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

martin2345uk

OMG just after writing that I decided it's getting too cold to keep the back door open so I got to shut it and there he is in the kitchen eating his food!!! 10 hours 20 minutes out the house, where on earth did he get to!??!?!?

I'm so so so so so relieved I could cry

scaredy_cat

aw... glad he's back. he probably found a place to snooze - in some bushes or a little hideaway.

my old Sugar cat (in my pic - rip) used to sleep in the long weeds in our shared garden. you couldn't see her until you almost stood on her.

duchy

He probably found a warm spot in the sun and snoozed the day away.....only coming home when it started to get chilly

meritaten

martin hun..............he has had weeks stuck in the house and he has this new environment to explore..................WWYD in his place?????
he came home for his food - and that is something to feel blessed about!
I think you said he was an outdoor sort of cat previously? then he has a lot of time to make up! now make a rule he cant go out after supper until the next morning - put your foot down and insist on this!
otherwise you may only see him at mealtimes (my first cat could be like this (then he could go weeks hardly going out of the garden).
glad he is back - and don't spoil him too much tonight!

martin2345uk

You are all completely right of course, but just in that moment I can't help imagining the worst! I'm like that with everything though, a born worrier...

Okay so this morning I left for work at 7.30 as usual. I opened the cat flap for him, and according to OH, he went out just after I'd left, and returned around 11.30am, then went back out about 1ish...

So I guess what I want to know is, what kind of routine should I be aiming for here? Let him out early in the morning, let him come and go all day then in the evening set the cat flap to "in only"?

Slinky

martin2345uk wrote: »

So I guess what I want to know is, what kind of routine should I be aiming for here? Let him out early in the morning, let him come and go all day then in the evening set the cat flap to "in only"?

This is what we've always done with our cats. Flap gets shut earlier in the evening in the winter when it gets dark earlier - I work from home so it's easy for me to do this, although our new catflap has a timer so I guess we'll have to reprogramme it as the seasons change.

rustyboy21

Great he knows how to use the catflap, that's one major issue out of the way. You will now start finding that the litter trays are not used, as he will ( Most Likely) be messing up the neighbours garden instead ! lol


Tibsey has free range in what she wants to do. She seems to go out after I get up for work to have a nose, then according to OH, she then comes in and zonks out somewhere comfortable for her for rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. She then goes out again until she is ready to be fed. She seems to take it in fits and starts whether she is on my bed when I go to sleep at night, some nights yes and we share the bed, others she scarpers and materialises around 3 ish for breakfast ( This is where I get bounced on and pillows whacked ) She then comes on the bed and falls asleep.


I would say, if you feel comfortable in letting him out, whilst you are at work, then leave the cat flap open, he will come and go as he sees fit. I would then lock it up ( and put something heavy over it, she knows how to force it ! lol) when you want to go to bed. You may find he doesn't venture out when it rains or is windy, unless for the toilet. She has been spoiled with allowing her to go out when she wants, but she seems to be ok for it, she always seems to come home ok, but I heard females don't travel as much as males do, s I may be lucky here.


Obviously any roadworks, fireworks and loud noises, try and keep him in. I keep her in for around 3 weeks over bonfire night, as she gets frightened, only let out after it dies down.


He should be fine Martin, he sounds like he likes going out, but he does know where he lives and where his food is. You can try to calm down a bit now and start enjoying your part time pet !


BTW I have just found out she says Hello ! when she walks in after being out, if I say Hello to her, she makes a miaow which just sounds like it ! ( in my head anyway ) lol

scaredy_cat

my Giz is a night cat, though in the summer he will stay out all day sometimes. My previous 2 cats i would put them out with me when i left for work in the morning and they would be waiting for me when i got home. Then in the summer the window would be open so they would suit themselves but they usually stayed in at night, and in the winter they would usually be in most of the time.

martin2345uk

So much for my new routine, left the kitchen window ajar and the little !!!!er must have snuck out of it!!! Argh


Edit: It's okay, the scamp was just in the garden lying down behind the lavender bush!

hoglet121

We've been through this with all 3 of our cats at one stage or another - 2 of them have disappeared for an entire night, cue no sleep for me... Then sauntered in the next morning looking like butter wouldn't melt.

The only thing I'll say about turning cat flaps to 'in only' is that 2 of ours can still open it to get out (and the plastic surround of the flap is now completely trashed). I've come to accept that if they want to go out that much it's far better for them to just let them get on with it. I don't want them to feel trapped at home, and whilst I still worry about them, they are much happier coming and going whenever they choose during the day or night.