Understanding the in-laws....

[RedHedd]

.....how can someone who claims to love animals so much be so cavalier about finding the tiny little thing? Am I reacting a little too much?

You did the right thing. A young, small kitten like that can get into just about anywhere and get hurt, lodged, squished, etc. The poor wee one was missing for over two hours? YIKES! What if they didn't find her for a day or two? Depending on the temperature she could have been very hurt due to dehydration. I'm glad you went searching and found her .... now where are those pictures?

[catnapper]

I think it depends on the people. Hubby always ells me I over react when I can't find the cats. Even to this day I freak out if one is not present and accounted for. I was worse when they were little. He rolled his eyes at me on a nightly basis as I hunted for the little ones. We always found them within half an hour.

I was giving Allen meds this month. He dissappeared for 99% of the day and only came out for a quick meal and potty. I have NO IDEA where he was hiding all month. I have looked and looked and hubby just rolled his eyes at me once more.

All that said, hubby is a huge animal lover. I swear sometimes he loves the pets more than I do. Especially Harry and Flutter -- he adores those two. Does the fact that he was/is a whole lot more relaxed than me when it comes to knowing where the cats are make him less of a animal lover? No. Sometimes I wish I could be as confident as he is that everyone is around. Only once was I right (I forget who snuck out) and the other million times where I couldn't sleep for worry over a missing cat turned out to be wasted worry because the cat in question always eneded up sleeping in some hidey hole.

I obsess over where the cats are and how they are doing. Hubby just "knows" they are fine and doesn't begin to worry until I've whipped myself up into a frenzy for a few hours. And it never fails.... two seconds after he begins to help me look: the cat shows up from their hiding spot.

I'd chalk it up to different temperments and ways of looking at something and not question their love of animals. Personally, there's NO WAY I'd let a kitten that small have full run of the house. But thats me.

Now, if they knew she was missing for 24 hours and still acted like that, then I'd worry.

[Sparklecoon]

You could be over-reacting a bit but than again you might not be. We recently got a front load washer. Everytime I fill it up I check to make sure there are three little kitties running around before I turn it on. I worry that one will sneak in and something horrible will happen. Am I over-reacting? Maybe, but sometimes it's better safe than sorry. Who knows when you MIL would of gone in the room next and little ones can go down hill very quickly (dehydration etc).

[orangemm]

Maybe that was a kind of 'wake-up' call to your MIL; kittens can and will be elusive and WE have to make sure they are safe at all times.

You did what I would have done.