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?

Mines has hers on over a year and hasn’t lost it (touch wood). I’ve had other cats constantly losing collars. If it’s lost in theory you can retrieve it - although we have some dense woodland where she hands out so it would be a challenge.

The biggest issue is keeping it charged. Winter it lasts a few days as she’s home alot and within WiFi reach. Summer it needs charging most days to stay reliable. I have to keep her in whilst it charges - fine when it’s just me but if people are coming in and out she might get out!

Our 4 go in and out as they please and night time is there favourite time when quiet and cooler

Mine are indoors by sunset. Someone was shooting fox cubs in the field behind my house during the night a couple of years ago and I wouldn’t put it past them to shoot a cat. There are also a couple of mean cats nearby who go out spoiling for a fight when it’s dark; I hear them knocking seven bells out of each other most nights and I don’t want my cats caught up in that as they’re getting on a bit.

My cat was also killed out at night about 5 years ago, now my other 2 cats are safely locked in at night from about 9pm when I feed them. DH lets them out again about 6.30-7am if they want to go out. They can run in and out during the day as much as they want but actually they spend most time in our large garden.

My two can go out anytime they like between 7am and 8pm but I think it’s unfair on wildlife to have them out at night.

My girl has always been kept in overnight. She doesn’t mind. She trots in at about 8 and goes to bed.

Mine goes out all day and night in summer, returning only for food. In Winter he spends all day and night inside, only going out to toilet, and to sneak more food from my neighbour.

My cat is allowed outside as much as she likes during the day, but I summon her in for her supper in the evening and then keep in her all night. I've done this since she was a kitten and she seems to be quite happy with the arrangement. I do this partly for her safety (statistically, I believe cats are more likely to come to harm overnight, from cars or people) and to help the local wildlife, as it is more vulnerable to being hunted from dusk to dawn I think.

I used to make an effort to keep mine in at this time of year as she was ver good at catching young birds very early in the morning. She was very much an outdoors cat though and was happy to be out all night. We never lived by any busy roads though.

Interesting people are saying that more hunting happens at night or dusk/dawn as my cat is a prolific hunter but only does it during the day. I know this because she announces every kill and leaves a souvenir on the doormat every time 😬

Mine can come and go as they like. I have lost a couple cats to cars but I’d rather they had the freedom. They are never very far away (if I have to call them in they are there within a couple minutes), but I’d say they are homebodies and actually don’t venture more than a couple houses away (usually by jumping from shed to shed).

Our cat has a cat flap and goes in/out as she chooses - no curfew

Mine just comes and goes as he pleases via a cat flap. We tried to keep him in at night when we first let him out but he became very stressed so we relented. Now he mainly sleeps by day and out at night

Per the laws where I live, mine stay indoors. I prefer they don’t get eaten by local wildlife or hit by cars so I don’t have a problem with that.

All these posters whos cats come back in the evenings,- how did you manage that?
I am in the process of getting my cat used to the outside. She is a rescue- so may have lived wild for a bit but she doesnt know this srea.
At first she was fine with morning supervised outings before breakfast in the back garden but on 3 occasions recently she has just taken off for an hour. She came back each time though and didnt seem to have gone far.
I havent let her out after about 4 pm because I dont know if she would come back.
Being hungry doesnt seem to matter and cat proofing the garden is not possible.
We havent got a catflap so she has to wait to be let out.
I tried to get her to associate me ringing a bell with her getting some turkey if she came back, but she couldnt care less!
Any advice on tactics would be appreciated.
I thought of a Tractive for peace of mind but the subscription seems expensive and a lot of the tracking devices seem to work on 2g and 3g which are being switched off in my area this year.
My dh says I am being too controlling and that I should let her come and go as she pleases but I would like to keep her in overnight to keep her safer from cars.

I'm in Australia and there's a cat curfew they need to stay inside if their found outside the council takes them to the shelter

I give a high value treat when he comes back in and only ever at that time
so if I shout him, he comes running
basically their very favourite treat but you don’t give it any other time except when they come in

My two have trackers and are both in over night from around 9 to 10 pm till around 4 or 5 am (sob). I lost a cat on the road overnight so am more cautious about them being out in the dark.

Yup. Super high value treats!
I usually block the cat flap off before it gets dark. Not an issue in winter as they prefer to be indoors anyway. But the siren call of summer evenings is hard to resist.
Mine are just used to the routine now and genuinely are happy indoors overnight. They snuggle up and sleep with us. I don't have to lure them in. I sometimes get told it's about time I went to bed 😄

I find the secret is for them to be happy that it's the right time for bed, if they feel that then they will take themselves off upstairs. If they feel unfairly trapped in, I hear about it.

Same here.

I generally wait until I know he is going to be hungry (around 5/6pm) and then shout and wave a creamy dreamy thing around and he legs it over the fence. And then he comes in and the cat flap is locked. And then it’s dinner.

Mine will often wait outside the door and when I open it he won't come in unless a treat is negotiated at bedtime.

Also mine come in (most times) for treats, it’s the only time they get them. I don’t think they know but the one that comes in first gets a second lot when the other comes in

it's really difficult with the hot sunny nights though getting them in