Shutting cats in kitchen at night (with outside access). Cruel?

[squashyhat]

DH and I are thinking of getting a rescue cat (or maybe two). We have had cats before - the last one had to be pts 3 years ago and he was a rescue from Celia Hammond. I think he had a happy life but we were both working so he was on his own a lot. Since then I have retired so am around at home a lot more, would like the company (DH is stilll working) and we live in a rural, very cat friendly place. The things is in the past we always shut them in the kitchen at night (with cat flap access outside) and DH now thinks this was cruel. It's a cold kitchen although they always had cozy beds to snuggle into. But I don't want a cat roaming the house at night, and certainly couldn't sleep with one on the bed.

I know the rescue place would do a home visit and I would be honest with them that this is what we plan to do. But would it be considered cruel?

Starzig you're wrong there, cats aren't nocturnal. They're crepuscular; most active at dawn and dusk. Which explains why PPs find them snuggled up with them in bed for the majority of the night, and the 4am wake up calls.

Our cats have always been put in the kitchen at night, with a cat flap to the garden.

I do not want dead birds or worse any where other than the kitchen.

I do not want random cats who have smashed in/cleverly picked my cat flap visiting me in the night.

I do not want to be woken up by my cats wanting to play.

As long as it's warmish and dry and they have a cosy bed and water it's certainly not cruel.

I used to live next door to a vet who put his cats out overnight.

I'm well and truly owned. Unless they are being particularly unruly, the cats have free reign 24/7.

Giant cat has recently taken to sleeping on my pillow again. As he has no regard for my head I have given him his own pillow which goes above mine (yes, I've shunted myself down the bed ). Small cat spent the entire night sleeping at my feet so I had to sleep diagonally. I think I'm possibly too accommodating.

Mine don't go outside though. They'd probably happily abandon me if they did.

I don't think this is curel at all. They even have access to outside. It is the noise from the scratching of carpets and doors which are the issue.

We had a little chap who lived to 17. When rescued he was less than 6 months old and the vet said he would only live another fortnight as he was swollen with worms, bald from ringworm and crawling with fleas. He had an issue with his ribcage. I never left him out at night or gave him access out at night. He would drive you nuts if on a bed at night. Up, down, over and back. Never settling. At 1pm I'd give in and scoop him up and bring him to his own bed area. We moved a few times and i the end had an integral garage. He had his bed, litter and food and water in there for nighttime. I'd open the back door and he would be waiting and race in. He loved his little bedtime schedule. We'd have lots of cuddles. He would have his nosh and settle down. He was better off and more relaxed. And everyone else got to sleep undisturbed as well. In the morning, I'd open the door from the kitchen to the garage and he'd be delighted to see me. He would come in to the kitchen and through to the dining room which had patio doors. After cuddles, I'd slide the patio door and he would check out the patio area. Then back in for food and more cuddles.

Mind you, he was very happy overall as we lived in the country. During the day he could come into the house at will. The bedtime routine was a life saver for all concerned. In other houses, he slept in a room with door closed. All his ensuite and restaurant facilities available. I knew he was safe and It made him more relaxed too.

Contrary to letting cats out at night, I've always tried to bring them in to go to bed. With no access outside, either. My last big tabby would resist. In summer, my first cat would come banging knocking at the window at 1am in the morning. He'd go on his two back legs and use the front paws to bang. He would then come into my bed after he had eaten. Sometimes wet from rain. He would then shuffle up and onto the top of the duvet when too hot.

Our girl has the run of downstairs at night but I lock the cat flap as can't handle the rodent gifts.

We have a baby gate on the stairs which she can't get over as she is not at all agile which solves my problem of not liking cats on beds!

I adore my cats and love sleeping with them but over the last 5 years have done just that OP mainly becasue the old one shits on the carpet and the young one like to lie across my neck.
They have their own sofa and sleeping bag down there and they can come in the house during the day. I really cannot cope with their rowdy night time behaviour.
And one night cleaning up stinky poo at three in the morning with an important presentation the next day was the last straw. Peace has been restored.

My girl usually sleeps upstairs, but much as I love her, she can be very annoying - head-sleeping, dribbling, kneeding etc - and at least once or twice a week we shut her in the kitchen overnight, with access to the cat flap.

She has a bed in the corner and I use a heatable pad to ease my guilt on nights she stays down there. They're brilliant - 5 mins in the microwave and they stay warm all night. Your cats would be absolutely fine, in fact your way way would probably be kinder, as there would never be an expectation of sleeping with you.

No, of course it's not cruel. Why would providing your cats an indoor place to sleep with comfy beds, water, food and access to outside be cruel?

