Cat hasn't come home.

[Moln]

He's been gone since yesterday evening. Recently he's been staying out late, which I didn't like and was trying to figure out how I could adjust that. But he would always be back in the small hours.

There's a unneutered Tom that's been hanging around and has sprayed in our garden. He's also give a bit of hassle to my cat. No fighting because my guy just runs when he sees him. There's also a dog left wandering around the estate.

He's 10 months, neutered and microchipped.

Hopefully he's just off exploring, ours was reluctant to come home when a new neighbourhood cat tried to claim our garden,so he could be nearby but scared. I'd try shouting for him at regular intervals to see if that helps, and have a walk about locally to see if he's hiding anywhere.

I have one prone to wandering off when the weather improves, so I always keep them in at night now, for their own safety and my peace of mind.

Fingers crossed yours will come wandering in soon.

Hope so.

He absolutely loves being out, I often wish I could cat proof the back garden and keep him in the house/garden. But I feel it'd upset him (now) he's buddies with another (not the Tom) cat on our estate.

I feel having a cat is preparing me for teenage years.

Do you have a cat flap that can be locked?

Yes. Currently set to 'in only' as I've had to go out and do swimming lessons and football matches.

Will he accept a (safety quick snap-off) collar? If he will, pop a Loca8tor on it. Then next time he goes for a wander, you can find him much more easily.

He'll accept them, he just loses them (record for longest collar wearing is three days)

I think it'd be brilliant if the microchips were traceable!! Solve a lot of the uncertainty.

Any news yet Moln?

Yes!! Thanks for asking.

I was just coming to update. I got woken this morning at 7.30 by a loud meaow. He was just sat at the top of the stairs.

He wasn't overtly hungry either as his dish of dry was still quite full. He made as if he wanted to go out again, but I gave him some salmon --big fan - which he eat all of (did this because I wanted to remind him that hearing his name called and the tap of dish means "come home" )

He is now sleeping in a sunny spot in the garden. Where he was will remain a mystery.

What a relief. It must have been horribly stressful. I love that he is totally unaware of the drama of his absence. My boy disappeared for just 4 hours yesterday but since the longest he's been out of sight previously was 15 mins I panicked. Went walking round the block again and again. Mine does have a loc8tor on his collar but I couldn't pick it up through all the walls and houses. Did eventually get a weak signal, he was about 6 gardens down. I think he was lost but he eventually popped back over the wall, came straight in and did a number of turds in his litter tray . Wise neighbour of decades of cat ownership kept me calm while we waited.

Glad to hear he's home, I've one who does this frequently and I think the neighbours are fed up of me posting missing and then found notices through their doors She's always getting shut in somewhere or 'forgetting' to come home. Far more stressful than teenagers lol!

Four days has been the longest, by which time I can imagine all sort of worst case scenarios, while the blinking cat is probably happy as larry somewhere!