Cats not returning to home [ Edited ]

[RandomBuzziness]

@Qariion Are the cats walking/running off the lot or is it more like they are disappearing or vanishing? If they are disappearing, then there seems to be a current bug causing this. Please check this Bug Report and if it sounds like the same thing you are seeing in your game, please click on the Me Too button on the first post. There are a few suggestions in that thread on what might work to help get your cats back easier.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-CD-Dog-Cat-disappearing/m-p/9171495#M133667

I'm just a regular Sims player, I don't work for EA, Sony, or Microsoft.

[crinrict]

@AngieAnimeLover I merged your post with existing report.

Make sure to click me too on the first post.

[RachelReeves28]

This has been happening to me as well. Both dog and cat dissappearing completely, greyed out icon and not missing, nor can you call them back. If I travel to another lot they come back but will dissappear again very quickly. Pet food bowl keeps dissappearing as well. Electrixity/power being used when nothing is on so I never get a surplus. Sims randomly stealing her own belongings and items keep dissappearing. So far sofa and bins. It's a pain and has put me off playing. Nothing but problems following the new game/update!!! I didn't pay £40 for an unplayable game 😔

[x_liese89_x]

@YuePixie I’m having the same problem! Loads of problems since the initial update in June 2020, and still problems after they sent out the second update! Problems with dog disappearing and probs with University EP too! Hoping they can sort all these issues out! Had no problems before this week! 😞

[Moriah9624]

It's happening with my cats too. They just randomly disappear even if my sim is currently interacting with them. They just vanish. The pets icon will be greyed out and will say "null" under their name. I can go to manage households in the neighborhood, open a household, close without doing anything and then reenter the lot and they will disappear again after a minute or two. 

[jade_hooker87]

This has been happening to me also and I don't know any other way to fix it other than keep calling them on the phone. 
It is driving me nuts as I have 5 cats and 1 dog. 

[Dyamissia]

Product: The Sims 4
Platform:PC
Which language are you playing the game in? English
How often does the bug occur? Often (50% - 99%)
What is your current game version number? 1.63.134.1020
What expansions, game packs, and stuff packs do you have installed? Discovery University, island living, get famous, seasons, cats and dogs, city living, get together, get to work, realm of magic, strangerville, jungle adventure, Parenthood, vampires, dine out, outdoor retreat, tiny living, Moschino, my first pet, laundry day, bowling night, backyard, movie Hangout, cool kitchen, perfect patio, luxury party, holiday celebration, grim's ghoulish guitar
Steps: How can we find the bug ourselves? Create a household with dogs or add dogs to household
What happens when the bug occurs? I'll try to bring my dog inside, into a park, or just a fenced in area and then they disappear. They show at the bottom of the screen like they're off somewhere else, but if I hit the whistle button they do not come back home. I have to call them and invite them over like they're a person
What do you expect to see? Dogs staying on my property especially if I have them in a fenced yard.
Have you installed any customization with the game, e.g. Custom Content or Mods? Never used.
Did this issue appear after a specific patch or change you made to your system? Neutral/Not Sure 

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Dogs like to run away without rhyme or reason it seems. And they don't come home unless you call them on your phone

[kidlitwriter]

@Dyamissia This is happening to a lot of people. If you check the next page, there is a bug report on this with quite a few people reporting it and offering suggestions. Dogs and cats are just disappearing even while people are petting them.

[Dyamissia]

I looked to see if others had the same issues, but couldn't find another thread. I went through 4 pages of bug reports filtered with the subject as dogs. I'm not sure how I couldn't find it

[kidlitwriter]

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-CD-Dog-Cat-disappearing/m-p/9186677#M136417

It was on the third page. I have no idea why it didn't show up when you searched Dogs. Weird.