Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

New cat hasn't come home tonight

46 replies

TheDonald · 12/10/2017 22:12

We've had her 6 weeks. She's been going outside for about 3 weeks and has always been great at coming back fairly quickly. Today I let her out this morning around 9.30 but then got called into work at 10 and she didn't come in so I left her and thought she'd come in at 3.30 when DD got home but she didn't.

Still no sign of her now. She hasn't been in for food or anything and I've been calling her for hours.

Can anyone suggest anything? It's a bit late to knock on neighbours' doors. She is chipped but no collar as she kept biting it off.

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 12/10/2017 22:18

Fingers crossed she turns up,what a worry. I bet she'll come home when she's hungry. Have you tried rattling a packet of Dreamies and calling her name outside ?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 12/10/2017 22:18

Fingers crossed she turns up,what a worry. I bet she'll come home when she's hungry. Have you tried rattling a packet of Dreamies and calling her name outside ?

Mulch · 12/10/2017 22:30

Sprinkle abit of her Litter tray around to help her find home

Original poster
TheDonald · 12/10/2017 22:34

I've been shaking her food bag for hours. And I took some salmon outside for her.

I've attracted two other cats!

OP posts:
Original poster
TheDonald · 13/10/2017 07:15

Still no sign. Sad

Fearing the worst now. I was calling her until 1 am then slept until 6.00 and now on the sofa so I can keep an eye on her windowsill.

I'll go out and have a look round the local streets as soon as it's light.

I really don't want to go to work in case she comes back.

OP posts:
Want2beme · 13/10/2017 10:02

Sometimes, when they're finally let out into the big wide world, they become very adventurous and can wander off for longer than normal. They get a bit sidetracked. Hope she comes home to you soon. They have no idea of the stress they cause, do they!

Original poster
TheDonald · 13/10/2017 22:50

Thanks Want. I hope that's true.

I've been out looking for her as much as I could today and made some posters. I've put it on facebook and shared her picture as much as I can.

A friend thinks she might have seen her on a nearby street this morning but she's tabby and looks like lots of other cats so it's hard to be sure.

I can't believe we've lost her already. We've been waiting to get a cat for years because various work and travel commitments have stopped us up to now, and we've lost her in the first few weeks.

DD is devastated.

OP posts:
LizB62A · 13/10/2017 23:02

Have you got a cat flap so the cat can get in if it turns up in the middle of the night?
Lots of useful info here: www.cats.org.uk/stneots/lost-and-found/ive-lost-my-cat
Fingers crossed she comes back safe and sound.

NancyDonahue · 13/10/2017 23:21

She's most likely still close by, either physically trapped or has been frightened and is lying low. I would knock on the doors of all gardens adjacent to yours and ask if you can take a quick look yourself. The sound of your voice may bring her out.

I hope she's back soon. Best of luck to you and hugs to your dd x

Wolfiefan · 13/10/2017 23:25

Mine are two. So far they have been shut in garages and even an empty house. A possibility?
Hoping yours is home soon.

Original poster
TheDonald · 13/10/2017 23:32

Yes we are planning to go round tomorrow and knock on doors, put flyers through and put some posters up.

I just keep expecting her to turn up. The house is very strange without her even though we've only had her just a few weeks.

OP posts:
Rollypoly100 · 14/10/2017 09:02

Any news?

Original poster
TheDonald · 14/10/2017 09:10

No Sad

48 hours now. The house feels all empty.

We've cancelled our day out today and will be putting up posters, knocking on doors and looking around locally.

I keep thinking she's chipped and will be found eventually but I just hope she has some road sense. She's only been out the back and we live in a long row of terraces so I've never seen her on the road.

OP posts:
user1490465531 · 14/10/2017 18:59

Any tips on getting my rescue cat to go out? Had her a month and will only pop out for 5 miniute max into garden and then runs back in.
Fed up of litter trays costing me a fortune and I really don't want an indoor cat I was told by rescue she was a confident cat-big lie it's the opposite.
I'm not returning her but she needs to go out. Any tips on getting her to go out? she's only one.

user1490465531 · 14/10/2017 19:00

sorry meant you start my own thread!

Wolfiefan · 14/10/2017 19:01

if you have a cat then you should be prepared for a litter tray. It's that or it shits in your neighbours' gardens.
If your cat wants to stay in then let it.

user1490465531 · 14/10/2017 19:23

I asked for advice wolfie if you can't offer any don't respond

Wolfiefan · 14/10/2017 19:29

I did offer advice. A month is nothing. If the cat hasn't settled and doesn't want to go out you can't make it. Let the cat stay in and settle. And get used to the litter tray. Always need to have one.

Allergictoironing · 14/10/2017 19:29

She may just need more time to get confidence - it's only been a month you say?

Not sure why the litter trays are costing you a fortune. the big sacks I get from Pets at Home are about £7 each and it literally takes me months to use a whole one up. I know mine prefer a cheaper litter, but all the same it can't be costing you THAT much. You do know you only have to scoop when they use the tray, then change it anything from weekly to fortnightly depending on usage etc?

Lily2007 · 14/10/2017 19:32

Hope you've found her. The vets maybe worth trying too. I'ld maybe try her favourite food again and call her name. Mine was with a neighbour when this happened once. They normally don't go that far and girls tend to like the warmth.

wtffgs · 14/10/2017 19:46

I hope you get good news soon.

A previous and much-adored cat moved out because he didn't like the food we gave him so opted for (nice) neighbours who got wise to his ways!

Oh and he went missing just before a huge snowstorm- it turned out he got a bit lost and temporarily moved in with a family, terrorising the family dog in the process Grin

Both times he eventually came home. He was a total git but we loved him to bits!

wtffgs · 14/10/2017 19:58

I posted flyers everywhere after the second disappearance- fun in 3 feet of snow with a baby and a toddler (Hmm) but it did work as someone saw one of the flyers and mentioned it to a friend ... who had been looking after the cat!

Original poster
TheDonald · 14/10/2017 21:08

Still no news. I've spammed social media today and it's been shared by the local rescue and lots of other people.

I've also been out looking for a few hours and put some posters around and leaflets through neighbours' doors if they weren't in.

Not sure what more to do tomorrow or when to call off the search. It feels awful doing nothing but it's starting to feel like a waste of time Sad

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 14/10/2017 21:57

Don't give up. You need to get everyone to check sheds and garages in case she's got herself locked in. Make leaflets clear that's what you want people to do. Knock on doors - lots and lots (and hopefully they won't be like the MNetters who never open their doors) and ask them to check sheds if they have been opened at all in the last few days. Leaflets, posters and door knocking is the best way to get results - much better than social media which many people aren't on.

Lily2007 · 15/10/2017 00:41

I knew a cat who was a rescue cat who went back to by where he used to live and another time got stuck up a tree.

Hopefully someone has taken her in and is spoiling her and she will be home soon. Tin of tuna should attract cats, hopefully yours amongst them.

Swipe left for the next trending thread