To let my cat out in -2 degrees overnight?

[susiesuelou]

My cat hates staying in overnight - he sleeps during the day and cries to go out overnight. If I don't let him out around 8/9pm he will wake me up meowing in the early hours to be let out, which is obviously a pain in the arse.

But - it's set to be minus 2 overnight where I am! Will he be OK if I let him out? Just a bit worried about finding a frozen cat in my garden tomorrow! 🙁🥶

Your cat will be fine even without shelter. If indoor-only cats get out then it can be a problem as they won’t have much of a coat, but if yours goes out every night he’ll be set.

Mine chose to go out in -18c the other night and stayed out until 4:30 am. I don’t give her a shelter because I don’t want to encourage her to be out all night on a regular basis but sometimes she does anyway. When I woke up and peeked out she was on a chair, puffed up with her fur standing up like a little calico sea urchin to trap heat. I stuck my finger in her fur as she came in and she was toasty warm. She’s shorthaired as well.

I live rurally and have 5 stable cats. Some will bed down on the hay and others will carry on their night as normal. Last night two were sitting on top of a frozen stable roof. They were fine the last two nights and it was minus 4

However all the cats in countries with actual cold survive....

Mine stays in at night but goes out early in the morning at around 6.30am (when she wakes me up to unlock the cat flap 😩).

She usually goes out for a couple of hours but this morning was back in after 20 minutes. She went back to sleep next to the radiator.

Cats generally don't like being cold. Perhaps let yours out and then call them after half an hour or an hour or so. It gives them the option to change their mind about staying out in the cold.

They don't, though. Ferals freeze to death every single year in cold countries because they don't have enough shelter, or because the shelter they find is inadequate.

Also, most countries don't have roaming pet cats like we do - cats are primarily indoor animals that go outdoors on harnesses if they go out at all.

@thelobsterquadrille oh yes I just read there is no cat flap. In that case I'm not sure what I'd do!

But this is not feral.

While shelter is important, which many alrready pointed out, a cat can really walk outside and not freeze to ground in minus 2.
Many countries have outdoor cats and dogs.

Mr snugs outdoor kennel which has popped up on the thread (how does it know 🤔 🤣) filled with straw and placed off the ground.Straw is best I believe as it doesn't absorb moisture so therefore doesn't freeze. I have one outside on top of my garden storage box. My cat doesn't use it as he's far too soft to go out in the cold but it's there for any other cat that finds itself outdoors on a very cold night x

Straw is really good. Our dog kennels were always well cushioned with it. They can also burrow in It a bit.

Animal charities make winter shelters for feral cats

Large plastic box with a small one inside;insulate the section between the two boxes (usually that sliver heat trapping foil stuff) and straw in the inner box.

Something like that inside the shed?

Mine has the same cat house and a self heating blanket. He gets very stressed if he wants to go out and I don't let him. So far he's been fine. He is in a lot more than during the summer and chose yo stay in last night.

Feral or not, cats (and dogs) can freeze to death in cold weather. It happens every year in cold countries.

Yes, they can walk around at -2, but they should still have 24/7 access to some kind of shelter. The ground will be frozen solid tonight, even under bushes or in usual places of shelter. They need a roof over their heads, as well as insulated beds that aren't directly on the cold floor.

This is a good idea, thank you. I will have to get the materials I need though, so think I'll keep him in tonight. I'll have to lock him in the kitchen though with his bed etc so he doesn't wake the whole house with his meowing at 3am 😫

I was replying, obviously, to frrezing to the ground.

I did not deny in any way they should have shelter because they absolutely should. Again, this is not a feral cat with no access to any shelter. At worst it can wake the owner up as op said

The only problem I can see with lovely comfy bed and hot water bottles ext in shed with door open is that makes a lovely comfy retreat for anything else feeling the cold . Like rats . needing somewhere to breed 😱

I’m LOLing because my cat flatlyrefuses to leave the house in weather like this. He's such a lazy fucker. I work from home and I know he briefly leaves the house twice daily, each time to do his business then her promptly return to warm his paws on the nearest human. Last night he spent the night wedged between DH and I for optimal warmth.

IMO with my other more normal cats, they only go out in this weather if they know they’ll be ok. Any hanging around on the doorstep means they’re not keen and I’d leave them inside. What does your cats body language say when you open the door? If you’re rural, then he’s on grass rather than frozen tarmac which is more paw-friendly.

Our three cats have all always stayed outside all night in all weathers and come back in time to be fed when the house wakes up in the morning. One enterprising one will climb on the roof and ‘knock’ on teen DS’s window to be let in if he’s had enough of being outside. They find a way to let you know what they want.

Two of mine are in the outhouse and ones not wanted to come in at all yet. His in the garden though doesn’t go further. Highly likely in my shed of junk which included cat beds, a trailer, off cuts of carpet and all sorts. He is a long fur chunk so we shall see if he decides to come meow at the door or not.

He'll be fine. The more he goes out the thicker the fur he'll grow and therefore more warmer. Stick a box with blankets in and let him have some catting about fun!

Same as mine today
He wanted the window open, then I opened it and he was "you stupid? Freezing"
Closed it and he cried for me to open it

My cat has a cat flap so can do as she pleases and she’s been in and out throughout the day and night the last few days - it was minus 5 when I left for work yesterday (we live rurally in a valley so it does drop cold) and she was outside. She’s short haired but her fur gets very thick in the winter. She’s 11 now and whilst she doesn’t roam as far as she used to she still spends a lot of time outside. If I go to bed and read she generally comes and hangs out with me but the second I switch the light off she goes out.

Id put a catflap so he can come in if he needs to, but otherwise, yes i let cats out when its -2

I've not been throwing my cat out for the night like I normally do. However she's been waking me up at 3 or 5 to go out so I'm letting her out. She finds places to hide that are warmish (under neighbours shed i think) . They are pretty good at finding their own warmer spots and she hasn't been desperate to come back in despite it being -3 at 7am.

Same. I tell my cat I know him better than he does. He might think it could be fun outside when it's frosty. I know he will only last two seconds.

Our cats were locked in once (that was the first and only time) because it was nearing -20 and as a revenge one pooped right Infront of my parents bedroom door😂
Happy morning that was. "Nice" change from disected mice😂