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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.

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Original poster

How long does your (young, male) cat spend outside?

23 replies

DoubleLottchen · 09/04/2018 18:19

We have had our rescue cat for a couple of months, and have just started letting him outside. He's 5 years old, and was only neutered by the rescue centre just before we got him.

He likes going outside, and disappears in the blink of an eye. He doesn't come back when you call him from the house - a couple of times he has wandered in after a couple of hours, and on two other occasions I have got worried after a few hours and walked around the streets calling him (after fruitlessly calling from the back door). He has reappeared at the back door both times within about 5-10 minutes of me going out to call him - he was out about 4 and a half hours today.

So my question really is, what is a normal amount of time to be out, in nice weather, for a cat his age (as I said, he's 5). I find it worrying that he is "missing" for such a long time, but is that just a male thing? The previous cat I lived with was a young female belonging to my housemate. She would bob in and out of the catflap, but would always come when you called her, and would always be waiting at the front door when you arrived home.

Is 4 hours normal - or would it have been much longer if I hadn't gone out calling and he is rolling his eyes at me like a wayward teen as he shuffles reluctantly home?
(He seems happy enough now he is back, washing himself on the spare bed)

OP posts:

Want2beme · 09/04/2018 18:40

He's only started going out and from the sound of it, he's enjoying his outings. When they first start going out, they have a tendency to get carried away and lose all sense of time. He'll soon start to tire of being out for long stretches and will start to spend more time inside. Some cats are just more adventurous than others.

carbuckety · 09/04/2018 18:44

We have 2 youngish ( one aged almost 3 one almost 4) . They both vary, sometimes never going out ( run, snow) sometimes popping in and out all day and sometimes bugger off for just long enough that I think they've died and then they stroll back in

Original poster

DoubleLottchen · 09/04/2018 20:06

That's interesting that he might settle down later. Though looks like he might keep me guessing anyway

He is being a bit crazy at the moment, pouncing on everything that moves, so seems he enjoyed being out today.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 10/04/2018 15:12

One of mine worried us the other day after going out around 5pm and then sauntering back at midnight! Dreamies rattling in a tub can sometimes bring them back

Original poster

DoubleLottchen · 10/04/2018 15:37

I've never bought dreamies, perhaps I should get some for these occasions! Are they made of catnip?

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 10/04/2018 15:43

No they are little crunchy pockets with soft flavoured stuff inside e.g. Beef, cheese, chicken, etc. I have a plastic tub I keep them in as you get a better noise from them that the cats get to recognise

lljkk · 10/04/2018 15:44

You're so funny, cats coming when they're called, harhar, pull the other one...

Seriously, I trained mine to recognise a specific call linked to food. They hear that noise, and the greedy ones come running.

However, Mr. Can't-be-bothered Cat ambles up when he feels like it. Which could be any time. Doesn't care about food call.

My 6yr old cats are mostly classically crepuscular. They like to be out 5am-8am & 4pm-7pm this time of year. If squeaky live toy is found in the grass (rabbit babies will be out soon...), they could be outside all day, though.

DramaAlpaca · 10/04/2018 15:48

I had a male cat that we'd hardly ever see during the summer months. We'd know he'd been around because his food would disappear overnight, but it could be 48 hours or more before we'd actually see him.

Current male cat is in & out a lot, but doesn't seem to vanish for more than a few hours. He's too fond of his food bowl for that.

As for coming when they are called - never!

Original poster

DoubleLottchen · 10/04/2018 15:58

lljkk do most cats not come when called then? Ours does come when he is in the house, just not outside. Or actually, thinking about it, he doesn't move, but he does make a sort of purry acknowledgement so we can hear where he is.

I quite like the call linked to food idea

But anyway, if being out for long periods is normal, I will just have to deal with it - main problem is worrying that if we have to go out while he is out then he won't be able to get back inside until we get home again. But I suppose not a big problem in warm weather anyway.

