If you, like me, let your cat go outside, you will surely be worried that someone will return later than usual. And it is that, giving him permission to go for a walk is very good so that he can explore his territory, but it is also a decision that sooner or later can make us feel bad.
Unless we live in a quiet area or in the countryside, the chances of something happening to him are very high. For this reason, if we are in a city or a highly populated town, the most sensible thing to do is not to let it leave, since otherwise and unfortunately, its life expectancy would be shortened considerably. But if he leaves, when will he come back? If you are considering letting him leave or if he has left and has not returned yet, then I will explain how long does it take for a cat to come home.
If you don't want to be worried every time your cat leaves the house, it's best to use one of these GPS locators for pets, so you always know where it is.
Why are the cats leaving?
The cat that leaves the house does so for several reasons: to explore, to look for a partner if it is not neutered, and / or to get away from the stress or tension that may be at home at that time. Usually it will come back in a few hours, but sometimes it may take longer. Why? Could it be that he does not want to return? From experience I can tell you that if you receive all the necessary care, If he doesn't come the second day, it's because something happened to himNow then what? Several options can be shuffled:
- He has gone looking for a partner.
- He is lost and / or is very scared.
- He has had an accident.
- It has been trapped somewhere (garage for example).
How to prevent them from getting lost?
Neutering him and putting a collar on him
It is very important to castrate him (that is, to remove the male's testicles and the female's ovaries) before the first heat and to put a necklace with a plate that bears our telephone number (or one with GPS) and, furthermore, during the first few times he goes out we have to be with him. If we do it like this, it will be very difficult for it to get lost and, if it does, we can be sure that it will not have gone very far.
Also, you should know that the microchip, although it is not mandatory in some communities and / or countries, is something that does not hurt to put it on. Think that if your furry gets lost and they take him to the vet, the professional will be able to contact you easily since that microchip will have your data. And that's not to mention that, in case of problems, you can prove that this cat is legally yours.
Have doors and windows closed
Or what is the same: not let him out. The cat, as long as it is home, can live without problems throughout its life at home, where it will not have to run any danger since it will be the humans with whom it lives who will have to keep it protected.
And in the case that it is semi-feral, the ideal will be to adapt the house to the cat; that is, put cat nets (for sale here) in the windows and on the balconies, fence the entire garden well, or even create a large enclosure for them that can be accessed, for example, from a house window.
Alternatively teach him to walk with a harness from a very young age. I repeat: since I was young. If you start when you are an adult, the chances that you will NOT get used to it or that it even freaks out, scratches you and gets lost are very high.
Play with him a lot
This is actually closely related to the advice above. It may be inside the house, but If you do nothing all day, problems will soon appearFrustration and boredom will build up, as well as unspent energy that will drive you to do things that you would not normally do. One of those things is to attack 'for no reason', or relieve themselves off the tray, or meow desperately at any hour.
So for you to be happy, you must dedicate at least one hour to play a day, divided into several short sessions of about 20 to 30 minutes. Play by making subtle movements, never sudden movements. Don't shake him like you would a dog. The cat is a more sensitive animal, more elegant if I may say so.
You must turn a toy (stuffed animal, rope, ...) into its prey, moving it as you would in nature; that is, if you are playing with a rope, for the cat it will be as if it wanted to catch a bird, so do not hesitate to put it on the front and the sides, let it catch that 'bird' sometime. And above all, enjoy watching him enjoy 🙂.
How long do cats take to return?
Depends. The truth is the normal thing is that if nothing serious has happened to them, and if they are neutered, they return after a few hours or at most in two or three days. Otherwise, it may take weeks, or even months. It does not usually happen, but there have been cases of cats that have been reunited with their families after years of their disappearance.
But from my own experience I do not recommend having hope beyond a month. It is very painful, and it can prevent you from moving on with your life, which is not good either.
How long do cats last?
To finish, I will tell you that the life expectancy of a cat will vary a lot depending on its lifestyle. So while Those who never leave home can live an average of 20 years, those who are born and raised on the street hopefully reach 3 years, but it is not unusual that they do not exceed the first year of life.
Those who live at home but go out every day, that is, the semi-feral, can live for 5-6 years if the area is more or less safe (the outskirts of a town for example). But if they are animals that have been raised at home and they get lost, they will have a hard time surviving more than a few months, unless they are lucky enough to find a feline colony that is being fed, or someone who takes care of they.
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My kitten left yesterday at 5 pm and so far she has not returned, I suppose it is because she is in heat but I am very afraid that something will happen to her or that she will get lost that is why I am on this website because I did not know why my kitten She had left out of nowhere and I hope that very soon she will return home because we love her here very much
Hello, my cats are from inside, they do not come out, but last night a year-old lion left the kitchen door and we did not realize it, when we went looking for a neighbor he told us that he grabbed it and he could do it next door of a tree, thinking that it belonged to no one. Since yesterday I can't find it. I went through everything, I call him with his food and nothing. He was not used to going out, he is neutered, how long can he return? You must be scared! Same more at night, I'm going to go out again
Hi loneliness.
