What age to let cat outside ...

Kt8

My kitten is a juvenile now she is 4 months old coming up to 5. She has already started meowing to the open window when she is on the window sill I just know she is definitely an outdoor cat.
She is due to be neutered and chipped in November but I still fe she is way too young and small to go outside yet:(

I was thinking around 8months to a year I can't bare the day she goes out I'll be so anxious ... We are planning on getting her used to the outside gradually with a harness etc ... How did any of you cope? My stomach flips with worry just thinking about it

krlyr

If it's a real worry, why not look into a cat run (like an aviary) connected to the house? Cat gets the mental stimulation of going outside but none of the risks. If she's not known better then you may find she aclimatises to it easier than an adult cat that's had a taste of "freedom".
Her yowling and desperation to get outside could be caused by her hormones and ease off after her spay, but you could try upping the mental stimulation inside the house too to keep her occupied.

TeaCake

Dont let her outside before she's neutered as females can have kittens from about 4 months.

Kt8

Oo gosh wouldnt dream of letting her out before the snip... I'm just anxious for the future. You can tell she wants to be outside in the sun .. She's only a baby tho still

rising_from_the_ashes

Mine are never allowed out before their "done" so at least 6 months - it also depends on the time of year that happens.

Archie was born in November so by the time he'd had the snip it was moving into summer and I was happy to let him out once he'd recovered.

Mia was quite a bit older - she was born in June so was done in the depths of winter and I didn't want her first venturing out in the dark & she was also recovering from a damaged knee. I guess she was about 9 months by the time she was going out.

When you do "take the plunge" start with very short spells in a secure area (can you secure your garden at all?) - call the cat back after a few mins & give a treat. Keep doing this, gradually building up the length of time he's out.

It's worth perservering with this - both my 2 have excellent recall and 99% of the time will come in on the first yell.:)

Fridaycat

You definitely need to wait until after she is spayed and microchipped so that there is no risk of her getting pregnant and there is an identifier should she get lost (which I'm sure she won't).

Once those are done, the next thing you need to consider is whether or not you will allow her to have full access outside day and night, partial access (i.e. daytime only) or limited access within the confines of a run. Or there is the alternative of not letting puss out at all, which is a possibility as long as they have enough mental stimulation inside.

All of that will be determined by yours (and puss's!) preferences and circumstances - e.g. where you live, are you near busy roads etc.

Being as it will be November when puss is done, you may wish to consider putting off the final decision until the spring, this would seem like a sensible option to me

bluebeary

as others have said, not untill shes dressed and chipped and make sure you have an id tag on her collar as well

i would introduce her to the garden/ outside of the building area first with a cat lead on first also so she can get her bearing and be able to find her way back home