Are your cats allowed out at night?

[EvansAndThePrince]

My cat was an indoor cat for his first two years but is allowed out now, with the weather we've had his window open until late and it's the only time he goes out! We give him supper at 10ish and he comes home for that and I lock the window but I think he would prefer to be out.
He lounges about the house through the day as it's noisy outside (understandable) but has access outside if he wants it.

I live in a cul-de-sac that's very quiet at night, and the closest road is quiet at night too but he tends to go the opposite direction.

I'm not sure why it makes me so nervous, maybe because I can't keep an eye on him and worry that he will go too far and get lost as he's only ever been as far as the gardens nearby.

My big blue boy is allowed out during the day,but never overnight or past 9:30pm,the baby is an indoor cat.He is micro chipped regardless,in case he runs out one day!.

He is microchipped yes, but is a bit thick. He's loud though so I'm sure we would find him quickly or he would be returned quickly by someone wearing earplugs and an angry face.

He doesn't go out through the day, he's only been allowed out the last few weeks and while he's "allowed" out all day, he doesn't. The only time he actually does go out is in the late evening. I'm not sure he will ever go out during the day as he's been a house cat for 2 years. He has had a few outings in the garden in those two years but went a bit nuts with excitement and now he's allowed he doesn't seem so keen.

And the window has only been open at nice for the last few days so he's not in a "habit" of going to at night.

Just trying to get him used to going out, and it seems the only time he will

My two have always gone out at night. They sleep all day but I know they are active around the area judging from the dead mice etc left on the step in the morning. It is a safe area for them, very few cars. One a few occasions we have kept them in (very bad snow) and the buggers have kept us awake murdering fluff and hair bobbles in the wee small hours or purring very loudly (and dribbling) in our ears or sitting on our heads.

There's a simple solution to that: keep the bedroom door shut.

Faffing the dribbling you have to shut the door !!!

My two cats are completely free range. They hop in & out of the cat flap as they please, day & night. We live on a very quiet road in a fairly rural area so they are reasonably safe. They would be miserable if they were kept in.

Our 2 go out at night when they want to. If it is raining and they both stay in they spend their time running full pelt round the flat play fighting and trashing the place. We wouldnt get any sleep if they didn't go out and we live in a ground floor flat so they jump out the windows in the summer anyway. They are forced to wear bells though, much to their annoyance, otherwise they would destroy the local wildlife population. They are both black and while I accept there is a higher risk of accidents I also feel this is part of being a cat owner. They would both be miserable if we kept them inside.

Our cat comes and goes as he pleases, there's a micro chip cat flap into the utility room with food and his bed but we shut the door so he doesn't get into the main house.

I'd love him to stay in at night but he's a proper outdoor cat and if we keep him in he HOWLS and wakes us up at 4am on the dot until we let him out.

I hear the flap clicking at night so he comes in when he wants to.

No my last cat died after he didn't come back one evening. DH found him in the road the next morning

Jeepers- I feel the same,he would be miserable if we kept him in.

Our rule is in at night before we go to bed. During the summer they can be out quite late, but they know the score and always come in.

Yes, goes out at night. He wasn't going to be allowed out. But, once he had been done and was big enough to start going out in the day time, the objection to staying in was too great. The piece de resistance was when he decided to use the linen crate under the spare bed as a mega litter tray. Been allowed out 24/7 since. Has been ok when we've moved and he has had to stay in 24/7 for three weeks so I think he's an all or nothing boy. He's 9 and has had a good life

Those who lock them in when it gets dark, don't they dart out the minute you open a door yourself? Ours do, although they don't stay out long. We always seem to be pottering in and out in the evenings and they follow us.

Oh god. I've brought him in and he's been howling for the last half hour and threatening to wake the baby. DH gets home at about midnight tonight so I'm going to let him out for the time being.

Ours is indoor. Brutal killing of a cat nearby- not sure if fox it the Croydon evil evil one.

WhoKnows' we just make sure Harry is shut in a room if we go out to the bins or in the garden. If we go out and come back later it's more difficult but I tend to open the door a fraction, poke my bag through and use it a bit like a bullfighters cape!

DH is going to make us a 'catio' so we can have the patio doors open in the evening in the summer. It's not so much the road that worries me but the evil bastards out there who might hurt Harry. I know it could happen during the day but it's about finding a balance between keeping him safe and not making him miserable.

Ours is out at night , he's a real roamer . But he has a little house in the garden where he comes home to sleep.

No No No No. Dcat's catflap is locked and bolted as soon as it gets dark. We are in prime M25 / London / Croydon cat killer country here.

Evil cunting bastard.

I've never met anyone in real life who keeps their cats inside. We never did, they were chucked out at 9.

Our current cat and previous cats have always gone to bed when we have. They get shut in the utility room with bed, litter tray, water and food.
Current cat gets her breakfast when we wake up in the morning. Sometimes she's still in her bed having a lie in don't hear a peep out of her all night

'Back in the day' people didn't have litter boxes inside, cats just went outside. I don't know at what point all that changed, with people buying pedigrees maybe?

Umbongo You do realise we all exist in real life, right?!

