To keep my outdoor cat inside due to weather

[MumOfOneAllAlone]

Just wondering

I kept her in this morning because it was raining and then it started snowing so I kept her in all day

She's only a year old and started going out during the summer of this year so we've never dealt with this before

She looks so sad just wandering about the house. I played with her quite a bit but I need a break, between entertaining her and dd all day, I'm exhausted!

Should I continue to keep her in this week? Do you keep your cats in for the whole of winter? Tia x

Ps, here she is, the cutie 🥰

Yes, you are unreasonable.

Sorry.

Mine hate the rain but still like to go out every hour or so just to check it's raining,

They go stir crazy after even a day of not being outside.

My cat has access to outdoors in all weathers. She decides for herself whether to take advantage of the catflap or not!

Let her out and she will soon make her own decision to come back inside ! She doesn’t realise how cold / miserable it is outside because she has never experienced it. We just let our cat outside - usually jumps around in the cold / snow for 5 minutes and then demands to come in ! But it’s their choice so no sulking !

I think you need to let her out. It’s not fair to keep her in all winter unless you have lots of time to play with her and to make sure she gets enough physical activity. Cats will come inside when they are too old and wet for comfort!

Cats are pretty smart, if she's too cold she will come in, but she will still want the option to go outside and see for herself! YABU

We only keep our cat in when there is a storm warning for strong winds, otherwise we leave him to it. He’s 10 and seems to like a quick prowl in the snow. If it’s very wet or cold he doesn’t go out for very long.
He has a cat flap though, if I was having to monitor a door I would probably just keep him in.

Unless you are locking her out all day YABU. She'll decide for herself whether she wants to be outside or not.

They like to pop out and check their territory. They tend not to stay out long.

You need to let her see the snow for the first time, it's really funny.

Let her decide for herself and then she'll try to trip you up on the stairs because you won't turn the heat up outside.

My two went out this morning. One of them used the cat flap to return and sit sulking in the kitchen because he was cold. The other stayed out a bit longer. He hated snow when he saw it for the first time last winter and from the look of disgust he gave me when I opened the door this morning he hasn't changed his mind. They were both back home by 3pm.

They should always be able to go out. Cold weather or rain or snow won't kill her. She just won't stay out as long. My old cat used to stay out all night even in winter. The ones I've got now just go out for an hour or two sporadically in this weather. Just make sure there's a litter tray if they can't get out for toileting. But always offer access.

Unless it's going to be a proper storm with high winds and there's likely to be wheelie bins flying about (or fireworks), ours are free to come and go as they please - they know where the catflap is, they just come sprinting in soaking wet if it's too wet/covered in snow if it's snowing. They know their own limit and will soon come home if they're too cold or wet. If you don't have a catflap and you're just letting them in/out manually it's a bit trickier, but I'd still let her out for a bit - just maybe not overnight, so she doesn't get stuck out in the snow.

My cat is all weathers. He goes out every night, all night. Comes in soaked sometimes with sticks and leaves all over him, god knows what he gets up to. On particularly cold nights, like last night, I leave the door open to the kitchen and put his bed in there if he wants to come in for a bit, but he likes to be out prowling doing his rounds of the neighbourhood mostly. I wouldn't like him wandering about the house at night / in bedroom etc. I wouldn't be able to sleep. I like knowing he's having a good time outside.

😅😅 thanks everyone. I'm definitely being unreasonable then

I was sat, looking at her giving me sad eyes, and had no idea how we were gonna manage until spring!

She's my first pet and she's the sweetest! I don't have a catflap so I'll have to let her out and leave the garden door open while I do the school run and see how she copes

Then I'll pop down every half an hour and see if she wants to come in

Let her decide.

Ive got two older boys. One spends all summer sleeping on a garden chair with a cushion. Never comes in. Now it's cold j doubt he will step a toe bean outside until March time. He will use the litter tray, snooze wherever he wants and look out of the window whilst curled up over a radiator.
Ginger dope treats the Catflap like a revolving door. Sprints in and out, gets soaked, complains loudly he's soaked and goes and dries off. Then goes to try again to check if it's still raining.

They will all find their limit, if she hasn't got a cat flap then obviously don't leave her locked out all day, but definitely let her figure it all out herself.

I try really hard to get my two to come in before I go to bed but other than that don’t worry.

No way I could keep my cats in! If they are out every day then their coats thicken up ready for the colder weather. My boys coat is looking fabulous- thick and glossy.

Let her out, if she's cold she'll soon come back in again.

We've got a cat like that on our street, absolutely everyone loves him and he's the friendliest - he definitely seems to be enjoying himself aswell

Yeah I've been bringing her in at 4 - she was annoyed at first and dramatically sat at the window looking outside 🤭 but she's gotten used to it now

It's hard because yes she could decide but also sometimes they're stupid.

My car hates that I keep him some summer days between 11 and 3 because the pavement could burn his paws. And he has to be in if I'm at work or asleep because I don't want anything scaring or hurting him where I can't get to him. So through the week he can go out between 7am and 9am or 5pm and 10pm. He's used to it now and checks in like a 90s kid every hourish.

If she likes being out, I'd maybe let her out for a bit, then call her back and keep her in a bit so she gets outside but avoids a chill

Like a 90s kid aha - yeah I'm the same, I don't like to leave her out if I'm gonna be out all day or if I'm gonna have a nap - I think she's used to her routine of going out in the morning and coming in at 4 for food

We have nicknamed one of my cats 'The Rain God' as he seems to like sitting in the pissing rain, usually on top of the shed.
He has his own towel on the radiator by the back door that we dry him off with when he comes in looking like a drowned rat.

Let your cat out. They'll come back in if they are cold.

I’d let the cat out, and see what it wants to do. In our house they come and go as they please - only time they are really kept in is when the hunt is on and when we go away and when the weather is going to be poor for a considerable length time. Currently 3 out of the 4 are in..

Big cat 1 was out all night doing his due diligence of keeping the rat population down (we live in a rural location and have a few at the moment) and is now snoozing in front of the fire I expect he will want to go out again around 10ish

Big cat 2 - is the complete opposite and hasn’t left the house 🤷‍♀️

Cat 3 - is currently holed up the in the home office (shed), all snuggled up on some blankets and I put a hot water bottle out earlier and clicked the heater on (she’s taken to the office for some reason but comes inside for breakfast and dinner)

Kitten is not leaving the house till spayed so knows no difference

I keep my old man in. But he doesn't show he wants to go out.

My other 2 go out rain or shine. I do open the door and ask them if they're sure though...

So in order to train him post covid return to office I let him out and called him back every hour with dreamies. So that I knew if I let him out at 7am and called him about 8ish he'd come. And everytime he comes back he gets one dreamie. So now he has quite good recall (not perfect he's cat afterall) you could train her to be out less or multiple short trips instead of a long one

Our dcat is a ball of floof ragdoll with only half a brain cell and even she is allowed to make her choice whether to go out in the bad weather or not.

Generally it’s a not, she will occasionally stick her head out the flap and come back in quick!

She hates the rain, doubt she’s seen snow as we are on the south coast!

She’s locked in at night, that’s all.