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?

Please keep your cat in at night - it protects the wildlife as well

Ours are always out. For whatever reason none of the 4 cats we’ve owned have found a way to get out of the back garden into the front (it’s a terrace but next door is the end of terrace).

Can they access roads and do they? If not, I'd let them out. Cats are actually crepuscular - most active at dawn and dusk. A behaviourist I spoke to was very much in favour of them being able to go out at these times, but my cat can't get his head around the cat door so he's reliant on me being up. (He doesn't hunt so that's not an issue.)

He does love to sit in the window surveying his domain for hours, night and day though. But that might be less appealing to young cats.

I'm so sorry, that's heartbreaking

Mine can go out whenever she wants, but there is no access to the road so it is very low risk. Mostly she sleeps all night on my bed, but when it's hot she sometimes hangs out in the garden or neighbouring gardens. Occasionally I am woken by her yowling at other cats and have to go out to fetch her in

The half dead things is definitely another driver for keeping them in!

We call them in for the night when daylight is fading. Generally they’re very good about it but on hot summer nights occasionally one will stay out until the early hours while I worry needlessly.

The stately old gentleman cat will occasionally ask to go out around 11pm but we know he simply wants to do his business behind the lilac bushes and then come straight back so he is allowed to pop out.

it’s for their own safety - cars, foxes - and its kinder to wildlife to have the garden a cat-free zone at night.

The nearest road here is about about 5 minutes brisk walk away so I hope they won't go that far.

My two are shut in the utility room at night and have a cat flap so they can come and go as they please, but we’re in a quiet, residential road. They both wear reflective collars.
They’re both 11 now and in very good shape- probably because they both love roaming and climbing trees

I was looking at the Tractive. What put me off is their collars come off very easily when they get caught on anything and I've found them around the house so I imagine we would lose them pretty quickly!

Reflective collars are a great idea, thanks.

I've got black cat and her sister. Can’t wear collars and very young cats and not street wise even though they are getting older.

I get them in about 7pm but do find it harder these light nights

they do learn to accept it

Out..cats are definitely out. Please don’t keep them in. They are nocturnal creatures & NEED to be outside

My cat stays in. Always, but my previous cat was in before dusk and out only in the daytime as that's when they kill most. Our neighbour has a new tabby that's out at all hours and we've had 3 dead baby birds on our lawn in 2 days...

In from 7-7. We lost our previous cat in the small hours. It’s just not worth it.

So sorry you lost your cat, I have lost 2 over last decade (I’ve had more than that overall) & it’s horrible so won’t have any more. I definitely wouldn’t have stopped them going out as it feels cruel

My son's cat has a Tractive tracker and has done for a few years. Yes the collar does sometimes come off in bushes etc, but you can trace where it is, he's had to knock on plenty of doors to retrieve it and climb in lots of bushes, once he traced it to a village about 10 miles away as his cat had climbed into a van's engine and the collar had got caught in it. You can make the tracker beep if it's lost and you're near it.

They dont need to be outside and they’re not nocturnal they’re crepuscular
My cat will happily stay in of his own choice for days on end, he has very little interest in outside and sleeps all night

Mine come in at teatime and stay in until the morning. They know that's the routine.

Mine goes out at night but the dead mice etc are a bloody nuisance. She hates being kept in at night.

At least your cat’s out. You’re a good cat owner

I’m glad that works for you but cats in general need to go out. My neighbours cat is clawing at the window to get outside. It’s cruel

Mine all go out during the day but the younger 2 are in overnight. They seem quite happy with that - one is curled up next to me purring away and the other is in DD's bedroom. Sensible older cat is allowed out. I'd prefer them all in overnight to minimise hunting but I think my older cat would be unhappy.

We used to shut our cat in at night but one time we went on holiday and our new neighbours fed her and we didn't want them to have to clean out her litter tray so we let her have her freedom while we were away. When we got back from holiday she would refuse to come in at all in the evening (even for dreamies!) as she was enjoying herself so much being out at night and didn't want to be shut in.

So we now let her go in and out of the cat flap day and night whenever she wants. She generally stays in at night during winter but loves to sleep in the garden in the summer. She seems to hunt more during the day than at night. I couldn't keep her shut in at night now that she's made it so clear how much she loves being out at night.