General Chat

We have the same problem here Deb, but haven't yet found a way to keep a cat indoors that doesn't want to be in without spending every night sleepless ourselves. :-(

Haven't read the whole thread. My two, Zak and Mocha have never set foot outside the house. Well, Zak did once, and was found panting from stress on the doorstep the next day. There are too many cayotes around our neighbourhood. Instant food for them. A few of the neighbours use to have outside cats....never to be seen again. The girl at work said that she didn't sleep the other night........cayotes killing either a cat or a racoon. Took quite a while ...told her not to say any more as it was upsetting me. So safe to say - mine are here indoors with me.

I/we have had any number of cats over the years and have always found that I/we have to simply go along with whatever the cats themselves want. Some want to be in at night and some prefer to be out. All are banished from our bedroom as a regular thing, though we have one now who likes to sleep at the foot of our bed as a treat. Nut (pronounced Noot, an Egyptian cat goddess whom she resembles) is a most unusual cat. In an area renowned for coyotes who love to feast on cat, she has the good sense to be inside from mid-evening on. Sometimes if she decides on a night on the 'town' and she is late we have to call her in, but she will not respond to her name, I have to miaow for her and if perhaps I am closing the door thinking she is not coming but she is within earshot, she shouts for me to keep the door open! She knows where our bedroom is too, and if she is so late that we have gone to bed, she calls beneath our window until someone - my husband - gets up to let her in!! Dogs have owners, cats have staff, but the staff have the right to designate the cat bedroom and a garage sounds fine to me! :-)

Always made sure my three were in at night, even after I moved and one of them kept going back to the old stamping ground three streets away. I would have to leave my then 5 year old in bed and run down the road calling Chloe softly till I saw her and could grab her. That was in the autumn when we first moved, as soon as it started to get colder she would stay close by home and come in when I called. Then Lucy got a bit awkward and would hide under cars parked outside. The number of nights I was on my knees by the cars shaking the box of cat biscuits or laying a trail to tempt her in, don't know what the neighbours thought. But always made sure they were in - would never dream of shoving them out as I went to bed, that is just irresponsible.

We bring in our 5 at night, Liz. Always have done. Unfortunately, every now and then, there's a spate of cats and kittens going missing; I'd rather ours were in. x

Thank you everyone for your replies and views. As I said before, I do not want Laurel and Hardy to be out at night, but having them in the house is soooo noisy and disruptive. If you close a door they will scratch and miaow until it is opened, and if they come into the bedroom they pounce on our feet or burrow under the duvet and sneeze in our faces. As I said at the beginning this went on until 3.30 this morning - hubby was mad. So, they go in the garage, where they have all mod cons, but I still feel guilty. I am doing the best I can for the family as a whole however - life is full of compromises after all. Liz :-)

5 cats, 3 on our bed!!!! one on a chair or on a hot pipe and one on daughters bed!! quick headcount before I go to bed, I know that they will be there in the morning as it is feeding time LOL they do have access to the flapflap and two litter trays though

My boys can come and go as they please. One goes to bed with my daughter and stays there all night. The other one comes up and sleeps on my feet in the early hours. Cats should always have a refuge so if you do put them out at night, please, for their own safety, make sure they can get in somewhere and be safe. Ours can't stay in the house if we're not there because they set the alarm off, but we always make sure they can get into the rear lobby and the bathroom. I wouldn't want them to be chased by Big Ginge from No 26 and not be able to get away. Sheila

We had three cats years an yearsago and every night we would boot them out

Yes - you're quite right it is 'Bell Book & Candle'. It was the name of an imp that was a common witches familiar according to Hopkins the Witchfinder General. When we 'inherited' Pye he had already been given the name Pythagoras but answered to Pi . I couldn't resist changing it slightly to being short for Pyewacket. When he is naughty he gets called Mr Wacket!! Julie R

My cat sleeps in my bedroom - he's very good, goes to sleep when I do and doesn't get up until I do although he does jump on me sometimes if I don't get up early enough. He has got a cat flap and comes and goes as he pleases during the day but I lock it at night so he can't get out. I can't sleep if he isn't inside, wondering if he's been run over or something. The one time I forgot to lock it, he went out and didn't come home for 2 days, I was distraught, I think he was locked in somewhere. Never again - it gets locked without fail now. Sam x

Oh I wouldn't be able to sleep if Clicquot was out at night!! I've learnt to sleep thru her running around. Before daddy died bedroom doors would be shut and we'd see her in the morning.... now she won't allow doors to be shut, she'll miaow and miaow until you open it.... madam doesn't want to come in just doesn't like the door shut!! She never uses anything but her litter tray, day or night..... she can be out for hours during the day but will still come home to do her business!! :O) xx

I bet your neighbours will too Barbara!! Mau x ;0)

Our cat who's ten stays in, she's shut downstairs. She doesn't like the back door shut when she goes out also she has a tendency to fight other cats so if shes in we get a much better night sleep!

My cat is in and out all day, i live next to a dene so there's no danger of her getting hit by a car. I dont let her out once its dark and she tends to sleep at night so its not a problem. I think i would fret all night if she was outdoors lol.

Wasn't Pyewacket the name of the cat in the film Bell Book & Candle? Great name!! Julie xxx

My 4 have the run of downstairs and the landing upstairs. They have a cat flap and a litter tray just-in-case! They are all rescue cats and one, Pyewacket, goes beserk if he can't get out. But Lily refuses to go out at all at night after a close encounter with an owl. My cats certainly aren't allowed in the bedroom after Lily sneezed right in my face, Pye brought me a live mouse at 3 am and Jimbo was sick and I trod in it.....all on thesame night!! Julie R

I have 4 cats, they have their own door, so come and go as they like, the living room is connected to kitchen so we shut living room door at night to keep them all in there, wouldnt get any sleep otherwise. get up at 6.00 to feed them then they get free access to the rest of the house. jean

All the cat owners where we live put their beloved cats out at night. We know because we have to pick up their 'calling cards' the next day!! if some owners can bring their cats in why can't others? i think it's cruel to leave them out in all weathers. You wouldn't leave your dog out would you? Rant over. Mau x ;0(

Our Cats are brought in at night. We don't let them out when it's dark. At work we always tell people to keep them indoors at night too.