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 🥰

She's very cute OP.

The litter tray.... may interest you on MN.
No idea how to link to it but have a search.

This is good - currently, unless she's hungry she won't come in 😅 so I'm strict with not leaving out food (also, my neighbours two cats were caught on my ring camera scoffing her lunch). I would like her to come in when I call her so I could start training her with dreamies, especially now

Thank you, she's the sweetest

🤭🤭 okay I'll search it now

Mine have to come in when it's dark. They aren't allowed out at night.

In the daytime they can go in and out as they please, unless it's very, very windy.

@Laura95167 one Dreamie!! He'll be onto cats protection!

can you get a cat flap @MumOfOneAllAlone ? I have a microchip one but only have it (taped open) when I’m in or for short trips out.

your lovely cat then decide. One of mine loves the rain and snow. The other just stays in bed

Mine went into the garden for about 15 minutes this morning then wisely decided it was too cold and rainy to be out and spent most of the day sleeping on my bed...

Let your cat out and let her decide whether it is too cold or not for her taste.

Aren't they quite expensive? Plus, I'd have go get a tradesman out to cut a hole in my upvc door?

Maybe in the summer, I'd have to save up

It would be nicer for her though, I hate the thought of her waiting outside for me to let her in during the winter 🥺

My cat is in & out, all times of year, in all weathers. Sometimes he goes out deliberately in the rain because he knows I'll give him a vigorous rub-down with a towel when he returns home soaking wet and he loves that.

There'd be hell to pay if I tried to keep him in!

We had to once (vet's orders) and he BROKE THE CATFLAP he was so determined to get out

She’s only young so you are being unfair to her. Let her decide - cats are smart! - if it’s too cold she’ll be crying to come back in when ready. My cats rarely go out these days but they are old and lazy, lol.

I figured if I was calling him every hour he was at risk of chonking up. Also like diamonds, dreamies, if they're rare they command higher price.

He's got a sister who's a self declared house pet so dreamie training risks everyone getting one dreamie everytime someone does a good thing.

There's also a house rabbit, who very definitely knows the word treat too

Mine just comes to the door when she's not happy with the weather. In summer we won't see her for the whole day, in winter she usually comes back and sleeps indoors for a good portion of the day, and always comes in when it's raining.

The only time I keep her in is if I am going out all day and the weather doesn't look good as I know she won't want to stay out in it. I WFH so doesn't happen often. (No cat flap as she hunts too much!)

I let mines out but he has a spot in the greenhouse if it’s wet and I put a hot water bottle under his blanket so it’s warm.

Cats are tough creatures; yours will be fine outdoors. If you want, you can make a little shelter by your door, so she can still be outside, but out of the weather.

She is lovely!
Our cat is very old now ( over 20) and just does the occasional circuit of the garden. She won't go out in this weather for sure, though.
When she was younger we did leave it up to her, but I must admit we did occasionally keep her in overnight when it was extremely cold like it is now.

My cat still goes out. She's a night cat at heart and last night was out two hours before deciding it was too cold. The previous night was milder but wet and she stayed out 7 hours!

Don't trap a cat inside if they are unhappy and not used to it. They will soon be back if the weather isn't too their liking.

Agree @MumOfOneAllAlone cat flaps are expensive to get fitted but if you've only lived in summer with door open, you'll be freezing all winter like I was having the door open.

fair enough @Laura95167 mine only get Dreamies when I have to get them in so a handful is a rare treat. If I have to be somewhere in the next 2 hours they don’t be let out

If he comes when he's called one dreamie. Really works out as 2 day. 1 when i need to leave for work, 1 when it's bed time

Omg she was out on Monday and I couldn't leave the door open actually, completely agree - but today just felt like the temp had really dropped

I'm gonna have to let her out and keep on popping to the back door

Mine decides for himself. I don't put him out but he yowls till I open the door. He went out I the snow this morning, it didn't stick, then he came back and was asleep on the bed most of the day. He'll go out again about midnight, he has a little insulated house and he can go in the garage, he pops up for me to let him in when I get up unless he's fast asleep in his house.

Thank you 🥰

I'll let her out in the morning. I'm hoping she will want to be inside tbh, it's so cold out there, but that's cats isn't it

She does come in for me at night as long as she hasn't eaten too much during the day

Split her dinner, half at normal dinner time, and then half at what ever time you want her in for the night. I used to have so much trouble trying to get mine in until I started doing this and he was hungry and greedy, didn’t take him long to learn.

have done that from the beginning with my current cats. They are 99% house cats by choice, and even if they do go out they don’t leave the garden, so it’s not such an issue really.

Just let her out and keep an ear out so she can come back. Mine is not keen on cold wet weather but still nips out but is usually back sharpish if he is too cold.

We only shut and block the cat flap if not allowed out due to illness
Let them decide whether or not they can cope with the weather

Mine too

Thanks everyone, she did want to go out so went out at about 8

She was in and out and eventually came in at 3, an hour early. I guess she's fine with the cold 😄, she seemed like she was having fun x