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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

How long does your cat have to be missing before you worry?

120 replies

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 11:53

She may or may not be being fed by someone else...

She Normally hangs around the garden, but today she was desperate to get out and hasn't been seen since...

She may also have been run over... Or eaten... Or doesn't want to live with us anymore...

Or be having the time of her life and perfectly happy

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Report

cozietoesie · 26/02/2016 12:31

How long exactly has she been gone again?

sugarplumfairy28 · 26/02/2016 12:37

It's difficult to say, the first time my big boy went missing, he was gone for 2 weeks, had been locked in a garage when neighbours went on holiday it turned out. Another was gone 9 days after we moved house, but she went missing for 3 days a while after, and she had been killed by a fox. My big boy has been gone for another 6 days, so idea where. Have a knock on neighbours doors, ask people if they know her check sheds, garages or anywhere else she might be locked in. I wouldn't worry until at 24 hours.

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 12:39

4 hours

But she's a nervy thing and normally stays close by. The only reason I wonder about the feeding is as sometimes she disappears for an hour in the direction of someone who does encourage the local cats (but normally after work time, she's out in the day).

I'm more worried about her getting scared and running afraid in front of a car than anything else.

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pickmeupputmedown · 26/02/2016 12:48

Previous cat could be days but she was one of those who went into all the surrounding houses and my lovely neighbours used to text and tell me she was ok.

My now boy cat is usually out for 12 hours then in for 12 hours per day (he's a bit of a scrapper so neighbours not so keen on him!). If he was missing more than 48 hours though I would worry.

If just 4 hours I would not be too worried. Maybe your neighbour is not working today and she's gone there. Leave it bit longer x

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 13:24

5 hours... She hasn't been fed yet today...

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happystory · 26/02/2016 13:38

I wouldn't worry yet (tho I know you will!) I once read a lovely article about this problem and the vet said the cat could be 'curled up watching a nest of mice.' Don't know if yours is a hunter but mine can be out ages if she's got the scent of something. They usually come back without a care in the world!

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 14:27

6 hours. I'm sure it's fine, but the school traffic is going to start building up soon.

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nipersvest · 26/02/2016 14:34

one of our cats went missing on monday, he goes out but doesn't normally wander far, just to put my mind at rest i rang all the local vets to ask if any injured cats had been brought. eventually found him later that day after asking neighbours to check their garages, he'd been shut in across the road, daft cat!

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 15:40

7 hours

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RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 18:13

Now I am worried it's so cold outside.

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Vinorosso74 · 26/02/2016 18:47

Have you been out to call her armed with her favourite food?
Maybe knock on some of the neighbours to ask if they've seen her?
I'm realising I'm giving sensible advise but know I get worried when our girl is away too long!

lljkk · 26/02/2016 19:18

They should be in by 9pm. That's when I fret. usually trapped in garage or loft the little gits

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 19:53

I have such a bad feeling about this . I've driven round looking for bodies in the road and have knocked on doors and have been round the neighbourhood twice.

I'm hoping she's just locked in somewhere and she'll be let out soon (garage etc..). It's just so strange she's not even been back in for food (she's normally in and out again. That's what worries me. She's not been a hunter so far, so it not sure whether she's eaten at all..

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 26/02/2016 20:17

A couple of years ago Harry went out in the morning and didn't come back. He's not the sort of cat to go far and I was beside myself. We were walking the streets calling him and I phoned all the local vets, one of which was very abrupt and told me he hadn't been gone long enough to worry. I was convinced something terrible had happened to him but at just after 10pm that night our neighbour must have come home as their lights went on and Harry strolled up the path as if nothing had happened! (The little sod did the same thing when we were in Florida last year and worried us and the cat sitter half to death!)

I know it's easy for me to say, but please don't give up hope. There's every chance she has got herself shut in somewhere and will be home soon. Have you asked your neighbours to check their sheds, garages etc.? It might also be worth printing off some posters to put up tomorrow if she's not home.

Sending positive thoughts that she'll be back soon

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 20:22

Thank you. I'm actually quite ready at the moment. I have asked neighbours to check sheds etc. but from a couple, I have had a similar reaction that in being silly as she's only been gone since this morning.

I'm so worried that a fox will get her if she is hidden somewhere overnight.

I'm not cut out for this - my whole being is based on keeping those around me safe.

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RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 20:23

Quite teary, not ready

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 26/02/2016 20:30

I can understand how you feel. I walked the streets crying my eyes out carrying one of Harry's blankets when he was missing. I hate it when people dismiss your worries, we know our cats and their habits and routines. Although Harry likes to go out he's a homebody really and doesn't go far so I knew something was wrong.

I'm keeping everything crossed that she comes home soon.

happystory · 26/02/2016 20:39

Has anything different happened at home recently? Mine went awol for 24 hours when people came to stay she hadn't 'met'. Ds came home from uni with a friend who was perfectly nice but she went completely bonkers and wouldn't come in the house

Hesalovernotabiter · 26/02/2016 20:50

She's not in season is she? Or thinks she is? With ours we have a 12 hour rule for one, a 24 hour rule for our eldest and a 3 day rule for the crazy white one- in the summer my DP has to regularly go out into a nearby allotment calling her name to remind her to come home, it's like she looses track of time or something.

Hope yours appears soon op.

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 20:50

I can't think of anything. It's been a pretty quiet week.

She was a bit restless last night - I keep her in form dusk as she's a black cat and I don't want to risk her being knocked over. She obviously wanted to go out. She's only properly been going out for the last three weeks. Because of this I wasn't too worried at first - I figured she's finding her feet and enjoying being out.

Last night she was more chatty - she came into the bedroom for a grumble and went out of the room again. This morning, she came to me for a grumble, then walked away again.

So, yes she was a bit restless, so I wasn't surprised when she was out for a bit longer than normal.

But I am surprised - she likes being outside, but she is very centred on 'home'. She comes back to eat, to use her litter tray. She keeps coming back in. Until today.

I don't know what to do . I just hope she's alive and either just got lost or trapped somewhere. I can't bear the thought that something bad could have happened and she's dead somewhere

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RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 20:52

Sorry that post is a bit garbled. Essentially, she was restless last night but nothing else really. Normally she goes in and out, in and out, in and out etc. this morning she went out and hasn't come back.

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RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 21:45

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Floralnomad · 26/02/2016 21:47

Fingers crossed that she turns up soon , has she got a collar and is she chipped ?

RobotMenu · 26/02/2016 21:49

No collar - she's a climber and seeing as she also ways stayed close, I thought she was more ar risk of strangulation than wandering off...

She is chipped and I've marked her missing with the chip company

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Lotsofcamping · 26/02/2016 21:51

Hope she turns up. Must be awful waiting

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