Advice On Letting Kittens Out.

[Ashouldnt]

I have two kittens that are seven months old and am wanting to start letting them out full time whilst I’m out in the day. I have been taking them out for half an hour to an hour every weekend and have developed a way of getting them back in but wanted tips on what to do when leaving them out for ten hours a day with the door shut.

I wish I could build them up to it but have a very hectic schedule at the minute. I do have an outdoor toilet that I can make into a warm space. It has a cat flap but there isn’t anywhere on the doors we can put a cat flap as they have designs that jut out.

I think I’m just extremely nervous about it, I’ve never had cats before. Do you think that collars are a necessary thing?

 

[StefanZ]

Good you have let them know the surroundings. Are they spayed? its a must.

Also, very important they know their names, so they come when you are calling.

 

[Kieka]

I have indoor/outdoor cats. Here is my transition and general guidelines:

1) Technology.

A) Cat Door - My cat door is a microchip access door with curfew. This allows the cats free access in and out throughout the day but auto locks and unlocks. I have to manually tweak the times a few times a year but it prevents them waking me up to go out and if I am out late locks them in.
B) Collar - My guys wear Beastie Band collars with TabCat trackers. Link will be upgrading to a Pod3 in a few weeks to see how that system works out. But I think some sort of emergency tracking system is key. I've had cats go missing without it and the peace of mind now to then is incomparable.

2) Vet care. Have a good vet and good partnership including knowing where ER vets are. Cats with outdoor access should get immediate care for any problems. I don't wait to see if it gets better because they do have more exposure. I frequently have the vet visits even if whatever cleared up just to be safe and annual checks are a must. Pet your cats each day with a mind towards checking for injury or illness.

3) Outdoor safety.
A) If your on a busy street its a no go.
B) Tall to neighbors and make sure you don't have any that are anit-cat. Those you talk to mention your cat by name and share photo. Better relationships prevent someone feeling bad for your cat or feeding your cat. Collars help on this front too.
C) Escape. Look around your yard with an eye towards a cat escaping from predator. Our yard is fenced so should someone run into a dog outside the yard they can get over the gate and to safety. We also have several trees so there are very few start run spots. Allowing the cats to get away even if a dog gets in the yard. Another is bushes with tighter beaches thay allow the cat to get theough but not something larger. If you don't have either then put out some cat caves bug enough for your cat but not for a dog bigger.

4) Training. What you actually asked about.
A) Name training. Start inside. Start using the cats name every meal. Say the name with treats or play time. Not a nickname but the actual name for calling. Never use the name in a negative reinforcement. Just positive. Once you have a consistent response to the name then you can start return training. I should mention instead of a name you can substitute a whistler, clicker or bell. Just be consistent. I like name because each cat does respond separately to their name (except Fury because he will steal the reward of the other two if I am not careful, greedy bugger).
B) Return training- very similar to name training. But you don't go to them. Call the name and don't give food, treat, pet until they come to you. When they come when you call consistently then next step.
C) Going outside. Start with just taking them outside and not letting out of arm reach. This is easy with kittens because it is new space and scary. If they go out of reach call back. If they dont come you go back inside with them. If they come back give a pet, attention or treat. Each time they return you have to reward somehow. Stay out for 10 minutes each time (less if they aren't responding). After two weeks of short visits and within reach you can start expanding how far they go before calling and how long. This process will take a few months. End goal is you sit outside for an hour and call back any time they go out of eye sight. At the end of the hour call back. You can do longer but you want to stay out and call back if they stray outside acceptable area. Once you are at that point where after an hour of play they still respond immediately you are good for outside access.
D) Curfew. Once they have free access establish a time for curfew. I don't encourage night outdoor access because of dangers. I've spent $5000 in vet bills related to nighttime injuries don't learn the hard way curfews are very good. Plus calling in every evening for dinner at around the same time establishes a routine. I find my guys usually bring themseleves in for dinner or are waiting just outside the door at dinner time.

It's a lot of work. It took me 6 months to train Rocket, my youngest who I did everything above with. However, I can go outside at any time of day m, make some noise and within 30 minutes the cats will be near me. If I call their names its a max of 15 minutes before they are all there. They come reliable every single time. The one time one didn't come it was because he broke his leg (before curfew and before trackers, took 4 todays for him to get home).

As to the litter box, I don't use one unless I am out of town. All but one cat would prefer to hold it until the morning. The one who doesn't want to hold it is my Moms and he doesn't have a curfew.

 

[ReallySleepy]

I have two kittens that are seven months old and am wanting to start letting them out full time whilst I’m out in the day. I have been taking them out for half an hour to an hour every weekend and have developed a way of getting them back in but wanted tips on what to do when leaving them out for ten hours a day with the door shut.

I wish everyone who asks this sort of question would say a thing or two about the environment in which they live. This is an international forum, and there are enormous differences in our cats' environments.

