Letting her out

[nickynoo93]

Mine were indoor before we moved in May. They go out but only into the garden. I am up and down like a yoyo, making sure they haven't escaped!
I saw Charlie in the front garden one day and nearly had a panic attack.lol He jumped the gate(now catproof). He came running in like a loony as he knew he had been naughty.

Poppy has just nipped in now for the loo, I'm not sure that they have 'been' outside. The smell they make in the tray would suggest not!

They get lots of attention and have lots of diffeerent toys, which I pack away and they get back out!

Nicky

[Fire Fox]

Thanks for the replies.

Kayla is chipped (which i need to update as she is registered to her previous owner) and she is spayed, so no worries there.
I know when she lived outside she never wandered too far, but then there are also a lot of cats round here, so i also worry about fights.

Do house cats have an equally happy life?

IMO it depends on the individual cat and the domestic situation. Some cats love to go out, others are not fussed. Some need feline company, others need human company. Some are happy with solo play, others need to be interacted with. Some slaves work very long hours, others are retired or work from home. Is it possible to cat-proof your garden or install a run?

My Noah is really not fussed - at his foster home the stairs were babygated and he never attempted to jump over. Here he used to run into the corridor when I got home from a late shift; I got the impression he wanted to know where I'd been! I adopted him as an indoor cat for health reasons but, given that he doesn't like other cats dogs OR loud noises, it's for the best.

[Shazza]

Thanks Ellen.

She gets plenty of play time and has loads of toys etc. She seems really happy most of the time (she has just pounced on my sock  ). Most of the time when me or my boyfriend are in we are holding a fishing rod toy or stroking her without realising were doing so, it just becomes second nature  .

Hope your toe heals quickly, sounds very painful.

[Ellen2010]

Shazza all my cats are indoor cats but if kept indoors they have to have plenty of enrichment so are more time consuming in some ways as you are always thinking of new things to keep them occupied with.  At the moment with me doing a lot of crocheting and knitting they think it is fun to attack the ball of wool I am using at the time, but it is interaction for them and being allowed to be mischievous as well.  I have been doing a lot of crocheting just lately.

I fell last night and really bent one of my big toes back and can hardly walk on it and it is becoming  very bruised and maybe more so as the cats are whacking it with their paws as when they do this I flinch like mad and they think this is great fun at the moment 

[Shazza]

Thanks for the replies.

Kayla is chipped (which i need to update as she is registered to her previous owner) and she is spayed, so no worries there.
I know when she lived outside she never wandered too far, but then there are also a lot of cats round here, so i also worry about fights.

Do house cats have an equally happy life?

[Guest]

You can never get rid of the tray, even if they go outside cos there comes a tim,e when they dont want to go out and need it. Rain, snow an intruder.

My two refuse to go outside and run in to their trays like their life depend on  it!!

[Fire Fox]

You can never get rid of the tray, even if they go outside cos there comes a tim,e when they dont want to go out and need it. Rain, snow an intruder.

Off topic but just thinking one of my previous babes.  Remember her wailing at the back cat flap because it was bucketing down and she wanted a pee, then wailing at the front door (garden, back-to-front house) to be let out and looking appalled when she realised it was raining there too. 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

You can never get rid of the tray, even if they go outside cos there comes a tim,e when they dont want to go out and need it. Rain, snow an intruder.

And its the easiest way of picking up on an UTI or upset tummy !

[Cooper & Peanut]

You can never get rid of the tray, even if they go outside cos there comes a tim,e when they dont want to go out and need it. Rain, snow an intruder.

......sigh. Very true though 

Mine are both neutered and microchipped 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

You can never get rid of the tray, even if they go outside cos there comes a tim,e when they dont want to go out and need it. Rain, snow an intruder.

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

Do not let any new cat out without being microchipped!!!!!
Go into the garden with them little and often and make sure they are hungry when they go out.. Get them into a routine with a noise that they know means food!

But the reality is that is you let a cat outside you do have to take a leap of faith.. I live very rurally and my new puss cat has a Locate tag on him.. but they want stop him wandering the 22 acres of woodland nr me.. But it will give me some peace of mind if he goes missing for longer then normal.. Its all to do with trust.. and i am not able to walk and go through all the 22acres of woodland nr me so its a matter of  hoping they do want to come back !! As a cat gets owner it tends to wander less and be more set in routine... but young cats its not easy..

Also make sure they are neutered and i would always advice keepiing a new cat in at least a month..

I used a harness for Noah for 2wks and that worked well as well

[Cooper & Peanut]

I've got the same concern, except I'm lead to believe that my babes were kept indoors in their previous home, so I'm terrified of letting them out. Peanut has been in the garden a couple of times under supervision, but did escape under the fence and I nearly had a cardiac arrest! 

She came back after about 5-10 mins and I've not let her out since! Cooper on the other hand, is a big girl and he won't go out. He's stepped outside once for about a millisecond and then flew back in.

I'm so, so scared to let them out, so I 100% feel your distress. I would like them to enjoy the outdoors, would also like to get rid of the stinky litter tray! 

They've been with me for 5 weeks now

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think she shoukld stay in for at least another week although the optimum is really 4-6 weeks.

[Shazza]

I have had Kayla for two weeks now, and she has been staying in the house with the exception of two times when she slipped passed us  . She is road wise as i mentioned in my intro thread, she was living outside in her previous home.

However, on the two occasions she escaped she started wandering round the garden then visited my neighbours. I know it is normal for cats to roam, but im such a worrier. When would you suggest i can let her out and how do i stop the worry?