I need your cat coming home stories

[Horriblewoman]

To reassure me.

My little cat didn't come home last night which is incredibly unusual. I was up until 1 looking and then again at 6 and kept waking up thinking I heard her so I'm totally knackered and very upset.

Posted on nextdoor and on the street WhatsApp.

Please reassure me that cats do this all the time and it will be fine once someone wakes up and opens their shed / garage? I don't know what I'd do without her.

Oh it’s stressful when they do it the first time! If it’s a warm night, though, they do love a good stroll around annoying the local wildlife for the night.

Our late cat used to do this every summer. Her ‘staying out’ record was eight weeks, after which she reappeared indignantly on the doorstep one evening waiting to be let in.

I suspect that nearly all cats do this at some point.
Every cat I’ve ever known certainly has.
I’m sure they’ll be back.
Maybe post some bits through letter boxes to ask people to check out buildings etc..
She’ll turn up.

I hope she is back home with you soon!

My cat disappeared in March and then reappeared in the middle of the night, 2 and half weeks later! We were convinced something terrible had happened, but he was fine (though a bit skinny!).

You could try leaving her litter tray outside (if she has one) or a blanket or item of clothing that smells of her or you. Also get your neighbours to check sheds etc.

I have two cats, they’ve done this on a couple of occasions! They always turn up.

One in particular loves to disappear occasionally overnight and come strolling in mid afternoon squeaking for his breakfast, I think he’s found a good sleeping spot somewhere better than our house!

I also had a cat who when we moved house managed to get out before he should’ve done! He turned up a month later (he was a very spoiled cat after that incident!)

Thank you, it doesn't help that her sister, who is not a vocal cat, is running around the house meowing which in my sleep addled brain means I've convinced myself something terrible has happened to her!

She's probably got involved with something. She'll be back soon. They all get a little bit of wanderlust from time to time

I had a cat disappear for 6 months, the little madam was with another family up the road.

Another cat, when he wasn't even a year old was out all day and night. I could see him and tried to get him to come back. There was a female cat who must have been in heat. When he did come home, he was booked in at the vets lol.

One of mine went missing for a fortnight. I hope your cat is home soon

This little monster has gone missing three times now, the first time he was only 11 months old and he was found on the other side of our town 7 weeks later.
He then went missing at around 3 years old, he was gone for 18 months that time. He turned up at the local scrap yard!
Most recently, we have just had him back.after 2 years this time. He was located by a vet scanning his chip, he had been at the scrap yard again.
I try to not take it personally that he seems to prefer a scrap yard to my house.

She's back! This is outing if anyone I know is on Mumsnet but I found her in a school boiler room after a post on nextdoor sent a photo of her nearby.

Well done. You know where to look next time.

Following for positive stories :(

My boy went out on the 19th August too and has not yet returned.

He is 8.5years and never leaves the house for more than a few hours, he loves a lap nap and we both work from home.

He was a rescue and has been with us 2.5years, he is very skittish around strangers and took a long time to bond with us.

We have put up posters and leafleted all the surrounding houses. I have also hung our duvet cover unwashed on the washing line, and his blankets. In an attempt to leave a scent.

Daily callings of his name with dreamie packet shaking.

Ive also marked him as missing on his microchip and checked with the vet.

Lots of likes and comments on the various social media groups but no one has seen him.

I am truly heartbroken the worst has happened. He was my little shadow.

Has anyone had a cat of this age change character and swap from homeboy to week or more long adventures?

My house cat went missing for four nights we had given up hope as he had gone out the window before but always come back really quickly. We put posters up all over the neighbourhood and we were distraught. I went to have one more search for him in the communal gardens where we had tried calling him and he meowed and poked his head through the bushes we were so so relieved. Don't give up hope !!

He’s been found! 7 days later, only one street over in another block of gardens. On the thin side, but he appears unhurt. I will take him to the vet for a check up anyway.

The statistics suggested that most lost cats are found, but I couldn’t believe it.

Mine isn't a wanderer, at all. Last year he buggered off for a week. We put a post on a local FB page and there were various possible sightings of him nearby, but we never managed to find him.

He sauntered in one morning at breakfast time. No idea what had happened. He was hungry and slept for 24 hrs straight and then back to his usual dickhead tricks.

Good news @MediumDwarf

Our homebody cat had a trip to the vet a few weeks ago and took offence, did a disappearing act as soon as we got home. After a few hours we were distraught. Walked around the neighbourhood with dreamies, up half the night.

In the middle of the night Dh rang the emergency vet to see if the treatment he’d been given earlier could have affected him in anyway or the medical issue could have got worse and he’d gone away to die.
No sooner did DH put the phone down then the bloody cat sauntered in meowing for food!

Apparently cats very rarely get lost. Normally when they go missing they have either got locked on somewhere or been scared for some reason. One near me was found on the opposite side of the main road and they think he had wandered a bit further than usual, crossed the road when it was quiet and been too scared to cross back.