To ask if you let your older cats out at night ?

Our older cats always came and went as they pleased, but they tended to take themselves off to bed about 10pm anyway!

Not a healthy young cat, no - almost never a danger. But a slow old cat with bad eyesight or hearing could easily be a target, sadly.

Mine used to sit on the fence and stare down foxes when he was young. Now he runs in, tail fluffed.

I don't let either of my cats out at night, they are 4 and nearly 1. Not since I had a cat run over at night and killed a few years ago. Cats seem to venture further after dark

Yes I've read many cases of foxes attacking and even killing cats round where I live (south London). The fox I chased off was definitely going to harm my old cat. I'm not sure they really go for young healthy adult cats as much, and my current cat is quite friendly with one of our foxes to the point that they played together until he got bitten earlier this year.

Same here. One of my previous cats was bitten by one. I came home just after dusk and found the scrap going on. My cats have always been in at night but I'm now always home to let them in before nightfall, or my friend's husband comes round to do it.

I'm surprised at all the fox comments. My girls were fairly small cats and could chase them off. I've never considered foxes a danger to a healthy cat, are there actually cases of foxes killing cats then?

Even the downing Street cat has been filmed chasing foxes.

My 2 girls went out right up until their ends at 19 and 21. Their flap was open 24/7 and they used to spend the a lot of time out but come in about 5am. Each slowed down and did stay in a lot more and kept to just the garden during their last few months whereas before they'd roam for miles.

Far less cars and dogs out at night and they regularly saw off the local foxes. They'd have been howling if we kept them in at 14.

My three (including a 15yr old) go out for an hour or so in the morning then are back in for the rest of the day. Their choice, they never wanted to go play out after their breakfast. But previous cats have all been kept in from 6/7 after they've had their dinner. I've got a lot of foxes and dogs that seem to always be escaping near me so I'd be a nervous wreck otherwise.

No, too many foxes. My cat is only allowed out during the day.

Cat is 18 and comes and goes as he pleases. Tends to check the perimeter of the garden around 10pm but is in for his 10:30pm supper. Then snoozes for a few hours before going out in the early hours to check the perimeter again. Snoozes indoors until breakfast. He only goes out briefly during the day too preferring to watch the world from a sunny spot in the house.

Older cats (22 and 24 when they died) also came and went as they pleased - the older they got the less they went out at night. They both preferred to go outside than use a litter tray although we had them available (especially when it was wet!)

Our cat has always been kept in at night, mainly due to living not far from a main road, though there are a couple of foxes around as well.

One of our cats wasn’t interested in going outside, day or night, after about age 10.

Another preferred to be outside than in and only ever came in to eat, even up to age 16.

They’ve all just come and gone as they liked.

My current cats (both younger) typically go out at 10pm and come in at 7am, and sleep all day.

We live on a very road where we normally only get a couple of cars through the night vs a car every 5 or 10 minutes in the day so it feels safer for them to be out at night than in the day.

P.S. Never had any of mine attacked by foxes. I’m sure there are plenty around!

We don’t let our 2 year old or previous 15 year old at night because of the number of foxes (London).

Ours have never been allowed out at night. Strict policy that the cat flap is locked when they come in for dinner and not opened until after breakfast. Because it's always been like this, they thwack the cat flap a couple of times, then stare at it sadly for a while, then give up.

Two older boys here. 17 & 15. (Both have three legs too!)
In summer 17YO was out all the time. But on a garden chair. Now it's winter he never leaves the house.
15 year old treats the Catflap like a revolving door, I can never keep him in. He scratches and yowls, let him out, he potters for five mins and is back in again.
The micrcchip Catflap is just set to open all the time. The only time I try is around firework night but the big dopey ginger boy sits on the log store watching rockets go off.

I never let my last old cat out after dark. She was 22 when she died and was deaf and very short sighted. We've always had a lot of foxes in our garden, and I ended up not even letting her out when I wasn't around after I had to run down the garden to scoop her up when a fox was stalking her. The fox didn't even back off when I got close, and the poor old cat was completely oblivious and enjoying sitting in the sun.

When I got our current cat, I made sure he got used to coming in at dusk and he's been as good as gold.

My 15 year old cat doesn't go out much but we still lock the cat flap at dusk. He stays in quite happily overnight. I couldn't relax if he wasn't it when it was dark out. Our other cat is about 6 and we got him when his owners- neighbours- moved house and left him behind. He's used to being out more so he can stay out but once he's in, that's it.

Mine have always been allowed out whenever they want. I currently have three, the older 2 are 13 and 15 and are mostly out overnight and come home when I get up in the morning. They can come in and out of the catflap whenever they want, but why go to that effort when some fool will be along to open the door for them....

No. Once you've worked as an animal rescue officer you would never let cats out at night. Majority of traffic collisions and fights between cats happen at night. Major welfare charities recommend keeping cats in at night for this reason.

Nope, he's never allowed out at night. Black cat and I don't trust people

No i stopped. They were getting into fights. Constant vet trips for antibiotics for the bites/ abscesses i couldn’t sort out with in-depth cleaning.
They were then both run over right after each other.
i had stopped then going out at late night but it still happened.

Yes, I have always done it and nver had one go missing, they usually stick close to home near the end anyway.
We had one cat PTS last month at age 14 and she stopped wandering a week or so before she got ill. We still have her sister and she uses the catflap as she wants

No never have .Was never keen on cats out overnight anyway so tried really hard to have routine that kept them in .I hate the howling of cats overnight. The weather the risk of injury etc .Not worth it

Ours are free roaming from about 7am, till 8, 9pm this time of year. They come in for snacks and treats and get locked in. Summer, it can be 10, 11 pm. Like a pp, I can't fully relax till I know all 3 are snoozing in various cosy beds.

We have a secure garden and in the summer she will sleep on a chair on the patio, but with cooler temperatures she’s putting herself to bed in my husband’s chair around 9!