Cats that never leave the house, when they run away do not usually go far from the house. So it is advisable to look well under cars, as well as in neighborhood garages.
Leave a litter box outside so it will be easier for him to come back.
Good luck.
My cat was lost three weeks ago, it was the first time he went out, and the worst of all is that he got lost at night, my whole family tried to look for him as much as possible but I have seen many cats except him, he is everything For me, that's why we try to get some information. I hope to find you soon ... I miss you my pretty nugget ...
Hey.
You have to put up posters, notify the neighbors and go out to look for it.
Much encouragement.
My cat was lost three weeks ago, it was the first time he went out, and the worst of all is that he got lost at night, my whole family tried to look for him as much as possible but I have seen many cats except him, he is everything For me, that's why we try to get some information. I hope to find him soon ... my cute little yellow, 10 months old, in bucaramanga, san rafael, colombia got lost at 4 in the morning. he still didn't know anything, and whenever he fell to the ground he fell from pansa ... he still wasn't castrated I miss you so much and I hope to see you pontro ...
My cat got lost yesterday at 2 in the morning, normally every day she went out and returned at 6 in the morning, but that Saturday I do not return, so far she has not returned, she is sterilized, she is 5 years old and has a necklace with identification , I hope that it returns, or that someone answers me perhaps to know in how much time average I could return, thank you I feel very sad.
Hello Oscar.
We hope you find it soon. On this article it explains what can be done to bring him back.
Much encouragement.
My kitten is 3 years old and he is neutered yesterday morning and he has not arrived, it is night and he is neutered
Hello Caroline.
The only thing I can tell you is to go out and look for it, especially in the evening when cats are most active.
Good luck, and good cheer.
5 days have passed: 'c I miss him a lot, I wanted to see what could have happened to him, since my kitten left my house at 11 pm (I live in a residential area which he never left) and the next day usually He arrived at 5 am, but he did not return and 5 days have already elapsed he did not eat outside also that he had just eaten there was no need for him to do it again at that time I do not think someone has taken him and taken him, I hope he is in heat (you know how many days heat lasts in a male cat approx.)
If you answered me, you would help me a lot: 3
greetings and I hope my kitten is well
Hi Karina.
A cat that is not neutered can take a long time to return. One of the first cats I had - at that time I was 12 years old, and my cat was 1 year old - once he had not returned for three months.
Cheer up.
My cat was 6 years old with me and as I know him he would never escape since he is neutered and for more changes of house that he was with me not to mention that he always spent it at home but now that he changed me to a field he lost to the Third week of being here worries me since so many years of knowing him I do not know where he can be and I do not know if he will return
Hello, Luz.
I recommend you go out and look for it in the afternoons, which is when cats spend the most time active.
Good luck.
My kitten left last night and has not returned, it is not operated. How long will it take to return?
Hi Erika.
They can take a long time. One of the first cats I cared for as a child took 3 months.
When he comes back, I would recommend neutering him. That way it won't go away that long.
Cheer up.
Hello, I know this post is from months ago, but I hope they answer me 🙁
My cat left 4 days ago, she is sterilized and we gave her everything, she seemed very happy to be with us. From what I have seen, it is not very common for cats to take more than 2 days to return.
It also makes me think about the way she arrived, because I live in a condominium and when she arrived I was very scared, next to my door, and it is very strange because she is very pretty, she has completely white fur and heterochromia of the iris (one eye blue and the other green), which seemed strange to me, I thought it would have an owner, but no one was looking for it. So just that. How many more days could it take to return?
Hello Camila.
It is impossible to know.
All I can tell you is to go out and look for it, every afternoon, and leave something that smells of you outside at the door. This will make it much easier for you to find your home.
Cheer up.
My cat, CoCo, was lost due to the negligence of the Veterinary Doctor, we took him to be neutered and curiously he escaped (I have my doubts), but within me there is hope that he will return, unfortunately this was at a distance of approximately 5 km. between the clinic and the house.
Good luck, María Luisa.
Go out to look for it at dusk which is when cats are most active. But go out and call him so he can hear you.
Greetings.
My cat's name is Torre, she has 4 kittens, she is a Siamese cat and you have 3 Siamese and one like a tiger. The cats are small, they are just going to be tern a month and they walk but they do not eat yet.
Hi Neyra.
After a month he should start eating wet kitten food, or dry food soaked in milk WITHOUT lactose since otherwise it could make him feel bad (diarrhea, and that in such young kittens can carry a huge risk to his life).
