Question of the Day: Sunday, July 3

gilmargl

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Hallo everybody,
It's already past midday here in Germany. A hot sunny day and I was planning to go outside - scrub out one of the XXL cat litter boxes, take photos of wild flowers (weeds) growing in my small overgrown garden and get some colour on my pasty legs while reading the Book of the Month!

But - one of the cats (Woolly Bear), went missing! I spend far too much time making sure that my 4 cats are safe and sound before I leave the house, go to bed or simply go outside. Why? Well, perhaps I'm simply neurotic.

My cats are kept indoors only and have 6 7 hideouts in the living room plus 2 carriers and a tunnel where they sometimes choose to sleep. There are black bucket chairs - camourflage for the 2 black cats, Mogi and Katy, and beige throws and pillows on which, or under which, Woolly Bear can disappear. A bedroom cupboard is always left open just in case one of them desperately wants to get away from the rest, and, of course, rooms with closed doors (laundry, bathrooms, storage rooms) where they can get shut in. I check on Mogi and Katy - since they are senior and handicapped respectively - and Woolly Bear, because she loves to get into any open cupboard, fridge or follows me into the laundry and makes herself comfortable on the machines or in a washing basket.

Today I went to count - Emily was asleep as usual on a dining-room chair, Mogi was lying in the sun next to the window - 2 were missing. I eventually found Katy looking at me with her one eye out of the depths of a hideout on the cat tree. But, Woolly Bear was nowhere to be found.

I looked in the laundry - in the washing machines and driers, in the storage rooms where I had been to get something out of the freezer, on the bookshelves in the small bedroom, in the hall, on the stairs - no Woolly Bear. I opened all the kitchen cupboards, dishwasher ........ nothing! I was then reduced to my final trick - I shook the tin of kibble (which they are only given as a snack before bedtime). I shook it in the living room - no WB and then again in the hall. Finally I bent down to prise the tin open to give Mogi a few pieces. She had at least reacted and needed her reward. No sooner had Mogi got her head down to eat the treats when WB appeared, out of thin air, from direction of the living room.:angrycat:

Now that I've searched for her again (I'm truly neurotic) I've had to correct my text - she is here:
WB.jpg

Hideout number 7! Did I miss this one out while searching for her the first time?​

Question:
Do you regularly spend (waste?) time searching for your cats? It's a habit I would love to rid myself of.
By the way, I'm not talking about emergencies such as searching for injured animals with floodlights after an accident. Just routine checking to make sure all is right with your cats.
Have a nice day!
 

Tik cat's mum

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Oh yes I've even enlisted the help of hubby and son. I know they can't have gotten out or into anything they shouldn't but I have to put my mind at rest, especially if someone has just left the house. Thing is they do tend to appear in places I've already looked. It must be a cat trick.
 

artiemom

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Not as much with Geoffrey as I did with Artie. Geoffrey is too afraid to go outside the apartment. Artie was a door dasher; but did not go any further than 2 doors down from me.

After I closed Artie up, for 10 hours, in a closet-- I am now in a constant habit of checking out where Geoffrey is, before I leave the house or close a closet door.
 

betsygee

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I always make sure I know where my two are before going to bed or leaving the house. I don't want to inadvertently leave one out on the enclosed patio without water for the day or something.

Check out this hiding place, though. What a great place for a black cat to hide! If you zoom in, you can barely see the two eyes looking out.

IMG_6933.jpeg
 

sivyaleah

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Both Luna and Bean tend to spend most of their daytime hours downstairs, well within eye view of us. The house is compact so we pretty much can predict where each will be. Bean will sometimes go upstairs especially if my husband is taking a nap but then we certainly know where she is! Luna's main domain is the 1st floor though she has been known to "disappear" small as the house is. I think she goes in the back closet sometimes but is so stealthy we never see her go in or out LOL

The only time I actively look for them is when the doors are being opened/closed by strangers (for instance we had PSEG in the house the other day going in and out). Both girls are pretty good about staying away from open doors but one never knows!
 

Winchester

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I'm glad you found Woolly Bear.

The girls have a spot in the house that I have yet to find. I don't know if they just disappear into thin air and then re-appear when I start to panic or what. But it's really scary. The other day, Amber disappeared. And that's scary because she's deaf and can't hear us calling her. And she's 20 years old, so we worry about her going off somewhere in the house. I called the girls for lunch and no Amber. We checked all her usual spots and nothing. I came back to the computer room numerous times to look in hidey holes. No Amber. Finally, when I was ready to start serious panicking, for some reason, Muffin looked behind the door going into the computer room. And there she was, sound asleep. And when she sleeps, she really sleeps. "Mom? Amber's here!" I tapped Amber and she startled awake and started yelling at me. It was my fault! Seriously? I motioned that it was lunch time, she said, "Ohhh!" and toddled out to the kitchen. Why she was sound asleep behind a door, I haven't a clue.