I agree, & Im a huge cat lover. Mine (12 year old rescue cat ) sleeps on my bed upstairs, but if she had been crazy at night, I would have done the same.

She was 10 when we adopted her & she is bloody amazing

Dh is allergic to the cats (now cat) who were resident before him. The deal we agreed was that they can't come on the bed and theoretically not in the bedroom although they never took much notice of that rule! Shut in the kitchen at night with outside access and they've always coped very happily. I have to say although i love a warm furry purry cat to cuddle, i dont miss cat hair on the sheets!

Depends on the cat. Mine would howl all night if I did that! But others would be absolutely fine

I think it is cruel if for example you get a Siamese and they bond to you.

Ordinarily, not cruel.

My kitten sleeps upstairs sometimes, can't be doing with a 5am wake up call every day!

Although on Friday he work me up and I was all like "oh kiiiittrrrtten you are so annoying" then realised it was 1 minute to my alarm time. Well played kitten, well played.

Not cruel to restrict them at night. My kitten don't access the bedrooms or living room at night which gives them the run of the kitchen, dining room and hallway which is where all their stuff is anyway.

Considering that most cats fight and get hit by cars overnight I wouldn't give them outside access overnight though, too dangerous.

I always shut my DC in the kitchen at night, he had a lovely cosy bed and the cat flap was always open if he wanted to go out. It worked out well and it was always lovely going down to the kitchen in the morning to say hello. I couldn't let him roam the house at night as he would have set off the burglar alarm, also as he got older he did leave some unwanted surprises on occasions, we have lost him now (PTS at 18)but I still really miss him.

The last time I let them upstairs at night one of them vomited right outside the lodgers bedroom door and that was the first thing she trod in when she got up the next day in bare feet. So no.

Mine is shut in kitchen and utility room for the night, with basket, tray, water etc. No access to outside once we've gone to bed as she is black and I worry about her being hit by a car. She is also territorial about her garden and inclined to get into fights. She's perfectly happy though, and gets let out once she's had her breakfast.

If people are happy with their pets on their beds at night that's their prerogative, but it's not cruel to prefer daytime cuddles only!

Our cats go to bed in the kitchen diner at night with a timed cat flap that lets them out at 6:30am once it's light, later in the winter. They have cosy cushions, beds, litter tray, water and dry food overnight. They now take themselves to bed at 9-10pm and wake us up at 7:10am by going out the cat flap and jumping in the bedroom window onto the bed and telling us very loudly it is time for breakfast and a fuss. If we don't shut them in they wake us up for company at 2am, 4:30am and 6am. It's like having a baby! They seem very happy, I don't think it's cruel.

Ours go in the kitchen & utility with the catflap available to them. They have baskets and chairs, food, water & litter. One of them is fond of mauling feet at night and for various reasons we keep a couple of bedroom doors open.

Our cats are shut into the kitchen/hall at night, without outside access. They are warm, safe, fed and have a litter tray (which they very rarely use). We have done this since they were kittens, primarily because I didn't want the children being woken up by roaming cats. I would be more than happy to have them on my bed though!
It's a habit now, and it works so well that even with house renovations planned we are working around still being able to close the cats in at night.

If my vet advocated putting cats out at night they would very soon be my ex vet. Totally irresponsible advice.

I never let my cats out at night,too dangerous these days,too much cruelty going on,
Mine have the run of the house, but go to bed when i do, and get up when i do,
They have a catflap,but i lock it at night
The old way of putting them out at night is wrong,
Keepig them in the kitchen overnight is fine, but lock the catflap, and give them a tray
Buy a scratchpost and teach them to use that,
I have 3 cats left,had 5 but lost 2 close together in January,sadly due to illness
I have never had any furniture scratched
Also remember to keep them indoors for a few weeks when you get them, so they know where they live, and get used to their own scent on things

That's what we do. Cat can open bedroom doors so don't want him climbing on me in the middle of the night. Nor do I want to trip over him when I'm making a middle of the night bathroom visit. And he has the loudest meeting I've ever heard and I really don't want that every morning at 4am!

That's what happened with my childhood cats as the burglar alarm couldn't be activated otherwise. Occasionally, I was allowed the second cat ('my' first cat) up on my bed with me overnight as a treat, but otherwise no. Never seemed to do them any harm.

It's never crossed my mind to shut my cat or dogs away. When I say "I'm going to bed) they all leg it upstairs to get prime position on the bed and I have to climb over furry bodies and shimmy into whatever space is left. The cat snores and sleeps on my pillow usually with one paw stretched out and resting on my cheek. Wouldn't have it any other way.