with a scope and high-end thermal imager--no luck.

Her dad stopped by with HIS hole saw and made Alpine Lace out of my swiss cheese. Still no cat.

She's not just being sneaky, either. Food and water left out are untouched, and she's sounding weaker all the time. Unfortunately, she's not very talkative, and absolutely clams up when strangers are in the house, so I haven't had a chance to hear her myself.

It's been seven days.

Any ideas? You can keep the smartass ones to yourself; this is serious.


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## Chris G (May 17, 2006)

That's awful to hear an animal suffer. It must be trapped/hooked somewhere. Can you bring in a dog to catch a scent?


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

honestly? Ive found cats in crawlspaces hiding ABOVE the insulation but UNDER the subfloor sitting on blocking or caught in wire. You can try looking around the foundation for disturbed ground assuming its an unfinished basement. Sump pumps, pull out the dishwasher and look there, same for the range. Behind washer/dryer. If there is a drop cieling, there too. Attics are ALWAYS a good bet too. You could even try to look under stairs. My house for instance has a closet that extends under the stairs on the 1st floor but its completely closed off.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

what about a search and rescue dog?
What about another thermal imaging camera? Maybe there was something wrong with the first one or it wasn't sensitive enough.

That's all I got right now


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

When was the last time she heard the cast?


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## Xtrememtnbiker (Jun 9, 2013)

We had to get a cat out of a house once. Thing was going through all sorts of weird passages in a garage with a storage space built above it.

Point of story, we finally got it after it got stuck trying to out of a wall with 1/4" panelling. The thing got half way through a hole for a single gang box. We pried off that panel and get it unstuck, but cats can fit places that don't look remotely possible. I hope you can find it.


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Or if there is a furnace, check that as well. Being its an old house, thats an option too.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

SteveinNEPA said:


> Or if there is a furnace, check that as well. Being its an old house, thats an option too.


Yup, possibly the clean-out door at the bottom of the chimney...even for just an oil-fired furnace.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

SteveinNEPA said:


> honestly? Ive found cats in crawlspaces hiding ABOVE the insulation but UNDER the subfloor sitting on blocking or caught in wire. You can try looking around the foundation for disturbed ground assuming its an unfinished basement. Sump pumps, pull out the dishwasher and look there, same for the range. Behind washer/dryer. If there is a drop cieling, there too. Attics are ALWAYS a good bet too. You could even try to look under stairs. My house for instance has a closet that extends under the stairs on the 1st floor but its completely closed off.


Pretty much covered all of that that's applicable. She only hears the cat when standing at the foot of the basement stairs, and it sounds like it's in the basement ceiling, which is rough-drywalled. I've poked a hole in every joist bay.

The townhouse is a center unit, so the block walls go uninterrupted up to the attic. Basement windows and wells are cat-proof. No sump.

I've seldom felt so clueless.

I also have no clue how a rescue dog would work in this situation.


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Any dog really, who is interested in cats and NOT shy about new places. Will sniff it out to some degree.


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Basement ceiling... What about where the stairs go up to the next floor? Is there space behind there? ANYWHERE at all? Maybe boxed in to you but accessible by a cat? Kinda like rodents in a way, can squeeze into all kinds of spaces that look impossible.

edit. Just occured to me, my wifes parents cat was lost for 3 days, barely made a sound. He was UNDER a vanity. The type with 4 feet and that stupid crescent cut out in the base. Anything like that in the basement?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

SteveinNEPA said:


> Or if there is a furnace, check that as well. Being its an old house, thats an option too.


I didn't say it's old, but matter of fact it was built in 1954. :thumbsup:

It has a much newer furnace, but I checked that out thoroughly. there is a bit of a mystery with the cold air returns--only the first floor has 3 of them ducted directly into the furnace. Other returns just feed into the open air of the basement space. Wierd. She said the guy with the scope was puzzled over that too.

She heard the cat this morning.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

SteveinNEPA said:


> Any dog really, who is interested in cats and NOT shy about new places. Will sniff it out to some degree.


