to keep them out or let them in....

[MateyMooo]

we have two cats. usually we put them out for the day and go to work. we let them back in at 2 when DH gets home, they come and go as they like during the time we are there becuase DH gets up and opens the door for them.

ATM I'm at home all day. they want to be in all day and cry at the door to be let in. I think that they are cats, and it must be good for them to be out. Am i right? or should i just let them in to sleep all day?

I'm the opposite to you, mine has to stay indoors when we are out and at the grand old age of 15 she has only once stayed out overnight (when I was in hospital and DH got fed up of waiting for her).
At the moment, in the cold weather she doesn't like going out or goes out the front door, walks round the house and yowls to come back in via the back door.
I think it also depends on their age, the older they are the more they feel the cold.
She does sleep 22 out of 24 hours.

they are 3 or 4 years old and really healthy with big 'bouffy' coats

Mine sleep indoors most of the day, I was working at home today and had 5 out of the 6 (yes I know, mad!) in the room with me, the 6th was in the armchair in the other room. Three of them never go out (2 oldies and 1 young one who shows no interest), two are out a lot and one occasionally.

Contrary to popular belief cats are really quite sociable - if you don't let them in they quite possibly will tame some old lady and move house :)

It certainly won't do them any harm to be outside but it won't be doing them any 'good' per se - I'd get them a cat flap and let them come and go at will. Our cat is a little younger than yours and she sleeps most of the day, has a mad burst of energy in the evening and then sleeps - again - most of the night.

They want to be inside where it's warm and quiet and they can have attention when they want it (and then choose to ignore you at all other times). Let them in!

We've had our cats a year, we don't have a cat flap and I'm at home all day so they come and go - I let them in when they are at the back door. During the summer they'd choose to be out most of the day really, especially the boy who would only come home for lunch then he'd be out again till about 9pm. During this very cold weather they are definitely choosing to stay home more, in fact sometimes I kick them out for a bit of fresh air I think if they want to stay in, then let them. Once Spring has sprung they'll probably want to be out more again. If I'm out for any length of time during the day I keep them in rather than putting them out - I'd worry about them getting run over/getting into fights etc so I prefer to know where they are.

I would let them in, it's quite cold outside atm. I have a 9 mth cat, I've had her 3 mths and she has a cat flap but I shut her in at night, she has developed a routine of sleeping all night, then has about and hour in the garden while everyone is getting ready for school, then she comes in and sleeps until the children come home, has a good few hours of play hopping in and out as she pleases, then sleeps in the evening from about 7 or 8pm, sometimes she wants to go out again about 10pm but I don't let her, she seems to understand most of time and takes herself off to bed. When the weather gets warmer she'll probably spend more time outside - sleeping in the sunshine.

i think that i want to be a cat... all that sleeping, followed by an hour of strenous activity and eating... then sleeping

[checks in mirror to ensure that i'm not actually a cat already]

This is the thing with cats. By and large they hold all the cards in the pet-owner relationship. If you fail to meet their high standards they'll just chuff off elsewhere, or so my cat would have me believe.

How can you sit inside in the warm and ignore their cries to come in out of the cold? Get a cat flap. Whatever makes you think it's good for them to be cold and shut outside in winter?