people with indoor/outdoor cats

I didn't know if this is the right section so feel free to move it. If you live in a place with cold winter weather (New England) do you ever stop letting your cat out or stop letting him out at night? I was just wondering because it now drops below freezing at night here and there has been this white cat at our house everyday either late at night or early in the morning. I have not seen him myself, my dad keeps telling me, and my brother saw him too. I'm debating whether or not i want to try and gain his trust (sit out one night and hope he shows up) or to just leave him be. I never used to see him so I don't know if he's supposed to be out and if he's a stray/abandoned or lost kitty I would really like to take him in and find him a home. Then on the other hand I'm afraid he is allowed outside. So I was just curious if most people with indoor/outdoor cats let them out when it gets freezing at night.

One of my cats (Delilah) is indoor/outdoor. I try to avoid letting her out at night at any time of the year, but she can be very sneaky about finding ways to get outside. I've seen it recommended on this board that if you're trying to determine if a cat is owned or not, to put a collar on the kitty with your phone number, so if the kitty goes home the owner could call you and let you know it is their kitty. Good luck!

Before we moved, we had barn cats. Unless it was gonna be sub zero temps, they stayed outside all year round. They had the barn to sleep in with plenty of boxes, blankets to curl up in. If it was gonna be bitter cold, we would allow them to come into the porch for the night. They always wanted back outside during the day tho.

Cats are pretty comfort loving, so I let mine decide if they want to go out or not if it's cold. It never gets very cold here anyhow, just wet and they definitely don't like the rain at all!

Hi! There is a feral/stray cat section with some really awesome people that have tons of insight and experience that can help guide you on this situation. I don't live in as freezing cold a climate just a very damp & chilly one (Oregon Coast). And someone gave me great info on how to construct a great little "shelter" to keep my feral cat warm until I can gain his trust better and am currently working on trying to trap him and neuter him. But check out that forum!! Best of luck!!!

With indoor/outdoor cats they always stopped going outside on their own in the winter. They quit sneaking out the doors when at least by the time it snows. Even my indoor cat is throwing fits and not trying to go out the door because the screened in porch is getting too cold.

With barn cats, ferals, and other outdoor cats they just slept in the stacks of hay. Hay is a very good insulator. We even stack bales of it along the sides of stalls when we have early foals. I know people without barns will take large plastic storage containers, cut a hole in the lid, and then fill it full of straw or hay.

Zoey has a winter coat that is over one inch thick ... but I dont allow her out for more than a few( about 5 minutes) when the temps are below 25

Blossom is indoor only, but my older cat Coco who now lives with my mum is indoor/outdoor. In my state, its the law to have all cats inside at night to protect the local wildlife.