For any of you within the M25 and particularly in the Croydon area, here's the information from South London Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) regarding the cat and other small animal killings. They've been on the news / in the papers a lot lately so apologies if I'm duplicating information. It is factual, but quite distressing reading.

The advice to call 999 and NOT 101 has come from the Metropolitan Police team who are investigating the crimes.

M25 ANIMAL KILLER - WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP::

As most people are now aware, there have been upwards of 50 cats, rabbits and foxes found dead, apparently murdered, across London over the past couple of years.

The police are well aware of the issue and are running an active investigation into it.

If you see someone behaving suspiciously around a cat, PLEASE DIAL 999 IMMEDIATELY and report it. It doesn't matter if it turns out to be nothing - the police want to know.

If you find a cat who has the following injuries:

Slashed neck/ decapitation and/or
Slashed belly and/or
Organs removed and/or
Pelvis removed and/or
Tail removed and/or
Leg/tail removed and/or
Any other injury which looks like it is a knife wound

Please:
Ask the person to contact us on 07957 830 490 or mobile 07961 030064 immediately

It is ABSOLUTELY VITAL that the body is/ parts are safeguarded and we will come out, even if it is after hours. We will liaise with the police and RSPCA to secure the scene.

If the animal is still alive please take him or her straight to the vet for treatment and call us as soon as you can afterwards.

Recent cases include:

Tosh in Belvedere, March 2015
Ukiyo in Addiscombe, September 2015
Amber in Shirley, October 2015
Oscar in West Norwood, November 2015
Unidentified cat in West Norwood, November 2015
Missy in Couldson, December 2015
"Charlton" in Charlton, December 2015
An unidentified black and white cat found killed next to Mitcham Common and confirmed now as linked, December 2015
Bella, killed in Mitcham in November 2015

An unidentified tabby cat found in Streatham on 19 January 2015 confirmed as a victim.

Two rabbits beheaded and de-tailed in a garden in South Norwood in November 2015.

Two cats and a fox found beheaded in the Crystal Palace triangle early in the morning of Monday 18 January 2016 which have been linked to this case.

A fox tail found on Davidson Road, which has been placed in a garden, was inconclusive but given the deliberate placement of the tail, is considered to be a victim.

Leo found deceased in Sutton on 22 January 2016, a week after he disappeared, confirmed as a victim.

A red, possibly Burmese cat found in South Croydon, confirmed as a victim.

A rabbit, found in Bristol Road, Morden - inconclusive on vet examination, but the positioning of the body suggests this poor babe was a victim

Maverick, found mutilated in N3 on 4 February 2016, confirmed as a victim.

Tigger, found in Stepney, E1, the morning of 9 February, body not recovered but positioning of body, lack of blood at the scene and injuries strongly suggests he is a victim.

Unidentified black and white cat found in Addiscombe on 9 February, confirmed as a victim.

Tommy from Kenley, found dead on 12 Feb 2016

A cat's tail found in Beaumont Road, South Norwood (not recovered) on 15 Feb 2016

A unidentified cat found decapitated in Titchfield Road Carshalton on 15 Feb 2016

A cat found dead in Wearside Road, Peckham on 16 Feb 2016 - now confirmed victim, chipped to Celia Hammond as a street cat on a TNR programme

A unidentified black cat found in Mottingham on 23 February 2016

A unidentified cat found in West Croydon on 23 February 2016, confirmed as a victim

A unidentified cat found in Staines Road, Bedfont on 24 February 2016, confirmed as a victim

Goldie, a Bengal cat found dead in Roundshaw in Wallington on 25 Feb 2016

A fox found in Crystal Palace on 27 Feb 2016 with both ears removed, confirmed as a victim.

Mac, found in Streatham on 6 March 2016

Paddy, found in Tottenham Hale, on 6 March 2016, confirmed as a victim

A pawfound in Staines Road on 6 March 2016 probably linked to the cat found a few houses away on 24 February 2016

An unidentified black cat found in Paradise Road, Richmond on 7 March 2016, confirmed as a victim

An unidenfied cat found in Ranelagh Close, Edgeware on 7 March 2016, confirmed as a victim

Storm, found in Stretton Road Addiscombe on 10 March 2016

Oreo, found in Frimley Green on 17 March 2016

Louie, found in Chislehurst on 21 March 2016 whose death we believe is linked to this case

An unidentified light tortoiseshell/ tabby cat found in Ruislip on 24 March 2016.
42 other historic cases in Croydon and the outskirts of the Borough in the last two years and we have reports of other cases going back to 2008.

Lulu, found decapitated on 2 April 2016 outside her home in Kingston, whose death we believe is linked

Bertie, found decapitated outside him home in Camberley on 4 April 2016, whose death we believe is linked.

Buddy, found dead in Forest Hill on 8 April 2016.

There is also some evidence to suggest that a rabbit killed in South Croydon and two puppies killed and left in a South Norwood park two years ago are also victims.

This case was brought to our attention by the community and we are pretty sure that it will be solved as a result of the community's efforts.

Thank you

Boudicca and Tony
SNARL

Me and my cats don't exist in real life but if we did they'd be in at night. Dreamies would bring them in and cat flap locked. And they'd be purring loudly beside me on the bed as I wrote this.