OP posts:

IHeartKingThistle · 10/04/2018 16:02

Ours is barely in (8 months). Do you not have a cat flap?

Original poster

DoubleLottchen · 10/04/2018 16:04

No catflap yet. I think we might have to get one.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 10/04/2018 16:04

I don't have a cat flap but the cats have been left out for a few hours when I haven't been there and are used to it. They usually come and greet the car when we get home.

dementedpixie · 10/04/2018 16:06

Our house is awkward for a cat flap. Choices are ; in the sliding patio door which would mean a new glass panel, through a wall or in the front door which could look crappy

Gumbo · 10/04/2018 16:10

Mine is 5 years old and goes out for anything from 2-5 hours at a time. We live quite rurally and he goes down the bridleway beside our house - he can easily walk a mile!

For those whose cats don't come when they called, mine does! I have a special call for him, and if I walk the route he normally takes while calling, I eventually hear his little mewing voice through the bushes, and he come comes running over and follows me back home... caveat - he is ridiculously soppy and worships the ground I walk on

Dumbledoresgirl · 10/04/2018 16:18

Mine (3 males, 2 elderly, 1 only a year old) are out virtually all the time in summer, and virtually never in winter. The young one goes out at this time of year for several hours, mainly in the evening. It is normal behaviour.

And normal too not to come when called unless they are hungry. That is the joy of cats they are so independent. One of my older ones went missing once for a couple of days and it was nearly 24 hours before I even realised.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/04/2018 16:22

When cat (he wasn't mine) was in the house I used to noisily open the fridge and make sure that glass things clinked. He would appear, often still walking unsteadily, with unkempt fur from where he was sleeping and with eyes still half open...

ElizaDontlittle · 10/04/2018 20:05

I don't have a cat flap and mine come 1 they're called as I time it with food and as the older one has learned the hard way... it can lead to being left out all night! I have a 10yo female and 1yo male both neutered and I doubt the sex has much to do with it tbh, but they do have different characters. My young boycat is more of a homebody than my older girlie but when he is out he goes much further than her - I suspect that's age. They are pretty crepuscular too - but the windows of time get longer with the light.

He sounds pretty normal, and will be mapping his territory and his place in the hierarchy locally, and he may disappear for evenings at a time in the summer!

silverbirches · 10/04/2018 20:10

One I had would disappear for several days at a time in the summer months, he'd eventually come home across the fields totally knackered and filthy, eat a massive plate of grub and then sleep for about 24 hours!

We liked to think that he'd been on his holidays

Icequeen01 · 10/04/2018 20:33

I have two 6 year old boys who are brothers and are chalk and cheese. One of them is out most of the time as he loves to be in be fields. He pops back a couple of times a day to eat some food, have a 10 minute cuddle and then he's straight out the cat flap again. His brother is the exact opposite. Always curled up in the house somewhere and seeks us out. When he goes out he's not usually out for more than an hour then he's curled up inside again. They are just like people and are all different.

NotMeNoNo · 10/04/2018 20:38

Ours is about 4yo, was only neutered when we got him last year. He will often stay out for hours or all night but has gradually become more of a couch potato the rest of the time. And he's put on quite a bit of weight.

FluffyWuffy100 · 10/04/2018 21:01

My old cats would be out for HOURS. If you shook the crunchie tin and called them, about 5 mins later they would clatter over the fence and sprint down the garden. They had a massive territory (big gardens and woodland).

My current fatty catty goes outside, mainly into my garden only, for about 10 mins to do a poo. Unless it’s raining and then he uses the litter tray.

Trilogy18 · 10/04/2018 22:16

My two cats are never out for more than ten minutes at this time of year. They strongly disapprove of wind, rain and cloudy days. In the Summer they are out all day long.

They never go far though, the food call always brings them running.

SabineUndine · 10/04/2018 22:45

My old cat would stay out for 48 hours at a time, nipping back to fill his stomach. Think teenager . . .

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