AIBU to wait up for a cat?

[YouDoYou18]

Or rather, is my husband?

We got a new cat just over two weeks ago, kept him in for the whole time and let him out today. He’s been out and come back twice, and then went out about 4 hours ago and hasn’t come back in... I’m not overly concerned yet as growing up our cats often went off travelling for hours before the rolled on in... hubby however is totally panicked!

My only concern is he can’t get back in if we go to bed and it’s blooming cold outside!

How long would you wait up? Hubby had to go to Manchester overnight last night for work (5hrs each way) and really needs to get some rest before work tomorrow but he won’t go to bed if the cats not in...

Will the cat find somewhere warm? Do I stay up all night if necessary? Should I drug hubby just to make sure he gets some sleep?!

The car has been with you such a short time to stay out. Do you live near busy roads?

Cat not car!

Cat back?

Am hoping he's home.

awww I am quite chilled about my big old bruiser as he roams in the lighter weather although I still prefer him home for bed. But I couldn't rest if either of the small ones stayed out.

Hope he turns up. Your DH was not unreasonable to wait up for a new cat.

I try and get mine in by 9 in winter but I do wait up for her also and keep going out shaking biscuits.

I so do this with mine sure one of ours thinks it is a fun game .We have fields behind us so they can disappear into those but i prefer them in a night .One night one of ours wasn't in i go down the street quietly calling him getting quite worried. Get home he is there sitting on the stairs swear he was grinning .Hope yours comes back soon .

this is why my two are house cats i couldn't cope with them going out

Is the cat home @YouDoYou18?

@ironicname is correct they are knobs. I've 3 cats to keep track of.

You're right it's cold so I try to keep them in at night but when they are being particularly knobbish by either a) not coming back when I go to bed or b) being utter knobs and wait til I fall asleep to insist they need to go out (they have a variety of methods including but not limited to; patting my face, sitting on me and dribbling on my face *not envy, grabbing my toes with claws under duvet, running up and down the landing meowing at the top of their lungs).

So what I do is just let them out - if I wake (sometimes often) to go to the loo I will open the front/backdoor to see if they are there - we don't have a cat flap. I don't tend to worry - there is shelter both front and back of the house. They always appear for breakfast. In the summer I really don't worry about them.

I hope (s)he’s back soon. Is the cat neutered?

Cats are very resilient so I wouldn’t be thinking the worst just yet. I had an indoor cat once that I never went out because she was so nervous. One day she changed her mind and went for a wander. She was missing 3 weeks and I was convinced the worst had happened. I used to sit at the bedroom window every night with binoculars looking for her (neighbours probably thought I was a peeping tom!), eventually I spotted her in the middle of the school playing field which backed onto our garden. Took another week and a cat trap ordered from Amazon to finally get her home.

I totally forgot to update!! He came home!! We put some cat food outside the door and he was back in minutes so he can’t of even been far 🤦‍♀️ Just likes to scare us obviously!! He’s no longer allowed out past 5pm 😂

Awww what great news!

Great news OP!

We have coyotes in our area regularly so the fur kids stay inside. We do have a second story deck they use as a catio and go out there to supervise the woods.

Cats are arseholes ! One of mine went missing for two bloody weeks , was a rollercoaster of emotions.
Then he strolled in like nothing had happened !
I’d wait up if he doesn’t have a cat flap as I’m sure he’ll come back but as it’s been sunny both of my boys have been staying out longer than usual

Oh just read update .. doh
God he’s home , they were sent to try us

We’ve always trained ours to come to a whistle, it’s a bit less embarrassing than shouting the cat’s name late in the evening.

training to a whistle is what we always do, plus a shake of the dreamies box . One cat was a nightmare - she was dd's precious and would regularly disappear for days when dd was away on school trips / holidays. Just as I was bracing myself to confess that the cat had not been seen - the little bugger would turn up.

she's now a mature older cat who has her own chair in the living room and can't be arsed to go out much!

get him trained - don't leave food down, every time before you feed him clink two dishes together - preferably eatthenware. if he is out clink the dishes, he'll soon be back

@db11 We do this too . Works 9/10

I'm glad he came back. I worry too much so I'd be up and calling ours. We have "kitty curfew" in our house so ours isn't allowed after dark. Bit harder in the summer but he seems ok with the arrangement.
Calling his name and sounds relating to him being fed get him back. Ruled by his belly!

We have no roads near us - the back is a bridleway and fields. Ours stay out all night in the summer; they pop in for food about 8 and then go off hunting or they like to sleep in the garden. If they want to come in they climb on the roof of the extension and yowl at the bedroom window and either I or DH get up.
In the winter they are not out at night- they have a trot out and sit on the shed roof but are in and tucked up for bed after their supper.
We never leave them out if we are not at home.

I am glad your boy is back safely.

If cat could not get in I could not go to bed until I knew cat was home. We have invested in a cat flap for back door and leave 2 cat beds and fleecy blanket in kitchen. They can come and go as they please. I know I am far too soft on my 6 cats. I love them to pieces.

I've always put mine outside at bedtime.
They're always on the doorstep the next morning.

That is so cruel. No doubt you’d be waiting on the doorstep anxious to get in if somebody had chucked you outside into the cold night. ☹️