I was up at stupid o'clock today because I was woken at 3.15am by what I first thought was somebody knocking on my back door............at 3.15am????

After a few seconds I realised it was a cat making all the noise with the flap, so had to get up to see what all the fuss was about. It was #3 cat, Max, desperate to get out with Jimmy from next door not far behind, but what baffled me was the flap had been set to access only and I know it had been fully open when I went to bed.

It's not a true 4 way flap, a 2 way tbh, but it can be set as 4 way by pulling the flap up from inside and moving the catch across for access only and vice versa for exit only. Quite how Max had set it to access only will baffle me for years as I need both hands to do it, so for him to manage it by pawing at it like he does is a complete mystery My first thought was he'd been *boxing* thro' the flap again with a young cat from across the road and had somehow done it then, but I would have heard that.

On opening the door to look for #1 cat, Bola, who hadn't come in last night (or so I thought) I found the water bowl I leave on the doorstep had been knocked over, so something must have happened.

I went out looking for Bola, but no sign, the last I saw, and heard, of him last night was him sitting on a nearby garage roof at midnight and it was obvious he'd seen another cat and was dead set on a fight. As he refused to come when I called I left him to it but was surprised when he didn't come upstairs later. I'd looked all round the house today but couldn't find him, then going back upstairs who was sat halfway down them but him. God knows where he'd been hiding, but I was still mightily relieved to see him as I'd started to get that horrible *something is wrong here* feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I'll be catching up on my sleep later.

Ian

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RIP Black Tom and Beckett, not just cats, they were my cats and the best ever.

Goodness! What a fuss in the middle of the night.

I get concerned when I don't see Mitz for 15 mins around the house (she is brand new though), so I don't know how I would cope with them disappearing outside and not coming back (or thinking as much).

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I regularly get silly o'clock episodes like this, tho' not usually as bad. They're all used to having 24/7 access to the flap but it's rare they're not about for breakfast.

The *something is wrong* feeling I wouldn't wish on any cat owner, the last time it happened it was all too accurate as Buddy had disappeared overnight never to be seen again. It was strange as I was used to not seeing him for days (he had at least 3 homes) but this Saturday morning I just knew something was wrong when he wasn't about.

Ian

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RIP Black Tom and Beckett, not just cats, they were my cats and the best ever.