New cat gone AWOL :-(

gambit27

So glad he came home ok I agree with Peachy though, I'd let him out when you come home tonight and try not to worry, it may well be that he sleeps all day, and wants to wander all night, I think a lot of cats are that way inclined.

My cat used to prowl the house at night, but after we started letting him out, he'll sleep at night, and go out wandering from when we come home just after 5 till about 10ish, coming back every now and again in between for a nose in the house, then back out again. We don't have a cat flap, so the door gets locked when he comes back in from his last wander and he's settled into this routine. He doesn't bother budging when we go out in the morning, but if I'm off, like today, when I come home he's straight out the door and usually has his last wander at about 7 at night. He now generally sleeps at night, mostly, a bit like a newborn that seems to think it's playtime at 3am, but you gradually get them into a routine.

From speaking to other cat owners, I don't think this is the norm, but our cat thinks he's a dog half the time and plays fetch and gives us a paw when we ask lol, he's quite timid and a real home boy (he hides behind my legs and growls at any cat that dares try to fight him, very brave when he has my legs to protect him!)

I hope you get your boy into a routine that suits you both, I suppose when you first let your cat out, it's all trial and error. Try locking the cat flap at bedtime if he's in, he may get used to the times he's allowed out, and the times the flap is locked.

Mayflower10cat

I'm relieved and delighted he's home safe and sound. Having recently let out our 'found, unclaimed and so adopted' tabby boy after nearly four months here, I know how nerve-wracking it can be. We both sat and chewed our fingernails down to almost bleeding until he came back. It seemed to me that he went almost as far as he dared in all directions (in reality not that far, only about three gardens away), doing big loops, climbing up trees and onto shed roofs, working out where everything was. Each time he's been out since then he's not gone anywhere like so far, and he's come back looking pleased to see us every half hour or so. When he comes back I've been giving him a few treats so he knows how clever he's been.

We have a dear friend and neighbour who's 2 yr old (neutered) boy will go off on walkabout for anything up to 3 days at a time. He has been discovered almost a mile away on many occasions, hunting in the fields. His Mum & Dad live in constant anxiety! My sneaky suspicion is that he has less incentive to come him, as his catflap lets him into their porch only, not the rest of the house. We're persuading them to add another flap at the back of the house via the utility room, so the wanderer has access to the grannyflat and a comfy bed.

ellay864

My cat has a very wide territory - we discovered accidentally when we went for a walk locally and she followed us. It was quite comical for the first couple of hundred yards then we got to worrying about how far she was going to follow and would she get back OK. It got to a point where she suddenly obviously wasn't going to go any further but at the same time wanted to stay with us. We had to carry on but I kept wondering if she was ok. When we came back, about 40 mins later and got to that spot there was no sign of her but I called her name and she appeared from a garden nearby! The thing happened a few weeks later in the opposite direction. She has free reign to come and go as she pleases, she's never been away for more than a day - usually she goes out at night and appears shouting to let us know she's home at 3am!! A couple of times she's not been there when we've woken up but appears mid morning. I've got used to it now and if I ever try to keep her in she destroys carpet etc trying to get out!

patchwork_cat

Some cats do have a very large territory. I have a couple of anecdotes from childhood. My Grandma who lived about 1/2 mile from us left some fish on the side and a cat creeped through the window and stole it- she thought it looked like our cat and called 'Tiger' lo and behold he stopped and turned it was our cat from 1/2 mile away! He must either have followed us one day or he had recognised our voices when playing in their garden.

When I was older in another house when we took our cat in the car to the vets he would sit up and look around when we passed a wood about again 1/2 mile or so from home, every time. He obviously knew this wood.

McKneff

peachyprice wrote: »

I actually think you should leave the cat flap open, he's more likely to go on another big adventure when you do finally let him out again. If he has free access to the outside he'll go on shorter trips knowing that he can come and go as he pleases.

Imagine being locked indoors yourself, when you were finally let out would you go to the end of the road or a nice long walk?

I agree totally with this. Cats are natural hunters, roamers, how would you feel shut in all day, let him please himself please.

LittleLauz

I wouldn't dream of not letting him out again, he clearly loves the great outdoors and I'd never deny him the rights to act like a cat should be able too.
I'm just not sure wether I should let him settle for a little while longer before opening the cat flap again?
Though having said that, the fact that he has come back probably means that he thinks of this as his home now right?

KiKi

Absolutely, Laura - and you have to do what you feel comfortable with, as well as working with Oscar!

I don't like my two being out in the dark. The ONLY time I let Mil out late she fell down a 15 foot drain shaft and I had firemen and everything on a roof at 2am!! I don't have a cat flap, but I can leave my window open all day. So I let them out after breakfast, then they can come and go as they please (it's mostly sleeping). But at 6pm (currently!) the window is shut and that's it! They have plenty to play with in the house and get lots and lots of attention all day, so they're in a routine to sleep at night and go out in the day. It works for me and them, as they like to be inside in the warm anyway!

I used to have a cat called Smokey who was out all hours of the night, but he was eventually hit by a car so no more night excursions for him.

(ETA - Smokey was okay, just a dislocated hip and bad eye, but he was fine, and wasn't allowed out at night after that!)

KiKi

UnluckyT

glad your pus back.
funny what they get up to, the cat that partly mine that lives with the other 4 at mums has made 'freinds' with at least 3 of the neighburs, plus1 of my sisters cats is inclined to 'walk' us down the road when mum and sis are seeing me to the busstop.

rising_from_the_ashes

Phew, so glad he's back. My big lad occasionally goes on a long excursion (and was missing for 48 hours once) and I just can't get to sleep if they're both not in and tucked up beside me!

LittleLauz

Well he seems to be quite contented with not going out tonight, in fact he's only woken up for food and cuddles. He's washing himself on my lap now. So I've kept the cat flap closed for now and will open it again in the morning, so hopefully he'll go out during the day and then be home so I can keep him in at night. That's the plan anyway.
No doubt he'll have other ideas about what time he wants to go out and play. Lol!!
Gosh KiKi poor smokey!! Glad he had lived to tell his tale though!!