An awful night

[Chantal]

Fabio is missing.

He came in for his tea last night and like an idiot I forgot to lock the catflap and he went straight back out after his meal. I spent half an hour in the dusk trying to persuade him to come in, but he just kept bouncing around me and laughing.

I've not seen him since.

I've scarcely slept and have been up looking for him since first light. I know a cat being out all night is nothing new, but he's never been out before as all the cats are locked in from dusk until dawn and don't know anything else.

I'm worried sick and only just holding it together.

[alan refail]

Keeping my fingers crossed he'll realise where his food is and pop back in this morning.

[Chantal]

Thanks Alan

I'm going to work from home today so I can be here; thank God for flexible working!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Chantal, i'm sure he is fine, he's probably just having a big adventure. But i do not what you are going through though, so just try and keep positive.

[Suzie]

ooh Chantal ((((big hugs)))) I totally understand your angst, I would be exactly the same.

Fabio, you are in sooooo much trouble when you show up, you will be grounded for at least a week!
*wags finger

[Chantal]

Thanks both (and Happy Birthday Suzie)

Still no sign of him either dead or alive.

Diego and Tabitha are out searching with me most of the time which is lovely but doesn't help much as they have a tendancy to talk to me which means I can't listen out for a locked in Fabio

[Suzie]

Is he a climber? Could he be stuck up a tree just watching you?

Check neighbours sheds and garages, although I guess this will have to wait if people are out at work.

Try not to worry too much (I realise how empty that sounds, cos I know how I'd be) I've had this happen and as OH says he is probably out playing.

[Chantal]

I've just been round to my neighbours to check sheds, but as it was around 9pm when he was last seen, I can't imagine many of them would have been in their sheds as it was dark.

He is a climber, but I have been looking up as well as down and under and he was pretty vocal last time he got stuck up a tree.

He and Tabitha celebrated their first birthday on Sunday and he is very young and adventurous, so hopefully he's having the time of his life in the fields behind our house. As it's his first night out, who knows where he's got to and we have a nature reserve behind the house, before the fields, so lots to explore.

I just wish I actually KNEW what he's doing, wherever he is.

I've lived with cats for the past 43 years and have been through all this before, but it never gets any easier. At least his is microchipped so if he gets seriously lost he should eventually be returned home, I hope.

[Shallot Man]

Chantel. He could be out on the tiles, as it was colloquially put in my young days.

[Suzie]

You are right Chantal, it never gets any easier, although each new one brings a fresh set of worries, cuddles, hugs etc

However, that nature reserve you mention must have been keeping him busy for hours and hours, he'll be having a nap after all that excitement and will pitch up for breakfast soon like nothing has happened at all - totally unaware of your angst

[Chantal]

Diego's eaten all Fabio's breakfast, so he's missed out there.

There is one silver lining, all this worry is good for my weight loss program, I just feel sick!

Tim has spent the past couple of hours searching from him but to no avail. I hope Fabio's not been dumb enough to go down one of the badger sets.

[Primrose]

I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he turns up safely. I know all about the anguish of lost cats. I can only say that if you're worried that he may have come across a fox, we've noticed that all the foxes round our way, contrary to popular belief, are very wary of cats. We seen several "meetings" between cats and foxes and every time, the fox has decided to withdraw honourably before battle was even commenced.

[Chantal]

Thanks Primrose

I'm not too worried about the foxes as my neighbour feeds them every night and they're so full of dog food they don't even bother my free ranging chickens. I think the cats have all met them too, I know Diego has because when he was a stray he used to wib their food on a regular basis.

Fabio's on the local cat protection website "missing" page already and I'm making up posters and fliers for tomorrow. He is micro chipped, so if he's taken to a vet at least I'll find out.

It's the waiting and not knowing that's killing me. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a child, knowing how I feel about my cats. Having said that, I don't have children, my cats are my family.

Poor Diego and Tabitha must be fed up of me checking where they are every half hour, but I don't like them being out of my sight right now.

[Suzie]

Oh heck, I was so hoping to open this post to see he had come home

Come on lad, get home - Mum's very worried!

[Westi]

Ohh Chantel - hope he'll be fine. I know exactly how you feel
although on a positive note I thought I'd lost one of mine. Gone
4 days signs up everywhere and out she crawled from under the
neighbours shed - probably lost a bit of weight and was able
to get out again.

I can see that nature reserve being such a temptation probably
lost his bearings in among all the new and wonderful smells.

Thinking of you - Westi ((()))