Letting Cats Out at Night?

[DiscoBeat]

Our two cats are almost 1 and we've had them for 4 months. We've just started to let them out during the day now that they are vaccinated and fully recovered from their spay/neuter. At night I call them in and lock the car flap but they sit on the mat asking to go out. DH and DS2 both say it's not fair to shut them in and I and DS1 prefer them to be safely indoors at night. We can't cat proof the garden because it's too big and there is a five bar gate out of the drive which they can just jump over/under/through. What do you all do? In or out?

I let mine out - I have one who’s out most of the summer. She wears a Tractive mini cat tracker for my peace of mind. The other would never go outside ever again if it was down to her so she stays in.

I keep mine in, after my last beloved cat was killed on the road in the dark :(

I do with my cat (he's about 9 months now) but only because my other kitten was knocked over at night and I get really worried, My older cat used to stay out all night when he was younger (he's 18 now and much prefers the sofa).

So sorry, I had the same thing happen to me. We were all so heartbroken

I keep mine in from about 6pm to around 7am. I worry he won’t be seen as well at night and get hit by a car (even though we live rurally and the road is very quiet). Also they find it easier to hunt at night and I don’t want to come down to half dead frogs etc (looking at you previous cats when I didn’t know to keep them in)!

I keep mine in. Black cat and no collar makes her extremely difficult for anyone to see in the dark.

On the few occasions she's been out all night (mainly due to a neighbour feeding her) I've come down in the morning to array of dead birds and mice so it's much better fir her to stay in.

I keep mine in at night. Sometimes she sits at the door wanting to go out but I ignore her and she eventually buzzes off. She can go in and out all day as she pleases though.

I keep mine in at night and they accept it, they have a play and then they crash sometimes they have a little bit of food before crashing. If you let them out at night I think they expand their territory and cross roads that are quiet at night but typically busy during the day. I think keeping them in at night helps to curb the size of their territory and stops them getting into mischief. They still have the freedom in the early morning and throughout the daytime so I think this is a good balance to strike.

Mine are in overnight, I get them in at around 10pm with a few biscuits and let them out first thing around 6.30am. They have been in this routine for years now, and are quite settled, however they did used to protest in the early days. I just ignored them and they soon got used to it. They have access to two litter trays, water, multiple places to sleep. Much safer to keep them in overnight in my opinion.

Mine stay in at night, after we lost two to the road overnight, I can't face losing another one that way.

I keep mine in at night, it's safer for them. One of them is howling at me and jangling the keys in the locked front door as I type. She'll get bored after a while.

We lock ours in when the sun sets and let her put again at about 6.30am. It's become such a routine now that she brings herself in at sunset, asks for treats and then goes and falls asleep. In the winter we lock her in about 7pm.

We have too many foxes and badgers around that have attacked other cats in the area. I'm not risking it.

Mine comes in of his own accord around 6pm. He has his dinner and goes upstairs for a sleep. Then comes downstairs around 9pm makes a point it's nearly time for my bedtime, finishes off his food and sleeps all night on the bed. He's let out around 6.30am. In the winter I put the outside light on for him when he goes out in the morning.

All previous cats had a 9pm curfew but were always waiting to come in before that time.

I keep mine in as I like the wildlife too much. He pretty much knows he is only allowed out when it’s light. It’s a bit of a pain on hot summer nights as he’d escape out of open windows if we let him

My cat is 16 now and has always had access outside 24 hours a day through a catflap

We keep ours in overnight. She goes out about 6.30am and then is shut in for the night when she comes in for dinner (6/7/8pm depending on how interesting it is outside vs the call of her food bowl). She complains for a bit (especially when it’s a nice evening) but settles down. She can come and go as she wishes in the daytime, and in good weather we barely see her, apart from popping back for food, so I don’t let her make me feel guilty!

Our boy is in overnight. We go to bed quite late - usually about midnight - so he often goes out for a final patrol about 10, then he’s called in for “beddy-bed”.

Mine comes in at night. I remember that when I adopted my last cat, the rescue advised to bring her in at night. The roads are too much of a risk after dark. My new boy isn't even one yet, so he comes in and we shut the curtains and I tell him that the garden has gone to bed for the night 😂. He seems pretty happy with that. Plus if he was out at night, he wouldn't be able to lie bang smack in the middle of the bed all night

My garden is cat proofed so they can’t leave & I still keep them in at night! I don’t trust them not to hatch an escape plan while I’m asleep! 🙄

It's really unfair on the cats at this time of year. They are nocturnal animals by nature and love to be out on a summer night.

But the roads are too dangerous unfortunately, unless you are somewhere extremely remote. Even in the countryside, you can see from roadkill how much risk an animal that roams at night is up against.

We have nights when the little bastards adventurers leap out at the last minute and disappear over the fence, and I'm frankly too tired to try to get them back in, but as a rule they should be kept in.

My boy goes out all night in the summer but from what l can tell, he only sleeps on the garden furniture and doesn't venture very far.

Mine is in at night (black cat)

Mine is free to come and go, we live rurally. I suspect he sleeps on the garden furniture most of the night and hunts dusk and dawn.

My black cat is in by 8pm, and the cat flap is locked. She knows the routine and puts herself to bed. Of course she jumps on me at 4am but it’s a small price to pay for an otherwise excellent companion.

My cat is 13 and goes out at night if he wants to. In winter that's rarely but in this warm dry weather he absolutely loves being outside and has gone out every night for weeks at about 10pm and rolls up about 8 in the morning.
I have no idea where he goes, I'd love him to wear a tracker like my son's cat does because it's so interesting to see where they go, but he really doesn't like being touched much and I've never get near him to put a collar on let alone get him to keep it on.