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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

Keeping cat in while away overnight?

20 replies

FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 07:46

My cat is 2. He usually goes out about 7.30 -8 am. He returns at regular intervals throughout the day to demand food. (He has a cat flap & knows how to use it but prefers to shout to have the door opened for him.)

The last time he comes in & demands food (some dental crunchies) is at about 8pm every day. After this I keep him in overnight, to his loudly expressed indignation. I have a water fountain and an automatic feeder (used a bit but mostly I use wet food).

I’m having to go away today at about 11 am to look after a relative whose care package has suddenly fallen through at the last minute. I should be back by 11am tomorrow at the latest. I can’t get him into a cattery! And my sons who live at home are away too this weekend by sheer bad luck.

So I am planning to put down a wet feed as I leave today, then rely on the automatic feeder for the rest of the day. I’m wondering though if I should keep him in the house while I am away, ie from 11am today until same time tomorrow. He would hate it and no doubt try to escape! But at at least he would not stay out all night in this awful weather. Plus I worry that his reliance on me to open the door may mean that even if it gets really wet, he will not use the cat flap, but just sit sadly outside waiting for his servant (me) to arrive 🎻.

What do you think? Would it be cruel to shut him in? Might it even be dangerous given that he will try really really hard to get out? Or is it safer than him potentially staying out all night in wind & rain?

OP posts:
Bananadramaa · 04/10/2025 08:06

I wouldn’t even think twice to keep him in. I have kept my girls in for a week while on holiday (people popping in to feed them). Yes they hate it, but I think better than being in a cattery as they are in their own home. They are inside in a cattery too aren’t they, just in a smaller space. That would be absolute last resort for me. What do you think he would actually do to try to break out?

hexsnidgett · 04/10/2025 08:09

Yes, I would keep him in.

LittleBearPad · 04/10/2025 08:12

We’ve kept ours in overnight whilst we’ve been away. There’s no way I’d leave them outside.

Loads of food down and water, he’ll be fine for 24 hours.

Original poster
FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:13

Thanks that is such a good & obvious point abour the cattery being enclosed too!

He does have a habit of leaping onto high windows in one room to yowl for escape but I could just shut that door. There is also a room with a slight hole that leads to the attic but I could shut that too. (He would still have bedrooms and sitting room.) I suppose I’m worrying that there may be some little hole that I don’t know about, that leads into a wall! But that is surely a bit unlikely.

Could he hurt himself banging on the cat flap do you think?

OP posts:
Original poster
FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:19

Oh sorry yes there is no way I would ever leave him outside! The alternative would be to leave the cat flap open so he can come & go - which in practice would mean he would just stay outside as he loves outdoors.

Now looking at fairy lights over windows etc in a paranoid way & wondering if he could in any way get caught up in them …. this way madness lies.

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 04/10/2025 08:22

FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:13

Thanks that is such a good & obvious point abour the cattery being enclosed too!

He does have a habit of leaping onto high windows in one room to yowl for escape but I could just shut that door. There is also a room with a slight hole that leads to the attic but I could shut that too. (He would still have bedrooms and sitting room.) I suppose I’m worrying that there may be some little hole that I don’t know about, that leads into a wall! But that is surely a bit unlikely.

Could he hurt himself banging on the cat flap do you think?

Has he ever disappeared down an unknown hole in the house before? It seems unlikely he’ll find one now.

He’ll be fine. Bored and probably grumpy, giving you a shirty look once you return but he’ll be fine.

Schoodle · 04/10/2025 08:24

We keep our cats inside if we go away overnight, even if a neighbour is feeding them (just so they don't have the worry of trying to get them in at night). Our only issue is they have managed to break the cat flap and get out, so I'd advise putting something (heavy) in front of it so they don't even go near it.

Bananadramaa · 04/10/2025 08:27

FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:19

Oh sorry yes there is no way I would ever leave him outside! The alternative would be to leave the cat flap open so he can come & go - which in practice would mean he would just stay outside as he loves outdoors.

Now looking at fairy lights over windows etc in a paranoid way & wondering if he could in any way get caught up in them …. this way madness lies.

I don’t think removing fairy lights is paranoid. I do know someone whose cat got himself entangled and badly hurt by fair lights.

I am surprised you have fairy lights actually.
my girls have dismantled mine a long time ago. They are currently working on removing the carpet on my stairs 🙄

Original poster
FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:36

Aargh! I have a lot of fairy lights. This will be a rich source of worry (and delight my sons if these apparently girlish lights are removed).

Carpet yes. Cat has already diligently removed quite a bit of it.

OP posts:
Sprogonthetyne · 04/10/2025 08:36

He'll be fine inside, mine has spent the last two days demanding to go out, looking out the door into pouring rain, then giving me a dirty look for daring to set such wether, before going off to sleep on the bed again.

Only thing I'd do is set up a second set of food & water bowls somewhere else in the house, just in case the normal ones get knocked over, or the feeder breaks or something.

Original poster
FutureMarchionessOfVidal · 04/10/2025 08:39

That’s a very good idea, thank you. It might create a bit of interest for him, too.

OP posts:
Allergictoironing · 04/10/2025 09:01

I would also leave a radio on, or the TV, for a bit of company for him - my friend does this for her dogs and they are happier with the radio on.

TemporaryCatSlave · 04/10/2025 09:49

Defintely inside, it's safer, and better than a cattery for a short time. Has he got a nice wide windowsill to sit on and look out? Or back of a sofa near a window. It's fun and enrichment for them.

Mine is an indoor cat and spends big chunks of the day sprawled on the windowsill looking out at the back garden, or on a high window on the other side doing neighburhood watch as people, walk down the street.

Leave some balls or cat toys on the floor if you have some, for some entertainment. Mine loves a big catnip fish and will play with it on his own!

Oldraver · 04/10/2025 11:05

Yes we have kept ours in while away

We have to make sure they don't have access to the cat flap as one bugger knows how to get out of it. We came home once to find both cats had been outside all night

isitmyturn · 04/10/2025 11:11

I've just had 10 days away. Cat sitter called daily and put down breakfast and auto feeder for supper. Cat shut in the kitchen with a selection of beds. Free entry and exit through the cat flap. He may not like it but it's a whole lot better than cat prison the cattery
I only ever lock the cat flap if I need him for the vet.

CurlyKoalie · 04/10/2025 11:22

Yes, keep the cat in otherwise it's something else to worry about. Remove the fairy lights and block off anywhere you don't the cat to go.
I always put a heavy cover in front of the cat flap too to stop any attempts at a gaolbreak

Barbann122 · 04/10/2025 11:32

We would always keep ours in overnight if going away, although last time one of our cats (who is a big boy!) managed to break off the seal of the cat flap that holds it in place🫣. He’s fine of course but right now we have a cat flap that blows open and closed with the wind!

Cantseetreesforthewood · 04/10/2025 11:34

Lock the catflap.
Leave him with access to the spaces you happily leave him in overnight, while you are asleep. If he doesn't get upto mischief overnight, he's unlikely to in 24 hours. He'll be fine.

Incorgnito · 04/10/2025 11:37

I have a cat that goes outside. I keep him in if I go away. He might get sassy about it, but it's just not worth what might happen whilst I'm away.

Better safe than sorry.

Enough4me · 04/10/2025 11:41

Keep him in. He'll probably sleep through most of it and you'll know he's safe.

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