Letting cats outside.

ljw2701

I too was totally paranoid about letting my kitten out - we got her last November (at 7 weeks) and, although it took a bit of effort keeping doors constantly closed, kept her in until she had recovered from being spayed at six months.

The first day I thought she'd just stay in the garden but........first chance she got she was off into next door's garden and couldn't be tempted back. I foolishly went after her (the front way!) but just ended up chasing her further away:eek:. (It was, however, a way of meeting neighbours we hadn't come across!!)

Luckily, it started to rain and she came back like a shot. After that it actually got better - the first day is always the worst.

Then in October we moved house........and it all started again!!:rotfl:

Mrs_Supersaver_1

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

My 2 new kittens have just finished their 2nd vaccinations and are 3 months old now. An old wives tale is to rub kittens front paws in a small amount of butter/margarine, before you let them out as this stops them wandering off!! I let our kittens explore just outside kitchen door for a couple of days. Then increased this to twice per day, they soon spotted birds and the squirrels, and now love to be out for about 15 mins x 3 daily.

Fluffy is a long haired black/white female and climbs to top of our conifer tree already. Harry, runt of litter of 4, is a small pure black short haired timid male. Both adorable and very affectionate. We also have their mum Mrs Socks and her first and only kitten (born early 2007) Mittens. All had their paws in butter and so far not wandered off.

bulchy

I think the reason for putting the butter on the paws is so that when the cat is first let out, it will stay in its own garden while it licks the butter off the paws, the cat will be leaving its own scent in the spot where it licked the paws, so it can recognise its own scent when it returns is this right? I've known loads of peeps who have did this, also, some people will leave the cats used litter in the garden, another familiar scent for them to recognise.
Sue

Tortieshell

lisyloo wrote:

"Why shouldn't people that don't like cat poo in their gardens have their say?"

Yes everyone is intitled to a opinion, BUT this is not the right place, this lady is not asking for a opinion poll about cats (a word the last poster couldnt even bring himself to say!) but merely worried about letting the kitties out.

The last poster (and probably yourself) just decided to pop into the pets forum just for a b*tch and having nothing to say in regards to the posters dilema.

carli_h

Well said Tortieshell!

I'm all for freedom of speech but perhaps Lisyloo and Stamford's comments would be best suited to the 'In my garden' board rather than Pet Care where I am sure they were receive useful advice on detering cats from their garden.

Going back to the thread... an update as I let the cats out for 10 minutes yesterday. My scatty tortie was terrified at first and had her very fluffy tail on and cowered close to the ground but soon got in to her stride. My black cat who is just about the most bolshy cat there is was all over the place and was trying to work out how to get back out when we got them in.

I will let them out again today but probably on a harness as they kept going down the side of the house towards the road. Unfortunately they weren't remotely interested in food bribes, I might try their favourite toys. The black one is more like a dog as she like to fetch her toys!

lisyloo

Yes everyone is intitled to a opinion, BUT this is not the right place.[?QUOTE]

Thanks for your replies Tortieshell and carli_h. Nice to have some polite debate.

I do think it's valid to make the OP aware that the cats may not be well received by all neighbours and this can have far reaching effects (like problems selling the house if it escalates). Perhaps then they can take positive action from day 1. I'm not an expert on it, but another cat owner said that they made it inviting by building a gravel trench in their own garden (bit like a litter tray) so the cats preferred their own garden.

It's like everything I guess, you need to have some consideration for other people who may have very different priorities from your own.

Carrera74

I have a 4 year ginger tom who loves being outside and we adopted a black kitten who was 6 months old on Christmas Day. He has a cat flap so comes and goes when he pleases and it didn't take her long to see how to escape. She loves being in the back garden but she literally goes out and sits under a bush and just watches leaves moving and the birds flying over her head. I dread to think as she gets bigger and investigates further afield. I'm hoping she won't want to leave the garden! I lost my first cat to a car accident and I dread to think that the same could happen to the kitten. My tom seems really 'streetwise' I'm sure they all do eventually

And as for going in the neighbours gardens. My tom always comes in to use the toilet as does the kitten - sometimes I wish they'd learn to use the dug up area of the garden but better in the litter tray than annoying my neighbours

Carrera74

My kitten left the garden yesterday!!! and then went missing for 3 hours. I was absolutely devasted and walked the streets calling her name and over the road to the industrial estate just in case she had crossed over the road. We rang the RSPCA to report her missing and my OH was putting the recycling out and he heard a very faint meow. She was under next doors shed. I was so relieved and was in tears. I have no idea where she had been as we'd walked passed there and shouted her a few times but she was wet through, her back and tail were all fluffy and she was shaking. Poor thing. I've decided to keep her in now at least for another couple of months. If I could I think I'd keep her as an indoor cat but it's going to work out hard because of the tom. I don't want to feel what I did yesterday again

BizzyBek

My 2p worth. Never let a kitten out until it is 6 months old AND has been spayed/neutered & microchipped. If possible make sure it wears a safety with info too.

Some cats do actually suffer agoraphobia (I have one) but it is quite rare.

asea

I moved in with my better half about a month ago. Our cats are getting along reasonably well (no fighting but not much interaction with each other).

Until now, Cleo was an indoors only cat (I lived on a boat so that was the only way!). She escaped onto the pontoon a few times but always came back within about 3 minutes!

Now that she has settled, I would like her to start going outside into our garden. Does anybody have any tips to help the transition from indoors only to indoors/outdoors cat?

Duke has now taken to using her litter tray so Even though he has always refused to use one. We would be very happy if they would start using a tray outside as it's getting silly now!

Thanks