Kittens exploring the great outdoors...

forest phoenix

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Hi friends!

Let me start by saying that I'm not interested in replies that admonish me for allowing my cats to spend time outdoors. I understand the pros and cons of letting cats outside, and I understand and respect that a lot of folks are extremely set in the opinion that cats should not be allowed outside. However, this is not a place for people to tell me not to let my cats outside. I adore cats, and I respect them as autonomous beings, and I feel that it would be cruel for me to deny them access to the natural world from which they derive tremendous joy. I live in a rural area. If they want to stay in, I let them stay in. If they want out, I let them out (within reason) and try to check in with them every few hours and get them inside at bedtime. I love them as my children and I want them to be safe, but not at the expense of a lifetime of unfulfillment for them. I believe that there needs to be a balance. Soooo...

My question is for others that have indoor/outdoor kitties. I adopted a barn cat last spring who has become a wonderful friend. She had a litter of kittens shortly after her adoption, and I kept one of them (the others were adopted by my mother). Momma Ru has since been spayed. Kitten Kohl is now 3 1/2 months old and VERY tenacious. Ru was an outdoor cat when I adopted her, and now that she is spayed,  I am allowing her to go out and explore as she wishes (except not overnight, when I can help it). She is a very sensible and savvy girl. Kohl has very little sense. He's basically the kitten equivalent of a 15 year old boy. I started letting him out at about 2 months old, for short, supervised play time. Now, he goes out most days for an hour or two, and I stay close by and keep tabs on what he's doing. So far, he stays close to the house. He explores the edges of the woods and stream that are near the house, but hasn't gone more than 50 feet from our cabin. He's expressed some interest in going up our dirt road, but I catch him and bring him in when he does so. He wants out alllll the time! I don't let him go unless it's daylight, and his momma is near, and I am near to keep an eye on him. I look forward to a time when I can let them out together, and know that Kohl bear will take care of himself and be safe. I know there are risks associated with letting kitties outside, but I'm wondering what age is appropriate to let them run free so that those risks won't be increased by lack of maturity. It's been so long since I've had a baby kitten. Most of the cats I've ever adopted have been full grown and already accustomed to the inside/outside routine.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Again... I'm only looking for advice from indoor/outdoor cat people. If you have the urge to scold me or warn me not to let my cats out, please just stifle the urge.

Peace and Love
 
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betsygee

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Have you thought of leash/harness training?  I adopted three 3-month old kittens from the SPCA and started taking them outside on leashes and harnesses to get them used to their surroundings and to learn where their home base was.  Once they did, we started letting them off the leashes but kept an eye on them. It was a gradual process that took several months.  

We trained them to come to our whistle or hand clapping and they always came in for dinner and stayed in at night.  Once or twice, our adventurous guy Ozzy stayed out all night, worried me to death, but we were lucky and he came back safe.  

They are all microchipped and we got one of those cat doors that has a curfew feature that lets them out at a certain hour in the morning, and shuts them in at night.

Having said all that....now we're training them to be mostly indoor cats.  
  I've come to believe they're safer that way, I don't have to worry about them being out, and we don't have to clean up after their hunting!  

I don't think they'll ever be 100% indoor only cats, but we've built them a catio now and are getting them used to being in for longer periods of time.  We still let them out when we're home and can keep an eye on them.  

Anyway, you might consider starting Kohl out with a leash/harness.  
 
 
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snowpawprint

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i totally agree with you on the fact that cats can be let outside , my own kitty -blossom-loves the great outdoors!

i think the first thing you should do is get him microchipped- i made the mistake of not getting Blossom microchipped and she was lost for two weeks ,though thankfully she is home now!

secondly you may want to get him neutered to prevent him getting him into fights, him spraying e.t.c

in regards as to what age to let kittens outside, i let blossom out at 5 months, though i have read they can be let out at 4 months...

anyway best of luck to your cats!
 
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forest phoenix

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Thanks so much, @betsygee and @snowpawprint, for your replies :). The anxiety is a major factor. I want my little babies to be happy, but I do hate the feeling of not knowing where they are sometimes. It's a trade-off. I wish I could afford to do the microchipping thing, but I've been hard pressed to get money together just to get everyone vaccinated and neutered. Also, I don't think a chip would help my anxiety or his safety much because my major concerns are potential threats he could encounter when the kids are out playing. I think it would be extremely, extremely unlikely that anyone would take them anywhere to get scanned. Most people around here don't care about cats, unfortunately. The harness training idea is an interesting one. I had tried a harness on Momma Ru when she was pregnant, but she waited for an opportune moment near the woods and then pulled an effortless Houdini in front of my eyes and disappeared into the brush. It's a cat harness, and it was on the smallest setting, and it felt snug on her, so I have no idea how she did it. I could try again with Kohl, and if the harness doesn't hold him snugly, I could try the loop figure 8 thing with a slip leash. Even if I train him to recognize the property boundaries of "home," I worry that he'll get over it and do as he wishes when he sees his mother trotting up the road to the barn or the field, going wherever she wishes. She is beyond training to stay in one place. She's a wild woman who basically does me the favor of coming to visit the house for food and snuggles.
 

NewYork1303

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Our rainbow kitty was an indoor outdoor cat for all 17 years of her life. We started her out by having her on a harness and taking her out that way until she was around 6 months old (more cat sized). She got very good at avoiding danger when she was outside. We only let her out during the day- not at night of course if we could help it. She learned to stay safe by hiding from predators. At one time, we found that she had dug herself down into a rotten tree. She didn't come out until we went looking for her since she was scared of something out there. 

She was the only cat that we have had that was clever enough for a long and full life as an indoor outdoor cat. We had two others that disappeared soon after they turned a year old. Probably taken by coyotes. Our cats now are indoor only since there are too many bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions around here for it to be really safe.  Microchipping here is also not super useful since it is a very rural area. Our cats are microchipped since they came from the shelter that way and with one of them we had it done since the others were. It just gives us peace of mind that we've done everything we can to get them back if they get lost.

For Kohl, I would suggest neutering him before he goes out unsupervised. Unneutered males wander more and are more likely to get into trouble just from that. Hopefully he can learn from his mom and pick up her tricks to help him avoid danger out there. 
 

verna davies

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I have 3 cats. The youngest is 4 months old and is allowed outside in the garden supervised. I won't let him wonder on his own until he is neutered. All of my cats are microchips but they automatically do this before they are adopted.(I live on the uk) I know it doesn't stop me worrying about them but it gives me some piece of mind.

Over here having them microchipped is not expensive and there are schemes that will do it free. As your vet if there are such schemes near you.

Good luck with your little one
 
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forest phoenix

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Thanks @Verna davies and @NewYork1303. His neuter is scheduled for December 1st, right at the 5 month old mark. Hopefully, he'll have settled down slightly by then (although I know the crazies last well into the second year or beyond with some babies). Maybe then I'll be able to loosen the reigns slightly. I hate that he's miserable being in so much of the day, but I couldn't bear to lose him, so he's just going to have to deal. Thanks again for all the tips and pointers. <3
 
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