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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

What time do your cat's play out till?

68 replies

Mumdiva99 · 16/05/2021 20:21

Inspired by a thread on AIBU as well as the fact we have a new cat flap.

Just curious what time do your cat's have to come in at night?

I set it for 8pm then last night it was still really light and they were asking to go out again after 8pm so I changed it till 9pm. DC2 is still out.....she is only 11 months old......am I bringing up a delinquent cat because I am letting her roam the streets till all hours?

(At 9:20pm last night my daughter and I were out calling and calling and shaking cat food to try to lure her back in...she isn't food motivated so we were calling for ages and ages....)

OP posts:

OhTheIronyOfItAll · 16/05/2021 21:01

DH stays up later than me, I made him call her last night at 10:30 because she was still out & I was tired & I can’t sleep well if she’s out. She has been coming in around 9.
Last summer he got in bed & I checked with him that she was in -she wasn’t! He had spent ages calling her and finally given up. I couldn’t leave her out. We were in the garden until 1:30am trying to get her in. Must be mad
In winter she comes in 7:30 at the latest but now the nights are getting lighter she wants to be out longer.

DarcyLewis · 16/05/2021 21:02

When I go to bed so 10-11pm.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 16/05/2021 21:03

mine have free access to the cat flap. there are usually some last minute garden-based business meetings around 10.30-11 ish, and then indoors until first light.

Faranth · 16/05/2021 21:06

No cats currently, adopting one soon though and part of the adoption agreement is shutting them in at night, not sure how well that will go...

We used to try to get out 2 in before we went to bed, but DCat2 was a twat and used to get under the duvet and lick the back of my knees if he wanted out in the night so we ended up just letting them go out whenever.
We live rurally though so no traffic to worry about.

Faranth · 16/05/2021 21:08

get our* 2

mugofwater · 16/05/2021 21:10

Mine have 24/7 cat flap access. Cats are naturally crepuscular, dawn and dusk hunters.

One goes out in the early hours for a while, then when we are about to wake he comes in and waits for breakfast, then settles for a sleep from about 0900 to 1400.

Nighttime, I'm not sure! Depends on how warm the weather is now he is 11.

Greenbks · 16/05/2021 21:17

We don’t have a cat flap but leave the door and window open the entire time she is out, even in winter. In winter she’s out from 6am-8am. Naps until 3pm then is out again 3:30- 6/7pm

In summer she’s out 6- 9/10am and then naps until 3pm and is out 3-8/10pm. We try to get her in by 9pm at the latest otherwise she sleeps out all night and there are foxes and cats she gets into
Fights with.

Also we can’t sleep well until
She’s in.

Original poster

Mumdiva99 · 16/05/2021 21:18

@mugofwater exactly one of the reasons I wanted a lock at night! I don't want to get woken to a cat bringing me in a gift!

@ohTheIronyOfItAll I think cats make us a little crazy.....

She came in when I called her at 8:50.....then eyed the utility room again and started edging towards the cat flap till I foiled her and shut the door. I'm just pleased she's learnt to use the cat flap herself.

OP posts:

headintheproverbial · 16/05/2021 21:19

I'd say in the spring and summer months they can be out most of the night and tend to sleep more during the day. In some ways I think it is safer for them then - fewer cars for a start!

Dazedandconfused10 · 16/05/2021 21:19

I have one who only goes inside to eat during summer. He lives in the garden. The other is out til 2/3am then comes to bed, has breakfast, then sleeps til 8pm and is off out again

rhowton · 16/05/2021 21:20

We call in at 9:30 and our catdog just runs up to us!! I didn't realise having a cat was just like having a dog but so much easier.

violetbunny · 16/05/2021 21:23

Cat flap opens at 5.30pm.
In summer, curfew is set for 8.30pm, in winter it's 7.30pm as it gets darker earlier.

We've had a curfew for them since they were first allowed out, they know the drill now.

mugofwater · 16/05/2021 21:25

@Mumdiva99 it is amazing how you can wake briefly at 0330, reassure the cat you admire its hunting prowess but are totally full already thank you, then go back to sleep again in seconds.

We've one, a rescue, who has proven to be an accomplished hunter. On the plus side the vet says it has given him very healthy teeth and at 11 he has the teeth of a cat half his age. All that fur and feathers has a natural cleaning role for them.

mogloveseggs · 16/05/2021 21:28

I'm about to get ours in. He snuck out last week and spent all night out without us realising. Hasn't been out much since

FiveGoMadInDorset · 16/05/2021 21:29

Mine are out now, one sleeps in my bed, she usually appears about 2am, the other sleeps on the landing, usually in by tbe time I get up at 6, sometimes isn't, not sure if he comes in at night, the next door neigh ours cat is usually in whn I get up as well

cracracatlady · 16/05/2021 21:30

Mine so what ever they want, usually in around 10pm

youngestisapsycho · 16/05/2021 21:36

Mine has free access to catflap, she is in and out during the night. Brings a mouse in every so often anywhere between 1-3 am!

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/05/2021 21:37

Ours had a 9pm curfew but was killed on the road between 6pm and 7pm in the winter so I would make it in at dusk in future.

Hairyfairy01 · 16/05/2021 21:39

I'm a bit confused? Why do people not seem to want their cats out at night? Mine will often sleep in the house all day and then ask to go out in the evening, not to be seen again until the following morning.

RavenT · 16/05/2021 21:41

This time of year 10pm ish.
Winter 8pm.

PennineSpring · 16/05/2021 21:42

Our cat has free access to the catflap. At this time of year he’ll sleep most of the day then go out for very important cat business/cat pub/border patrol from about 9pm.
In winter, he only goes outside to pee/poo.

Original poster

Mumdiva99 · 16/05/2021 21:50

@Hairyfairy01 I am new to cat ownership.....so a bit like when you have PFB I am very concerned about my cats...where are they...what are they doing....have they eaten enough....have they pooped today.....where have they been etc etc.....

But really I don't want them to hunt at night when I am not awake to deal with any presents they bring in. And I don't want to have to shut the kitchen door as they like to sleep upstairs with us.
Also - if they get in any trouble with the neighbourhood cats I'm not there to 'help them out'.

They can play out all day from 6:30am till bedtime....but then I want them home. They sleep really well overnight so no issues with them not being tired.

OP posts:

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 16/05/2021 21:51

Ours is always in overnight - if she’s out she gets called in by whoever is last to bed. She’s always either in our garden or next door, she doesn’t roam.

In the winter she will generally go for a wee wander after dinner, then spend the evening on the sofa anyway.

dementedma · 16/05/2021 21:55

I'm confused by this thread too. Ours just come and go as they want. If they go out at night, they come back in the morning. I dont monitor them or have set times for them. How strange.

Original poster

Mumdiva99 · 16/05/2021 22:16

The fact we can buy a cat flap where you set the curfew time let's me know that it isn't uncommon to keep them in at night. (there was a choice of a few).

OP posts:

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