Leaving cat for one night outside?

[Poodle123456]

We are going away for one night, we’ll be leaving in the evening and returning the following evening. Our cat in this warm weather has been spending most nights out all night, she doesn’t have a cat flap but can climb through our bedroom window which we leave open for her. She spends all day and most of the night outside and only comes in to eat. We don’t live near any main roads, very end of a quiet cul de sac.

As she’s such an outdoor cat I think it would be more cruel to lock her in for 24 hours whilst we go away than it would to leave her outside. We have an outdoor office which we could leave the door open for her with her food, blankets and water in so she’d have somewhere to go if she needed to.

Is this a bad idea? The alternative is taking her to my MILs for 3 nights as she’d go Friday but not come back until Monday….but she’d be shut inside there too.

Advice welcome ☺️ AIBU to leave her the one night?

I would.

You need to get her used to going in the office for a week or so before you go. Then it’s fine.

Have you got one of those feeding dishes on a timer so the bully boy neighbourhood cats, and maybe foxes, don’t eat her dinner?

There needs to be a few bowls of water, enough so they can’t evaporate and a few bowls of biscuits so she’s got more than she needs.

Can you not get a cat flap fitted? Or leave a window open - one that can't be seen from anywhere?

Off the cuff it sounds ok if provided food and water but I'd be nervous.

My dog is basically a cat and very standoffish / not arsed with our company but I'd never leave him overnight. I don't know if I'm putting my dog issues onto a cat where it's not appropriate.

If you've got the office open (so she can't accidentally close the door) then I think it's ok.

For one night I think it's fine.

Yeah she’s not like a dog in the sense we don’t know where she spends all her time, she comes in occasionally to eat, then meows to get straight back outside and goes off. I wish I saw her more 😂

The only worry about the office is if she gets corners in there by a fox. But I can't imagine them going into an office - don't know. Could you get a cat flap fitted in there?

We never got a cat flap as she’s also a hunter cat and would rather the little presents she regularly brings us left outside than in. Luckily we haven’t had one in our bedroom through the window we leave open for her but don’t think she’s skilled enough to navigate climbing with her bird/mouse with her 😫

Didn't even think of that. I know my dogs in the garden. I think it's fine but get a cat flap if you can.

Ewww don't get a cat flap then.

My cats basically live outside. They never choose to come in other for food and a fuss. Me and all my neighbours just leave our cats outside when we go away and just feed them for each other. If they're used to being outside, they'll be fine.

She'll be fine outside, feed her up plenty before you go. My cats been outside virtually 247 the last few days and nights!

Perfectly fine for one night. Just leave her a good stock of food and water

Cant you book a cattery. Our cat was taken unexpectedly ill at the cattery and was rushed to the vet and had to be put to sleep as she was in severe pain and nothing could be done. What would happen if your cat developed this condition with no one looking after her. There was no warning.

Can’t you get a cat sitter to go round and check on her? Try catinaflat.

Could you leave the bedroom window open for her?

I'd shut her in
Bully cars and foxes round here.

Cats not cars

She'll be fine.

Cattery is minimum 5 day stay. A cat sitter could come but they either wouldn’t find her as she’s outside and I really think it’s cruel to lock her in for
24 hours. She meows loudly and gets quite annoyed to get out after being in for 5 minutes 😫

Actually, if it makes you feel any better, thanks to the local fb group, it's come to light that someone on my estate has gone away for three weeks and left their dog outside barking all day and night with a person checking on it briefly once a day. RSPCA etc not interested.

It’s the kind of close where all the cats hang out together outside- my neighbour found four of them in his lounge the other day they’d all gone through his cat flap. We have no clue what she gets up to with her little cat friends .