In any case, we recommend you contact a veterinarian, since he could have a lack of appetite due to intestinal parasites. These will be eliminated well with the medicine that the specialist tells you.
Greetings.
Greetings.
Hello, my cat left for a day and I'm already worried
My cat is one year old, he has just turned one year old and he is a male, he is not neutered, we were going to castrate him but suddenly he left one night and he does not arrive, a day has passed and I am very worried
Hi Aracely.
En this article We explain what to do when a cat leaves home.
Hope you find it soon. Cheer up.
Hello everyone, I will tell you about my case, at home there is a cat that was adopted when she was about 2 months old, she had been wandering around the neighborhood for several days and one day she followed my daughter, then 9 years old, home, dad dad look how pretty we are we stay? So insisting until I did not very willingly agree, I do not regret it at all, it is one of the family, and then it was normal, to the vet, in addition to all the routine she was sterilized, and well, over time, fully integrated, Although very scary and corner with strangers, she would leave the house on rare occasions and at the slightest noise she would return scared, well it turns out that one fine day, Saturday afternoon, we missed her, then to look on the outside terrace that overlooks the street and nothing, in our street and under the cars and nothing, a clearing at the end of the street and nothing, the next day and nothing, another day and nothing, the grief was great especially in my daughter, I every day when I returned from work I went out to look for her, I went through the streets and alleys of my town that I did not even know, the fields and meadows around the town, another day and nothing, another week and nothing, something was missing at home, another week and nothing ... time and there was no other choice but to assimilate it even though he was us, but queeee, a good day just 7 weeks later, 49 days, another Saturday afternoon, she appeared, totally defenestrated, dehydrated, malnourished, full of parasites ... Really, I think it would not have lasted 2 more days, she would undoubtedly have died, But there he was, the excitement was totally crazy with everyone's happiness, it took him a while to fully recover, but he came back and here he is, with us, he is happy, and we too for being able to enjoy the company of this fantastic being.
Thank you very much for sharing this story, it gives me hope to get my kitten back.
Hello, my cat has been lost for 1 month, he is male and neutered, I was thinking that since the previous month (the month when he was lost) was August, he could lose more due to the zeal of the cats, will he be able to return or not?
Hello Marcela.
It cannot be known. But from experience when a month has already passed, it is difficult 🙁
Cheer up.
Hello, I was taking care of a kitten for about a year, 3 months ago, I always left and came back on time, once it took half a day to come back, but yesterday he left at 9pm and so far he has not returned, 23 hours have passed And he still does not return, it is cold in my city, he is male and he is not neutered, I am very afraid that something has happened to him, I live in a somewhat busy area, usually he plays with other cats on the roof of my home, but still comes back.
Please, what do I do? I'm very worried.
Hi Sharith.
Not being neutered, it is likely that he has gone to patrol the neighborhood. You can go out and look for it in the area. Hope you're lucky and come back.
My cat is 6 years old, of which 5 has left the house daily and is spending it on the street. What took the longest to return was 3-4 days (he is not neutered) he is very special to eat and he does not allow himself to be caught by anyone. He has not returned for 10 days but you say there is still hope :( I hope he will return soon because it hurts me a lot not knowing about him
Hello Andres.
If he is not neutered, yes, there is a significant risk that he has found a cat, and that it will take a while to return.
In the event that he returns, it is advisable to castrate him. He will continue to want to go (at 6 years old, it is difficult to change that habit), but he will most likely calm down and not stray too far.
Regards!
My cat left the house and 4 days have passed since his disappearance, he is not neutered, he never left but he began to leave for a long time until he left and did not come back if someone can help me I would appreciate it, and I do not know when he comes back and I miss him a lot because he's not just a cat, he's my life☹️
Hi Nic.
It is very painful when they leave and are slow to return. We recommend following the advice in the article to see if you are lucky and come back as soon as possible.
Cheer up.
Hello ... There was a stray kitten, I would give him a year old, he was not one of us, but we always left food for him outside the house and he used to spend all the mñn in our house and in the afternoon he would disappear until night that he came for food then he He would go or lie down on a kind of bed that we made out of cardboard, sometimes he would disappear for 3 days, all beaten up, he bathed him and treated his wounds, he was 6 months old and we saw him hanging around the house that even our dogs taught him. They did not chase him and he even used to lie next to them but since the last time he left, it has been 2 weeks since he has returned as he is a stray kitten, something bad may have happened to him… .my parents have gone looking for him but no Hopefully they have found him and he returns as he did.
Let's hope so. Cheer up.
Hello, my cat got lost a week ago, it was from walking on the roofs nearby but for the night it would return, it is a Siamese of approx 2y half neutered, I looked for it everywhere, I asked for nearby houses in case nothing happened to it, or I don't know if they took it. I miss him a lot, I don't know what to do to get him back. I already posted a notice everywhere, am I still hoping to find it?
