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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

Cat hasn't come home. Can someone hold my hand...

35 replies

WalkingThePlank · 21/02/2015 22:15

My cat hasn't come home from her afternoon outing. Dinner is 6pm and she hasn't come home yet. This has never happened before but she has only been with us for a few months from CPL.

I've taken a walk around the block, calling her name and shaking the Dreamies pot Blush

I can't see why she would miss her dinner. What should I do?

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 21/02/2015 23:19

Give it a little while yet. Does she have a flap to get in or do you have to open the door and call her?

MrsMinton · 21/02/2015 23:21

Mine did this not long after he started going out. I sat up until 2am and then he sauntered in. Little arse!!

I'm sure it'll be ok.

Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 21/02/2015 23:24

Yes she has a cat flap. Don't feel I can go to bed yet. Good to know this might be normal.

OP posts:
MrsMinton · 21/02/2015 23:25

I'd shake the dreamies at the door every now and again. It's horrid when they do this.

BatCrapCrazy · 21/02/2015 23:26

Oh no. I'm sure she will be back soon. My cats are 6 months old and we intended to keep them as house cats but they are trying to get out now and I feel awful keeping them in. I know I'll be on pins if/when we let them out.
I'm sure your little munchkin will be home once her belly starts to rumble.

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 21/02/2015 23:29

I know that feeling. It's horrible.
Ours has had the odd night out, even in awful weather. They can just be an awkward law to themselves unfortunately.

I've waited up but now I give up and there he is, sitting by the door in the morning, none the worse for it.

It's odd really because back in the day the cartoons always used to feature putting out the milk bottles last thing and the cat too. The old noctural roaming instinct's still strong in some, but we worry if we don't know where they are and what they're up to.

Hope she comes home soon.

WestEast · 21/02/2015 23:31

If it helps my boy went off on a three day jolly. He came home covered in fleas (was due his drop that day) and he gave no fucks. I went 60 percent grey with worry.
I'm sure she'll be home soon.

lifesentence · 21/02/2015 23:38

It has been a sunny saturday (here) when people like to garden, so she could have got accidentally shut in a shed in which case she will be okay for now. If she isn't back by morning I would go round the neighbours and ask them to check their sheds/garages. I know it's worrying, but most likely she is fine.

stealthsquiggle · 21/02/2015 23:43

OP I feel your pain. Ours do this to me at regular intervals - they seem to know precisely how long it takes for me to be really, really worried (= slightly longer than you disappeared for last time, or worse weather). I have started at least one thread myself. Looking at fat splodge sprawled in front of the fire right now you would never imagine he could disappear off hunting for nearly 3 days and then stroll back in and look at you like you were mad to be worrying before eating anything he can lay paws on and going to sleep for 2 days

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 22/02/2015 10:20

First thing I thought about this morning is whether she's turned up yet Walking?

Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 22/02/2015 11:28

Still no sign of her.

Have designed some posters and flyers, just waiting for DH to come home with some printer cartridges.

She is from CPL, so previously a stray. Perhaps she is enjoying being out on her own but it seems strange that any animal would want to miss 2 free meals.

OP posts:
Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 22/02/2015 11:34

Not sure how far to leaflet. Am quite shocked at how many houses there are around my way!

OP posts:
EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 22/02/2015 11:45

She's chipped then if she came from the CPL? Did she have a collar on at all?

Cats are absolutely amazing at free board and lodgings, unlikely she'll be too hungry to be honest, especially in a built up area. My DD had to get her cat a Do Not Feed collar because she was growing more and more ginormous every day.

If she's not home by morning try calling CPL and the local vets in the area.
Try local FB Group and post her details up on Twitter too. There are accounts that Re Tweet lost cat details and reach a large audience. If you have a local Neighbourhood Watch Group contact them and tell all your immediate neighbours.

There are also lots of organisations on the net if you search and they have good ideas for an action plan.

Don't forget if you put leaflets up target outside schools, bus stops, the library etc. basically where they'll be seen by a lot of people.

Try not to worry too much. It's early days.

Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 22/02/2015 13:33

Thanks Enrique. Yes she is chipped.

I've contacted vets, CPL, RSPCA etc. Just about to go out with posters and flyers.

Not what we had planned for end of half term.

OP posts:
Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 22/02/2015 13:34

Oh, and yes she did have a collar on but is a quick-release one - she has lost one a month so far.

OP posts:
Catsrus · 22/02/2015 13:39

Chances are she'll come back - I've become a lot more relaxed over the years as the cats have trained me to not take them for granted Smile. I've got 4 ATM and two of them regularly convince me they've left home, sometimes not coming back for a few days! It's a personality thing - with some being home lovers and others explorers.

Littlewren82 · 22/02/2015 22:55

Any news OP? Flowers

timtam23 · 22/02/2015 23:42

Very sorry to hear this OP. My cat went AWOL for 3 nights almost exactly a year ago. At the time it was absolutely awful & I spent a lot of it in tears worrying about him. The weather was cold & wet & I feared he had been injured or run over. Needless to say he reappeared none the worse for his adventure, we never found out where he had been. I posted on here while he was missing and had lots of sympathy & positive stories of cats returning, some of them after quite some time. It is still very early days for you, hopefully your cat has just gone on a little explore & will be back with you soon.

Like you I did the posters/flyers/ringing vet/ringing microchip company etc, if nothing else it kept me busy and made me feel as if I was doing something proactive.

Pipbin · 22/02/2015 23:44

Any news OP?

Original poster
WalkingThePlank · 23/02/2015 14:37

Still no news I'm afraid. Finished leafletting this morning. Lots of people have told me their cats reappeared after several days so I'm trying not to worry. It doesn't feel like she's coming back.

DCs are very upset though Sad

OP posts:
Pipbin · 23/02/2015 17:50

Many people here will have a story of their cat having gone missing for days and then turning up. Rather like the 'my friend had IVF but then got pregnant naturally' stories they don't help much as you are worried about your cat, not their cat.

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 24/02/2015 11:57

I also know of people reunited with missing cats months and years after they disappeared. Don't lose hope.

Have you registered her here
www.lostbox.co.uk/

Conversely they're also good at getting themselves looked after when they need to and not everyone who finds a stray gets them checked for a chip.
We ended up with a local cat who was clearly neglected and left to pretty much fend for itself. The owners moved away and just left him behind, by that time though he'd pretty well moved in with us and they just didn't care. Neither did he as he was miles better off.
Obviously not the case with yours OP, but it could be that she's being cared for and quite comfortable.

By the way you can get an app for your phone that sounds like rattling cat biscuits.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 24/02/2015 12:11

WestEast your post made me roar. Grin

Hope you get some good news soon Op. They can be proper little sods can't they?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 24/02/2015 12:27

When Harry and William went missing I registered with Cat Aware - www.cataware.co.uk

I also informed Petlog, his microchip company that he was missing.

I hope she's home soon Thanks

ApostropheS · 24/02/2015 20:51

Very sorry to hear this. We found our cat, missing for 5 days, locked in a garage of a newly built house- we were out looking for him and heard him crying. We'd been round that area more than once before and not heard him so it can be worth going back to areas you've already searched. I've heard that it can be worth searching around after dark if that's possible, as cats are more likely to come out then. We also put up posters with his photo & name, flyers through doors and offered a reward. It's horrible - fingers crossed for you.

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