Keep in mind she has two other cats. :blink:


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

chimney or plumbing chase ????

is there a dead space between unit separation walls ??


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Tinstaafl said:


> I didn't say it's old, but matter of fact it was built in 1954. :thumbsup: .


I know some of central PA lol, was a hunch :thumbup:


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Tinstaafl said:


> Keep in mind she has two other cats. :blink:


crate then and take them out of the house?


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## BucketofSteam (Jun 16, 2013)

Cats are capable of climbing in ways you don't understand. So if that goes up to the attic the cat could very well be up there. 
Personally I'd get a stethoscope and start tapping on the walls and ceiling just to see where it might be.


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## Kenny B (Jun 25, 2013)

Try sprinkling catnip around the house. it may draw it out of its hiding spot. put it all over though around the perimeter and by any openings. if the cat doesn't come out, it may at least get louder.


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

That's a rough one J.

With dogs, if you can't find one all you have to do is ring the doorbell and they present themselves fast.

What about the same line of thinking. If the cat is used to canned food, perhaps running the can opener in different areas including might get a response by the owner doing it with nobody else around.

Can you find out what the cat is afraid of? If it's dogs bring one in and you might hear enough activity to narrow it down.

Now I really wish I didn't open this thread. Poor creature.

I'll look online for some other ideas and try to come up with some myself.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Flir


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

BucketofSteam said:


> Cats are capable of climbing in ways you don't understand. So if that goes up to the attic the cat could very well be up there.
> Personally I'd get a stethoscope and start tapping on the walls and ceiling just to see where it might be.


Trust me, I've seen plenty. Lived with cats all my life. :thumbsup:

I actually thought of a stethoscope or dB meter, but she's not vocal enough. You could wait all day for one meow.



rselectric1 said:


> If the cat is used to canned food, perhaps running the can opener in different areas including might get a response by the owner doing it with nobody else around.


The owner's actually had limited success at getting a response that way. But not enough to nail down the location any better. :sad:


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

I'll keep looking but I just remembered the one time I sat for my sisters cat. She somehow figured out how to open up a door in an old piece of furniture and the door closed somehow trapping her. The next time I had the same cat I couldn't find her the entire time she was there and found her in my bathroom vanity.

Online, one area that I hadn't though of was a furnace flue. One cat got up the chimney and somehow the damper closed.

I'll keep looking. (PS, apparently Tuna is a good lure too)


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Sorry, I see you had a guy with high end imagining come in already. 
The only other option is to set fire to the place....the cat will run out quick as can be. The house on the other hand.....

7 days is not so long for cats, my wife _sort of_ rescued one that was +/- 2 months with no attention. 
Cats are pretty flexible, I don't see one getting into a place they cannot get out of unless a door or some other obstacle gets in the way.


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## CrpntrFrk (Oct 25, 2008)

Sorry but I am going to have to suggest a dog also. Reason being, I have first hand experience of this working.

Mama cat had her kittens in my mother's joists. The dog would go to that area and scratch and bark. I opened up the area from underneath and sure enough. Litter of kittens.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

FYI guys, I just sent her a link to this thread, so be good. :laughing:


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

Find someone with better thermal imaging.


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## SteveinNEPA (Jun 5, 2014)

Tin, I sent ya a PM


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

What exactly did you do there at the job? Maybe a scope of work might help narrow down some of our ideas. Also at the base of the stairs where she hears her is it a finished basement or what?


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Tinstaafl said:


> FYI guys, I just sent her a link to this thread, so be good. :laughing:


Sooo, I guess the fire thing is out of the question at this point?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

rselectric1 said:


> What exactly did you do there at the job? Maybe a scope of work might help narrow down some of our ideas. Also at the base of the stairs where she hears her is it a finished basement or what?


Physically looked inside every duct (and the furnace) in the basement and first floor. Between me and others, all joist bays and walls in the general area have had 4" holes poked in for a look-see. Highly doubtful that it's a Sistine Chapel sort of acoustic effect from the second floor.

