Do I give up having the DCs in at night currently?

[UndoRedo]

My rule has always been cats in at night but with the heat they aren't coming back until the early hours of the morning and I'm sleep deprived. Do I allow them their freedom during the hot nights?

Well I do. My cats have free access to the outside all day and night. They are active at night. They come in when I call them for breakfast (though often inside waiting).

Mine have free access 24/7. When I come down for a wee or a drink they’re almost never home!

I don't really understand - if they're not coming back until the early hours then they're not in at night are they? I apologise if I'm misreading.

Mine has free access to outside too but I do understand keeping them in. If I were to do that I'd probably keep them in after their dinner.

I also keep my cats in at night as a general rule, however with this hot weather, I have left the cat flap open.
They get no relief in the day, often just lying under a bush somewhere in the garden, so I am letting them get some exercise at night.

It's tricky, isn't it? Mine have a sure microchip cat flap with a curfew manually set to open around sunrise and lock around sunset. Normally they come in for that, especially when bribed with food, but in the heatwave they stay out later. Can't really stop them easily without keeping them inside the whole time which would be stressful if they're not used to that. Trying to keep mine as hydrated as possible by stirring extra water into their wet food and lixk I lix hoping that will keep them relatively aware of danger. I think let them be these few days.

They are supposed to be in around 9pm, but yes, they are coming in for dinner and then heading out for hours.

I went to bed at 11, one decided to stay in with me and the other appeared at 1 am and they got locked in then

It's so much cooler outdoors, I'd let them out at night when it's really hot.