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Original poster

Should I keep my cat in at night?

16 replies

satinshoes · 14/03/2007 08:47

I have a 1 year old cat. A few weeks ago he was hit by a car at night. After an operation on his leg and a broken pelvis we are now allowed to let him out. We have decided to let him out in the day but keep him in at night for a while.

I am considering keeping him in at night. We live in a suburb, dont live on a busy road (yet he was still hit by a car). I heard foxes the other night and i think they may have gone for a cat (cant be sure).

So what do i do in the long term? he loves being out - a real outdoorsy cat! Do i keep him in? (am i being reactionary/overcautious?) or let him out (am i letting him be free/being irresponsible??)

what do you do with yours?

OP posts:

fryalot · 14/03/2007 08:49

Keep him in at night for a while and see how he likes it. If he is desperate to go out, I think you should let him. Some cats settle well indoors and some don't, likewise, some will be ok being kept in at night and some won't. See what he wants first, then make a decision.

LilRedWG · 14/03/2007 08:50

Ours has a cat flap and treat the place like a hotel, aparently I'm his chambermaid, DH is his butler and DD is the entertainment. He tends to go out most nights and sleep on my bed all day, except in the summer when we barely see him. He does sometimes come home beaten up but we figure that he does a lot of beating up too - he's King Cat in our road and a big boy!

Maybe speak to your vet and ask if there have been many/any fox attacks on cats lately - they'd be the ones patching them up after all, so should know.

Don't know if this'll help at all. Hopefully someone will come along with some decent advice soon.

Original poster

satinshoes · 14/03/2007 08:52

Thanks. We have a catflap and have been locking it at night and putting something in front of it.

In the last few weeks he nearly broke the flap trying to get out and has knocked 2 plants over from windowsills. Jumping with broken leg to see the view

OP posts:

Tan1959 · 16/03/2007 20:48

Just wondered why you think the foxes that you heard may have gone for a cat???

A rabbit or chicken yes, but in my opinion not a cat - would be very unusual

Tan1959 · 16/03/2007 20:55

Meant to say that I don't think there is anythig wrong in keeping your cat in at night.
I have always kept mine in (call him in before I go to bed) I am more worried about him being catnapped by humans !!

There have been quite a few cats that have gone missing from our area in the last six months so am not risking him being out at night (presuming any catnappers only catnap at night)...

pointydog · 16/03/2007 20:58

Agree with squonk. If the cat's desperate to go out, I'd let it out but you'd have to be able to accept it might get killed.

DumbledoresGirl · 16/03/2007 21:08

I asked about fox attacks on cats here on Mumsnet last year as we have 2 cats and a fox whom we frequently see in our garden. Someone's dh was a vet and said foxes can go for cats and can kill them.

So if you are at all worried that your cat is not up to full fitness, then yes, I would probably agree to keeping it in at night.

mabelmurple · 16/03/2007 21:14

Problem with keeping cats in at night is that you have to have a litter tray around as well, which is bleurgh. I used to keep my cats in at night bbut don't now because I got fed up of the smell of the litter tray (even though it was cleaned out every day). that your cat got run over, but I think realistically it was just a coincidence it happened at night - there are fewer cars at night, after all. If you're worried about foxes, just keep him in until he's able to run and climb trees as normal.

CuriousIncidentOfCatInNiteTime · 16/03/2007 23:05

Problem I found when we didn't have a cat flap and the cats stayed in all night was getting the buggers to come in after their last outing so icould lock up.
Now I have a whole new set of problem's (see my other thread)

pindy · 16/03/2007 23:12

NO NO NO NO NO - mine did a big poo in the bathroom last night (yes I know it was the right room - but it was on the bath mat!!!!) and then dd stood in it and then it was in the hall and then it was in her bedroon and then it was etc etc etc. As I was cleaning it up I kept heaving (a bilious attack as we call it in our house) again and again and again - then everyone left for the day - but not me.........

Keep the CAT OUT!!! is what I say!!!

ie; not too keen on letting it in thanks

Sorry - end of my opinion

CuriousIncidentOfCatInNiteTime · 16/03/2007 23:15

the cat shat on the mat

Aero · 16/03/2007 23:25

I bring ours (well, Ronnie the outdoorsy(?) one) in at night and yes, we have a litter tray, but he rarely uses it at night. The other one does. Strangely though, in the warmer months, both of them go outside and the litter tray is largely unused.

I sleep better knowing they're safe inside. They're our first cats and are MN adoptees, so maybe we're a bit over protective. They're well used to coming in at night though and there's never any trouble getting them in. Perhaps they know that if they refuse, then they have to wait until the morning to be let in. We don't have a cat-flap.

chocolateface · 16/03/2007 23:41

We used to live next door to a vet and he used to lock his cats out overnight every night even in winter. Maybe you should trust your cat ,if he can get in and out of the cat flap by himself with a broken leg, to come in if he needs to. Just because he's been knocked over once doesn't mean it will ever happen again.My cats are able to spend all night outside if they want to,but they just stay in. Sorry to ramble.

pindy · 16/03/2007 23:48

Ok lol CICNT - but really it was not funny!!!

So DON'T laugh!!!! It was YUK YUK YUK!!!!!

NotanOtter · 17/03/2007 00:21

dp ( vet) says let him out - if he is that type of cat it will only make him unhappy

ura21 · 18/03/2007 20:49

If you do decide to let him out at night please bear in mind that if he is hit by a car or anything and doesn't survive the council clear away any bodies first thing in the morning so kids don't see them and get upset going to school, so you might never know where he 'disappeared' to. This was told to me by cats protection, so not an urban myth. For this reason alone I don't let mine out at night.

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