My own cat was let out when he was 12 weeks old (by his former owner). Was that too early? He was dumb as a brick when it came to cars and traffic. Although he has improved over the years, he is still mostly dumb as a brick in that regard even though he is now 10 years old. It is really hard to tell what is the "right" age. Fortunately, in my country drivers are very considerate, and that is the only reason why he is still alive.

 

[Sarthur2]

Kittens should not go out until they are spayed and neutered and fully 9 months old. Is there a reason they cannot continue to live inside?

Is it safe where you live as far as dogs, cars, and other predators? Is the yard enclosed?

Ten hours a day is a long time. Will they have access to food and water?

 

[Ashouldnt]

Kittens should not go out until they are spayed and neutered and fully 9 months old. Is there a reason they cannot continue to live inside?

Is it safe where you live as far as dogs, cars, and other predators? Is the yard enclosed?

Ten hours a day is a long time. Will they have access to food and water?

They are neutered and chipped and there is no particular reason but I am starting to notice that they are getting restless in the space they have. Maybe this is my fault because I don’t have as much time to play with them as I used to but going outside seems to tire them out and they absolutely love it.

There are quite a few dogs in the area but all are in enclosed gardens or on leads. Out garden is very enclosed as we used to have a small dog so all little nuts and crannies are stuffed up or gated. The only way out is to jump over the fence. So far only one of the cats has dared leave the garden and he has only ever gone as far as two gardens over and has come back within fifteen minutes of me calling. (I hit a can of food with a fork and meow as he always comes back if he thinks he might hear his brother)


We live at the very back of a quiet estate and I doubt they’d venture far enough to find the main road.

As for food and water, we have the outdoor toilet we can make up into a warm bed with water and food.

 

[Sarthur2]

Try it out on the weekend first when you are around to supervise. It sounds ideal though, but kittens can still manage to get into trouble!

 

[Ashouldnt]

Try it out on the weekend first when you are around to supervise. It sounds ideal though, but kittens can still manage to get into trouble!

I know. I worry about them so much. I can’t kmagine what I’ll be like when I have kids.

 

[talkingpeanut]

You are right to worry, though. Going outside could dramatically shorten their lives. Perhaps it would be worth enriching their space inside with vertical areas and puzzle toys, and continuing supervised time outside.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Kittens should not go out until they are spayed and neutered and fully 9 months old. Is there a reason they cannot continue to live inside?

Is it safe where you live as far as dogs, cars, and other predators? Is the yard enclosed?

Ten hours a day is a long time. Will they have access to food and water?

You are right to worry, though. Going outside could dramatically shorten their lives. Perhaps it would be worth enriching their space inside with vertical areas and puzzle toys, and continuing supervised time outside.

I agree with the above two members' posts.

I might also add that it's been my experience that once you let a cat or kitten get used to [long-term] access to the outdoors, if --in the future-- you decide to have them return to only being indoor cats, you might find it very difficult training them to be indoor-only once again. You could have a lot of problems with indoor urine marking, territory/aggression issues.

 

[Ashouldnt]

You are right to worry, though. Going outside could dramatically shorten their lives. Perhaps it would be worth enriching their space inside with vertical areas and puzzle toys, and continuing supervised time outside.

I agree with the above two members' posts.

I might also add that it's been my experience that once you let a cat or kitten get used to [long-term] access to the outdoors, if --in the future-- you decide to have them return to only being indoor cats, you might find it very difficult training them to be indoor-only once again. You could have a lot of problems with indoor urine marking, territory/aggression issues.

Whilst I would love for them to be indoors, I really just don’t have the space. The house I live in is owned by my dad who is adamant about them not being upstairs (he wants to rent it out someday and I’m sure he has some sort of personal vendetta against me)

We’re also planning on renovating the kitchen and living room but cannot do that if they have no where but the porch to go for a couple of weeks at a time.

I also believe that cats are supposed to go outside, it’s just my personal opinion. They’re practically wild animals with so many amazing instincts.

 

[ReallySleepy]

I also believe that cats are supposed to go outside, it’s just my personal opinion. They’re practically wild animals with so many amazing instincts.

Just want to state my profound agreement with this sentiment. Keeping cats inside to protect them against wildlife seems all wrong to me. Yes, it's a cruel world out there, and in fact cats are among the creatures that make it cruel. I don't think we should try to "improve" on nature by protecting it against itself. Rather, we should enjoy living with these wonderful creatures, who are truly wild outside, and who are yet perfectly civilized as members of our families.

 

[Ashouldnt]

Just want to state my profound agreement with this sentiment. Keeping cats inside to protect them against wildlife seems all wrong to me. Yes, it's a cruel world out there, and in fact cats are among the creatures that make it cruel. I don't think we should try to "improve" on nature by protecting it against itself. Rather, we should enjoy living with these wonderful creatures, who are truly wild outside, and who are yet perfectly civilized as members of our families.

What you said . I knew there was a better way to say it