Oyf you lock the cat flap at night ...

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

What time do you lock it?

**IF not oyf 😂

It looks at 5:15pm and if we are about/ in the garden they come in and out with us.

They have dinner at 6pm and that symbolises bedtime and no more playtime! It opens at 7am but if I’ve given them breakfast they often come out with me at 6:30isj when I go to work. I like to know they’ve had some breakfast before they are out looking for a snack…

Both cats and small dogs fed at 9 pm. The cat flap, they all use, is locked at 10pm, once they are all in. Locked into the sitting room until 6.30 am the next morning. Then the cat flap is unlocked.

We don’t. We did used to the first 3 ish years. But it became impossible to get them in if they didn’t want to. Now we have just one, he was also scratching at cat flap
from 3-4am in summers so it drove me mad being woken so early and he would wake baby. He’s been on open 24/7 cat flat about 3 years and he prefers it, and actually stays in most the night now he isn’t forced to

We have three litter trays.

Ours can pick the cat flap. Quite clever really 😑

Of course.

Rarely used in nice weather, but always available.

Yes - and the little furry bastards frequently come in to use it and then bugger off outside again.

Yes of course

We're away for the weekend and adult ds is in charge of the cat. He was late coming home tonight so ds walked round the block waving a bit of sliced beef 😂 It worked apparently and now the cat flap is locked !

I read that as DS was late home so he was made to walk the block as punishment. I need more sleep 😂

Just be aware - be careful of the bedtime "you need to come in" treats as the little devils will start to only come in for the best stuff.

My DD used to lock hers in her bedroom when flat sharing. For the last 3 years of it the cat went under the sofa every night and waited for his trail of dreamies to the bedroom. She had only tempted him out twice by this method before. Cat liked the method (amount of treats), cat adopted the method. She couldn't short change him either 😂

Never routinely locked mine, only when I see him trotting down the garden with a mousey present. The couple of times it has been left locked by accident, he has smashed his way in, literally.

Ours are locked in about 8.30/9pm when they start whingeing for dinner .

It's just part of their routine .
Occasionally one will be a Dirty Stop Out but usually sitting on a chair outside ,
We set the lock to "In" and eventually they come in.

We put something in front of the catdoor otherwise they sit clicking the lock and wearing out the battery .

Well,he's an absolute star and really getting the hang of the new routine now. Didn't make a peep until 7 this morning 😊

Oh that's awesome! You and him are going to be feeling so stress free at nights now. No brawling or shouting at 3am.

He's so much more chilled in the day too now, much better all round.

About 9pm.

We lock ours at dusk, or sometimes when we go to bed, then DH unlocks it when he goes to work at 6am. Initially, this was to stop our mighty but slightly stupid hunter bringing in mice and letting them go in the kitchen. These days, it's to stop her fighting with the neighbour's cats that come in to nick her food.