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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Do you let your cat out at night?

68 replies

Tabbysmummy · 02/03/2025 22:20

I have a new cat just about to be let out (he is 12 months). I have always let previous cats out at night, but recently I have researched how to introduce cats to the outdoors safely and seems the advise is to not let cats out at night. We live on a quiet suburban street and I actually thought it would be safer for cats to be out at night as no cars, no dogs, no people. Seems like cars paradise to me. There are foxes but I didn’t think they were interested in cats .Do you let your cats out at night?

OP posts:
Dillydollydingdong · 02/03/2025 22:22

Yes, we've got a cat flap and he can go out if he wants to. He usually prefers to stay in on a nice warm bed or sofa though.

Malissa288288 · 02/03/2025 22:22

Sometimes. My main problem
Is that he catches pigeons at dawn when they are sleepy Confused

TomatoSandwiches · 02/03/2025 22:24

Ours are indoor cats with an enclosed attached to their cat flap, I love birds and frogs so I don't want to impact them.

Pigeonqueen · 02/03/2025 22:25

No. I worry about him being able to hunt more easily and bring half dead things in (this was my previous experience when I used to have cats I let out and wasn’t told otherwise years ago). I also worry about him being run over - we live rurally but have the odd car going past and even with a reflective quick release collar etc it’s harder to spot him. So I give him dinner at 5-6pm and then I lock the cat flap for the night. He can go out from breakfast till then. (To be honest he barely goes out anyway, mostly for just 10 mins here and there throughout the day to sit in the garden)!

Lindy2 · 02/03/2025 22:25

Mine goes out in the morning. She chooses to come in around lunchtime for a long sleep until dinner time. I don't let her out at night.

She seems content with her routine. I like to know she's safely inside at night. I guess it's because I can't keep an eye on her comings and goings like I can in the day.

Livinghappy · 02/03/2025 22:25

I let previous cat out all night, using an open cat flap to come and go, but my cat has have had injuries from other cats so we now keep them in.

I also dread what they bring in as dusk & dawn are hunting times.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 02/03/2025 22:26

No - he can go out until we go to bed, then he’s in. Our previous girl had the odd night she slept in the garden on a very warm summer evening - maybe once a year, and she would just flat refuse to come in. I’d leave the back door open and lock the middle door so she could get into the utility at least. She had a wee hidey hole under a bush she liked.

Our street is one way, very quiet, and our garden backs onto other back gardens, so it’s as “safe” as it could be I suppose, plus he doesn’t really tend to roam. I just feel happier knowing he’s in.

ThatThisThatYou · 02/03/2025 22:26

Our cats have free range of the cat flap. One doesn’t go out very much, the other disappears at 9pm and returns for his breakfast.

TeaRoseTallulah · 02/03/2025 22:29

Dillydollydingdong · 02/03/2025 22:22

Yes, we've got a cat flap and he can go out if he wants to. He usually prefers to stay in on a nice warm bed or sofa though.

Our cat is the same, free outdoor access via the cat flap. Settles down after his 10pm wee and pops out at about 5am quickly then back to sleep until about 7.30.

Nevertrustacop · 02/03/2025 22:29

Ours always used to go out whenever he fancied, but now he is 19, the vet advised he is kept in over night as he might be a bit vulnerable to a fox or a bully

Thecatspjymas · 02/03/2025 22:29

I couldn't keep our cat in at night as no one would get any sleep. He's a terror.

LillyLeaf · 02/03/2025 22:31

Ours gets locked in at night. Depending on the time of year, usually once it's dark. She seems to know her cat flap locks so never bothers trying it at night. It opens again early morning. I can't stand going to bed if she is out.

ilovesooty · 02/03/2025 22:32

No. Mine come in for their tea then the cat flap is locked and they're not allowed out again until morning.

Notverygoodatusernames · 02/03/2025 22:33

Our catflap is set to lock between 10pm and 3am (we have the SureFlap one you can control with an app).

FionnulaTheCooler · 02/03/2025 22:34

I don't lock the cat flap so she can go out as she pleases at any time. She is fat and lazy and never goes further than the end of the garden though.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 02/03/2025 22:35

I leave an upstairs window open and they climb in and out over the conservatory roof.

mondaytosunday · 02/03/2025 22:37

I have a cat flap do they can come and go as they like. One seems to prefer the outside but is not far - I call her for breakfast and she always comes running.

Jaxhog · 02/03/2025 22:38

We've kept all of ours in at night from dusk to dawn, to reduce the impact on wildlife. Takes a few weeks to train them, but they get used to it pretty quickly.

Chunkilumptious · 02/03/2025 22:39

Ours do their thing all evening and come in around 11, they then stay in for the night. I'm sure they'd be fine out but they seem happy enough

Smudgerbabe · 02/03/2025 22:46

No my cats don't go out at night. I usually try and get them in before dusk (hunting time!) if they're not snuggled up by then. Reasons are: Cats Protection League say cats are more likely to be run over or injured in cat fights at night, they roam further and are distracted by hunting. As there are fewer vehicles they're more likely to be out on the roads. (In day time busy roads are more likely to put them off). My personal experience is that my neutered cats always went out at night and I was often visiting the vets with injuries or issues or accidents, not to mention coming down for breakfast and finding some creature on the kitchen floor. Literally all of this has stopped by staying in at night and the cats are still happy as larry and quickly adjusted to the new normal. (They have a litter tray in the garage but usually wait til morning).

101Kittens · 02/03/2025 22:49

No. Cats should be kept in at night. It's safer for them and wildlife. Cats are not nocturnal and sleeping is when they are most vulnerable.

RosesAndHellebores · 02/03/2025 22:57

Ours have free rein. The intention was to keep them in, but too often they weren't home at bedtime and I needed to go to bed. Also harder to lock the cat flap when there are two and one is in and one is out.

My cats since 1986 have had free rein and there have been no problems. The latest ones, however, do bring home mice at dawn and dusk.

MummaMummaMumma · 02/03/2025 22:59

We have a cat flap so they can come and go as they please.

mommatoone · 02/03/2025 23:02

I have a cat flap - my cat has free reign . He is a real hunter though, and I have woken up to allsorts of wildlife in my house😭. I need to revaluate his nightime shift!!

Fjordland · 02/03/2025 23:09

We keep our present cat in at night. I have a smart cat flap that electronically locks & opens from my set curfew and I can change/monitor from the app. Obviously if he’s still out after it locks, it lets him in, just not out. It’s linked to his microchip so no collar tag needed.

He’s the first cat we’ve done this to and he’s adapted fine. Reason is previous cat bought mice & creatures in at night and caused a mouse problem in a previous property. It protects the wildlife too. To be fair he’s a lazy sod and most days he goes out at 7.30am when it opens, but only if I’m up otherwise he has a lay in. Then he usually does 2-3 hours popping in and out and usually gives up completely by midday! The cat flap App keeps a tab on his in & out movements.

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