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The litter tray

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

Original poster

How long do you wait before you start worrying that your cat is missing?

84 replies

Marne · 15/03/2011 12:57

Cat went out early this morning 6am (he stays in at night as he's still very young), usually he will stay in back garden or just stay out for 5 minutes. I forgot he was out as i was looking after a poorly dd1, took dd2 to school and spotted the cat near the main road so text dh to get him in, dh had'nt got the text so when i got home there was no sign of the cat. He's now been missing sinse 8.20 (when i saw him last), i have walked up and down the road shouting, checked an outbuilding across the road and checked the garden and no sign Sad.

Hopfully he's just lying in the sun somewhere.

How long do you leave it before you panick?

OP posts:
oopslateagain · 15/03/2011 13:01

About as long as you have. BlushGrin

Keep trying, but don't knock yourself out. They are a lot more intelligent than we give them credit for. Do you have some treats you can shake? Mine come like a rocket when they hear the treat bag.

He might have got shut in somewhere. Mine was MIA all day till I checked the shed.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 15/03/2011 13:01

Marne - my cat (2yrs old - but a rescue cat that we've only had since the end of Jan) escaped just over a week ago at 3am.........I was worried sick - saw him getting out and couldn't stop him - he pitched up at 11.30am - scampered in looking at me is if to say "what's the problem"?

Since then we've startd letting him out during the day and although on the first few days he seemed to stay close and pop back in and out regularly in the last few days he's often gone most of the day!

He's probably chilling out somewhere totally obvlious to the panic he's causing at home - don't worry I'm sure he'll show up sooner (or later if he's anything like my boy who now seems to just show up for his dinner) and pretend everything is absolutely normal.

piratecat · 15/03/2011 13:03

longest mine has been awol is from first thing in the morning and come home at about 8 at night.

yowling for food. i am sure he will be back for tea. Prob enjoying the sun as you say. ( ie asleep)

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 13:04

I hope you are rite Grin, he's probably too young to be going out but spends all day crying at the door so started letting him out in the garden with the dog, he loves being outside but often just sits on the fence or follows the dog around.

Have phoned the local vets and not cats have been brought in.

OP posts:
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 15/03/2011 13:08

bet he'll saunter back in around dinner time yowling and looking at your as if to say "why isn't my food already waiting for me" Grin

Gottakeepchanging · 15/03/2011 13:18

Mine was gone for 5 days. 3 days to turn up when we got back from hols.

Got a bit worried after next hol when no sign for 3 days. Opened dining room door and he was shut in there. No idea how long for.

We have a teenage cat feeder but you know what it is like herding cats.

The other cat I worry after a day. We once had next doors cat in our house for 8 days without knowing. It was eating our cats dinner

So depends on the cat I guess

fruitshootsandheaves · 15/03/2011 13:22

My friends cat went missing for 6 years then turned up one day as if nothing had happened!
But that's probably not helping much. Mine are sometimes gone for a couple of days, especially at this time of year when the weather gets a bit better and the days get longer and there are more little furry things around to catch.

LaWeasel · 15/03/2011 13:22

I wouldn't worry unless hes not back for dinner (or breakfast if he's only fed in the morning).

The first time we left our cat out he was off a good 18 hours! Was so bloody relieved when he sauntered in at 2am...

He's never been out so long since. Just checking out the territory I assume.

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 13:36

We feed him 3 times a day (little and often) so its past his dinner time Sad, all he has eaten was half a pouch this morning, he's usually around my feet meowing every hour for food.

OP posts:
LaWeasel · 15/03/2011 13:37

When is his next meal due?

If he's distracted/asleep in the sun, missing one meal isn't so bad...

oopslateagain · 15/03/2011 13:43

How old is he?

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 13:51

He's only 5 months (roughly), we live in the middle of nowhere (well edge of village) but there is a main road (40mph) not far away. I just have a feeling he's been knocked down Sad.

OP posts:
oopslateagain · 15/03/2011 13:56

At 5 months he should have a fair idea of where he lives and be able to find his way back.

If you're really worried can you nip out and check the road?

In the meantime just call for him now and again. I bet he comes wandering in sometime this afternoon, looking innocent.

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 13:58

Have checked the road but its thick hedgerow so if someone had hit him and chucked him in the hedge i would never find him Sad. I keep shouting out the door, next door neighbours must think i'm mad Grin.

OP posts:
oopslateagain · 15/03/2011 14:05

I hope he hasn't got an embarrassing name.

Grin
TaffetasCatCameBack · 15/03/2011 14:06

Our 1 yo cat went missing last weekend. He has a very regular schedule so wheren he didn't come in for his afternoon nap by 3 I started to get worried. We shut him in normally around 7pm but had to leave the catflap open, as we went to bed at 10pm and there was still no sign. I was convinced he was stuck in someone's shed as it was a Sunday, but by the time we thought about it, it was too late to go asking neighbours to look.

He turned up at 7am the next morning. Turned out he'd sneaked into next door's house when they were out playing in the garden at lunchtime, they'd come in, he'd got scared, hidden somewhere in their house and not resurfaced until 2am when he gave the nieghbour a bit of a fright in her bedroom! She chucked him out and he must have been sleeping downstiars until 7am.

It is a worry though, I do empathise. I would knock on all the neighbours doors before dark and ask them to check garages/sheds/outbuildings that have been open today.

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 16:47

He's still not back Sad, usually feed him around now and he would be trying to pinch food off the dd's plates. I'm hoping her has been shut in somewhere, some of the neighbours are not home yet. Just can't help feeling that he is dead Sad (like a mothers instinct).

OP posts:
pinkhebe · 15/03/2011 16:50

he might be shut in a shed, I expect a lot of people have had gardening equipment out today.

Fingers crossed he's ok

LaWeasel · 15/03/2011 16:54

Find a picture and take it round to show your neighbours when they're back. Hope he is okay!

We had neighbours knocking for both their kittens in the snow a few years back - they came back in the end but it's always a big scare.

Good luck Marne.

Original poster
Marne · 15/03/2011 16:58

Thank you, i have to go out in a bit (parents evening), if he's not back when i get home will go and ask the neighbours to check sheds, he's very friendly so will follow people or get into a shed. fingers crossed Sad.

OP posts:
piratecat · 15/03/2011 17:23

oh i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you and him, i hope he appears when you get back Marne.

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/03/2011 17:59

Mines got a routine but sometimes he's out for hours and pitches up when I've got to thinking I'll never see him again.

He would go out for longer as a kitten, he might have eaten a mouse.

When he gets back train him to recognise the sounds of his treat bag or chews. We can call ours for ages, no response, rattle chew packets instant cat appearence.

It's a big exciting world when there young

oopslateagain · 15/03/2011 18:54

Any sign yet Marne?

TheDogsBollocks · 15/03/2011 19:04

oh no, fingers crossed. Has he been neutered? Or have you answered this already, i cannot see it.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 15/03/2011 19:26

Hope you get him- he may well have gotten shut in somewhere, so try not to worry too much