We have 2 house cats. Yesterday afternoon it seems one of them has got out somehow and disappeared. He sometimes pops out of the front door onto the drive way but soon scarpers straight back in the house. He’s never been any further. How he has got out without us knowing I don’t know but there’s no way he is in the house.

Yesterday afternoon and evening I’ve been out looking. Searching the garden, neighbours have checked theirs. Last night I sat on the front with the door open hoping he might come out in the dark but still no sign.

We are going to put leaflets through the doors today to ask people to check sheds, shrubs, garages etc. I’m hoping because he is a house cat he hasn’t gone far.

Any other suggestions? Is it a waiting game? Is he likely to come back assuming he is nearby?

Good on him. Cats are not meant to be prisoners. Maybe he is with some people who will let him be a cat. Be happy for him !

As helpful responses go, that is amazingly STW…

Perhaps got startled by something and scarpered – one of ours did that when it was attacked by a dog, returned a day later.

Sounds like you’re doing all the obvious things.

We had a new to us cat and kept him in for the requisite 6 weeks to make him think of our house as home.

Let him out for a ‘taster’ and he promptly disappeared for 36 hours.

Anxiety levels were high.

He did come back. Leave some food by the back door if there’s not too many foxes or other cats in the neighbourhood and keep an eye out.

He’s a bloke cat. He’ll turn up after he’s had an explore, put it about a bit, had a scrap, then got hungry. Normally its 2 or 3 days.

The only thing you need to worry about is there being a house nearby that can provide better /more regular food, or more attention than you. If so the mercenary little bastard will just move in there, and you’ll have been forgotten about in the blink of an eye.

We went on holiday for a week, with our neighbours feeding our three, came back, and one of them had moved in 5 doors down. He mosey’s back from time to time to annoy the other two. They’re shameless, I tell you. Shameless!

A friends cat went missing for a day. Was found in the back of a kitchen draw.

I kind of agree with hels (I suspect the comment being tongue in cheek 😉 ), not that I condemn people for keeping house cats “locked up”, but just that I’ve always been reluctant to get a cat if it means I have to keep them in the house. More related to living next to a busy road and would be worried about letting them out, but I wouldn’t want make a cat house bound. Might be because I grew up with a cat that was a semi-outdoor cat. Wanted out and roamed about, but generally wanted back in for comfort. Would have gone crazy though if it couldn’t get out.

To be fair some rescue cats are timid or have suffered abuse or neglect in the past such that they are always going to be house bound.

Why do some people think its OK to keep a cat indoors ?

It doesn’t seem natural.

If you find it, how do you think it will feel about being locked up again now its had a taste of freedom ?

It’ll be taking a shit in my garden. Guaranteed.

Why do some people think its OK to keep a cat indoors ?

It doesn’t seem natural.

If you find it, how do you think it will feel about being locked up again now its had a taste of freedom

There’s nothing particularly natural about keeping a domestic cat indoors or out. Certainly not that natural when an introduced non-native predator is massacring the local wildlife. Outdoor cats can also be more stressed than indoor ones if they are fighting and losing over territory with other more dominant cats. It’s not a given thing that they live happy, carefree lives out in the garden.

The second point is very valid though. Now the male cat has had a prowl around some new territory, he’ll be calling to go out all the time, so isn’t really an indoor cat any more.

Ours never show any inclination to go out.

EDIT: Anyhow, as my earlier comment about your first response has gone missing presumably because of bad words, I reckon he’ll be back, and you’re doing the right thing getting folk to check sheds etc.

Why do some people think its OK to keep a cat indoors ?

Why not start another thread .. I’m not particularly interested in peoples views about indoor cats

It’ll be taking a shit in my garden. Guaranteed.

If it’s anywhere near Bearnecessities, it’ll be shitting in his sand.

I know this is extraordinarily unhelpful, but don’t pets have to be chipped or something? Can it be tracked?

Register your mssing cat with Animal Search – http://www.animalsearchuk.co.uk

1 of our cats went missing and was found a few streets away via that website.

What defines an indoor cat? A friend had two of these. Boy they didn’t like anyone but him! My Aunt had three rare Pedigree’s, unfortunately two were run over. It is possible that some breeds have been bred for many generations into a lack of outdoor ability. That’s another topic though.

OP this topic might not go the way you want. I can understand your current anxiety but a cat I’d like a dog in certain regards. Hope you have a positive outcome on this though.

Why do some people think its OK to keep a cat indoors ?

some breeds are just not very streetsmart and perhaps need to be protected from themselves.

my older british short hair is just not very bright – I am still waiting for him to show that he can pull a door open with his paw – rather than trying to get his head through the gap, which obviously won’t work unless the dorr is fairly ajar.