The basement is semi- or rough-finished, with mostly exposed block walls. I'm pretty confident those walls hold no secrets.


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

4" dryer or bath vent


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## dkillianjr (Aug 28, 2006)

I hope this all works out for the cat! 

I don't have too much input, but I will second what rs said. Growing up we always had a couple cats and if you opened a can of tuna they would always come a runnin! 

Good luck Tin!


Dave


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

tgeb said:


> Flir


I doubt this would be reliable. I use them for locating animals, and fur really cuts down on the contrast. Then throw in an unknown location with unknown materials between it and the camera, and it'd be something of a long shot.


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

Perhaps the kitty is moving around, so you have looked everywhere, but not at the same time.. maybe enlist a small team of searchers to cover more areas simultaneously

How about a plumber with a sewer camera (see snake)?


I closed a cat into a porch ceiling once... The HO called when she realized it was up there, I back went and pulled some soffit, and that cat nearly jumped on my head getting out of there


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

I'd consider using a parabolic mike or a spike mike to see if I could pick up any thing. A cat that thinks they're trapped will just sit there and not try to come out - they'll wait for rescue.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Quality thermal imaging.


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

Jaws said:


> Quality thermal imaging.


I'm pretty amazed at what a flir or good TI unit can find. I wish I needed one enough to buy one. It sees conduit in the walls, plumbing pipes, etc.

Any change in temp will be picked up and you can see the actual stuff behind the walls. Are you friends with any energy experts who might have one?

I've exhausted my google search and it seems that cats find very unusual places to hide, and can survive for quite a long time without presenting themselves, but tend to show up eventually. Apparently moving or lots of noise can prompt the hiding which is probably the case here and it's pretty common.

Please keep up posted Tin. As an animal lover I will probably be up way too many times tonight checking this thread for the best outcome.


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## parkers5150 (Dec 5, 2008)

hey Tin some times something as simple as a different approach is all that is needed...instead of thinking about all the places the cat could be... make a list of all covered and from that EVERYWHERE that isn't on the list. good luck


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

TimelessQuality said:


> Perhaps the kitty is moving around, so you have looked everywhere, but not at the same time.. maybe enlist a small team of searchers to cover more areas simultaneously


This ain't my first rodeo. My BIL moved out of state some years back, and when the movers had gone and he was ready to go, his cat was nowhere to be found (another townhouse). He and his wife stayed another three days searching for that cat with no results, then had to go.

Couple of days later, neighbors reported seeing the cat sitting in a window at night. Wife and I went over and got keys from management, searched the place and found nothing. Another day or two, another report of the Ghost Cat. Another fruitless search.

Happened yet again, and we had eight people searching that house from top to bottom. Nothing.

So we staked the place out narc-style, with a team at every unlocked door and cell phones at the ready. Sure enough, eventually Ghost Cat showed up strolling across the basement floor, and we converged on her from three directions and captured her.

To this day, no one knows where she was hiding.


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

This is going to sound silly but call the Fire Dept, not emergency but explain what is going on. Our department has very high quality and extremely expensive infarred equip and Can detect the smallest hot spot. They would be able to find a cat. Do not call dispatch if you can help it, they might shine you on or say there is nothing they can do. Talk to an actual fireman, usually they care and will do something.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Just got a call. She talked to the fire department, and SIX guys showed up to search and scope. Unfortunately, they found nothing.

They told her they had never seen anyone do so much demo to find a pet.


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

Tinstaafl said:


> Just got a call. She talked to the fire department, and SIX guys showed up to search and scope. Unfortunately, they found nothing.
> 
> They told her they had never seen anyone do so much demo to find a pet.


Well FVCK! I was hoping they could locate it! I am glad they at least tried though.....


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## CENTERLINE MV (Jan 9, 2011)

Wow that's a major bummer.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Any chance the cat had kittens and is just keeping she and her babies safe?


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

If all options are on the table...

