Cat-induced grey hair

[givemushypeasachance]

We managed to hold on and Monty & Rolo stayed under house arrest for two weeks following the house move. They seem very well settled if a bit antsy at being confined, so I thought we'd make a gradual start and I'd let them out for half an hour or so to just explore the immediate area this afternoon then recalling them, before getting back into the out-first-thing routine from tomorrow. They evidently didn't get that memo and were straight off into the neighbouring gardens within 60 seconds of me unlocking the cat flap (which they both tried to get through at once, quite hilariously). Monty came back into the garden for a brief hello five minutes later, and Rolo appeared slightly wild of eye after an hour or so but then ran off again immediately. We're now 4+ hours in and I wouldn't be surprised if they're not back till it gets dark. I'm telling myself that I'd often let them out at breakfast time and not see a whisker of either of them till the evening, that's just how they are, and they've had two weeks of being cooped up versus a whole new neighbourhood to explore. And I've not actually tried calling them back yet - not that they'd always listen to me at curfew time! Warm summer nights were made for frolicking outside, so they'd always insist. But they do seem to like causing me grey hair and worry lines...

22:30. They get bonus points if you usually go to bed at 22:00.

Ha! I think left to their own devices that would have been what happened. As it was I lasted till 7:30pm before going and calling them - and I tried their pet loc8tor thingys I'd got to ease my paranoia with them going out in a new neighbourhood. Nothing from Monty's but Rolo's beeped a little showing he couldn't be far away - then I saw Monty nextdoor meeting & greeting/intimidating the neighbour cats. A Rolo appeared in the garden a few minutes later and I lured him in with some food, though he looked like he regretted that decision two seconds after I shut the door behind him. I thought I'd be stuck with Monty being an annoyance nextdoor for a while but he actually followed Rolo in a couple of minutes later, one-way cat flap doing it's job.

It turns out that Monty's loc8tor hadn't beeped as he'd shed his collar already - I got the tracker out and walked around the block, and it picked something up on the cul de sac we back onto. I knocked on the door of the house I was by but no one was in, so as the garden was entirely open I just stuck my head around and found it snagged in the bottom of a hedge. Voila, rescued! He's a right sod for nosing around in undergrowth so I'm pretty sure it won't be the last time he comes home without it, hopefully I can find it again so long as he doesn't do it when the batteries are flat...

I suspect I'm in for some trouble with them now they remember that outside is fun and they get to go there sometimes. I use this coolbox to block the flap when it's locked and they're both in so they don't paw at it constantly - Monty seems to think he can figure out a way to use it to clamber to outside freedom! They don't get the concept of taking things slowly - they can have a full day out tomorrow.

Day two of renewed freedom: I let the little buggers out at 7:15am, their faces filled with feline nirvana as they realised yesterday wasn't a one-off and they would be allowed out again. I decided to work from home to "supervise" the first full day out, but haven't seen a whisker of either of them! I assume they're both off having a snooze under a bush in someone's garden, because why wouldn't you in weather like this. I'd just have appreciated maybe a brief afternoon visit to show they remember they live here...

Have they come back yet? they must be eating al fresco.

Are they back yet? I'd be out searching the streets by now

I didn't fret too much too early as they didn't used to get shut up for the night till 10pm or later and it wasn't uncommon to barely see them during the day. So I resisted going and actively calling them until 8pm - then Rolo meowed and came running within a minute or so, and came in quietly. Just scoffed lots of food. No sign of Monty so I tried his loc8tor, and it led me over the road to some houses on the corner of a little side street - I thought he'd lost his collar again at first, but after a minute of searching he popped out from where he was exploring the undergrowth of their gardens. He let me stroke him but was reluctant to abandon his exploring and I can't pick him up for more than a second or two - so I went and got his favourite frenzy toy attachment and lured him back across the road. There he refused to come inside as he suspected (rightly) that I was going to shut him in - something he used to do maybe once a week even at the old house, when he wanted to stay out later. So despite me waving packets of food at him etc he sulked in the garden for a bit, while I played with Rolo inside to make him jealous. After five minutes or so he gave in and came in.

I think tomorrow I may have to just give up this earlier introductory curfew and leave them to it - they clearly know where home is, but just want to stay out as much as possible while the weather is nice. Fussing to persuade Monty in and shutting him in the instant he's over the threshold (well the one-way cat flap doing it!) won't encourage him back into a more relaxed in and out during the day pattern, it'll only make him more determined to stay out as long as possible so he isn't confined. He's going to be the cause of some new grey hairs exploring over the road though - I had rashly hoped they'd stick to all the gardens backing on to this house, without the need to cross traffic. Little bugger never does things by half!

Glad they are back - I love to think that my girl only plays out the back and never goes near the road at the front of house.....

At least with the locator thingy you can always track them down

Just to add yesterday's update: I tried to resist mother-henning over them and fretting about where they may be. Around 8pm I did give in to loc8tor tracking where Monty was and he was chilling in the gardens of the nursery across the road, so I left him to it. He brought himself in at around 9:30pm so gets points! I then went and tried calling Rolo and walked around the block with his loc8tor going - not a sausage. Got back to the house and the little monster was sat by the back door, sans collar and loc8tor tag! I shooed him in the cat flap and then went and searched more thoroughly but didn't get a blip anywhere around the (sizeable) block or over the road, even tried searching from some back gardens right the way at the other end of the block in case undergrowth and fences etc were interfering with the signal. Not sure what he's done with that - either he's gone significantly further than I would have expected or it's just gone dud. Can't imagine the battery would be flat in just a couple of days, and the same collar-loss situation with Monty above was quickly resolved on Sunday. Ho-hum, will have to fork out £28 for a pack of two replacement tags if we want to keep up this game...

I wonder who will eventually lose the game?

That's a bummer him losing his tag already Peas. The batteries in mine lasted just under a year, the one in the receiver, not long, maybe a month or 2. Not sure if that's just DH forgetting to turn it off though...

Do you give them a treat when you bleep their collar? MCat comes running when his bleeps, because he knows there'll be a Dreamie or 2 in it for him.

What is this cat locator gadget of which you speak? The new kittehs will be going out for the first time in a week or two and I'm worried about the little sods playing hide and seek into the early hours already!