Does anyone leave their cat out all night?

[NotGonnaAnswerThePhone]

My little boy loves to go out. However I find myself waiting up till all hours for him to come home because I can't bear the thought of him being outside all night.

MIL says she leaves hers out all night and then he sleeps all day!

Is this ok? My boy is only 10 months old and boy do i love him

I have three cats. The two girls prefer to stay in at night, but we have a fourteen year old boy who will not stay in. I do try to keep him in when it's very cold, but he goes mad. He scratches the carpets, rustles plastic bags and paper, and howls until we let him out. He is a very outdoor type cat. He doesn't really want cuddles and fuss, he just likes to go out and hunt. I think it's cruel to keep him in when he's so unhappy. He then comes in in the mornings, has his food and sleeps inside all day.

90% of the RTA cats I see the accident occurs after dark and 60% of the cat bite abscess the owner first noticed the initial wound after the cat had been out at night. So based on my 18 years in practice I feel there are significant increased risks for cats who are out at night.
My own cats are bribed into conforming. When I go up to bed they both get a few dreamers once I am in bed. This gets them upstairs and in the bedroom for the night. Most nights they both stay all night. They are trained by continued positive reinforcement.

Yes I have to admit, I do try and bribe mine in at night by giving chicken. Seems to work.

No mine get kept in at night. It's just safer for them.

Ours is in overnight. Except for the night dh left the flap unlocked and he rolled in as I was panicking he was dead.

I've got a cat flap but don't sleep properly in bed til I've heard him come in!! buttherearecatnappersroundhere

I try to keep mine in after dark, but I am not going to fret if they occasionally stay out all night.

I wouldn't sleep a wink if Sparklingcat was out. I need her in. She's good though and takes herself off to bed and sleeps the whole night.

Having lost two cats in car accidents over the years mine has a curfew and I shout him in by 10, (11 in the summer). He is pretty good at coming in as I've made it his routine although the there have been a couple of nights where he hasn't - cue much fretting and wringing of hands. I've read that they are braver at night, so cross roads more readily. Also people tend to drive faster when there is little traffic plus all the streetlights are out after 12 so cats, especially dark ones, are less visible.

Dh forgot to lock the flap last night so fluffy cat was out when we got up at 8.

He was thrilled. Me less so.

My girl goes out most nights, and I live smack bang in the middle of a town. I used to spend upto half an hour each night calling her in, only for her to be desperate to go out again. I don't have a cat flap, so she can only come back in when I'm awake. It works for us and she is fine. She's practically feral.