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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:
Original poster
Marne · 16/03/2011 20:21

Someone just pulled up outside and dumped him on the door step Shock, i heard a car drive off then heard a meow at the door. Someone must have had him (he was nice and warm) and seen one of the posters i put up. So pleased he's home, the dogs going mad (pleased to see him), i almost cried when i heard the meow Grin.

OP posts:
Ooopsadaisy · 16/03/2011 20:23

Thank God for that!

Might be a good idea to keep him in for a few days to settle and also so that you can check he hasn't been in any fights or anything.

What a relief Smile

FourFortyFour · 16/03/2011 20:23

Goodness Shock. Maybe they were wanting to keep him. They might have thought he was a stray if he didn't have a collar on. Thank goodness he is home safe.

pinkhebe · 16/03/2011 20:25

I'm so pleased Grin

Original poster
Marne · 16/03/2011 20:27

Will be keeping him in until after he has been castrated (will book him in ASAP), He looks as though he has been well looked after, no signs of injury.

OP posts:
moosemama · 16/03/2011 20:34

Oh I'm so pleased he's home safe and sound. I've been thinking about you - and him, all day.

Get him microchipped as well at the same time, that way at least you know he can always be traced back to you by any vet or rescue group if he ever decided to go walkabout again.

Original poster
Marne · 16/03/2011 20:36

Thanks moosemama, i didn't think we would see him again, will be getting him chipped, he's worth too much to me to risk loosing him again.

OP posts:
Gottakeepchanging · 16/03/2011 20:38

Sounds like he is going to be a bit of a 6 dinner sid.

One of mine goes into at least 3 other houses. When the old lady next door died her family came round to try and make sure that the stray cat she had been caring for was ok. My cat who was very well looked after.

A few weeks later my father went Into one of our other neighbours. There is a lovely new cat bed by the aga was my cat. They knew that he was mine but as he came every day they bought him his own basket.

piratecat · 16/03/2011 20:38

oh god thank heavens he is back. Good job you did those posters, the people must have been thinking they'd got a new cat. Wonder where they found him, or i where he got too.

Funny they didn't stop??

Bless, you must be so relieved.x

piratecat · 16/03/2011 20:39

roffle @ gottakeepchanging's cat, they are little sods aren't they!!

Original poster
Marne · 16/03/2011 20:43

You would have thought they would have knocked and made sure he got in ok. He's just eaten a bowl of food and is now sat on the sofa having a wash, i guess we will never know where he went.

OP posts:
moosemama · 16/03/2011 20:44

My mum left my dad when I was 7 and took the cat with us and no fewer than six of our neighbours came round knocking on the door to see if anyone had seen 'their' cat. Dad had to break it to all of them that she was actually our cat and now lived on the other side of town! Grin (She was quite distinctive as she only had half a tail, I think that must've been whey they all assumed she was stray.)

Funny thing was, Mum always used to tell people that despite being a long coated cat, she kept herself beautifully clean and tidy and never needed brushing. No wonder, turns out she was being brushed on a daily basis by the old lady three doors up! Grin

Ooopsadaisy · 16/03/2011 20:45

They might have found him in their garage or something and felt really embarrassed.

I'm glad to hear he's eaten well.

He's probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

moosemama · 16/03/2011 20:47

I suppose they might have been embarassed if they'd assumed he was a stray and kept him overnight, only to discover he already actually had a loving home and was very much missed.

I bet they had one of those 'you do it - no you do it' type arguments about who was going to bring him back!

Original poster
Marne · 16/03/2011 20:49

He does'nt look bothered at all, maybe one of the neighbours found him in a garage or shed, not many people would have seen the posters (the local shop is'nt ver ybusy and only put them in there at 3pm), i put note through the neighbours doors tis morning, maybe someone checked their shed when they got home and found him.

OP posts:
piratecat · 16/03/2011 20:51

poor Iggy being chucked out. so pleased he is home.

jinxediam · 16/03/2011 20:56

this happend to mine back in January and he was missing for a horrible 6 days Sad

I put flyers through the doors of my entire neighbourhood and had a phone call that evening from a lady who said her dog was acting weirdly for a few days next to her neighbours fence. I went to investigate and my poor boy was stuck between the fence and a shed totally lost! He was only about 5 gardens down but where we live is really built up on all sides so he must have gotten disorientated. He was 7 months old at the time.

i'd definately knock on doors and start making flyers-if possible speak to people as they are more likely to help you that way.

Also put up lost cat signs/phone vets/animal shelters. Sounds extreme but the chances are he hasn't gone that far but lost his bearings.

Don't give up!! Smile

jinxediam · 16/03/2011 20:57

whoops sorry teach me to skim read thread Blush

glad he's home safe!

Lucylu5 · 16/03/2011 20:59

I really hope you find him x

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/03/2011 21:44

So glad he's home safe, it does sound like he nearly got adopted.

I know that overwhelming flood of emotion when you've convinced yourself there not coming home.

DH was out for half an hour last night with a torch looking under everyones car for cat, went in the fields shining the torch. No sign. Unlocked front door cat darted between his legs. Cat obviously has cloaking device.

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 16/03/2011 22:54

oh I'm so glad to see he's home safe and sound Smile

Joolyjoolyjoo · 16/03/2011 23:12

yay- that's great! Grin

My first cat went missing twice. the first time I had been on holiday for a week and had left him in the flat above the vet practice where I worked, and the nurses let him out and fed him etc. When I came home, he took a long, hard disgusted look at me, turned tail and walked away. Then went missing for a week! I did the fliers, the SSPCA, other vets- even the cleansing department in case he had been found on the road After a week the fat bugger strolled nonchalantly back (I swear he was smirking), well-fed and with a pointed look that said "See- how do you like it when I piss off for a week?"

Second time was during the petrol strike. I decided to walk the (then) 3 miles to work. He tried to follow me and was most put out when the dogs and I ran away from him to stop him coming any further, as I didn't want him on the main roads. He didn't appear that night, or next morning, so I went into the local shop to see if anyone had seen him, and a woman was there about to put up a card saying she had found a cat...She lived directly across the road from where I last saw him- lazy bugger didn't have to go far. She thought he must have been missing for ages (turned out she found him 5 mins after I left him!) as he was starving when he arrived at her house- truly, if you'd seen the size of this boy you would realise how convincing an actor he must have been. I duly trooped up to her house, to find him reclining in the summerhouse, with a look of "what kept you?" on his big hairy smug face!

Ponders · 16/03/2011 23:20

oh I am glad he's home Smile

LaWeasel · 16/03/2011 23:30

Excellent!

Really pleased he's home.

Although what odd behaviour to just dump him at your house...

whomovedmychocolate · 17/03/2011 08:30

Glad he's back - now watch out for roaming owners looking cross that poshington puss is now up the duff Grin

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