They don't go outside. And really, none of our cats have really tried to sneak out. That's not really a concern. But there's a place in this house. And I don't know where it is!
 

Mia6

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Hallo everybody,
It's already past midday here in Germany. A hot sunny day and I was planning to go outside - scrub out one of the XXL cat litter boxes, take photos of wild flowers (weeds) growing in my small overgrown garden and get some colour on my pasty legs while reading the Book of the Month!

But - one of the cats (Woolly Bear), went missing! I spend far too much time making sure that my 4 cats are safe and sound before I leave the house, go to bed or simply go outside. Why? Well, perhaps I'm simply neurotic.

My cats are kept indoors only and have 6 7 hideouts in the living room plus 2 carriers and a tunnel where they sometimes choose to sleep. There are black bucket chairs - camourflage for the 2 black cats, Mogi and Katy, and beige throws and pillows on which, or under which, Woolly Bear can disappear. A bedroom cupboard is always left open just in case one of them desperately wants to get away from the rest, and, of course, rooms with closed doors (laundry, bathrooms, storage rooms) where they can get shut in. I check on Mogi and Katy - since they are senior and handicapped respectively - and Woolly Bear, because she loves to get into any open cupboard, fridge or follows me into the laundry and makes herself comfortable on the machines or in a washing basket.

Today I went to count - Emily was asleep as usual on a dining-room chair, Mogi was lying in the sun next to the window - 2 were missing. I eventually found Katy looking at me with her one eye out of the depths of a hideout on the cat tree. But, Woolly Bear was nowhere to be found.

I looked in the laundry - in the washing machines and driers, in the storage rooms where I had been to get something out of the freezer, on the bookshelves in the small bedroom, in the hall, on the stairs - no Woolly Bear. I opened all the kitchen cupboards, dishwasher ........ nothing! I was then reduced to my final trick - I shook the tin of kibble (which they are only given as a snack before bedtime). I shook it in the living room - no WB and then again in the hall. Finally I bent down to prise the tin open to give Mogi a few pieces. She had at least reacted and needed her reward. No sooner had Mogi got her head down to eat the treats when WB appeared, out of thin air, from direction of the living room.:angrycat:

Now that I've searched for her again (I'm truly neurotic) I've had to correct my text - she is here:
View attachment 425033
Hideout number 7! Did I miss this one out while searching for her the first time?​

Question:
Do you regularly spend (waste?) time searching for your cats? It's a habit I would love to rid myself of.
By the way, I'm not talking about emergencies such as searching for injured animals with floodlights after an accident. Just routine checking to make sure all is right with your cats.
Have a nice day!
OMG That face!!!! Should be kissed 100 times daily!!!

I only have Big Cal but I cannot relax unless I know where she is.💖💞
 

scoutandmaxine

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I am exactly the same way. So much of my time is spent searching for my cats. I have to know where they are and what they're doing before I can go on about my day or go to bed. Flint has been really testing me lately bc he has been trying out new hiding spots. Truthfully he could be right in front of me but he's so completely black that he just looks like a shadow until I see his eyes lol. I have figured out all of scouts and maxines hiding spots so they're easy to find. Max has a lot though so it takes time to check all of them. Usually they're asleep so don't hear me calling or shaking the food which only works for Flint anyway. Max is not food motivated and she definitely ignores me lol.

20220624_142640.jpg

It took me longest to find him when he happened to be in the dresser drawer that was left open
20220119_191746.jpg

He also blends into the couch lol

20220620_152235.jpg

Max occasionally hides in her pink house but hard to see her sometimes unless her white bits show
 

lizzie

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I have one,and she'll probably be the death of me yet!Her name's Mama,and I also have her 2 daughters.Someone dumped them at my kids apartment (and the 2 sisters were just a few weeks old) and so they came to live with me.I assume Mama was always an outside girl but she transitioned well,accepting her new life and family.However,she has scooted out the door a few times.Always gets caught and brought back in (yes is spayed) but it just scares me to death when I can't locate her.I tear thru the house calling for her,and she does eventually show up from some nook or cranny she's found.I'm the one who's in a panic,and always feel so silly after,but still.....I know my neighbors have a dog that has been known to kill cats and I would be just beside myself.
 

denice

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Patches was the only cat I had that would make a dash for an open door and he only did it for a short time when he was young. I adopted the cat I have now from a shelter this past December. She is still a young adult but I think her time on the streets cured her of wanting any part of being outside. She is perfectly content to stay inside.
 

susanm9006

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I don’t really need to search for mine. When Lola is out of her room she is usually within a few feet of me. And dear Willow is such a creature of habit that there are just a few places she goes to sleep or hide. Neither girl had any interest in going outside or even being near the door so I never have to worry about them slipping out.
 
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