Shutting cats outside at night in -4c

sofababe

My friend has just mentioned that they always put their 2 cats out at night and let them in each morning for their breakfast. As far as I know they don't have a shed or anything that the cats have access to for sleeping. It was down to -4 last night and I'm horrified that they do this, they seem to adore their cats otherwise.

I have looked at the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and it just seems to say that you must provide somewhere suitable for them to live....does this mean 24/7?

Can anyone clarify whether or not my friends are doing anything wrong legally? I'd hate for them to get into trouble as they really do love the cats, but its really worrying me. As my friend pointed out when I expressed my horror "What? They have fur!!"

My neighbours also don't have their cats inside, actually never, as far as I can see. I'm not so worried about them at night as they sleep in my kitchen most nights. I should start charging rent!!

I don't understand why people have pets but don't have them in the house. Whats the point of that? You might as well adopt a wild tiger or something.

krlyr

The most recent act to look at would be the five freedoms

http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/faq/-/question/ENQ_Five_Freedoms/category/Pets/

You could argue that they are not providing the right environment or somewhere comfortable to rest, that they're not adequately protecting them from illness or from distress. Possibly even not providing fresh water - what can the cats drink if everything is frozen?
Problem is, this kind of mistreatment is subjective as such - unless the cats are skin and bone or suffering hypothermia, for example, there's no physical proof that they're uncomfortable or unhappy, you may feel that they probably are but you can't ask them how they feel. The RSPCA are limited in their powers and would need evidence before they could sieze animals and/or prosecute. You might be better trying to educate your friend - though a visit from the RSPCA to check out a complaint might spur them on (or could ruin your friendship, and thus prevent you being able to convince them to make some changes)

Dog kennels can be picked up cheaply from Ebay, or even Freecycle. A few blankets, some igloo-type beds inside, a blanket pinned over the doorway to protect from the window, and voila, a cheap nighttime shelter.
Perhaps you could approach it from a different angle - maybe a "Oh, my neighbours cats have been so unhappy being shut out in this weather and have been practically begging to get into my kitchen at night! It suddenly dawned on me that they mustn't be able to find any fresh water, and the wind does have a bitter chill at the moment.." - people tend to listen more when you're not criticizing them directly, so if you make it sound like a concern because of the neighbour's cat, it may be listened to a bit more.

peachyprice

It isn't something I would do, but if it's the way it's always been the cats will be used to it, I don't think it's necessarily 'wrong' and certainly not illegal. It could be argued that if she kept them in just because it was cold she would be depriving them of their freedom and of the lifestlye they are used to which is equally as cruel.

Cats are nocturnal by nature and that has only changed to suit humans. The cats probably spend the night on the prowl and then come inside to sleep all day, which is far more natural for a cat than the way we want it to be.

If it tried to put my cats out at night against their will firstly I'd have trouble catching them or even finding them, secondly they would then sit at the front door howling. Do her cats do this or are they quite happy to go out? And yes, they do have fur and will have thicker fur than a cat that isn't out all night.

There is also the possiblity that there is a home nearby who have 'adopted' cats that only come home at night

sofababe

I have a catflap so my 2 are free to come and go as they please. I think they do go out during the night when the weather is ok but I wouldn't dream of forcing them to be outside when they wanted to be in.
The neighbours cats use the catflap too, the kitten is in my house most of the day as well as at night and now the older cat has started coming in at night. Last winter it slept under my hedge most nights Its not very friendly but I'd rather know it was safe and happy.
On the subject of my neighbour and her lack of care for her cats, they also appear to be starving hungry most of the time. The older one once got in my sink and ate thru the cellophane to chew the half frozen leg off a thawing chicken. Of course I caught him in the act and the chicken went in the bin :mad: but a well fed cat wouldn't do that would it? I'm so close to calling the RSPCA about her. What would you do?

Mojisola

peachyprice wrote: »

It isn't something I would do, but if it's the way it's always been the cats will be used to it

Knowing cats, they will have another owner who "puts them out during the day" and doesn't see them again until the evening.

peachyprice

sofababe wrote: »

I The older one once got in my sink and ate thru the cellophane to chew the half frozen leg off a thawing chicken. Of course I caught him in the act and the chicken went in the bin :mad: but a well fed cat wouldn't do that would it? I'm so close to calling the RSPCA about her. What would you do?

Yes, it would!

I caught one of mine pinching the chicken bones out of the compost caddy last night, an hour after he'd been fed when he still had a pile of biscuits in his bowl!

LudaMusser

I think I should go on Dragon`s Den.

I`ve had an idea that I think will sell millions, it`s called a cat flap. It`s a tiny door that lets cats come and go as they please, they don`t have to be locked outside all night then. If it sells really, really well I might go a step further and do a magnetic cat flap, an infrared one and even one that scans their microchip

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

sofababe wrote: »

On the subject of my neighbour and her lack of care for her cats, they also appear to be starving hungry most of the time. The older one once got in my sink and ate thru the cellophane to chew the half frozen leg off a thawing chicken. Of course I caught him in the act and the chicken went in the bin :mad: but a well fed cat wouldn't do that would it? I'm so close to calling the RSPCA about her. What would you do?

Oh, yes they would. One of mine, the youngest one, is so motivated by food - raw meat in particular - that he would walk on hot coals and abandon the best foie gras in the world, so long as he got a shot at a proper lump of dead bird. Fortunately, he isn't old enough to have managed the leap from the floor to the sink yet, but once he does, I fully expect him to have a go at catching his own Sunday Dinner. :cool: So I defrost meat in the fridge instead (and he still abandons his dinner to try and stick his head in there on the offchance there's an unattended bit of ham or mince about to fall out).



Cats evolved in Africa/the Middle East. Whilst it's very hot during daylight, it's very cold at night, hence the fur - it creates an insulating layer that keeps them both warm and cool.

But your average domestic tabby doesn't run around the pyramids being worshipped as manifestations of a goddess (even if they behave as though they should be) catching rats and mice to protect the grain stores. They trot around the suburbs, hoping for unattended ham or sparrows. And our winter nights are far, far longer than those near the equator.

They need somewhere warm to sleep - even if it's somebody else's home - and maybe if they heard someone might think they were unloved and try to keep them, perhaps they would at least consider providing a cosy shelter for outside. It also might be worth mentioning that cats that get run over tend to be killed at night because drivers can't see them then, or early in the morning when the cars are started up because the cats have been sheltering underneath the vehicles for warmth.

Gloomendoom

sofababe wrote: »

On the subject of my neighbour and her lack of care for her cats, they also appear to be starving hungry most of the time. The older one once got in my sink and ate thru the cellophane to chew the half frozen leg off a thawing chicken. Of course I caught him in the act and the chicken went in the bin :mad:

It would have gone in the oven in my house.

Nothing like a roasting at 200°C for a couple of hours to kill germs.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Gloomendoom wrote: »

It would have gone in the oven in my house.

Nothing like a roasting at 200°C for a couple of hours to kill germs.

You mean the chicken, right?

paddypaws101

Well it certainly would not be the way that I would treat MY cats....but I also doubt very much that the RSPCA would consider it as cruelty.
My pampered puss cats have a cat flap and more fleece blankets than Ikea....but I can remember back to childhood cats that were also always put out at night and certainly seemed none the worse for it. OK, we had a couple of sheds with rudimentary cat beds made out of old cardboard boxes and rags especially for them but cats are wiley creatures and I am sure that your friends' cats have found themselves a cosy nook whether or not one has been specifically designed for them.