AIBU to feel too anxious about my cat being late home?

[catsoutthehouse]

We have a lovely cat and love him so much. He's one year old. He's a big mouser and goes out overnight, returning like clockwork at around 7.30am. He has not been home yet, so is now 3.5 hours late. I worry so much that something has happened to him! I've been out shaking a bag of his favourite treats, he is nowhere near. AIBU to think I'm too nervous to have a cat??

I wouldn’t let him out at night if you’re nervous like this. It’s more of a risk at night as cars won’t see cats easily in the dark etc. prehaps let him out in the day instead. i do with mine and hes out from 8am to around 7pm comes back for dinner and a very long nap. 😂

But he sleeps during the day (usually most of the day) and then hunts at night. I think this is normal cat behaviour, isn't it?

Yanbu this is the exact reason why I wouldn't have a cat.

YANBU I worry about mine if they don’t come and check in at their usual times. They do always go a bit mad around midsummer though so you will probably find he wanders in later.
I don’t let mine out after dark (I shut them in after they have their tea)

It is normal cat behaviour but they soon get used to it - no way would mine be out all night, his cat flap gets locked when I go to bed. He's quite happy sleeping all night and goes out again once we get up.

I have one that is a bit like this and was even worse when he was younger. Are you sure he didn't return to the house while you were asleep and then go out again? I don't have a cat flap and worry if mine isn't in before I go to bed (usually around midnight) but I leave a window open upstairs which he comes in as he can get onto lower level extension.
If he ate a mouse he might not be as hungry for breakfast - mine eats mice often. Also mine steals food from next door's cat.
If you try to get him in before you go to bed I think you will worry less- still plenty of time for him to be out in the evening.

Thank you so much. Yes, he hunts mice often but I don't know if he just "plays" with them or eats them as well! We don't have a cat flap, as we both work from home we have the patio door open and he goes in and out as he pleases. Usually sleeps all day and then wanders out at night, back at about 7.30am. Maybe you are right that he is staying out cause he's been eating somewhere else. I think I might in the future revert back to leaving him in the house overnight!

I'm kind of annoyed at myself for being like this. When I was a child, the cat went in and out as he pleased, nobody batted an eyelid when he was gone for days!

In some ways, having a dog is easier isn't it as they are always with you!

I love my surepet connect cat flap. I can see when they go in and out even during the night.

I have one cat who has two modes. Regular as clockwork and disappearing for hours. I always worry when he is in the second and this is more common during the summer.

I also worry about the cat and where he is. But for those who say to just keep them in, ours goes wild if we do that. Noisy, sprinting around, he doesn’t sleep quietly, and wakes us all up. I don’t know how you retrain this?!

It's very unlikely he won't come back soon. One of mine used to disappear for up to two or three days sometimes in summer!
Keep calling him, shake those dreamies/kibble. He'll come back soon enough I'm sure.
I do get anxious when mine haven't been seen for a while, it's only natural. But try not to worry!

I'd be exactly the same - this is why my cats are indoor-only.

Post in The litter tray next time and you need to pay the cat tax.

Every other message on our local whatsapp group right now will be a picture of a cat with the usual "have you seen this cat, they've been gone since xyz.
We are a bit rural and it's prime mouse/shrew/baby bird/bunny time here so maybe they're far to busy, and well fed to be coming home.

I always say cats don't tend to have owners, they have servants, they'll do as they please and they don't tend to be overly concerned that you worry about them.

Hopefully your cat will reappear soon.

When the days are very hot, they tend to sleep more and then stay out longer at night - especially if it's a full moon. We have 6 cats and don't let them out at night. I get them all in when I go to bed, 11pm ish and then the back doors are generally open all day in summer from about 6 or 7am. One cat goes out most of the day. The rest don't bother much.

I hope he is back very soon!!

It sounds good but I won't be able to get him in late at night. He is not usually nearby before I go to bed if that makes sense!

It's definitely prime time for hunting at the moment! We live fairly rurally as well. Thank you. Fingers crossed!

My girl has loved these warm summer evenings but I still get her in by dark. Her cat flap is locked at night and opens early morning for her. I couldn't sleep if he was wandering the streets at night. She is totally used to that, she's 12 and we have always kept her in at night

I would install a cat flap. We have ours set so that they can come in any time, but never go out. We let them out ourselves in the day, and once it gets to night time we don't let them out. If they come in then stay in, if they stay out fine they will come home whenever.

With a cat you do have to get used to their free spirit tbh, the more he does this the easier it'll get. Of mine, one very rarely stays away for more than a day max, the other will occasionally disappear for 2-4 days and then stroll home. The first time it was scary, but then I got used to it! I love knowing that they have their freedom, it's so good for cats to go out.

Try your best not to worry, he's probably fine. And if he isn't, well personally I know I'd rather live my life free with some risk than in a prison with a longer life. But everyone has to weigh that up for themselves.

That saying really hit it on the head, you're so right, you can't always be 100% sure can you!

Thank you all. I think I'll definitely install a cat flap in the future.

I'm surprised that so many of you don't let your cats out at night. There's very little traffic here at night so I'd have thought it would be safer to be out at night in some ways!

All my dcats have had a 10pm curfew.

I'm not trying to sleep worrying about their furry little arses!!

Is he neutered op?