We have two outdoor cats that have a really cool set up in a chicken coop. These are both cats from the local city’s rescue who deemed them to be unfit for adoption as house pets. They are adopted as “working cats”. They have their own Amish built chicken coop as their cat house with their own cat tent beds, litter boxes, and food/water bowls. We are as social with them as they allow and give them the love they allow.

They have just been moved to their spiffy outdoor home and we’re supposed to remain in their coop and attached (chicken run) area for two week according to the rescue , before being allowed to roam the property. Unfortunately they both escaped their area. The more social cat is hanging around on our deck and comes and goes as she pleases- comes back for her feeding times. The other is very secretive, unsocial, scared and I’ve not laid eyes on him in two days.

I need some strategies on how to lure him out of hiding to confirm he is actually ok. He does not come when I feed them and I only ever saw him leave his covered bed (while in the house) on camera at night. I would use the camera again in the coop to see him at night however it’s too far from any outlet. He is all black so he is very good at camouflaging. For cats who are scared and not food driven, how can they be lured out of hiding?