Do you keep your cat in at night?

[BBQbeef]

Just curious how many keep their cats locked in at night and how many roam free?

@Pedrosfluffybum Like getting into another house through an open bedroom window

*No one who loves their cats would want their cat to be a nuisance. People can harm cats they find a nuisance and there's no way to know who is capable of this and who isn't.

If you find a cat a nuisance you should let the owner know. If they don't care or care about the cat, the cat should be rehomed.*

There is a cat in my neighbourhood who likes to come through the cat flap for a visit sometimes. I'm not happy about this, and nor is my cat, it is a nuisance. But there's no way I'd expect the owner of said cat to keep it in, or rehome it.

I would certainly discuss with the neighbour (if the neighbour approached me) and try to come up with a plan that suits everyone, even if that meant I'd need to pay to get something to prevent my cat getting in their window.

Mine goes out all night and sleeps inside all day. His choice. There is a main road but we revved and beeped our car at him when he was very young every time he went near the gate and now he luckily sticks to the back gardens.
There is no issue round here with humans harming cats thankfully. This would be the one thing that would make me keep him in and I greatly sympathise with owners who have this issue.
He has been in fights with other cats and once received an injury that almost killed him. But he still wants to go out and that is the life of a cat, the life he has chosen.

If he was bothering a neighbour we would try to resolve it. Again, luckily, some of the neighbours also have cats and it doesn’t seem to have been an issue. Apart from one of their cats once badly injuring mine but they have reached a detente.

Absolutely. She goes out for a wee at bedtime and we give her her supper as we go up and she wakes with the children at about 6. I couldn't sleep if she was outside, we live next to a busy road and she's hardly the hardiest of creatures!

Mine are free to go in and out the catflap day and night. It's a microchip catflap so it only opens for our cats

The catflap is always open - girl cat in particular is a real night owl and likes to be outside at night. We tried locking it at night but she managed to bust through it and then couldn't get back in. Which was obviously our fault.

No I don’t keep her in at night, why would I? Don’t think it’s any different from the day time tbh

Shut it?

Can they not shut the window or put a screw on it?

Screen not screw, sorry

In winter yes, we’re quite rural and exposed and it gets quite wild here. In summer they seem to prefer to be out at night, in during the day. So that’s what we do. I think they know they need to decide before we go to bed! From mid April it’s their choice.

Sometimes mine are in and sometimes they are out. I prefer them out because when they are in, they wake us up constantly wanting out at 3,4 or 5 in the morning.

Mine are inside 24/7. They do have a catio though that they can go into whenever they want to. We're legally required to keep our cats on our property here which I think would be impossible if they were allowed to roam.

Always used to let mine roam at night, but there are foxes about now so I’ve put a curfew on them. They try to dodge it, but it’s for their own good!
Don’t see why neighbour should shut window if they like it open at night, I’d keep cat in for a bit to try to break the habit.

Shutting the window isn't really an option. Me and husband are both like human furnaces at night, even with thin duvet so even in winter the window has to be open.
I was curious because my cats (none now) and everyone I know with cats have always been kept inside overnight. I thought that was what most people did (not criticising those who don't).
This cat seems intent on visiting our house. I do wonder if she can somehow get the scent of my old boy who died last year (she's quite young so won't have been around when he was).

Just prop/tie some chicken wire over the open window at night for a while to break her habit. Job done.

I wouldn't expect you to shut the window because of my cat. Do you know the neighbour who's cat it is? Which side are they likely to fall? 'Let's try and work out a solution together'? Or 'just shut your window'?

I don't know them very well, although they've given me no reason to think they are unreasonable people. Was trying to gauge if asking someone to keep their pet in for a longer period than that pet is used to would be reasonable. I'll broach it with them and see how it goes. I need to nip it in bud before summer and our baby comes.

We try to keep her in as she once went missing after going out late on a Friday night and not coming back until Monday morning (good weekend I think she had ) but sometimes she insists

It's a requirement of our shire they are kept in so yes. He's only 7 months old.

Mine is free to decide, when she was younger she was mostly out all night but as she’s aged she prefers to lie right next to my pillow purring very loudly! She generally dislikes everyone in the world apart from me so I’ve never worried about her going into other peoples houses

Why don't you put fly mesh on the window? Won't affect the cool breeze but will stop the cat coming in.

I've 6 cats. 5 are locked in at night. 1 absolutely hates being indoors overnight and prefers to sleep in the garage. The garage does have a cat flap so she could go in and out as she pleases, but I've no doubt she does literally sleep in there (she has a bed/food and water in there) all night. She'll spend all day in the house though. Weirdo.