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

martin2345uk

Thanks guys. Im trying to stay calm but it's not easy, he must be so hungry and it's so hot outside I just keep imagining him collapsing with exhaustion somewhere and not being found for days ((

rustyboy21

He will most likely be sunning himself in the hottest place he can find. He will be back soon, promise.


He will come in and demand food. If you are feeding him wet food, he wont take a lot of water anyway, they get the water from their food and can last days without it.


Give him another 1/2 hour and then shout him and rattle the biscuits. Did you say you have a bell on him, if so you will hear it chinking with him coming home.


He know what side his bread is buttered on. He has 2 soft dads

martin2345uk

Thanks rusty. I'm already at the shouting rattling biscuits stage but nothing! I keep thinking I hear his bell, but I think it's my ears playing tricks on me. I just want him back

rustyboy21

He will be back soon, it is all excitement for him at the moment.


You did the right thing keeping him in for all this time, he knows where he lives and will know his way back home, he is just like a stroppy teenager knowing he can do his own thing without the 'Rents' looking over his shoulder ! lol Because it is hot today, he will be chilled out somewhere watching whats going on and eyeing up his competition. He will be back soon, when his belly starts rumbling.


You will look back on this in a couple of weeks time and be calling yourself a soft sod for getting upset over it. I went through EXACTLY what you are feeling right now, you do get used to it. You are doing what is right for him, if he has been used to being an outdoor cat, then keeping him locked up , to me, is a bit cruel.


As I have said before, get ready for a tasty mouse being brought back soon, as his contribution to the household food bill ! finding it at 6am when you have your hair in curlers and drool coming down your face, is not a pretty scene !:rotfl::rotfl:


Right I am off, got to take my Mum supermarket shopping:eek:

martin2345uk

We'll I've had a visual, at least. I spotted him in a gated car park a short way up the road. I called to him, he saw me and ran the other way. He's now under a huge thick sprawling bush having a lie down, in someone's front garden about 30 yards down the road and totally ignoring my clicks and calls.

I'm happy he's not far away but quite distressed that he runs away from me, like 2 months of work have just been undone by 4 hours outside and he no longer sees this as home.

martin2345uk

Went back to the bush with a pouch of Whiskas. Approached the bush then saw him sauntering down the road that joins ours. Saw me and hopped into a front garden. Went to him and tried to beckon him out with the pouch. It worked, he came to me. Then I kinda just grabbed him under his forearms and carried him back to the house, he struggled quite a bit at first and ruined my t shirt with his claws but I wasn't going to give up. He's back inside now, had some food, but he lost his smart blue collar somewhere on his outing :-(

What a stressful afternoon. Genuinely don't know when I'll be ready to go through that again.

Thanks for the calming words on here.

Slinky

Yes it's stressful when they start going out, but it will get better........... probably in a couple of weeks time! The first few days are pretty awful, but trust that he knows where his food is and he will find his way home. We went through this last year with our Tinka. He's at the point now where he was out for 9 hours one day last week which was worrying, but he turned up eventually.

I take it he is microchipped if you got him from a rescue place?

We don't let him out overnight. Just too many opportunities to get in a bust up with another cat or a fox or get hit by a car.

martin2345uk

Slinky wrote: »

Yes it's stressful when they start going out, but it will get better........... probably in a couple of weeks time! The first few days are pretty awful, but trust that he knows where his food is and he will find his way home. We went through this last year with our Tinka. He's at the point now where he was out for 9 hours one day last week which was worrying, but he turned up eventually.

I take it he is microchipped if you got him from a rescue place?

We don't let him out overnight. Just too many opportunities to get in a bust up with another cat or a fox or get hit by a car.

Aye he's chipped. 9 hours! I'd be off my head.

He has just been mewing incessantly for a bit, think he wanted to go back out.. Ignored him and he's now asleep on the sofa beside me.

Do people think we should let him out again tomorrow?

rustyboy21

Let him out again tomorrow Martin, Poor Degsy has smelled freedom and playtime and wont leave you alone until you let him out again.


Have you let him use the catflap yet? If not, then I suggest tomorrow don't let him out, unless he uses the catflap. It took little miss here a couple of days to get used to using one, knowing she can go out, as well as come in too. She sits there until you open the door, or if you ignore her, she gets in a huff and lets herself out, she is so lazy.


You have climbed a massive mountain today, but it just proves that he does know where his home is, he hasn't come to any harm and most importantly, he is very food orientated. They all have their own characters, he sounds like the typical laddo, who will only come in when he wants to.


Tomorrow let him out, via the cat flap ( show him it works now). Then keep him in at night. Shout him by his name, make a whistle up, shake his food, he will start to learn the parameters soon.


Cheap snap fast collars in B&M, think they are around 99p. Don't get any other type like elastic, they are dangerous. Maybe also spend on a louder Bell too ..


Have a stiff drink after all the trauma today and have a good night.

Slinky

Yes I'd let him out tomorrow but wouldn't bother with trying to get him to use the cat flap just yet - baby steps if he's never used a cat flap before. The last thing you want is for him not to be confident in coming in. If you do want to introduce him to the cat flap, put a peg on it to hold it as far open as you can so that at least if he does return home and you're inside at the time, he can let himself in easily without being put off by the cat flap. We've just had a new back door installed and have had a microchip cat flap installed. We're having to teach him again how it all works as he's not that keen on going through it even though he's had a cat flap for the past 8 months.