How do you manage a cat without a cat flap?

[LavenderLxx]

Question for those of you with no cat flap…

We have a nearly 2 year old cat. We have had him since he was 4 months old - neautered, vaccinated, microchipped. When we first started letting him out last year at about 7 months he happily just pottered around the garden and would come rushing straight back in when we shook the treats tin.

He is now nearly 2 and up until about a fortnight ago still only stayed in the garden. But then he finally discovered that he could jump on the brick BBQ and scale the fence! We tried to discourage this but quickly realised it was impossible so bought a tracker to keep an eye on him. He only goes into the neighbours gardens behind us and to either side. So far hasn’t made it as far as the road. But unlike when he was in the garden and he came back when we shook the treats tin he now ignores us!! The problem is we don’t have a cat flap and there is nowhere we can put one! Those of you with no cat flap are you just slaves to opening the door?! It’s been fine while the weather is nice and we’re at home just to have it open, but im
not sure what we do if we’re going out and he’s not coming back when we call! Do we just leave him out there! I know he’s a cat and he’ll probably be fine but I’m very anxious about him being out if we’re not home… Words of wisdom please!

We just leave her to it. We've got big patio doors in the lounge and she just sits by them to be let in or out. She's smart enough generally to sit on top of the shed and miaow in the general direction of our bedroom window if we've already gone to bed.

She's happy enough to stay out all night sometimes though, we might get a grumble from her in the morning but she's fine, same if we go out and she's stuck outside all day. She has got a little shelter in the garden she can use if it rains, but she doesn't tend to use it, hangs out elsewhere instead.

She's much less of an outside cat in the winter as well. She'll pop out here and then but she's always back way before we go to bed.

Case in point: has cat tunnel. Waits by bifold anyway, like some kind of soldier’s sweetheart, waiting for him to return.