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The litter tray

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Original poster

How long can a cat stay out?

27 replies

hartof · 28/02/2021 11:05

I've been working from home for the last year and in that year my cat has started to go out. He comes and goes through the day and is in for good at around 3pm. But I've just been made redundant and when I get a new job I assume I'll be office based.

We don't have a normal back door just patio windows and DH is reluctant to put a cat flap in the glass. I'll be out from 8am-5.30. This is too long isn't it? But if I leave him in the house he'll be distressed the reason I started letting him out was he was peeing on the floor every Monday. This stopped when he started going out.

OP posts:
giletrouge · 28/02/2021 12:25

You need to overcome DH's reluctance. A cat who goes out to pee and is left alone all day needs a catflap, obviously.

HeatherShimmerIsMyShade · 28/02/2021 12:42

My neighbour has patio doors which are unsuitable for a cat flap, so has a little cat house in the garden for when they have to leave their cat out all day. That, or a cat flap on the garden shed?

Lynora · 28/02/2021 12:46

A cat house in the garden is a good idea. Mine loves his.

HowLongTo2022 · 28/02/2021 12:48

You can put cat flaps with a tunnel in walls too.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 28/02/2021 12:51

In normal times our cat is in during working hours - she goes out first thing after her breakfast, but is in when we go to work. We have two litter trays in case she needs the loo while we are out but generally she doesn’t use them. We have a utility room between the kitchen and back door so no cat flap.

freckles20 · 28/02/2021 12:54

The best option really would be a catflap. As the previous poster said you can put them into walls as well as doors.

There are many reasons why a cat ideally needs to be free to come inside- heat, rain, cold, bullying, feeling unwell.

An alternative outside shelter is also an option, but if a cat can't come and go as it pleases you run the risk of it being unhappy and finding an alternative household to take it in.

KirstenBlest · 28/02/2021 12:57

I have a catflap but DCat can only get in to the utility room.
There is shelter in the garden if it rains. If I am out all day, I turn DCat out in the morning and leave food in the utility room.

VintageDiamonds · 28/02/2021 12:59

No, that’s fine. I’ve always worked full time and always had cats.

Often they are either waiting for you when you arrive home or will appear soon after.

I’m sure cats love us owners but my years of house sharing with cats have made me quite cynical. I suspect what they really love is the cupboard! I keep Dreamies on hand to shake if they’re not in by about 10pm. You never saw a cat bolt so fast across the garden at the sound of a Dreamies packet. Faster than a greyhound, I swear.

The beauty of cats is that they’re so easy.

VintageDiamonds · 28/02/2021 13:01

Fine to leave a cat out I meant. I think all day indoors is too long and you’d need a tray. My cats are free to come in and out all day but I lock the flap before I go to bedtime so they aren’t out at night.

TierFourTears · 28/02/2021 13:03

Cat flap or cat house in the garden with food and a bed.
Can you put a catflap into a shed or garage if putting one into the house is not going to happen?

Mine would be quite happy out all day in the summer, but less than impressed in the winter.

EL8888 · 28/02/2021 13:04

@HowLongTo2022 that’s what we did. Works fine and no issues

KirstenBlest · 28/02/2021 13:10

When I am at home, DCat goes out first thing after cuddles and stroking, comes back in, has breakfast, maybe some more stroking, then sleeps until about 6 p.m., then has a little snacklet, goes out again, comes back in for supper and more strokes, then sleeps.

Ironmanrocks · 28/02/2021 13:12

It also depends on the cat. One of mine is in and out like a yo yo, the other sleeps in my bed all day long and goes out at night.

Original poster
hartof · 28/02/2021 16:05

I did think of a cat house but our garden isn't massive and I don't want to take anymore space up. The shed is full of stuff so not suitable. I will work on DH again for the cat flap it would make life easier anyway as cat wakes us up at 4am to go out.

OP posts:
nordica · 28/02/2021 16:10

It wouldn't be acceptable to any of the cat charities I've volunteered with in the past. If a cat goes out, then they need a way back in.

A cat with no access to the home for such a long time is also much more likely to roam and stray to look for somewhere better where they do get in (and risk crossing more roads or getting lost in the process).

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/02/2021 17:34

I wouldn’t leave a cat of mine out all day, they need to be able to get into their own homes.

He should be in dusk till dawn for his own safety so his isn’t run over.

TroysMammy · 28/02/2021 18:18

What type of cat houses does everyone have please? It's nearly that time of year when I need to start growing seeds in my greenhouse and I won't be able to leave the door open so Haribo can have his afternoon nap.

EachandEveryone · 28/02/2021 18:19

Id rather leave them in all day with a litter tray than out all day in all weathers. Mine are in 6am til 9pm when I get home from work three days a week. On the other four days my door or window is always open so they can do as they please.

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/02/2021 19:14

You can put flaps into glass @TroysMammy. I’m not saying the glazier won’t think it a strange request though.

You can buy plastic houses or those wooden chalet style ones for summer.

SilverGlassHare · 28/02/2021 19:16

@HowLongTo2022

You can put cat flaps with a tunnel in walls too.
We have this - we have a flap at either end of the tunnel through the wall, which helps stop draughts in winter too.
LemonSwan · 28/02/2021 19:22

They can put a cat flap in literally anything theses days and the glaziers are so quick switching the glass. Ours was tricky because it needed to be flat on one side to slide but the glazier picked it out for us. It was like an hour to remove/install and only a couple of hundred quid for a full 3m x 1.5m sliding door panel.

TheOpportuneMoment · 28/02/2021 19:29

We have a cat flap in glass patio doors. It's really quick and easy to for a glazier to do. If your DH is worried about it, you can hang onto the glass panel that they remove so you can swap it back again.

Original poster
hartof · 28/02/2021 20:50

Just wanted to point out he has a litter tray. The peeing on the floor wasn't because he had no litter tray. He has always had one, when he started we took him to the vets he was given treatment. After that he carried on, it was always a Monday morning he would do it. As soon as we started to let him out it stopped.

We will discuss the cat flap again. I don't want him out all day, he is the kind of cat who is in and out all day long.

OP posts:
Original poster
hartof · 28/02/2021 20:51

@TheOpportuneMoment

We have a cat flap in glass patio doors. It's really quick and easy to for a glazier to do. If your DH is worried about it, you can hang onto the glass panel that they remove so you can swap it back again.
Yes DH has said we'll keep the original glass if we did it.
OP posts:
Longdistance · 28/02/2021 20:55

I used to have a shed in my previous house and I cut an entrance out for dcat. He’d have a bed in there and I’d pop some dry cat food in his bowl. I had a plastic lid and he could knock it off with his paw if he was hungry. He was fine.
As soon as he heard the back door open he’d rush in.

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