Do you keep your cats in overnight?

[SuckingEggs]

Should they be allowed to go in and out? Say, after 9pm? We are getting a microchip flap.

Ta

I'm afraid so - although it's not just cats, if I recall. Mainly cats but it seems to be 'targets of opportunity' - and in some areas, that's generally cats.

Catflap shut here, but not till after about 9. We go out to the shed (tumble dryer out there), bins, plus DH stargazes so they tend to get out anyway, but they don't stray far or for long and come in and out while they can. We are on a very quiet road but try never to let them out the front door.

The cat killer struck recently just a couple of streets away. My girl is locked in at night, like it or lump it.

No they would go beserk if I tried that one, i have tried it, they kept me awake all night wailing.
Luckily they are all lazy, well fed and getting older now so they tend to spend the night curled up in bed with me and as we live in the country it's pretty safe for them.
If I lived in town I would keep them in at night.

Oh dingit that's awful, devastating, yes there is no way I'd let mine out in those circumstances. I'd probably build a cat run in the garden for daytime when I was at home if that was the case. I hope they catch this person soon.

We don't lock the cat flap - she goes put sometimes but is usually to be found curled up somewhere in the house. No busy roads near us and she doesn't wander far as next doors cat beats her up

yep, in at dusk. then they lollop about and eat and sleep and are good to go after breakfast.

Mine is a house cat. She doesn't seem to want to go outside when the windows and French doors are open so I don't feel too guilty! We live in a village and regularly get emails about feline fatalities on our unlit road, often with accompanying pictures . I couldn't bear to find out anything had happened to her via an email whilst at work, so she stays in!

My two only have a curfew on bonfire night. But in winter they dont go out anyway. They have been sat on the sofa since 7pm tonight. They wont move apart from maybe popping outfor a wee before bed then they go back to sleep.

Mine is allowed out at all times. She probably tends to stay in once it's colder, but I don't know because she's shut in the kitchen at night where the cat flap is (otherwise she comes into the bedroom, deliberately knocks things off the windowsill and drinks from our water glasses!).

I have the window in my bedroom open and madam can get out if she wants. This time of year she tends to just have her nose out.

Although she did lat "TBC" in again the other day - I was in bed reading so could tell him where to go.

The front of my house is a cul-de-sac, my garden backs directly on to other gardens and they are on a cul-de-sac to the front too so no through traffic.

It's rare to see a car move after 6pm on the front unless it is the carers for my neighbour opposite.

Im also in the cat killer area. There have been a couple round here just last week. One of mine just gets really stressed if he is locked in the house so I can't do it. Although we live mid terrace so he is only ever out at the back. I just have to keep my fingers crossed that he doesn't come to whoever is the killers attention. That said they do seem to stay in by choice at night Anyway, definitely now the cold weather is here.

I always bring my three in at night although one cat rarely leaves the house anyway. The other two are in more now it is turning colder outside. Thankfully they never leave the garden...one is an ex feral who likes to see her place of safety here and the other is a Ragdoll and doesn't jump much.

In this age of cat killers and haters I wouldn't risk the lives of my furry friends.

I do, since my beloved boy was hit by a car. Also, it's a good way to minimise their impact on wildlife as they do most of their hunting at night - I think Chris Packham has spoken about this.

Yes - ever since one of them got hit by a car late at night. Girl cat is petrified of going out at night anyway and stays glued to the sofa as soon as the sun goes down. Boy cat has very thin fur and no fat (ex-Dubai street cat) so although he pretends to mind he's actually very happy to be in at night in winter

Yes . Always !

No, mine stays out all night and is always waiting by the door in the morning.

I would much prefer her in at night but she gets so so distressed...... She's a rescue and had such a horrid life before us that we decided although there's always a bigger risk at night it's the better option for her.

Yes, mine are always in a night.

Yes we keep them in when it gets dark and let them out when we get up in the morning.

We've started giving them their favourite wet food for dinner (they get dry food for the rest of the day) to entice them home in the evening! They've got used to the routine.

We also have a microchip cat flap (a Sureflap) which we set to "in only" from dusk. They used to be able to break out but Sureflap sent us a reinforcement so they can't any more! Mwahaha

Yes, DCat is kept in when it's dark - now the clocks have changed and the temperature has dropped he seems happy enough to come in with me at 5.30 when I get home from work, and doesn't howl to go back out again! We don't have a cat flap so he knows that he can't get out without the cooperation of one of us.

Where I live you can often hear cats fighting at night, which I don't want DCat joining in with, plus he is a black cat so not very visible on the roads. In the summer he does enjoy staying out till nearly 9 pm though. Selfishly, I like having him inside of an evening so I can relax knowing he's safe!

Nope. We tried but they were so unhappy. To be honest they spend most of the night inside but they seem to need that freedom.

Mostly one of mine stays in overnight & the other goes out & sleeps in the cat kennel. For some reason they've been doing it the other way round for the last few days.

They have reflective collars & we live at the end of a cul-de-sac, with fields at the back, so reasonably safe for them.

They are miserable if kept in when they want to go out.

In at dinner time (6pm) and not out again until morning. She's out all day though so is ready to snooze in front of the fire by evening.

Mine are always shut in at night.
Call them in, feed them. Bed. Same ritual for 10 years.
It's cold at night, they like to be cozy & warm. Creatures of habit. They also have a little bowl of warm cat milk to share, helps them settle. A couple of nice blankets to curl up under too.
In the morning, breakfast & cat flap open & off they go.

Mine loves being in at night and is often out all day.

He follows me to bed and stays with me all night - I'm not sure he's totally normal thought