Are you positive there is a 3rd cat? Cat ladies do have a stigma attached to them....


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Dan_Watson said:


> If all options are on the table...
> 
> Are you positive there is a 3rd cat? Cat ladies do have a stigma attached to them....


I'm glad someone finally asked. It was first on my mind last night but after reading that she may be reading the posts...I stopped.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Robie said:


> I'm glad someone finally asked. It was first on my mind last night but after reading that she may be reading the posts...I stopped.


I doubt she forgot how many cats she has...but I could see the little bugger showing up at the front door a week later.:laughing:


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## Dan_Watson (Mar 1, 2008)

Inner10 said:


> I doubt she forgot how many cats she has...but I could see the little bugger showing up at the front door a week later.:laughing:


I was not implying she forgot....


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Inner10 said:


> I doubt she forgot how many cats she has...but I could see the little bugger showing up at the front door a week later.:laughing:


You haven't been around old people much....

My ex girlfriend comes home one night...stops at the gas station near her home. She sees a dead cat in the middle of the road...looks like her cat. Investigates and lo and behold...it's her cat.
She gets the guy at the gas station to pick it up and she takes it home in a box.
The cocktails would have come out anyway, but tonight was a reason to start with a double.
Void of any shovel, even a small gardening shovel, she digs a grave with a kitchen fork. After an hour of crying and digging, the grave is complete. She says good-bye to her friend and retires inside.

An hour later (4th glass of wine) a cat looking just like hers comes trotting up the driveway wanting to get in...just like her old cat used to (last night).

Yup...buried the wrong cat.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Robie said:


> You haven't been around old people much....
> 
> My ex girlfriend comes home one night...stops at the gas station near her home. She sees a dead cat in the middle of the road...looks like her cat. Investigates and lo and behold...it's her cat.
> She gets the guy at the gas station to pick it up and she takes it home in a box.
> ...


I've been around enough women to know that non of them are mentally stable.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Dan_Watson said:


> I was not implying she forgot....


Maybe she just wants company.....:whistling

The more damage, the more company.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

It's not just really old people that imagine things, I thought I posted a comment on this thread, but it's not here...


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## Quad Racer (Jun 2, 2014)

The Twilight Zone...........


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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

How long since she last heard the cat? Could the cat have moved since last time it was heard and is now too far to be heard?

If it could be in a duct, maybe you could check the vents for cat smells. Or crank up the air and see if you can get some cat hair at a vent.


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## mski (Apr 4, 2013)

Sir Mixalot said:


> Maybe the cat could be stuck in the box spring of a bed?


Thats what I was thinking. Something like a recliner chair, sleeper sofa, etc.

Start banging on the furniture to see if it meows.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

My friend's cat used to get into the kitchen cabinets and was not be able to get back out. Cats are not as smart as many give them credit for...


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> I've been around enough women to know that non of them are mentally stable.


I second and third this statement. No truer words have been spoken (written) on this forum. lol


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> I've been around enough women to know that non*e* of them are mentally stable.


Yeah, but hookers, strippers, and crack tooth whores, don't count... :laughing: :laughing:


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

m1911 said:


> Yeah, but hookers, strippers, and crack tooth whores, don't count... :laughing: :laughing:


They still count, but every three equals one vote. lol

Btw, is there really a difference between hookers and strippers?


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

They should have gone to my plan "B" while the fire dept. was there....


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Yes it really matters. Where I'm from you screw up, you fix it. You can't afford the fix, that's what insurance is for.

Saying, "what does it matter" is ignoring a very viable solution here. Identify fault and hold them responsible.


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## WBailey1041 (Jan 31, 2014)

Drain camera from a plumber to run into every joist bay and crevice?


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

So this is like half a finished home? How does the cat transport through the wall? Find the opening, and follow the framing.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

I can't imagine a thermal imager with the AC turned on couldn't locate the cat...