I let him out in the garden every day. all day until a 10pm curfew.

Every few months he makes a break for it and gets over the fence but then is stuck on the other side of the fence and I have to lower a makeshift ladder over the fence and wait for him to climb back.

He then generally won’t try again for a few months, having scared himself.

After once excusion one morning he then slept until 7pm as he was so exhausted from the experience.

Not sure how the kitten is going to pan out yet, I think she is a bit smarter.

Both of ours did a runner when we let them out for the first time. Got the first back after 3 weeks and the second after 6 weeks. They had both been taken to the local vet by their “new owners” to get them chipped to keep them. As binners said they are shameless.
Anyway, make sure you let the vets in the area know, it worked for us.

I take it the cat is chipped ?

Contact the nearest RSPCA/Blue Cross and vets with pictures and the chip number.

Ask neighbours to check their sheds, cats can get locked in when the lawnmower gets put back.

I take it the cat is chipped

Yes he is chipped.

I Appreciate the helpful responses.

I know this is extraordinarily unhelpful, but don’t pets have to be chipped or something? Can it be tracked?

Cat Nav?

I’m feline now might not be the best time for puns.

Do you have pet insurance? They will generally cough up for a reward, one of ours went awol and we had posters up offering a reward that eventually got answered. Really didn’t think the cat would have gone as far as she did.

Kind of hope our other one would take an excursion, little sod has taken to spraying around the house.

Around here people tie Lost notices to lamp-posts. But the local fried chicken shack does a good line in urban rabbit.

Free Willy.

You’ll have to call it Willy when it comes back…

Fit a cat flap. It’ll come back when it’s ready.

Cat Nav?

I’ve missed your posts recently perchy. Have you been on holiday or have I just not been paying attention?

I’ve been on an intensive two week residential cat abduction course.

It was hard work, but it’s paying off now. 😉

One of our house cats escaped not long back and was found hiding under a car not far away. He’d gone over a large wall and couldn’t get back the way he had gone and because he didn’t know the area couldn’t figure out a way around.

Most cats will generally be able to find their way back when they want to, he may be locked up in someones house or shed so mail dropping the neighbours will help.

We now let them all out and have fitted a cat flap, they’re a lot happier and generally less stressed now apart from when the bin lorries come, they really don’t like those.

I know this is extraordinarily unhelpful, but don’t pets have to be chipped or something? Can it be tracked?

Chipping is a means of identification, it’s not a GPS.

Chipping is a means of identification, it’s not a GPS.

I did warn it was extraordinarily unhelpful.

As an aside, I assume you can get GPS trackers for pets? Although powering them could be an issue.

You cant own a cat, you only ever feed it.

Fit a cat flap and it will decide where it wants to live.

As an aside, I assume you can get GPS trackers for pets? Although powering them could be an issue.

Daughter has had her cat fitted with a device that enables her to track its live movements on street mapping via her phone.

The act of thinking about opening a pack of Dreamies,has my cat at my feet drooling, no matter which part of his vast empire he’s at.Hope it turns up.

If he has a favourite blanket or similar that he lies on, hang it on the washing line as the smell will attract him.

Best time to look is on a night, when it’s quiet and you might hear him. As he isn’t used to being outside, the busy day time may well be too much for him and he will be hiding.

Hope you get him back.

fitted with a device that enables her to track its live movements on street mapping

Am I the only one wondering where this device gets is power and imagining a cat with a USB socket somewhere so you can charge it? 🙂

“Yes dear, just putting the cat on charge!”

I’ve seen goldfish with more smarts than our british shorthair.
She is very much an indoor cat…not sure she knows shes is a cat as she is crap at it, stupid thing cant even meow. All she can do is sleep, eat, poo and molt.

Pete – c’mon, you know fine well I’m a bimbo! I went to hers for lunch and she was glued to her phone, zoomed in and saw exactly what street the cat was sh!tting in loitering in. There’s a chip in the collar presumably.

Other cat went missing, after 24 hours daughter wandered the streets and found a stiffie by the side of the road hence this tracker device or whatever it’s called.

after 24 hours daughter wandered the streets and found a stiffie by the side of the road

We’ve all been there.

sparkyrhino – Member

The act of thinking about opening a pack of Dreamies,has my cat at my feet drooling, no matter which part of his vast empire he’s at.Hope it turns up.When ours disappeared I ended up roaming the streets at midnight rattling a pack of Dreamies. When I got home there were 47 cats following me, but not ours.