Bonfire night - keeping cats in

[Feenie]

There are dire warnings about keeping cats in in local pages, but although there are quite a few tonight, they don’t seem bothered. They’ve popped in a few times and popped back out. We make the cat flap one way at about 10pm when we go to bed and our boy cat comes in to sleep but the girl cat can open it from the inside anyway and just does what she likes (she is fairy timid though and rarely strays far from our garden).

Should I be making them stay in? Our little girl cat would have a fit and try to scrabble the flap open constantly in panic. There is even a warning that the fireworks have brought out huge startled foxes and cats must be kept in because of that! Is this a thing? They are about 18 months so were too little on Bonfire Night last year.

What does everyone else do?

*fairly timid

Mine is locked in. It simply isn't worth the risk. I'd never forgive myself if she went out and got injured or killed. I've locked the cat flap and put something against it so she can't scrabble at the flap.

Ours are always in once it gets dark. Always.

DC has had an early curfew tonight. Normally locked in once I go to bed, but I locked it as soon as I got back from football around 8, as there are quite a few fireworks going off here tonight. I'll lock it earlier fri/sat/Sun.

How are they with fireworks? Our British shorthair barely registers the bang of a firework and happily wanders out. When we had a Bengal she was a nervous wreck and ran for cover. She was more of a roamer so we kept the cat flap locked after dark for a week or two. We were too worried she'd get disorientated in her panic if a firework went off while she was outside.

Ours are always in once it gets dark. Always.

Same here.

Neither of them have turned a hair, and the bangs have been fairly constant tonight. They’ve been in and out as usual. I did get alarmed and make the flap one way after reading some of the messages when our girl cat came in but she just looked at me witheringly and lifted it up with one claw and was off. I think she’d come straight in if she was bothered and she doesn’t go far.

Our boy naturally stays in if there's fireworks like tonight. We turn the volume up on the tv and he will most likely sleep in our room

Mine doesn't care about them

My boy stays in every night, all year round. He's 17, a bit deaf, and has only got one eye now.

I've had several cats, over the past 41 years, and every one of them has been in at night.

Dcat only goes out after we go to bed, but it's pretty quiet on the fireworks front here, a few upset ddog earlier but they stopped about 7.30

They’re in now and not too bothered, will keep them in next two nights as well I think. Thanks all.

Cats aren't like dogs, they're mostly fine with fireworks. Never occurred to me to keep cats in!

Our cat isn't fussed by them, she prefers to use up all of her anxiety quota on moved furniture. If it's a particularly loud bang, she'll give an unimpressed look in the direction of the noise then carry on with whatever she was doing (sleeping). She rarely goes out between 5pm and 1pm any way, so I wouldn't lock her in. By the time she's ready for a quick nosey outside, the fireworks have long since stopped.

My old girl Buns was never bothered and would sit at the window watching all the pretty cours. I never let my cats out until all the fireworks end because itd just too dangerous.
Current cat is terrified.

Ours have been very ruffled the past few days and have tanked it through the catdoor with looks of utter outrage . They're coming in by themselves when it gets dark and we lock them in.

Of course they haven't sussed the clocks changing so do the "Is it Dinner Time yet"? face early .

My old cat used to love the sparkle and colour - it was the only time he wanted to go out in the dark so he could chase them! Obviously he wasn’t allowed so he had a tantrum every year!

@lemmity

Ours are always in once it gets dark. Always.

Same here.

Mine too.

They're going for their vaccinations at 4.30 anyway and they won't be going out afterwards.

I've never kept mine in but none have ever been bothered by fireworks. I think current cat would be more disturbed at the routine change to put the curfew on tonight but I do worry more at this time of year