Your cat spends winter nights outside: should you let them, and how to give them shelter
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Leaving a cat outside in winter at night is only worth considering for a healthy adult used to the outdoors, on a mild night: below 7 to 8 °C, the RSPCA advises bringing them in until morning. Kittens, older, unwell or short-haired cats sleep indoors. If yours goes out anyway, they need somewhere dry, out of the wind.
Should you leave your cat outside at night in winter?
No, once the nights turn cold. The Cornell Feline Health Center says that keeping cats indoors is the best way to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. According to the RSPCA, a cat exposed to temperatures below 10 °C for too long risks hypothermia, frostbite or respiratory problems: it advises keeping them in overnight below 7 to 8 °C.
Night-time brings two risks together: according to Cats Protection, temperatures are lower then and the risk of road traffic accidents is higher.
That leaves the sturdy adult who has lived outdoors for years. According to Sevetys, a French network of veterinary clinics, a cat's shelter should be dry and protected from the wind. For that cat, an outdoor cat house of their own makes mild nights easier. Short-outing temperatures and the signs of a cold cat are covered in taking your cat out in winter.
Who can spend a winter night outside, and who must come in:
| Your cat | Winter night outside | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kitten | No, they come in | The very young are more at risk from the cold, according to the RSPCA |
| Older or arthritic cat | No, they come in | The cold can severely affect the joints of an arthritic cat, according to Cats Protection |
| Unwell or recovering cat | No, they come in | An unwell or convalescent cat copes poorly with low temperatures, according to Sevetys |
| Hairless or short-haired cat | No, they come in | A cat without fur feels the cold more, according to the RSPCA; short-haired cats are far more sensitive, according to Sevetys |
| Indoor cat discovering the outdoors | No | For their first snow, Cats Protection advises a safe, enclosed space, with you close by |
| Healthy adult used to the outdoors | Mild nights only | With somewhere dry and out of the wind; indoors below 7 to 8 °C |
For the first five, no shelter changes the answer: they belong indoors.
Bringing them in for the night without getting up: a cat flap set to in-only in the evening
The best answer to a winter night is access to the house.
Where a door or wall opens straight onto the garden or yard, a 4-way locking cat flap saves you getting up to let them in: in the evening, set it to in-only, and they come in and spend the night at home. It is mechanical: on the open setting, any animal small enough can get through. If you rent, cutting into a door needs your landlord's written agreement.
In-only assumes your cat comes home on their own: it will not fetch a cat who lingers outside. Cats Protection also advises checking regularly that the flap has not frozen over or been blocked by snow.
If they stay out anyway: which shelter, and where to put it?
When there is no way into the house, or your cat stays out for part of the night, a shelter gives them a corner out of the wind, in the same place every evening, where they already like to settle.
- Against a wall or under the eaves, away from gutters: driving rain should not reach it.
- Anchored to the ground, so a gust of wind cannot shift it.
- Lined with a blanket that smells of them for the first few evenings, so they adopt it, without ever shutting them in; for the winter, Cornell recommends straw and advises against cloth.
The RSPCA recommends an insulated, waterproof shelter for outdoor cats. The Pelux outdoor cat house is semi-enclosed, with a pitched roof, wind-blocking walls and a single doorway; it is neither insulated nor heated, and the supplier only describes it as splash-resistant, with no rating. It is a windbreak for mild nights, not an answer to frost: in a hard freeze, nothing replaces access to the house.
It measures 38 × 35 × 38 cm, with a 22 × 18 cm doorway: sized for an average cat, so check the fit for a large one. It weighs only 650 g: anchor it through the strap loops at the foot of the walls, with your own pegs, as none are included.
A corner of their own on windy evenings
Semi-enclosed, wind-blocking walls, one doorway, anchored by its strap loops: it goes together without tools and folds flat once winter is over. Discover the outdoor cat house →
You will find more beds in our beds and scratchers range.
If they go out after dark (from 5 pm in winter): being seen by cars
In winter, your cat often goes out and comes back in the dark. For a cat who goes out, the RSPCA advises a reflective collar that makes them easy to spot.
The breakaway cat collar has a grey band along the full length of its nylon strap: it catches the light of headlights or a street lamp and makes your cat visible as dusk falls. Its buckle comes apart under pulling if the collar gets caught on something; the supplier does not give the release force, so try it yourself when it arrives.
Being seen is no substitute for being indoors: see the dangers of the outdoors for a cat.
Frequently asked questions
Should a cat who spends nights outside in winter eat more?
A little, yes. According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, cats burn more calories keeping warm in winter: feeding them a bit more than in the warmer months helps them avoid losing weight. If their weight changes, talk to your vet.
Why check under the bonnet before starting the car?
A cat looking for warmth will happily slip into the engine compartment or the wheel arches. Cats Protection advises checking under the bonnet before starting the engine; the RSPCA, tapping the bonnet and checking around the wheels; Cornell adds sounding the horn.
Should the garden shed or garage be left open at night?
Cats Protection advises keeping shed and outbuilding doors closed, or slightly open, so a cat does not get shut in. Before locking up in the evening, the RSPCA advises checking that no cat has taken refuge inside.
Key takeaways
- According to the RSPCA, a pet cat should be kept indoors at night once the temperature drops below 7 to 8 °C.
- Kittens and older, arthritic, unwell, hairless or short-haired cats spend winter nights indoors, shelter or no shelter.
- Access to the house, such as a cat flap set to in-only in the evening, beats any outdoor shelter.
- A semi-enclosed, uninsulated shelter placed against a wall and anchored to the ground keeps the wind off on mild nights; it does not protect against frost.