Moved house - cat disappeared. When do I start panicking?

[GoodnessMeMrKay]

We recently moved, I waited the recommended 2 weeks and he was itching to get out by the end.

So for the past couple of days he's been out in the garden but stayed very close by and kept coming back to the door/me where I'd give him a treat when he came back to me.

Anyway, this morning he did his usual garden rounds and then hopped over the fence. He came back a short while later, I gave him a treat, he came in and then went out again, back over the fence.

That was about 11am. Still no sign since despite me calling

Hoping he's just grown a bit of confidence over last few days to go exploring. He always was an outside loving cat, but it worries me that we are somewhere new.

Posting for traffic here sorry!

Eek

No idea I'm afraid. I assume you've called him a few times?

Hi hope by now your cat has returned. Just wanted to suggest leaving his litter tray outside (if you have one from when you kept him inside) apparently helps them find their way back. Also scattering the used litter around the borders of your garden can help. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. We are moving soon and have 2 cats.

One of ours went for 2 nights once when we moved and came home breezy and calm while I'd been crying and thinking the worst.
Apparently males will often go further than females to check their boundaries.

Hope your cat gets back soon xx

It is such a worry although I think he will come home. When we adopted our girl cat the second time she went out she legged it for 16 hours and I was beside myself. I had posters and walked the streets. She came home and then went out for another 12. After that I knew her hang out and would go get her. Put some used litter out and hang up his bed linen or yours on the line. We've moved and I'm dreading letting them out. I hope he is soon home

I'd give him till morning to see if he comes back, then maybe go out looking and shaking the dreamies.
He's probably just gone a bit further afield exploring the new area.
Sprinkling the contents of your hoover outside is supposed to help too but don't know if that would work with the smell of the new home.

Did you move a short distance from your old house? If so it would be worth checking he hasnt gone back to the old house.

When I moved a few years back my cat kept going back to my old house as it was a 5/10 mins distance away, she only stopped doing it when somebody new moved into the old house.

Hope he comes back soon!

When I moved, my fluffy little delight disappeared for hours and hours - I went screaming his name along the streets like a lunatic and was devastated when I couldn't find him. Strolled in the house 2 hours later with no fucks to give wanting dreamies.

Keep going in the garden and calling him (as I'm sure you are) in case he has lost his way but can still hear you.

5 fucking days. I was beside myself. He strolled in.

@dinglethedragon 🤦🏼‍♀️ the bastard!!!

I reckon he’ll be back at dinner time. I let mine out on day three. He buggered off for long enough to let me panic, then came back.

He’ll be back. We waited three days and did a full, miserable scope of the acres and acres of forestry and railway we were surrounded by. He was under my neighbours car, the dickhead.

Is this an unusual thing for your cat to do i.e. did he stay out for hours in your previous house?

@WestendVBroadway

Is this an unusual thing for your cat to do i.e. did he stay out for hours in your previous house?

No it's not unusual he LOVES the outdoors and regularly stayed out. It's just with it being an unfamiliar place it worries me.

Does he have a litter tray?put it by the back door and keep calling him !

When we moved on one occasion our boy escaped from the house at about 08:00 the morning after we moved in. He disappeared at the speed of light, and we spent the entire day in a state of high anxiety running round all the streets calling his name and knocking on doors asking people to check their sheds, garages etc. We kept looking for him until after midnight then had to give up as we were exhausted. We all went to bed convinced we'd never see him again. At about 04:15 there was a thud on my bed and there he was, purring madly having let himself in via the flap window which we'd left open just in case. Never had I been so glad that cats are such remarkable animals.

I’m sure he will be back soon!

Have been calling, nothing yet

We've moved a good few miles from our old home so I doubt he'd be back there.

The problem I now have is leaving things open, I can't really do that we we have another cat who I'd rather not let out at night as well (she can't sleep upstairs as she goes mad at night!).

Have you walked round the local streets calling him? We lost a cat in similar circumstances and he appeared out of a bush a couple of streets away. I think he had just got lost and came when he heard my voice.

Put some stinky tuna or cat food outside the door. It smells stronger if you warm it. That usually gets my cat back home.
Hope he's back soon.

I would be losing my mind OP but that’s not to say that’s a rational response. I am sure he’s fine if it’s still the same day!

Has he got a litter tray? If so take it outside and they usually come zooming back! Bonus points if you can get the smell ‘out in the air’ by tipping it from the tray to the bag a couple of times.

He’ll be fine. Crazy cat ladies unite!

I would be taking a long walk as it'll be quieter and be calling him.
When I moved house, the first day my cats were out, one got stuck up a massive tree 😭 I could hear him crying about 11pm!

Don’t worry he’ll be back. Mine did the same. The fact he’s been back once shows he knows the way home. Mine managed to escape through the window on day 6 and I was so stressed he would get lost but he rolled back in 2 days later wondering what all the fuss was about. I swear cats are only here to stress out their owners!

Is he back OP?

Hope he made it back @GoodnessMeMrKay 🤞