Made a BIG mistake

[Daftaboutthecat]

I took pity on my cat who has been desperate to get out this morning and let him out 2 hours AFTER his breakfast he was mooching for more food so thought it would be OK. He just straight on garden wall and just followed along all neighbours gardens until he was out of sight! It's only been 10 mins and I am already panicking

Is he not allowed out?

Do you not usually let your cat out?

Yes this is his first time out while living here he is a 1 year old rescue so I was keeping him in until he got used to us and the house.

He's probably just desperate to explore then. Have you kept him in long enough that he's used to the house?

Really should have waited until just before dinner

So how long has he been in?

He has been in 3 weeks cats protection said 6 but vet said 2 really really wish I had waited the 6 now but couldn't stand him constantly forlornly looking out the windows any longer

I did that with my 5 month old kitten. It was night when I finally found him he decided to come back.

Oh that's good if it was 3 days I would be worried. 3-4 weeks is about right. He should be back when he's hungry.

3 weeks is quite a good length of time. He'll just be having fun exploring I'm sure.

I can't remember how long we kept our cat in when we first got her but when we moved house she gave me the slip after 3 days and disappeared for a good few hours. She came back at dinner time though

After three weeks he will have decided if he is going to adopt you or not. He will have an explore and come home for feeding.

That first experience of the tail disappearing over the wall can be terrifying so I sympathise with you. There's very little you can do now though.

Good luck.

(He should be home for his supper or maybe even earlier - probably having great fun having a good explore.)

He's back and scoffing some cat pate

There you go.

He is now at the cat flap desperate to go back out. I need to go out for a couple of hours in an hour though and not quite ready to be out when he is out yet

Cats are territorial, once he knows your home as his home territory, he'll want to come back as long as it's a nice place to live (I'm sure it is). They don't like new places much.

My mom never kept our cats in for 3 days after moving house or maybe 1 week with the brand new feral cat. No one ran off forever.

Thank you everyone feel very silly for panicking when he wasn't even away for 10 mins.
Another question though he has breakfast at 7 then dinner at 5 I was thinking of allowing him to come and go from after breakfast until dinner time do I need to build up to that or just let him out and hope for the best?

I kept my cat in for 3 weeks after I moved, until I noticed her jumping in the always open landing window. Little monkey had been lettibg herself in and out since the first day!