Hi there.

We have two cats (1 male, 1 female) who have just turned 1 years old. They have been well looked after and both been dressed at 6 months. We live in a remote area (Outer Hebrides) in a village of about 50 houses. The cats sleep in the house during the day but at night they love being out, either exploring or sleeping in our outbuilding.

The male went missing for 2 weeks over Christmas and turned up looking quite clean but smelling musty with a few lost pounds, plus he had lost his meow. We think he must have been locked in a shed over the holidays. Since then both cats have stayed very close to the house and don't stray far. Until this week...

The female cat was last seen at 11pm on Saturday 5th March, then the male disappeared on Monday 7th March around 6pm. I have been around the village calling them but there is no sign of them. Relatives tell us not to worry, the cats must be curled up somewhere warm and they will come back soon. However, I can't help but worry with the gales and snow we have had this week!

Am I unduly worrying? I've never had cats before - always had dogs from a kid until now. I am used to dogs being man's best friend, so perhaps need to understand the independence of a cat?