I'm sure we used to have a cat

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

BiteyCat generally follows a routine: out for a while after breakfast, sleep on this week's favourite bed till teatime, shout out the window at us as we're coming home from work, eat his tea, then out for a while, coming back to hang out with us in the late evening. Except these last few days, he's out all the time. All day, just coming in to be fed, then straight out again. He's home when we wake up but he's not in when we go to bed, and he literally grabs some food and sprints out again. It's a bit like having a teenager, and we miss him. Is he two-timing us with another family? Is it normal for a cat in his prime to spend periods away roaming as much as this? (He's a neutered rescue, ex-stray but we think about 5.)

He knows the bad weather's coming and is making the most of it while he can. My 2 dissappear like this every year at the end of summer/beginning of autumn then return to stay inside all winter

That makes sense @Coconutcreampie - thanks for the reassurance that it's normal. Our last cat was a homebody and never went further than the garden, so this is new.

He's found a mouse/rat hole and is playing with his new toys.

Do you not worry he'll be hit by a car being out over night?

That's exactly my worry @Fluffycloudland77. I am much happier when he sticks to his usual routine of reappearing at 9 ish and settling down on the couch when we head up to bed.

That's really interesting because my cat (young neutered male) is doing exactly the same thing. We got him as a rescue at the end of last autumn so no previous years to compare to. Good to know that might be an explanation (rather than a neighbour subtly trying to lure him away from us)

Ours spends most of the summer outside - out at 5am back in at 10pm and you barely see her.

Her patterns have changed this last week too. She's in and out all day. To the point that she'll stand at the patio door, run off when we open it, come back, come in, grab food, go out and on it goes all bloody day!

I think it's the weather too. She hibernates in the winter. Quite literally spends the day under a radiator coming out for food. Our vet says her two cats do the same.

Makes you wonder what they're sensing in the air...

I don't like my boys being out too late at night either! I can't settle until they come home even though they come in and out all night. Older boy is out most often but he's usually in by our bedtime. When he's late I usually tell him off before feeling relief. Much like a teenager!

When he's gone missing for a few hours he tends to then stay close to home for a few days. Which is nice.

Maybe he's got a girlfriend/boyfriend!