It feels terrible when a pet you love decides to run away. What's still more painful is the realization that your pet feeling that way is most probably your fault.

As our beloved animal companions, cats do not leave some of us at all. My kitty would even follow me to the bathroom and always want me there while she was enjoying her meal.

Cats sometimes run away due to various reasons, all of which we’ll be going through here.

If you knew just how your pets feel and why they run away, you may be able to get them to stay, right?

In this article, we take a look at the obvious reasons behind your cat running away from home.

Why do cats run away from home?

Is your kitty well-fed?

A growing cat has specific nutritional requirements. If you only feed them a certain type of food, say fish, they may be craving for something else.

A low-protein diet can also be the culprit behind your kitty's unmet dietary needs.

If you don't feed your kitty enough, they'll meow in front of you till you give them food. It's only natural for them to go out in search of food if their human neglects their dietary needs.

How you prevent your kitty from starving is simple. You watch them eat and note down what and how much they consume every day.

Then, you compare that to a cat’s daily diet requirement and see if they are not eating as much as they should.

They Have Energy To Spare

Cats are predators, and skilled at hunting at night. They also have an acute sense of sight and hearing that suits them well.

A cat kept at home doesn't have much to do except lazily sleep on warm comfy places. They don't have to go out hunting or worry about safety, so they're pretty relaxed.

This means that the kitty will have lots of energy at night and will try going out for walks.

Trauma/ Abuse

Another very common reason why cats (or any pets for that matter) run away is because of poor treatment. If the owner is abusive and doesn't take proper care of their pets, the unfortunate pets feel unloved and unwanted.

Childhood trauma can also manifest later in life and seriously affect your pets' personality.

Your home is supposed to be your furry friend's safe space. If a cat doesn't feel comfortable at home, it will try to tell you that something is wrong.

You may be doing it unknowingly as a pet parent- behaviors that seem normal to you like you yelling at them or lifting them up can feel abusive to your pets. If you’ve got a pet, you should be polite and caring.

I am against anybody who yells at their pets. Your adorable kitty is not something to help you vent our anger.

Do You Have Other Pets?

Cats are pretty smart, and if you've got several pets in your home, kitties may feel like they're not receiving proper attention.

You can think of it as your furry feline being jealous that they have to share precious time with you with other pets.

Mating

Cats are mammals and like humans, feel strong sexual urges. The paws of your kitty have scent glands which release pheromones to entice potential mates of the opposite sex.

A cat in heat, specially a female- can leave powerful stimulation for males near them.

That's why, male cats are strongly drawn towards females during the mating season.

Cats usually return after mating. So, it’s not something to be worried about.

If you’ve got a female and you’re not sure if you could take care of a litter financially and emotionally, you should look into spaying/ neutering or adoption options, whichever you see fit.

Alone Time

Individual cats have unique personalities and while they like spending time with their humans, they may still want to be alone sometimes.

It’s similar to how we sometimes need some quiet time to recharge. Being petted and lazying around seems great but can monotonous pretty easily, and cats may be going out for adventure.

Getting locked up in your apartment all day doesn't sound much like fun, right? Cats have natural hunting instincts, and so, they maybe going out for some fun.

If your cat has gone out because it’s bored, it’ll return pretty soon, so there’s nothing to worry.

How Do You Get Your Kitty To Stay At Home

Addressing underlying kitties can be tricky, and it's best to start out with simple guesses.

Does your pet cat get enough play during the day? If a cat's not getting enough activity, it may be active at night.

Making sure that your kitty gets to eat loads of nutritious food is also important.

If your cat is up to it, you can even take a walk with your kitty.

Cats have many emotional needs apart from nutritional ones, and they can get very sad if they feel unloved. So, it’s very important that you shower them with love and make them feel wanted.

As a last resort, you can also try putting a safe quick-release collar on your cat.

Make sure that's it's not too tight and comfy for your kitty. A tracking device is also a good idea if your kitty tends to go out for long hours. 

I would advise against it, but you can also look into some comfy outdoor cat enclosure. That can make your kitty feel like it's their territory and safe haven.

If you've got many pets, you should put in some effort to let your kitty know that you love your furry pet a lot. A tasty snack or a bone broth with fishes will do the trick!

Does your cat seem uncomfortable? Is it incapable of finding itself around you or doesn't play around much? These problems can be solved with cat caves. Get to know more about how your adorable little friend can benefit from cat caves.

Final Thoughts

It's pretty normal for cats to go out at night considering the fact that they're nocturnal predators. If you keep an eye out for things that may be responsible for your cat's strange behavior, you might be able to get it to stay at home.

You should be paying attention to whether your kitty feels like an indoor-only cat or an indoor-outdoor cat.

But if your cat has run away with no intention of returning, it’s likely a sign that you did something wrong.