Dirty stop out cat...can I give a cat a curfew?

[Deargodletitgo]

I have two cats, one wears a tracker and pops in and out, until he's locked in around 10ish at night. My girl tends to go out for longer periods, all-day if it's fine and after dinner on a good evening she's back at 8 or 10 or 12 or 2 am....

8 and 10 I'm fine with. Given I want to have them both tucked up inside before I go to bed, 12 and 2 am are less acceptable.

Locking her in at dinner time leads to much abuse and whinging.

I think I may know the answer to this, but is there anyway I could encourage her back at a reasonable time (calling her name doesn't work and as she doesn't wear a tracker not sure where she is). I could get her a tracker but she's got a tiny neck and head and doesn't wear a collar.

Alternatively, should I give up on the locking in at night?

How about a cat flap that you can open and close on a timer?

I have a cat flap.

She won't use it.

My boy being an ex Street cat can break out through a locked cat flap so I have to shut a door to keep him in. I have to leave the back door open for her to go in and out.

Lock her in at dinner time. She will get used to it.

My cats come in when it’s feeding time - about 8pm, then are not let back out after that. They dont go out when we’re not home either.

oh i have a wandering ginger tom... his record for being gone is 5 weeks!! the usual is 2 or 3 days... he's a nightmare.

i am toying with a tracker, but my cats are also my babies and my DH and DC are worried that all i will do is obsess over where the flipping well is?

currently he's asleep on my bed and will stay there probably until about 2 or 3am, then who knows when i will see him again.

if you find an answer, please let me know

I would recommend the tracker, I don't tend to check it much but it's peace of mind

Maybe locking in after dinner is the way forward

What happens at 2 when you are in bed and she.wants to get in but refuses to use the cat flap.

I leave the back door for her and tend to wake up and go down to check she's in, other cat thinks it's great because he can go out if he wants.

It was pouring with rain all evening last night, I went to bed at 11.30, woke up to find her back and sodden at 1 am 🤦

I never found the trackers, cat came home without it. Twice. (They are in the of different "I'm not climbing through thats") Apparently it's 'ridiculous' to request an ASBO for your own cat.

She is older now and comes home every night, doesn't always come inside so she has outside accomodation too for after 2am. In a fairly secure garden.

Everyone else behaves. Usually. They will come in for food, she won't. If yours is food orientated, feed her around 10, even if its just a few treats and it's bedtime.

Cat tax...this is the trouble maker

I think it's best/safest to keep cats indoors overnight, so don't give up on that.

Like all cats, my cat keeps unpredictable hours, and I block the catflap with the kitchen bin if he's in at 10pm or thereabouts with a feeling of triumph. But I'll wait till later if that doesn't happen. They won't come back when called, they like it outside. I can often see my cat happily ignoring me in next door's garden, even with eye contact (there's only a low wall between the gardens). Sometimes I manage to tempt him in with a treat.

Collars, even supposedly quick release ones, can be very dangerous and cause injury or death. I would never put a collar on my cat.

If you get her indoors earlier than she'd like, and she's whingeing to go out then distract her with treats, catnip, and toys for a bit.

She's lovely. I never let any of my cats stay out overnight so I would shut her in at dinnertime and let her complain.

I had one ginger demon - 21 years this month since he died but I still think about him! - who used to chance his paw! As soon as it got twilight, his eyes would dance and he would be chasing 'things'!! I spent so many evenings trying to get him in, but he was only out 3 times in 9+ years! One night we'd gone to friends' house and he was sitting all sorry for himself on the doormat when we got home around 3am. Another time, I set my alarm for every hour and I got him in around 3/4. 3rd time despite setting the alarm, the brat still didn't want to come in at 7am!!

I just think they're so much more at risk during the night! We adopted a stray years back who was living outdoors, and you know the way you always wake when your baby cries? I used to wake up when he was fighting in the street lol! In his elder years he moved into the house, much to my relief!

Cute cat OP.

Sorry OP of no use to you but may be to others clicking to see about microchip curfew catflaps…

We have a microchip cat flap with curfew option. Cost a small fortune but was brilliant and we thought it was well worth the money to know our cats were in at night. (We had previously had cats run over at night).

That was until Boycat learned that if he leaned in close enough it would think he was coming in and he could lift the flap inwards. So we then locked it both ways at night. He then worked out if he holds the lock down with one paw he can lift the flap with the other 🙄. We are back to having to put something very heavy in front of the cat flap to block it off at night.

I don't like collars either but I know some cat owners use them to try to protect birds! The first thing I did when I got my latest rescue 6 months ago was to take his collar off!

We feed ours dinner at 10pm so he comes in for that and is locked in. Is that an option?

Dcats have supper at 11pm then carried to dd's room for sleep. Sometimes they don't get the memo and chase round like twats.

Why are you locking them in at night? I have four and when the weather is good they love to be outside at night. I'd hate to deprive them of that.

What a cute face, butter wouldn't melt!
Interesting markings on her muzzle, looks a bit like she's face planted in something she shouldn't have!

She's a tri colour Arabian Mau, and built like a rugby ball. My other one is a ginger Mau and strong and clever enough to push heavy things out of the way of a cat flap, and then safe crack the lock. That's the joy of street cats, very resourceful. But he's the one who will come and go every 30 mins to an hour.

She's currently out, left at 5. Could be a late one.

I lock them in because I lost a cat to a road overnight and don't want to go through that again.

They're more at risk overnight of getting killed on the road or being injured fighting.

Like someone else suggested, we also lock our cat in at dinner time but in the summer (when it's light in the evenings) he has a much later dinner - so if he's not in sooner, he'll be in around 10ish starving and then will be locked in from then. In the winter it's earlier. I say 'locked in' - actually the cat flap is on a timer so after the set time will only allow him back in, not out again. He's not thrilled - he'd obviously prefer to go back out as there are all sorts of exciting things going on outside at night, but he sleeps all night at the foot of our bed so can't mind too much!

Mine get locked in as soon as all three are in for the evening, normally around 7-8pm.

It's always been their routine so they're used to it. They get a couple of dreamies when I shut the window which softens the blow slightly 😂

Cats are more likely to get into fights at night. There's also the danger of them being hit by cars etc.

When I had insomnia I discovered my little cat was going out at midnight and returning at around 4am. This was in the winter and spring months!
I didn't know as I had been asleep and thought she was asleep as well. Turned out she had a whole night life going on. We live on a quiet road and we are set back from it so I was mostly worried she had another family she lived with. I sorted out my insomnia and she stopped going out all night.
Cats are so worrying.

They are.

She came back at 11.45 pm last night, and both slept in till 7 am, which was amazing.

Going to move her dinner to 8pm, fingers crossed .