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## Burns-Built (May 8, 2009)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Yes it really matters. Where I'm from you screw up, you fix it. You can't afford the fix, that's what insurance is for.
> 
> Saying, "what does it matter" is ignoring a very viable solution here. Identify fault and hold them responsible.


read the begginjng of the thread. it isn't any ones fault the cat got somewhere it. can't get out of or doesn't want to be found

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

m1911 said:


> the cat's, for going in there...


Nice. It's the cats fault. Oh well then it dies. :no:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Burns-Built said:


> read the begginjng of the thread. it isn't any ones fault the cat got somewhere it. can't get out of or doesn't want to be found
> 
> Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


So does the begginjng of the thread specify whether this home is inhabitable? How does a cat get into somewhere it can't get out? It just doesn't make sense.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> So this is like half a finished home? How does the cat transport through the wall? Find the opening, and follow the framing.


I don't know. But from what I read here, cats are quite tenacious and would go places you couldn't imagine.

How they could go from stud bay to stud bay is beyond me: they're closed - top plate, bottom plate, studs, drywall.????


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

all the more reason to have your pets chipped with tracking device...


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Exactly. Framing is closed. Framing gets drywall. There can't be that many wholes in it.

Find the open duct and I bet you find the cat.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

m1911 said:


> all the more reason to have your pets chipped with tracking device...


The one we have for our dogs overlays on Google maps. It'd be very hard to use that to pin point a location within a single residents. 

Seems like another practice application of fire blocking codes too me.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

jb4211 said:


> I don't know. But from what I read here, cats are quite tenacious and would go places you couldn't imagine.
> 
> How they could go from stud bay to stud bay is beyond me: they're closed - top plate, bottom plate, studs, drywall.????


It's probably somewhere in the last place anyone would look - inside a mattress or box in some dark corner somewhere in attic or basement...


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

If it was my cat, I would take the day off and search every corner of the house, but then again, I don't like cats, so I wouldn't have that problem, and last time I checked, dogs don't climb trees.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

I'd rather hang and finish 10 sheets of drywall than patch 50 wholes. If it was my kids cat, it would be found and my wife would be picking out new wall colors.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> Exactly. Framing is closed. Framing gets drywall. There can't be that many wholes in it.
> 
> Find the open duct and I bet you find the cat.


Matt, slow down and take your ADD meds.

That exact nature of finished construction is why we haven't completely gutted the place. It would make no sense. And if you bothered to read the whole thread, you would have seen that all of the ducts have been thoroughly investigated.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> I'd rather hang and finish 10 sheets of drywall than patch 50 wholes. If it was my kids cat, it would be found and my wife would be picking out new wall colors.


*wholes*, as apposed to halves? :laughing:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Tinstaafl said:


> Matt, slow down and take your ADD meds.
> 
> That exact nature of finished construction is why we haven't completely gutted the place. It would make no sense. And if you bothered to read the whole thread, you would have seen that all of the ducts have been thoroughly investigated.


My ADD meds? A personal attack? Very MOD like...


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

m1911 said:


> wholes, as apposed to halves? :laughing:


In the begginjng, there was a dictionary..

:grammarpolice:


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

Have they tried looking under the fridge? Sometimes a cat can squeeze into that cardboard panel on the back and get stuck. Also, have they tried looking outside when they heard the cat? Maybe the cat got out and has been stuck the whole time and only meows when he thinks that he hears humans inside.


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## knucklehead (Mar 2, 2009)

Are you nuts? What do you mean you can't find a cat?
I would not quit til I found it. I don't care how much money she has or doesn't have. I would not leave until I found it. 

It would be kind of like a scavenger hunt or something.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> My ADD meds? A personal attack? Very MOD like...


it's not a personal attack, it means read the posts more carefully. need thick skin around here. :laughing:


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## Burns-Built (May 8, 2009)

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

m1911 said:


> it's not a personal attack, it means read the posts more carefully. need thick skin around here. :laughing:


Oh thanks for helping me there. I had no clue. You are so very helpful. What did I do without you for the past 4 or 5 years..


