Do you lock your cats in at night?

[sammy]

Hi all. I've just had a conversation with a lady from my local animal rescue charity as I'm thinking I may want to adopt a kitten from them. Everything seemed OK, till she asked me if my cats were kept locked in at night. I said no, they have a catflap and come and go as they please. I explained we live on a very quiet, no through road.

Apparently their policy is not to let people adopt who won't keep the cat locked in at night. I could've lied I suppose, but don't see why I should, as it's not something I see anything wrong in. She said it was as much to do with foxes as traffic, and whilst we do have urban foxes round here, we've lived here with cats for 9 years without any problems.

She is going to talk to another volunteer about it, so I'll see what she says, but it has put me off a bit to be honest!

Am I wrong in letting my cats come and go as they please? :smt102

[Mags]

I always lock Cassie in at night ......... my choice as I would worry about her if she was out all night. During the summer she tends to stay out later, chasing insects etc, and I have been known to stay up until the early hours many a time until she is safely inside.... ;)

[Tanya]

My cat, Oli is an indoor cat, so I cant really comment on him. Although, when i was looking for a cat the rescue centres (Think it was CPL) told me i wasnt allowed an indoor cat, even though I explained to them that i am by a busy road and would be worried for his safety.

But my nan has four cats, all of which can come and go as they please - through the cat flap. She has never had any problems with them. :)

[Moli]

My cats do not get out everyday, they are more or less house cats, if the weather is nice, I will open a window for them, and they get out for a couple of hours....They have never been out at night..

[smudgley]

Hi all. I've just had a conversation with a lady from my local animal rescue charity as I'm thinking I may want to adopt a kitten from them.

Apparently their policy is not to let people adopt who won't keep the cat locked in at night.


Am I wrong in letting my cats come and go as they please? :smt102... no!

That's a ridiculous policy. I never understand how some people think they can stimpulate a,b,c,d & so on about the animals lifesyle once it leaves them. :roll:

From a personal point of view, my young cat doesn't go out, but my 2 adults come & go (no cat flap) but they ask to come in & out, if they're in when we go to bed...they're in, if they're out... they're out. simple!

From a point of view of a person who rehomes through rescue, I would suggest to all potential owners that kittens are supervised when they 1st go out & not left out overnight when young, but once they are neutered & a bit streetwise, those decisions are personal & up to the individual who is adopting the cat to make. Also collars & feeding, I can give my opinion on collars, but I'd never insist one way or the other, I can tell them what food they've been on, but once they leave here, it's a personal choice.

My advise, go to another rescue place, there's loads out there.... (if your stuck, come to me!)

[sammy]

Thanks for your replies.

Smudgely, your reply is particularly interesting as someone 'on the other side' as it were! I do feel it is a little heavy handed. We've adopted 3 from the RSPCA in the past (Des and Bubs, and my late lamented Mizzie), and I don't think they had a problem with it. And, as I explained to the lady, we're very experienced and very careful when we bring a new kitten to the house, i.e. keeping them in until neutered, collars, microchips, introducing them slowly to the other cats, etc.

If I were nearer to you Smudgely, I'd be there like a shot!

[Fran]

I like all of my cats locked in at night but that's my personal choice.

I think the thing about the foxes is ridiculous. Most foxes wouldn't tackle an adult healthy cat unless they were desperate to feed their young.

I'd be inclined to go and find your new kitty somewhere else. Good luck and do let us know how you get on x

[Kim]

I think it very much depends on personal circumstances and choice - and the cat! I prefer to lock mine in at night, and lock the flap if they are all in when we go to bed, but sometimes one of them (Misty usually) is out so we have to leave it unlocked. we live in a quiet cul-de-sac and have never had any problems in the 12 years we have been here.

I agree Fran, the bit about the foxes is stupid. We used to feed 2 foxes and the cats sometimes chased them! They never showed any interest in the cats at all.

[EmmaG]

My cats are only allowed out when I am at home and they are never allowed out at night.

[smudgley]

I'm sure the lady from the rescue, who said this - whoever she may be, means well & I'm sure she has the cats best interest at heart, but it's all rubbish!
some rescues say.....can't rehome if there's kids..... can't rehome if there's dogs...... can't rehome if you are too fat or too thin! it makes me angry, I have enough trouble rehoming them & I'm not fussy (please don't think I rehome to any Tom Dick & Harry, we always home check as you know)..., but I think if rescues were a bit more helpful & understanding of people then they wouldn't struggle as much to find homes......

My policy is simple, judge each & every person on their own merit, if they seem genuine & love cats, that'll do for me!

[charliebubs]

I agree with the others, this is a silly policy. When I worked at Wood Green we wouldn't rehome a cat as an indoor only cat, but that was the only stipulation, and that rule was bent on occassion too. I think, as Smudgley says, each person should be judged on their own merits.

Personally, I have made the choice to have my garden cat-proofed so the cats can come and go as they please into the garden, but cannot leave the garden. This works for me, but I know it wouldn't work for everyone.

Good luck in finding another rescue centre and the perfect kitten for you!!!

:)

[dinahsmum]

Pleased to read Smudgley's post.
Some rescues make life difficult for themselves and give others a bad name with some of their inflexible rules.

