Outdoor Cats - Winter

[StrawberryFizz26]

My 2 rescue boys, who I adopted in April, are now well & truly out door cats. They come & go as they please via the bathroom window which works well for us. As it's starting to get colder & we're due a cold winter, I wondered what others do with their outdoor cats in the winter? Keep them in? Hope they just don't go out? I'd hate for them to be out IF it snows so wondered what the general consensus is?

It's hard to keep mine in! They have access to the cat flap 24/7 though are astute enough to keep in the warm during the snow!

I bet you anything they will decide to spend much more time inside when it gets colder.

Can you get a cat flap? I imagine you won't want to have a window open all winter and cats are MUCH more happy to stay inside if they don't feel they're trapped and can always get outside if they want.

You could also put a shelter in the garden of course.

We have a cat flap, and we also have a shed that we've insulated and put a catflap into. It also has some cosy beds up high etc. I agree with PPs, our rescue cats lived outside all summer but liked to come in in the winter. Get them a cosy place indoors, maybe a cat tree, and the freedom to come and go.

I don't mind keeping the bathroom window open, I'll just stick a dressing gown on when I go in there.
Glass patio & a rented house means I can't have a cat flap. They aren't daft cats so will let them come and go as they have been doing.

Thanks all.

You could make them cosy cat shelters easily out of a polystyrene box, a storage box and some straw there are brilliant videos on YouTube. Or the more expensive option a cat igloo. So they have somewhere snug if they get caught outside.

Our remaining one is extremely daft and she's got to 16 even so! Trust them, they'll be grand.

I got mine an outdoor raised kennel with a heated mat. They cosied up in there through the winter. I kept it on a low heat all the time... didn't notice any hige increase in my bills.

You can get a replacement glass panel made for the bathroom window that you can put a cat flap in. We did it in the old house- not that expensive

I lock mine in before I go to bed because we have a lot of foxes and he loves a fox fight. In the summer he's always clamouring to get outside at night. But I notice he is always less keen to spend ages out in the winter and spends a lot more time at night on our bed. He also recalls really well with a shake of the Dreamies box.

newname do you have any info on this? Just had a quick look on Google but couldn't see a window flap. TBH it's only a small window, only cats would fit through & it does work for us now. They've already been in the house more the past week or so.

Ive just bought a cheap dog kennel off Amazon for mine. And a self heating pas. Im looking for some straw now 😄

Mine are locked in overnight, with free access to come and go in the day. In the past we've always had a couple of ferals that stayed out 24/7. Despite offering almost every commercial cat bed over the years, without fail they opt for shelter with hay or straw. Usually the barn, but sometimes an empty (or even in use) stable, an old trailer, odd outbuildings etc.

Barring the current feral that has embraced domestic bliss, previous outdoor cats have been fine doing so, they just eat lots more. However, I'd only be happy leaving a feral out overnight, they are far more cautious and have the skills and sense to avoid fox altercations. We're rural so vile people/ traffic aren't a concern for any.

My cat has access to outdoors through a cat flap 24/7.

She pops in and out a lot but never stays outside very long. If it’s raining she will stay inside.

As it gets colder, she is less I inclined to go outside and is done to about fours hours a day rather than her usual eight (her cat laps tracks her movements😊).

Cat flap with access to outdoors whenever she likes.
Still goes out in the Winter. For shorter periods of time, but still does out.

Mine has a cat flap 24/7 ( sureflap) I tried to keep him in at other times but he’s having none of it. So far he’s always come back for his food 😺