Start with the sheds and garages on your own street
A cat trapped in a neighbor's shed or garage overnight is usually much closer than you fear. Cats slip through a door left open during gardening or while a car is parked, then hide when the door shuts and stay silent in an unfamiliar, echoing space. Begin with the houses nearest to where you last saw her, plus any home where you heard a mower, saw building work, or know a garage was open that evening. Knock, explain briefly, and ask the neighbor to open the building fully rather than peer through a crack. A nervous cat will not bolt past a stranger, so ask for a minute of quiet after the door opens, step back out of sight, and call in your normal voice.
Listen and look the way a hidden cat behaves
Once a shed door is open, do not rush in rattling boxes. Stand still and listen for a faint mew, scratching, or movement among stored items, because a cat wedged behind paint tins or a freezer may only call once she thinks the danger has passed. Get low and sweep a flashlight beam slowly along the floor line, behind shelving, and up into rafters, watching for eye shine. If she is in a garage, check inside wheel arches, on top of stored tires, and in any open box, and ask the neighbor to lift the car hood only with care and with you present. Bring a small bowl of her usual food to set just inside the doorway so scent can coax her forward without anyone lunging to grab her.
If the first round of knocking finds nothing
Widen the search one street at a time and leave a short note through doors where nobody answers, naming the buildings you need checked and your phone number. Ask neighbors to leave a shed door propped open for an hour with food inside if they cannot check straight away, since some cats slip out on their own once the space feels empty. Timing matters after an overnight stay: she will be thirsty and more likely to move and call at dusk, so repeat the circuit in the early evening when the street is quieter. Call from your own garden last, so any movement she makes is toward home rather than away from it.
When she comes out or is found inside
Let her come to you or into a carrier placed sideways with a familiar blanket inside, rather than pulling her from a hiding gap, which can injure a panicked cat and break her trust in your hands. At home, offer water first and a small meal, then look her over for cuts, a limp, or signs she has been without water too long, such as dry gums, unusual tiredness, or not passing urine. A cat shut in during hot weather, an older cat, or one who seems wobbly or refuses water needs a veterinarian the same day. If she is bright, eating, and using her litter tray normally, keep her indoors for a day or two and note what happened while it is fresh.
Make the next accidental lock-in easier to solve
Indoor-outdoor cats repeat routes, so the sheds she explored once are the first places to check next time she is late home. A collar profile that a finder can scan shortens that gap between someone hearing scratching in their garage and reaching you. Keep a short list on your phone of the neighbors whose outbuildings she favors. When minutes count, KinsLe widens the circle for you through the Lost Pet Alert System, alerting nearby members within reach of your street who can open their own sheds and message you the moment they hear or see her.