Do you let your cats out in the snow?

[Pillypolly]

My cats seems to love the snow and spent most of today chasing snowflakes. I do worry it’s a bit cold for them or do you let your decide for themselves? They have full access to come inside if they want.

We have a flap so they can come and go as they like..they’re not daft, if it cold, they’ll come in!

Mine look at me accusingly and ask why I turned off the sun😆

Aside from getting them in at night in Autumn and winter, I've always found my quality of life far greater should I just let them all do what the hell they like. ( 3 males, two under five ) I Gave up several years ago!

I did once, he went outside for 2 seconds. Hated it, came back in and bit me on the leg to tell me not to do it again! The other 3 are house cats.

They're cats, they do what the want and they know their own minds! Ours would be out in it for hours as a younger boy, now that he's old and has arthritis we put a litter tray inside for him because he won't venture out in even a bit of rain or cold, let alone snow. They'll do what's right for them.

I would speak to them individually, ask them if they want to play outside or not, but remind them if they get cold they can use the car flap, in other words, they do t give a shit what I think, and they do there own thing!

Ours come and go as they please. But they're young and this is the first time they've seen it. I heard the cat flap go this morning when the boy cat went out and I've never heard it flap again so quickly when he came back - I'm impressed he managed to turn around so quickly.

I've never owned a cat but this thread has made me wonder -all the people saying the cats come in at night - how do you get them in?

Cats are independent and wander off right? If you've let the cat out, how do you know that it's not 20 doors down when it's night time? Are they just 'trained' to come back to the place they know for food when it gets dark? How does it work with rescue cats - who had a different home? why don't they just disappear?

Most cats don’t go far and want to be fed.

Usually rescue cats stay indoors for a few weeks (as do cats when they move house with their owners) and then they know it’s where their servants live and go off and explore.

We have a cat flap that locks at night and reopens at morning. Although ours come in for their tea and then don’t go try and go out again. They know where their home and food is and will make their voice known if we are late.

My two have completely rejected the snow. One tried to warm his toe beans on my cheek when he had tried it and the other keeps meowing at me and taking me to the door I think to turn off the snow for him.

@FuzzyWolf thanks
LOL @ their servants

I have Arabian Maus, they aren't particularly keen 😂

Mine pop out to toilet but soon come running back into the warm. They are shut in from 6pm.

I love the thought of what goes through their heads the first time they see snow... 😂 Must totally blow their minds... and they have no idea that it won't always be like that from now on...

@Deargodletitgo 's Maus must think they've been beamed to another planet... 🌍🙀

But also they can’t have any understanding or expectation that it might happen! And, really, who can blame them for being totally mind blown about this cold white stuff falling from the sky and covering the ground!

My neighbour's cats love the snow but they do have magnificent dense black fur

I think they learn routine quite quickly. We rescued our boy after we had to have our lovely older girl pts, and other than the first month or so when we kept him in, we just followed the same routine as we did with her. By the time we were letting him out I was confident he came to his name, and he initially got snacks as a “reward” for coming in. Cats are smart, and know where they have a good thing going!

If it's actively snowing very heavily you should keep cats in as they can go under things to take shelter (e.g. garden decking) and become snowed in.

Otherwise let them get on with it. Most get thicker fur in winter I think (even shorthaired cats) and if they don't like the cold they simply won't go out. Mine puffs himself up in the cold and looks much fluffier than he does indoors - he's got his own puffa jacket 😄