I think it's up to everyone how they deal with this. For what it's worth, all my cats have had outside access when they wished (more or less) except in this house where we've never got round to a cat flap and there are no easily accessible upstairs windows. If we get a flap the boys will be able (but I would think unlikely) to go out at night.

[yola]

My cats are predominently indoor so I can't comment from personal experience. However, I feel it depends on so much as to whether a cat goes out at night or indeed goes out at all. Location is important but of key importance is the cat itself. Is it streetwise? Is it confident . . . i.e., won't scare too easily and run blindly if confronted with something unknown? Is it used to being outside at night?

There is no right or wrong answer I feel (as with kids, dogs etc). If the cat is used to it/ok with it, then that should be the primary consideration.

Finally - it's always puzzled me a little why it is felt OK for a cat to go out during the day but be locking in at night? Why is it considered safer during the day when surely traffic is heavier, there are more people about and the cat is more visible and therefore susceptable to potential theft/abuse?

[Rosie]

Many of you say your cats go out during the day but are locked in at night why? As I feel it is safe for mine to go out during the day so they have access to go out at night too. In summer Rosie prefers to spend most of the night outside and she loves to hunt at night. Alfie is only eight months old and has not yet found the fascination for going out at night but I am sure he will. After all cats are notoriously nocturnal. Incidentally both of my cats are spayed of course.

There are always risks but I would not be comfortable having cats confined to indoors as I don't think it is natural and if there was nowhere safe for them to go outside I wouldn't have them.

[Mags]

As previously said, Cassie is locked in at night. She has a cat flap but I wouldn't leave it unlocked all night if she were to go out. There are several cats around my area who wouldn't think twice about coming in an open flap or window.:?

Also, no way would I lock the flap at night knowing she couldn't get back in until morning........

[Fran]

There are always risks but I would not be comfortable having cats confined to indoors as I don't think it is natural and if there was nowhere safe for them to go outside I wouldn't have them.

I guess we all go by our own personal experiences. I have owned cats for over 20 years now and in that time I have had 2 killed on the road, one seriously injured on the road and 3 disappear never to return again :( ALL these incidences occured during the night. So now, I like my cats in at night and they are no longer nocturnal, they have the same day/night pattern as we do. I also have 3 pedigree cats who never go out. They are just too curious and friendly, being obviously pedigree they would likely be stolen or get themselves into mischief being so curious. It's a totally different ball game with some pedigree breeds, these 3 of mine have never been out so they no no different.

[tilly]

My cats are in most of the time at the moment as I am out most of the days and don't like l;eaving them out. Anyway to get back to the point both mine are shut in at night as I would worry about them otherwise.
But in tha past Buster has cheasd the Fox not the other way round so they are just being silly.

Best of luck finding somewhere that can let you have a kitten.

Sally

[Kazz]

Hi My cat flap is never locked - well I tell a fib there, actually it was locked when Cleo had her Op last year and was recuperating so to speak and is also locked around bonfire night - precaution really with fireworks.
Cleo and Oscar could come and go when they pleased in fact Cleo still can and does she is often to be seen outside about in the morning just sitting. :)

One of the reasons for moving here was a the culde sac no main roads nearby for the cats.

Think its a bit high handed for a rescue to say no.

[Kay]

There are always risks but I would not be comfortable having cats confined to indoors as I don't think it is natural and if there was nowhere safe for them to go outside I wouldn't have them.


All off my 9 cats are indoor only cats and never attempt to get out. As they have never been out that this lifestyle is natural for them. Persians are not the most cleverest of cats and would easily put themselves in risky situations and also there is the chance they would be stolen. They of course are all pedigree but if I was to get a moggy I would still keep it inside away from cars and any other dangers. Like Fran I too have had cats knocked down, disappeared one even had her spine broken by somone hiting her across her back with a large stick, we had to have her put down. This was all before I had experience of indoor only cats. I would now rather my cats live indoors and to a good age than have any of these heartbreaking things happen.

[Kazz]

My two may be the exception rather than the rule then Kay as Oz was 23 when PTS and Cleo is 24 now both always been in and out when the mood took them. :) Although my cat before these two Archie was less than 1 when run over and killed RTA as they call it. But each to their own each to their own.

Karen

[Kay]

I realise that cats do live long lives outside just as some indoor cats have to be put to sleep young as my Eddie did just before Christmas and as you say it is each to their own. Long live all cats indoor and outdoor.

[sammy]

Thanks for all your thoughts, it's been very interesting reading them.

I think it is very much a personal choice allied with your own individual circumstances, location, type of cat, etc. Truth be told my two spend most of the night asleep indoors, especially at this time of year, but I know they tend to get up around 5 or 6 am and go out for a wander.

I guess I was just a bit taken aback that a charity that seems (from their website) desperate to rehome cats, would turn me down on this point alone, especially as they haven't even had the benefit of seeing where I live, or indeed meeting me and my two happy moggies!

Oh well, back to the RSPCA (who have happily let me adopt 3 cats) - was going to go there anyway, it's just that I saw a kitten on this charitys website that I thought I could give a loving home to. :?