To be slightly glad my DC ('dear' cat) never came home...

[rolloverandshitmarsbars]

Light-hearted, but serious
Since she disappeared 8 months ago I have not had to:

-Cover the worktops, fridge and cupboards with sellotape every night to prevent her sleeping all over them. No cats on worktops.
-Remove all traces of water droplets from around sink - she would lap them. No cats on worktops!
-Keep bathroom door closed so she didn't sleep in the sink/bath.
-Be sad about the nose scratches that appeared weekly on my other cats.
-Close doors to stop her sleeping on the baby.
-Open doors slowly, leading with a foot to stop her rushing through, upstairs and under the bed so that I get to lie flat, wriggle under and drag her out shouting and squirming.
-Tape cardboard and old bits of carpet to the lower half of all the doors I had to close because she scratched and destroyed them.
-Close all windows, even upstairs because she could and would get through them so she could get under the bed, or sleep on the baby.
-Discover poo hoards.

Unsurprisingly I got used to not doing these things quite quickly. If she showed up now, I'd be a little cross quite frankly.

Don't worry, at first I was sad and spent weeks coordinating house checks within a 2 miles radius, 3am night walks to call for her and I stuck a picture of her on top of the fridge so I could tell her off.
But, when I think of the additional work she created and what I have saved buying sellotape, I am afraid I just don't want her back. Unreasonable?!

[LisaMed]

When I was waiting for the vet to come and put evil cat to sleep, mumsnet held my hand and kept me going as I was falling apart. It just about broke my heart, and I miss her nearly a year on. Mind you I still miss psycho cat who passed in 2003.

On the other hand, she was called evil cat for a reason, and I remember being in tears when she tried to stop me feeding ds by dragging at my arm. I quite like not having to buy the vet chocolates again because of what happened at the check up. I don't miss the exhorbitant food bills, the exhorbitant vet bills or being attacked at random intervals.

We had her for nineteen years, and throughout she was evil and relentless. I was devastated when she went and I still miss the tabby terrorist, but I also feel a bit of relief. I think that is quite normal.

tbh I don't know how I would feel if she had gone missing. Psycho cat went missing for eleven days (fourteen days before we moved house - he had amazing timing) and I was a gibbering wreck.

[LisaMed]

btw when psycho cat went missing he got lost three doors down. Some animals can make it across Canada but he couldn't even manage across a front garden. Poor thing was rail thin, traumatised and even more neurotic than before he left. He was box of frogs standard even before he buggered off.

I spent a lot of time cuddling when I should have been packing.

[ClaraFox]

Ha well said Lucille. Some folk are utterly bonkers and so OTT it's unbelievable .

And no, I'm not talking about the OP either

[ClaraFox]

And yes, cat owners can be very strange people indeed

I had a cat. I wasn't one of the weirdy owners

[HelloBoys]

I'm kind of LOL'ing at me being a cat lover (and owner) but I sort of feel/see, if OP had a cat that was on worktops, lapped stuff up etc - well you train them not to do this don't you?

maybe I had fairly obedient cats apart from when the female clawed the sofa back/arms to ribbons but from a young or older age if they went near cooker, work surfaces they were told NO firmly and they stayed off. No need for sellotape on worktops.

OK they occasionally played round the pond (had to put stuff round it and a net after one fell in and got got caught in another looser net) but I couldn't always police them outside when I was at work.

[Petal02]

If people love their dogs or horses, no one thinks this is strange. So why are us cat lovers often treated like lunatics? Not all female cat owners are eccentric spinsters who wear purple hats indoors and smell of wee!!!!

[hiddenhome]

My lovely cat went missing last August and I miss him each and every day. He was probably killed on purpose or was taken away for dog baiters to practise on.

Perhaps this has happened to your cat too OP. Hope you're happy now

[Hix]

I don't think that's true Petal. I think the same odd responses come out on any animal thread.

[Hix]

hidden

Wow. Did you mean to be so mean?

[LoonvanBoon]

Oh hidden, surely the dog baiting thing isn't common? That's such a horrible thought. I'm really sorry about your cat.

[hiddenhome]

Wow, yes I did

[hiddenhome]

Dog baiting is very common. We have lots of poachers going after the rabbits in the area where my cat went missing.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

Dog baiting i so much more common than people realise or want to believe. Sadly.

[LoonvanBoon]

I don't want to let our cat out now. She's a rescue cat, only had her for 2 weeks, so she's not ready to go out yet anyway, but I'm worrying about it now.

A neighbour's cat went missing earlier this year & wasn't found. I assumed he'd had an accident / got shut in somewhere, which is horrible enough, but the idea of cats being used in dog baiting is vile.

Is it safer if you only let them out in the day?

[Hix]

This thread has really brought out the people who are hurting in their own lives and just want to spread it around.

Seriously OP, most of us are nice .

[hiddenhome]

Yes, keep them in at night because they're less likely to go wandering during the day.

When we move I'm getting some protect a puss attachments to go onto the top of the fence. This stops them getting out of the garden area. I don't think I could stand losing another one

[LoonvanBoon]

Not that odd, surely, Hix, that a thread about a cat going missing would attract posts from people with experience of cats having gone missing?

Not that odd either that some people wouldn't be able to shrug it off as easily as the OP apparently has.

[Elsiequadrille]

I think the OP was just slightly odd. I realise he/she intended it to be amusing and lighthearted.

That's a bit unkind, Hix.

[LoonvanBoon]

I might look into that too, hidden. Our last cats were old & couldn't jump the fence so they did stay in the garden, but our new cat is young & fit & will definitely be able to get out.

[Triliteral]

To those who have lost cats, I guess it depends where you live, but I think a lot of cats just rehome themselves. I've known several people who had cats move in with them. Some cats are just very independent. It's natural to worry of course, but I don't think it's always right to assume the worst.

In addition, I think lots of shelters and vet practices get cats handed in which appear to be lost. They aren't always re-united with their owners, but not all lost animals end up with something awful happening to them. In fact, loads of them end up living with vet nurses or other animal lovers.

And OP, I feel for you as I'm sure you intended your post to be lighthearted, but unfortunately it has been taken the wrong way. I hope you won't be put off though.

[LisaMed]

Hidden - maybe the cat ran away from your fence.

Evil cat was a rescue kitten that needed to be spirited away from people who used kittens to train dogs for fighting/baiting. It happens. Cats also find other homes or good hunting territories or get squashed. Sometimes cats who are ill go away to die without giving a clue that they had been poorly.

As for training a cat - we had a plant mister on the dining table next to the salt and ketchup. Every meal every sodding meal she would run on to the table and race a complete circuit even though she was being squirted, just to show us. Some cats are like that. Other cats wouldn't dream of it. Malevolent cat would only ever condescend to get on a table if she could steal butter, otherwise the surface was safe.

I would never have managed if it hadn't been for mumsnet when evil cat was pts, but trust me when I say that after nineteen years of evil cat being evil I could appreciate the lull. I would still rather have the tabby terrorist chasing off the local dogs/stealing from plates/shedding at Olympic standard/vomiting on clean laundry but while I miss her I don't miss her worst habits.

[Hix]

Weirdo!

[myitchybeaver]

Gosh what a weird thread. OP you poor thing! Your OP was fine and amusing. I've been here since the birth of mumsnet and most threads like this do usually get more of a laugh. The PO brigade are out in force today.