Cat not coming home at night: when to worry and what to do

It's midnight, the bowl is full, and your cat still hasn't come home. Should you worry? Not necessarily… but there's no question of waiting three days and doing nothing either. Here's how to assess the situation.

What can be normal

• An unneutered cat, especially a male, may disappear for a night or two during the mating season.
• Cats that go out a lot sometimes have a large territory and several "homes": a neighbour who feeds them, a garden where they sleep.
• In very hot weather, many cats stay outside at night, when it's cooler.
• A cat that got scared (firecrackers, a dog, a fight) may stay hidden until morning.

What should alarm you

• it's an indoor cat or a cat that always comes home at the same time;
• they're elderly, ill or on medication;
• they didn't come home to eat even though they never miss a meal;
• something unusual has happened: building work, a house move, a night of firecrackers, a new pet;
• the absence lasts more than 24 hours.

First checks (that same evening)

1. The house: cupboards, wardrobes, garage, cellar, washing machine. Cats often get shut in.
2. The neighbours: garages, garden sheds, stairwells, empty flats, terraces and rooftops.
3. Cars in the neighbourhood, underneath and in the engines.
4. Call them when it's quiet, late in the evening and early in the morning, shaking their box of kibble, then stay silent so you can hear them meow.

After 24 hours: start the search

Switch to the full plan described in lost cat: what to do:

• posters in the neighbourhood and your building;
• posts in your city's lost pet Facebook groups;
• calls to vets in the area;
• searches at dawn and at dusk.

Preventing future worries

• Spaying or neutering: it markedly reduces long escapades and fights.
• Fixed mealtimes in the evening: a cat quickly learns to come home to eat.
• Visible identification: with a Homy QR tag, the neighbour who is unknowingly hosting your cat can alert you by scanning the tag. You can even write in their description: "I go out, but I come home every evening; if I seem lost, please let my family know."
• Close off dangerous spots: garages, cellars, building sites where they could get trapped.

Key takeaway: one night out isn't always serious, but a cat that changes their habits should be searched for straight away, starting with the places where they may have been shut in.