Cats have the ability to get into spaces we would be certain they could not get into. This can get them into trouble. It’s something we need to keep in mind when we are kitten proofing, checking for escape routes, or looking for the cat.

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Cats use their whiskers to scope out possible sizes. If their whiskers can clear the opening, they know they can fit through it. Because cats have no collarbones, they can twist and pull their body through very small spaces. If we have ever seen cats in a long stretch, we can see how small they can get.

Of course, this can create a situation for them, such as during remodeling, exploring a new space, or being so frantic to hide they worm their way into a space we didn’t expect.

Kittens are even more heedless of danger. They will climb to the top of the drapes and get stuck there, they will find the space behind the stove and get caught under the cord, and they will sometimes panic if we throw a blanket over them and they don’t know how to get out.

I once took Mr. Bond to work after a weekend medical appointment, thinking that he would rather be with me than at the vet’s. I brought a litter box and had food and water. My workmates found him adorable, and soon… he had vanished.

They came to me and confessed they had searched all over and could not find him. The doors were closed and things were quiet, so I knew he hadn’t gone far. I figured he’d had enough fussing, and I went over the office and found him on my second guess. I simply looked in places he couldn’t possibly be, and there he was.

It is hoped the cat can get themselves out of whatever they get into. If the cat is missing, go around calling them, and pause for an answer. It might be faint, it might take a little silence on our part for the cat to call out, but that is a sign the cat is stuck. They need some help.

Cats, without anyone’s help, have been stuck in recliners, folding sofas, drywall partitions, and countless other places. People have had to take apart cabinets or remove the back seats from cars. Be alert to stressful situations that will override the cat’s knowledge of their abilities and squeeze them into regrettable places.

Locate and secure all cats before we begin activities that will make a lot of noise, shift heavy objects, or involve power tools of any kind.

These are the kinds of events the cat, not knowing that the interesting thing is about to erupt into shrieking violence, will panic over.

Somebody could get hurt.

If we remember that cats will always prefer to flee and hide, we will know where to look, and when to warn.

Cats appreciate that.

What’s the funniest place you’ve found your cat?

Emergency UPDATE:

People have been asking how to get a cat OUT of a stuck place. And that depends. If we can, gently, get their front legs stretched out in front of them, the rest of them can follow. This assumes the cat trusts us and will recognize that we are trying to get them out. In this case, they will cooperate.

If the cat is panicked, if we cannot see a way to get the cat out, or if we cannot even get at the cat, I’m afraid some disassembly is called for. There is no “magic” way to get a cat out; the way they got in might not be available if they don’t have room to turn around and get out the way they came in.

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