I'm going to join the world of cat owners!!!!

Flick216

Just caught up with Derek's progress - he looks so happy - love the vid.

You've done such a good job with him. How lovely to see a happy and loved kitty. :T:A

martin2345uk

Well I've just prematurely aged about 10 years.

I'm in the lounge watching the football. Derek saunters past into the kitchen. I don't give it a second's thought.

I decide to make a cup of tea. Go into the kitchen.. and the back door is open, and Derek is nowhere.

I check the (tiny) garden. Nope. I look over into next door's garden. Nope. Starting to panic now. I open the gate and check the little alley up the side of our house to the communal car park. Nope.

Check the car park itself. Under all the cars. In the other alleys that run from the car park to the estate road. Nope.

I start to wander the road calling him, I call OH who's at work, and almost cry when I tell him what I've done. The most awful things are going through my mind, how timid he is, how he's only been here a month, how someone might approach him and make him bolt for cover somewhere and he'd never find his way home.

On my second lap of the estate road, passing our house and the alley, I see him!!!!! In the alley, standing looking into our garden. I call him, he darts into the garden.. and when I get there he's ran into the house.

Honestly I haven't felt such a flood of relief in a very long time.

Needless to say that is one mistake I won't be making again any time soon... it's just reinforced my fear of letting him out for the first (well, now the second) time...

:(:(:(:(

ElusiveLucy

It is so horrible when you let them out the first few times.

I once had two rescue cats and the first time I let them out one got over the fence and disappeared onto some empty land.

I was getting really worried so started a search and in the end found him tucked up right against the other side of the fence. He wouldn't come back so I had to climb over and get him.

tea_lover

He came home, it's a good thing (doesn't feel like it at the time though!) Just shows how safe, secure and happy he is with you.

meritaten

um, martin, I do sympathise honestly, I went through the same with Barnes, but, I think Derek was actually on his way back in and you two 'missed each other'. he was 'coming home' and probably wondering why on earth you were wandering round calling him!
anyway he is safe and sound, and you were planning on letting him out soon weren't you? its just he took matters into his own paws and made an unscheduled outing.
(I well remember that feeling of sheer and utter panic that Barnes wasn't in the house and wasn't in the garden..........when I looked over the fence he was sat outside next doors back door - obviously paying a social call on their cat!)

rustyboy21

Martin, does he come to you when you shout him in the house? If so, why not try and let him out a little now, when you are by the back door. He may be ready to live a little.

Keep him hungry, don't feed him before he goes out. Try shaking the dry cat food container and if he comes to you inside, then give him some as a treat. He will associate that with something good and come back when he hears it outside. I have a whistle that I do when I want her in, as well as ''CH CH'' ing and calling her by name ( That's why I changed her name from Phoebe which the shelter had called her, thought it sounded too posh. Be great to shout Derek at the top of your voice to get him in, neighbours will think you have a secret lover on the go ! lol).

He shouldn't go too far initially, cover any holes in the gate or alley and maybe play a bit with his toys outside. It does look like he knows where his bread is buttered though, he came back.

Tibsey been the vets today for her boosters and worm/flea treatment. She was all over the very hunky new vet and I wasn't far behind her in trying to get his attention too. Longest vet visit I have ever done ! OH not happy when I told him though ! lol

silkyuk9

Not read any replies but thought I would say good luck.

Get ready for torn wallpaper, all over your house, get ready for a destroyed sofa, especially the arms, our cat loved ripping it to bits with its claws, get ready for sick on the floor at 6am in the mornings when you are about to leave for work, lovely cleaning job at that time in the morning! good luck with your garden, chit all over the place, the foul smell and neighbors complaining when it !!!!!s in their garden too. Good luck with the cat flap with other cats coming and going and spraying !!!! all over the house, lovely smell at 6am when you are leaving for work. Good luck when you find a foul smell somewhere in your living room, but cannot find where its coming from, my advise is check under the sofa, its proberly a dead mouse rotting away. Good luck with other mice behind the fridge freezer that weighs a ton but you still have to pull it out to get to it. Good luck with the vet fees, good luck with the 'Frontline fees' good luck with the late night fights in your living room, One warning do not and I repeat do not try to seperate 2 cats when fighting, otherwise call an ambulance! seriously. Good luck with the cat accidents when they have diarrhea and cannot get out, or do not attempt to get out of the house. Good luck with the moulting, damn hair all over the place.

Apart from that Good Luck!

rustyboy21

silkyuk9 wrote: »

Not read any replies but thought I would say good luck.

Get ready for torn wallpaper, all over your house, get ready for a destroyed sofa, especially the arms, our cat loved ripping it to bits with its claws, get ready for sick on the floor at 6am in the mornings when you are about to leave for work, lovely cleaning job at that time in the morning! good luck with your garden, chit all over the place, the foul smell and neighbors complaining when it !!!!!s in their garden too. Good luck with the cat flap with other cats coming and going and spraying !!!! all over the house, lovely smell at 6am when you are leaving for work. Good luck when you find a foul smell somewhere in your living room, but cannot find where its coming from, my advise is check under the sofa, its proberly a dead mouse rotting away. Good luck with other mice behind the fridge freezer that weighs a ton but you still have to pull it out to get to it. Good luck with the vet fees, good luck with the 'Frontline fees' good luck with the late night fights in your living room, One warning do not and I repeat do not try to seperate 2 cats when fighting, otherwise call an ambulance! seriously. Good luck with the cat accidents when they have diarrhea and cannot get out, or do not attempt to get out of the house. Good luck with the moulting, damn hair all over the place.

Apart from that Good Luck!

Bit harsh isn't it? lol


If you had read the posts, Derek seems to be a little gem. Martin is doing a great job and the bond is already there.


You must have had a Demonic cat if that is what you had to put up with ! :rotfl:

martin2345uk

^^^ I'm glad I didn't read a message like that before we got him :-P Lol!
As for letting him out again... well, he sometimes comes when I call, but sometimes he ignores me, so I'm just not sure... :-/

tea_lover

I think they all have selective hearing martin.