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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Do you let your cat out at night?

50 replies

Ski37 · 25/09/2017 20:26

I've recently had a cat flap fitted so my cat can come and go during the days when I am at work. He loves it! It's a sureflap one and I've been locking it at night at 9pm so he can come back in but not leave again until I open it in the morning. The other day I was called into work during the day and expected to be home before too long so left it open but I didn't get back until 6 in the morning. Cat was out but came back when I rattled his treats only to go straight out again ( I needed some sleep so I let him!) Since then every night when I've locked the flap at night I can hear him bashing on it almost on the hour, every hour trying to get out, this can continue for 15 minutes and so far I've just been ignoring it. I always said I wouldn't let him go out all night but he just seems so desperate! The roads around me are extremely quiet at night but I know I will still worry about him and he has also got into fights/ been attacked by a local tom and this has only happened when he's been out late. Do I stick to my guns and just ignore all his attempts to get out and hope he settles or should I just let him go about his catty business as he wants despite the fact I will probably be worried sick (but maybe get a better nights sleep without the continuous noise )?

OP posts:

FoxSticks · 25/09/2017 22:53

I tried keeping mine in but he smashes his way outbid the cat flap. We can't take him to batteries either as he has demolished three pens trying to escape I wish we could keep him in.

FoxSticks · 25/09/2017 22:54

Argh stupid phone! Smashes his way out of the cat flap and we can't do catteries!

Original poster

Ski37 · 25/09/2017 23:39

So he's just come barging his way back in and demanding strokes and food .....utter tart!

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TheABC · 25/09/2017 23:47

Dusk curfew here. The 10 year old does not care, but the two year old sits on our heads when we are asleep. He is a bloody big long-haired cat so you wake up sweating, sneezing or pushed off the pillow. Better than being squished, though.

Original poster

Ski37 · 27/09/2017 22:11

Thanks for all the replies. Despite leaving the cat flap open for longer in the evenings he has still been bashing at it constantly overnight 😬. I will stick it out for longer though to see if he eventually settles.
This evening he has been in and out constantly despite the pouring rain then rubbing his soaking wet fur against my legs until I dry him with 'his' tea towel- I'm sure he's doing it on purpose because he enjoys the rub down!

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BellMcEnd · 27/09/2017 22:14

Hell no. Both our cats come in at night and the cat flap is locked.

No way am I letting them out at night with the lunatic UK Animal Killer out there. Not. A. Chance.

dailydance · 28/09/2017 00:15

Put something in front of it so that he can't bash at it.

IrritatedUser1960 · 28/09/2017 00:35

I have to let mine out when they want or they drive me nuts trampling all over my bed all night and licking my face.
But then I do live in the countryside.
My 16 year old girl who never goes out much went missing for 24 hours the other day, I was worried sick. Turns out she was found curled up with the 21 year old ginger cat in his house a couple of doors down. The ancient cat has a catflap that is switched to in only at night so he doesn't wander off and she went in and couldn't get out the silly mare

Want2beme · 28/09/2017 09:43

Mine are in at night. I have one cat who's very timid, pretty much a house cat, only pops out with me and stays in at night. My other cat is a very busy girl, in & out all day, but come night time she stays in as well. I wouldn't let them out all night, I'd be worried sick. I've always put the bin in front of the cat flap and that stops them from seeing out and from seeing any furry chancers trying to look in.

EachandEveryone · 28/09/2017 12:33

The 14 month old likes to go out about 7ish and i get her in by around 11pm she would go out again but i have no cat flap amd she uses the litter tray i cant risk her peeing in the flat hallway. She soon forgets about wanting to go out. I dont know what to do about the 7 month old yet, shes not showing any signs. Well, not quite.

Chaos777 · 28/09/2017 12:41

Mine no longer go out at night and I live on a quiet, low-traffic little street.
I have lost one to night traffic and another to a dog/fox attack.

reetgood · 28/09/2017 16:14

Mine is out at night if he chooses, although often he's mostly on the sofa.

I regretted this choice last night when he appeared at 1.45am in the bedroom, mewing and rained on. Paraded about on me then left. He then appeared 15mins later and started a parade of mewing, ended by crunching on...something. Shining a light revealed no evidence. Nothing but a leaf on the floor in the morning. I may yet find regurgitated prey ...

If this becomes regular behaviour I think I'll reconsider the outside at night.

