Why shouldn't you let cats out when it's dark?

Question

I'd like to hear any true stories about what happened when you let your cats out when it was dark.

Have your cats ever brought anything horrible back into the house for example at dawn/dusk/night time?

Answer 1

I think most people want to keep them in when it's dark for different reasons.

Cats will mostly hunt at dawn and dusk so keeping them in means that the local wildlife population can breathe a bit easier (well they do when ours is in lol)

Also I'm pretty sure the majority of cats that are run over are during the night as well.

Answer 2

Up until a couple of nights ago, I let my cat come and go as she pleased. The weather has now turned a bit nippy, so I don't want to leave a window open all night. The only things she brings in are two neighbouring Tom Cats. One she hisses and spits at, the other she hides from. The other morning, they were both in at 4.00 a.m. Didn't realise that both were in though - thought it was only one. Shooed him out and shut the window. Two hours later, the other had enough of being in my house and started shouting 'hello'. Had to get up and open the back door to let him out. I wish they would understand that when a little lady cat says no, she means it!

I have watched her hunting. Bless her, she is all action and no result!

I live in London in the middle of a terrace of houses. The garden backs on to the back gardens of the houses in the next street. Some of the other cats who live near the end of the terrace get out onto the road, but mine never travels far and I think she is quite safe from traffic.

Answer 3

I personally don't let my cats out when it's dark-they only come out with me during the day and are under supervision. That said, many things can happen after dark: cars can hit them (more likely to at night when they can't see the cat), you never know when some horrible person could come along and try to hurt your cat for whatever twisted reason, and your cat could get into a fight with other cats or wild animals (such as racoons) which can lead to injury and even death depending on the animal.

Answer 4

All the vets & animal charities strongly advise keeping your cat in at night. Road accidents involving cats happen far more often at night probably because drivers can't see the cats so easily. Cat thieves operate at night because it's easier to avoid being seen. Foxes and other wild predators are more active after dark.

I've had a lot of cats in my life. Only two of them have had road accidents. One was injured - his hip was dislocated (he recovered). The other, tragically, was killed. Both happened at night. I never let my cats out at night now.

A lot of people think that cats want to stay out all night. That is a fallacy. Many cats will ask to go out, stay out for about 3 or 4 hours, then at about 4am when everyone is asleep they'll want to come in and sleep in the warm but there is no one awake to let them in. They have to wait, dejected, hungry, cold & miserable until morning when the humans wake up.

Answer 5

Cats CAN survive out at dark - in fact they thrive! It's when they hunt. But I can see you don't want the facts - you want a good story... so here's a scary/funny true story that happened to my cat. We used to live in London - where Jenny was an outdoor cat. (Now she's is an indoor cat lol I do like it better actually...) And one night she was almost killed by a hungry fox. Yeah - she was up on top of our back-yard shed and the fox was circulating around the bottom just biding its time... poor thing! She was to terrified to even cry out. Of course we immediately rushed to her rescue - but that was probably her turning point to becoming an indoor pussums.

Answer 6

I suppose it depends where you live. If you live in an area where there is a lot of traffic at bedtime-ish, your cat may not be safe but our 2 cats loved to be out at night. Foxes don't generally kill cats - I did see one being followed by next doors cat - he kept turning round and looked really embarrassed about this big tom cat trailing him!

Answer 7

Ive never heared that you arnt meant to leave vats outside at night but its probably because if it is dark althow the cat can see well drivers cant as well, maybe because it might get run over, just a guess

hope this helps

Answer 8

Because they go out and fight, disturbing the neighborhood's sleeping.
And they are more likely to mate, causing many unwanted kittens and staving strays, that sometime go Ferrel.
And your cat could come home awfully wounded, causing grief to them and yourself and some financial strain with vets bills.
If you Love your cat, keep him inside especially of a night time, because the worst that could happen, cats being instinctively nocturnal, are blinded and dazed by artificial light, such as head lights, so you baby may not return home one night.

Answer 9

I have four cats. Inky, Dinky, Pinky and Perky. I never ever let them out at night. It's too dangerous. They are more likely to get run over at night. It is awful to hear cats fight at night as well. They should always be kept in at night.

Answer 10

My cat comes and goes as he pleases, using the cat flap. He has brought many presents in with him in the past, though not recently thankfully, which have included dead mice, dead birds, a dead pigeon (I still haven't worked out how he got it through the cat flap - it was in perfect condition other than being deceased, without a mark on it) and several live mice, which he has then released in my home and it has taken me days or weeks to catch and release.

A friend of mine's cat brought her home a live fish, which they now have in tank - how spoilt is that? A cat with its own pet!