That heart-stopping moment...

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...when they both disappear out of sight? Help!

I've recently started letting my cats out because we moved to the countryside. We're surrounded by big gardens and fields, and there is a quiet road in front of the house. They were going crazy indoors and I don't believe in the concept of keeping cats inside, although I was forced to for a year. I kept them in for four months before letting them out, and they've been out a week now!
The first week they were happy to just explore the garden (which is fairly big), but now they've both gone off and I'm so, so anxious! Please tell me it gets easier!

Have they been gone for a whole week?

No. They've been gone 15 minutes 🤣

I had similar "OMG what if they wander off/get catnapped/get caught in someones shed/like the neighbours better/fall into a pond" thoughts when my two went out originally .

Mine were born ferally in a garden then taken to CPL where they were indoors .

So they revelled in the oudoors , but the shaking of the cat biscuit jar lures them in (and a tin of tuna for supper on the first day)

Cats are clever and they like routine and their territory . Ours have staked out the garden and seem satisfied with their plot .

And the going back to their wild side . Our male cat informs us that yes , dragonflies and moths were a staple when he was a kitten and perfectly suitable to now supplement his diet

Mine usually chill in our tiny garden and are in and out every 15 mins.

Every so often one will piss off into the railway behind till 1am and we sit anxiously at the window waiting
. They stroll in super casual too, zero fucks given

oh right, you had me worried there!! they are such a worry but I reckon they are having a great time exploring all the creatures and sunning themselves.

Thanks for reassuring me guys, they wandered back in after half an hour, and are in and out and disappearing as they please! It is such a massive worry, my main worry is cars actually - hate how fast they drive, although they aren't very frequent.

Ha ! at the casual stroll back.

It gets dark here at 9.15 , our female comes home first , her brother is still loitering outside until he deems fit ( shouting his name does Diddly Squat but the biscuit tin catches his attention)

And he still protests he is fine , he has Cats'Eyes to see in the dark dont'cha know

cheddar didn't come back last week for about half an hour last week. I was getting really worried. Told Snorg to go out and find her and a few minutes later she came thundering into the house. With Snorg in hot Pursuit. Snorg clearly is mire intelligent than I thought!

I don't think I could cope with actual proper out door cats! Indoor/ garden cars are stressful enough!

One of my cats is a total ninja. You can think she's come in, immediately turn round and lock the door but she's ninja'd out. One time I found her soaked at the back door as I'd assumed she was in

DS showed me a clip of some weird rolly things you put on top of your fence to keep your cat in your garden. It actually looked really clever, but I bet it's nowhere near as cat proof as they claim.

Since it's been so hot here mine are currently usually out at night - it's always a bit if a worry when they start doing that but you get used to it.
They are usually very pleased to see me in the morning .

Ours was in and out all day, through the window, I knew one day she was in trouble as she didn't come back for hours so went looking for her and she had got herself stuck up some scaffolding, with help from the neighbours in the middle of the night we managed to get her down (without thinking she must have got up somehow so must be a way down), she came home, ate and went straight out again up the scaffolding poles! They love being outdoors in the sunshine, looking at things we can't see and then coming home to tell us all about it.