[kym_and_james]

Do your kitties have 24 hour access? Why or why not? Do you find they prefer it out there at certain times of the day?

Mine have 24 hour access. The side of the house makes up one side of the enclosure so a cat door goes straight out into their area. They haven't found a way out yet, and they don't seem too fussed on trying either, so I let them come and go as they please.

Jackie did wake me up with a start at 3am this morning though! He started making that siren cat noise. You know, ROOOOOWWWRRRR, and there was another cat noise outside. I flicked the back light on and looked out but there was no other cat there. He came in and wasn't annoyed at all so not sure what happened there. They do seem to like it outside at night though.

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[CatsRU]

Kym, Henry & Cilla have 24 hr access as well but they mostly sleep inside at night - their choice.

[fleabag]

My last enclosure was available 24/7...mostly tho it was explore for a while then come into my bed.

[Merri]

My boys don't. They tend to hunt the frogs in the garden once it's dark, which I don't like but also we have some neighbourhood roamers who create a stir and I don't want my guys yowling and carrying on in the middle of the night. They are used to going to bed when I do, so it works for us.

I prefer to have Callie inside if possible, but if she's curled up in one of her hidey-holes I just leave her be. She doesn't get into any trouble out there and will always bang on the door if she wants to come in anyway.

This post has been edited by Merri: 13 January 2009 - 09:55 AM

[sealhope]

Mine have 24 hour access and, unless it is a very warm night, they prefer to sleep inside on my bed. They do like to get up early to go out for the dawn excitement, though.

[kym_and_james]

Neko and Lilly tend to sleep on the bed most of the night, but Jackie is usually out there when we go to bed. Not sure how long for because he doesn't sleep on our bed anyway.

On the weekend though they are always up before us and outside in the early morning sun.

[Inca]

mine have 24hr access; they all spend time out during the day but all appear in the early evening and sleep on the bed.

some do go out overnight but it seems to be on rotation - I guess they have some kind of roster system just to keep an eye on things LOL

we have to replace the cat flap as it is taking Zeus awhile to get thru it....he needs a doggy door now

[Kirov_grrl]

Mine don't...

They get access from around 7am - until dinner time, 7pm-ish.

Unfortunately we have a number of roaming neighbourhood cats, and they cause too much trouble and stress out my cats in the early hours of the morning....

[Doreen]

Mine have 24 hour access to the cat-proof garden, they use the garden beds for their kitty litter although I have one litter box ready for emergencies inside. I know they love to be out there in the evenings, and very early in the mornings as well.

[kym_and_james]

I must have crazy kitty because Lilly will sleep out there in the hottest part of the day. Sometimes I go out there to check she is still breathing! Haha. Good thing I out shadecloth over the enclosure for her little white ears.

[dantri]

some do go out overnight but it seems to be on rotation - I guess they have some kind of roster system just to keep an eye on things LOL

Definitely! My two do. Desi is Chief of Security and at night will ALWAYS do perimeter checks. In our old house we had lots of cats that would come into our yard so we would always sit in his little hammock at the back door and keep watch, doing the rounds every hour or so (including checking that we're still breathing). When Desi went missing for 2 nights, Lucy took over but of course with greater committment and more alerts because he was missing. It was very funny.

At present my enclosure isn't connected to the house so ours only go out there when we put them there. I don't know if I'll let them out their 24/7 when we do connect it. I know that when we get set up on the farm, I don't want them out there at night. I'm scared of nasty foxes or something getting in. Desi could very easily be mistaken for a plump grey rabbit sleeping in the moonlight....

[Boro Girl]

I close off the cat flap to Hamish's enclosure at night as he has to jump on my bed to use it. It would drive me nuts if he was coming and going through the night. It doesn't seem to bother him.

[Little Soot]

Gucci is allowed out in the Gucci-proof backyard whenever I'm at home. But when I go to bed - so does he - usually locked in the garage, although lately I've been leaving him the run of the house at night. (OH is not amused when he jumps on his head in the middle of the night though! )

[Samantha]

I will begin building my new enclosure in March and they will have 24/7 access hopefully it will stop jasmine trying to wake me up at sun rise and begging me to supervise her outside

[Tigey]

no but it's mainly because spiders tend to enter the house at night so i close their window. so far 1 huge one and 1 huntsman