Letting cats outside.

Joannef_2

As they are 19 months and have not gone out yet, you might find that they don't venture too far.

I had a cat which I got as a kitten and when I lived in a second floor flat. As I wasn't supposed to have any pets there (although plenty others did too) and because it was on the second floor and entry was only by a secure code entry system I didn't let him out.

I then moved to a house for about 6 months. He went out only a couple of times as he wasn't really interested in the outside world. Once my ex boyfriend put him about 3 in the morning and didn't bother to let him back in again :mad: He went missing for about 4 days. I was ready to kill my boyfriend but my cat came home very dirty and skinny and I assume as it was bin day when he went missing, his curiosity and love of cupboards was to blame for him missing!

I then moved to a first floor flat when he was about 3 years old. He used to sit out on the window sill and occassionally go outside and sit by the door to the block of flats sunning himself but I could always see where he was and he didn't venture any further.

When I moved to my house he was 5 or 6 and didn't go much further than our garden! We have fields behind our house and he wasn't interested in hunting, he just watched the other cats catching things! I never had a cat flap, I just let him out in the morning to go to the toilet and he would be back again before I left for work (he normally only went out there for about 5 minutes). I then used to let him out in the evening and he would be back before I went to bed.

I suppose it depends on how brave they are as to how far they venture. My cat was always very timid wtih anyone he didn't know and it took a long time for him to get to know someone. He was fine with me, my boyfriend, one of my friends and my boyfriend's parents but I always knew that he was safe going out and that nobody would steal him!

Joannef_2

pinkdiamond wrote: »

i was terrified of letting my baby boy out as he is a ginger tom and i was sure he would wander off as he is very inquisitive. I trained him to go out from 6 months old, after he was neutured and vaccinated but only allowed him to go out while i was home. on his first trip out he was allowed out hungry ie before breakfast. i went out and sat with him in the garden with a box of treats. he explored everything and when he came back to me for reassurance he got a treat. it all went very well as he never went out of my eyesight and wanted to go in after about an hour. i think he was confident because i was out there with him. after that he was only allowed out if i was home and i used to leave the back door open to reassure him. as a result of this, he is now 2 years old and is never out for more than a couple of hours at a time despite having access to a catflap. he is certainly very homely for a ginger tom who i expected would be off romancing the neighbourhood! the harder bit was teaching him the catflap. he really did not get it for the first couple of months which is why i would advise being home when you let them out until you are confident they can get back in. I used to carry him to the back door and show him how to push the catflap or from the other side encourage him through with food which seems to be his biggest motivator.

you really musnt worry because i am sure they will not wander far since they have been housecats for so long.they are also smart enough to know a loving home and will probably be most concerned with how to get back to it rather than wandering off. that's why i think its best that you stay with them the whole time to reinforce it as a positive experience. if you have anymore questions pm me.

I had a ginger tom too. They are such a gorgeous colour. I was worried too when I first let mine out as I thought he'd be off hunting. People always told me ginger toms were roamers but they were so wrong! Mine was such a homely cat too. It's also nice that you know where they are. I would be very worried if I had a cat that went off hunting for days on end.

Tortieshell

stamford wrote: »

I hope you've trained these animals to use a litter tray so they don't go fouling neighbours gardens

It never ceases to amaze me that "cat haters" such as yourself bother reading and posting on these kind of posts?!

darich

stamford wrote: »

I hope you've trained these animals to use a litter tray so they don't go fouling neighbours gardens

Both my cats are trained to use litter trays adn do so while indoors. However outside i can't control them.
Cats almost always bury their faeces anyway.. Much more annoying is the dog walker who lets their dog foul the footway or urinate against lighting columns and makes no attempt to clean up any of the mess left behind.

If you don't like cats then don't read posts relating to feline matters.

stamford

darich wrote: »

Both my cats are trained to use litter trays adn do so while indoors. However outside i can't control them.
Cats almost always bury their faeces anyway.. Much more annoying is the dog walker who lets their dog foul the footway or urinate against lighting columns and makes no attempt to clean up any of the mess left behind.

If you don't like cats then don't read posts relating to feline matters.

My late neighbours two filthy animals never buried their turds - just left them brazenly on show in my flower bed - still made it easier for me to shovel them up and lob them into his garden

carli_h

stamford wrote: »

I hope you've trained these animals to use a litter tray so they don't go fouling neighbours gardens

Lets hope so stamford as they have been living as house cats for the last 19 months!!!! I can reassure you they will continue to have a litter tray in the house, but cannot guarantee they will use it. I'm not sure if there is a technique for training cats to cover their poo in the garden, anyone have any ideas????

Thank you for overall positive feedback eveyone. I think I will let them out in the new year.

I hope you all have a fab 2008! _party_

clairewp

hi my two babies r 13 weeks old now and have been out a few times for about 5 mins with us with them when do i let them go on their own and for how long

lisyloo

It never ceases to amaze me that "cat haters" such as yourself bother reading and posting on these kind of posts?!

Why shouldn't people that don't like cat poo in their gardens have their say?
Do you think it is nice?
What about small children?

I think responsible cat (and dog) owners should try to train their animals and/or pick up their poo - I have heard that both are possible.

However outside i can't control them.

Other cat owners have told me it's possible to train them to poo in their own garden or tray by making it inviting enough.
If you really can't control them outside and it's a known fact that they can cause problems to other people's property then do you not think that you should question whether you should keep a cat? - it's a serious question not an attack.
Personally if I couldn't control the consequences of my animal then I don't think I would want one that would cause damage (and potentially serious illness like blindness) to other people.

I love animals but I'm also very pro responsile ownership (for ALL types of animal).

If you don't like cats then don't read posts relating to feline matters.

Why shouldn't "suffers" of cat poo have their say?
It a free discussion board and I think it's highlighted an inmportant issue that the OP should consider.
Problems with neighbours have to be declared when you sell your house so it can have serious consequences.
Even if you don't agree 100% with your neighbours, you ought to have an interest in keeping on good terms with them for an easy life and to be able to sell your house.

bulchy

clairewp wrote: »

hi my two babies r 13 weeks old now and have been out a few times for about 5 mins with us with them when do i let them go on their own and for how long

13 weeks is a bit young to be let out alone. My boys were about 8 months old the first time they went out. By then they had been neutered and microchipped, so at least I would be informed (hopefully) if either of them had gone missing.
Sue

bulchy

Badger_Lady wrote: »

I'm sure you do the best for your cats, bulchy, but it does seem mean to suggest keeping them in just to save your own stress. Most cats love the freedom of exploring their environment, even if they choose to keep it within the confines of their own garden.

They are independent creatures capable of looking after themselves, so unless there's a very real danger to them (such as busy roads), I would encourage every effort to introduce them to the outside. Sometimes we owners just have to learn to relax and trust them!

I'm not being mean in hoping my girl chooses to be a house cat, too many cats in my neighbourhood have gone missing lately for me to just allow her to roam the streets. She gets lots of attention in the home through play grooming etc if she wants to go out, fair enough I cant stop her, but if she doesnt show any interest, I certainly wont push it.
Sue