Briette · 28/09/2017 21:00

I let mine out when I lived in a more rural area. Now I'm in town, they come in at dusk and stay in until breakfast. Dusk is always when they want to go out and prowl the most, but not enough to miss out on dinner. They spend most of the night asleep now it's their routine so they're charged up and full of energy two hours before I wake up, ready to try to get me out of bed.

If they ever figure out they can bash the cat flap they'll find a piece of furniture moved in front of it very quickly. No patience for their passive aggressive protests :)

CrazyHairSister · 28/09/2017 21:15

I try to get them both in by this time of night - like others have mentioned, the UK cat killer has struck a couple of times in the nearby town, so I would rather not risk it. We also live on the main road at the edge of the village and so people put their foot down coming past.

Original poster

Ski37 · 30/09/2017 19:50

So on Thursday night he managed to force his way through the locked cat flap. Last night I barricaded it with some heavy books on the windowsill ( cat flap is in a window) and he managed to push/ pull them out of the way to get to the cat flap again. I'm not sure what else to do- I've already tried tiring him out during the day and feeding him late at night in the hope it will encourage him to sleep. I've got a feeling I'm fighting a losing battle here and he's going to injure himself during his attempts to escape ......I'm starting to think if his instincts to go out at night are that strong maybe I should just let him, although it won't stop me worrying about him!

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Crispsheets · 30/09/2017 19:54

Mine preferred to be out sleeping under the hebe bush rather than inside.

cunningstunnt · 30/09/2017 19:56

Mine likes to go out at night. I can't give her free reign as she's been known to bring presents of the feathered variety inside. And eat them in my room. Bones crunching and everything. Having said that we now seem to have this game going where I try and put her out before I go to bed, and she just flops on the floor, looking up at me and refusing to move. She'll go all floppy when I try and pick her up and she'said bloody long and lanky so it's awkward as hell. Of course, if I leave her indoors she's happy until about 3 am, where she'll find me and paw my face til I put her out. Little brat.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/09/2017 20:00

Pucinni comes and goes as he pleases but he's in more than not now and asleep on our bed from 10 pm- 5.30am ,usually a bit earlier in the Spring.

If we had a cat from a kitten it would be kept in at night.

lazydog · 30/09/2017 20:09

Both our cats are 100% indoor cats, as there's a crazy cat hating guy in the neighbourhood who is known to trap roaming cats and then dump them out in the wilderness, miles from town.

If it weren't for him we'd allow them outdoors in the daytime, but definitely keep them in at night because of the increased risk from predators (we're in rural Canada, so have cougars to consider - not just foxes, etc.)

flamingnoravera · 30/09/2017 20:17

I have two, one is out all night, or in and out all night hunting and bringing in his spoils.

The other is never happier than on my bed, all night (but rarely allowed in). It never occurred to me to lock them in at night, I thought they were semi nocturnal.

I once tried to lock the flap on vets advice after an operation but I awoke to find the flap hanging off. Another time a foster child locked the flap without my knowledge and I woke to find a pile of shit outside my room. I vowed then, never to lock it again.

Mine have always had this access, they are 14 years now.

ElizaDontlittle · 01/10/2017 06:20

They are crepuscular noravera so active at dawn and dusk rather than nocturnal.

I had read that most cats that are killed on the road are killed in the dark, plus we have the occasional urban fox, so mine are in at night - though as it gets wintery they get a quick run/toilet in the garden when I get home from work in the dark - first time that's happened this season was this week . They are delighted to get back outside in the morning and depending on the weather I sometimes leave crazycat out while I'm out. She has access to the shed if it rains.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/10/2017 07:52

They switch the street lights off overnight here & there has been an increase in cats being found dead the next morning.

flamingnoravera · 01/10/2017 08:31

I love the word crepuscular! Crepuscular cats create chaos continuously.

Original poster

Ski37 · 05/10/2017 19:16

I've persisted with blocking that cat flap overnight and it seem so to be getting a bit better. I let him out in the morning at 6 when I get up and then call him in at 10 I when I go to bed if he's gone out for his evening patrols and isn't back. I'm hoping if I continue with this routine he will get used to it and eventually settle down!

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Original poster

Ski37 · 05/10/2017 19:42

Also, the last time he managed to force his way out ( Saturday) I came downstairs to a pile of partially digested cat food topped by a partially digested frog!!! It was this episode that made me more determined to try and keep him in at night from now on- I hate to think of the 'presents' he may bring me. Wish me luck!

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