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## Eaglei (Aug 1, 2012)

What about a motion detector in the basement or a security camera that works off motion . Was the cat old or maybe sick , sometimes an animal will hide for this reason so as not to show weakness .


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## BucketofSteam (Jun 16, 2013)

Tinstaafl said:


> Matt, slow down and take your ADD meds.
> 
> That exact nature of finished construction is why we haven't completely gutted the place. It would make no sense. And if you bothered to read the whole thread, you would have seen that all of the ducts have been thoroughly investigated.


So just out of curiosity how well did you check the duct work? Is it possible that some of the ducts could have holes open into spaces where you didn't look?


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## knucklehead (Mar 2, 2009)

You better find before it dies and starts stinkin


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## dielectricunion (Feb 27, 2013)

I was doing a small job in an apartment and given explicit directions to keep the cats closed in this one room. I had to open and close the door a few times though. When I was leaving I noticed the cats were gone. It was getting dark and I was freaking out even up and down city alleys looking for these cats. I was going to have to tell this lady her cats were gone. Practically crying, I noticed something move on the bed in that room. Those two cats were right where the pillows go under the comforter! Bastards


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## knucklehead (Mar 2, 2009)

And they get real quiet when they are dead.


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## TxElectrician (May 21, 2008)

Has anybody checked her old house? Maybe the cat escaped and went back home.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

BucketofSteam said:


> So just out of curiosity how well did you check the duct work? Is it possible that some of the ducts could have holes open into spaces where you didn't look?


By getting into some very undignified positions, and actually cutting holes in a couple. Plus another guy had a scope he ran down them. Also, there is excellent air flow that makes it seem unlikely there's any undetected opening.

Far as I know, the cat's not old nor sick. Probably just wacked out by moving into a strange place. But even a wacked out cat would eventually emerge for food & water if she could.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

is there a porch soffit perhaps?


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

I don't know the sex of a cat in question here but if you got a cat of the opposite sex that was in heat... well.. you know.. love and sex has been a strong motivating factor in impossible situations that suddenly became possible.

Typical cat says, "Help! I'm stuck! I can't get out! HELP ME- wait...is that another cat? I'll be right there!"


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## FrankSmith (Feb 21, 2013)

Could it be in the dead-space under a bathtub?


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

OK, so possibilities are tapping and listening with a stethoscope for movement. That seems practical. If you start remote from some of the holes, you might "scare" it back toward them. 

There's always a predator call, AKA mouse squeaker. Some cats can't resist them.

I guess you could always puff on a stogie and blow the smoke into the walls - maybe it will start coughing:blink:

I'm guessing the cat is either scared and hiding or it actually is trapped. FWIW, I've seen a cat get caught above a damper in a chimney - climbed above it and I guess the damper was jarred and closed.


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Cot and sleeping bag in the basement.
Stay still all night.
Listen for cat.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Not knowing the construction details, I'm assuming there are pockets for joists and / or beams in the block wall, with the beam or joist angle cut. That would allow bay to bay movement. I don't recall seeing open blocks in this type of construction, but if there are, the cat could get in there as well.

I'm thinking the "most demo he's seen" isn't a good sign....


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Robie said:


> Cot and sleeping bag in the basement.
> *Open can of tuna on your chest*
> Stay still all night.
> Listen for cat.


Doctored that up...


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Robie has a good point. I've dealt with some pretty skittish cats, including some feral cats that wouldn't let you near them. The trick with feral cats (and other skittish ones) is they like their pride time around 2 AM. Evening hunting is over, and dawn hunting hasn't started, so they'll look to relax in a pile - other cats they like, people they like.

I spent a few months on the couch at night waiting for a feral cat to get up on me and be petted - couldn't touch him at any other time at first.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Matt, what makes you think the cat was closed in by construction? I didnt read that anywhere. Sounds like Tin is just being a nice guy.


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## brickhook (May 8, 2012)

jb4211 said:


> They still count, but every three equals one vote. lol
> 
> Btw, is there really a difference between hookers and strippers?


.....yep, :whistling


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