Hello Hugo.
If you are neutered, from my own experience I recommend to hope for at least a month. In fact, six cats live in the garden, and one of them was missing for a year. He returned safe and sound, since apparently he had been fed wherever he had been.
So good cheer. Hope you find it soon.
Greetings.
Hello well I lost my cat has the name Pepe and he was lost 2 days ago and he is not used to leaving for so long and he is macho
Hi Pepeale.
We hope you can find it as soon as possible. Go out to look for it in the afternoon, late when it starts to get dark, in the area.
Good luck.
My kitten escaped through the window I moved house he has been living in his new house for two weeks and he has been away for two nights I am afraid that I will not see him again he is very nice he has been living with me for more than 6 years I do not know what Acer
Hello Mercedes.
We recommend you follow the advice of this article to have a better chance of her coming back.
Much encouragement.
Hello, my almost one year old cat just got lost, he has always been a house cat so I am very worried that he will not come back, he had a fight at around 5 am with another cat and fell from the roof, I immediately went out to I looked for him but he gave no signs and since it was dark I couldn't know where he was, I was partly to blame because I just looked for him for a few minutes, because I thought maybe later he would come out or meow. Now it's been almost 8 hours, my brothers went looking for it but they can't find it, what can I do ??? I am very desperate, that cat is very precious to me, help
Hi Lilly.
We recommend that you be patient and be as calm as possible. It is difficult, a lot, we know. But it really is for the best.
Go out and look for him in the surroundings if he hasn't returned yet; most likely he was hiding out there.
Are you neutered? If not, you may have been looking for a cat in heat.
Put up signs around the area. Hopefully you are lucky and find it.
Hello, my cat left a week and a day ago and she does not return, I look for her everywhere in my neighborhood and she does not return, she left at night.
Hello Cookies.
Much encouragement. Follow the advice in the article and see if you are lucky. Hopefully yes.
Hello, I know this article is from a long time ago, but I hope you answer me as quickly as possible.
The fact is that my cat left home exactly 8 days ago and has not returned, he used to go out every day in the afternoon and return at dawn to sleep and eat.
It has escaped several times, but at most it takes two days to return, I am really worried, it is not sterile.
They told me they heard several cats fight, but I don't know if mine is among them.
What should I do? I don't know where to look for him, but every day I go up to the roof to talk to him and leave him food and the window open in case he comes back.
I live on the outskirts of the city.
Hi Patty.
I feel what happened. We recommend that you follow the advice in the article, go out and look for it, put food on it, put up posters.
Much encouragement.
Hello, I am very sad because my cat, who is almost 11 years old, left on Tuesday and has not returned, is sterilized and is very homemade, we live in the country, previous nights and the one that left you could hear cats how to vocalize when they are in heat and We are just in August, that's when she left and has not returned, I have looked for her around the perimeter, and now the cats are not heard there is silence, I am devastated because she is my beloved cat of many years, what could have happened? She wore a rattlesnake necklace and I haven't found anything of her close. Help me.
Hi Claudia.
You may have entertained yourself with some cats. But we recommend you ask the neighbors and follow the advice in the article.
Let's see if it comes back like that. Hopefully yes. Cheer up.
Hello good, 10 days ago my kitten, now an adult of 2 and a half years, left the house, he is not neutered. I am very worried because last year it did not go out in August, I live in the country and still it did not go anywhere. I recently went out to look for him at night and nothing, how long does it take for the cats to return?
Hi Alejandra.
If it is not neutered it may take several days to return. Sometimes much more.
I don't want to offend you or anything like that, but it is important that you know this. When I was a child I had a cat that took months to return.
Hopefully good luck and come back soon.
Greetings.
Hello, help me, I can't even sleep, my kitten got out of the car 25 minutes away from home, since I was little she had been inside and I've been looking for her every day more or less for the area that I think she got out since there would be a glass and I realized about ten minutes later that I stopped at a traffic light and I think that it was there that it came out
Hi Angela.
We recommend that you follow the advice in the article, put up signs, notify the neighbors and the vet.
Much encouragement. I hope you find it.
My cat left home on December 25 it was the first and last Christmas that maybe we spent together I feel in depression and today is three days since he disappeared I have gone out to look for him these days, he left with his Christmas clothes I really hope he comes back But I'm losing hope every day and crying that I come back
Hi Fabiola.
A lot of encouragement. Hopefully I'll be back soon.
Mine left today at 5 it's already after 10 and he hasn't come back it's strange because he has to come back right away and the worst thing I think is the worst that they hurt him he's castrated but his anxiety to leave drives me crazy... and I have to letting it out...but it's a lot of pain I feel every time it comes out...