Should I take my cats outside?

[Maggiez]

We just relocated to a temporary airbnb from our apartment with our cats Loki and Pen Pen while renovating an old house we just bought.
While the pandemic is going on, it's almost impossible to find a pet-friendly place that's affordable, so we ended up moving into this tiny studio that's converted from a basement.

I moved the cats to the airbnb yesterday and they settled in very well. I brought their cat tree, all of their toys and scratching posts. The 2-hr car ride was smooth, and they came out of the hiding place after 1 hour. They are still exploring the new place and feeling a bit nervous, but they eat and sleep just fine. The studio is on the ground floor and have windows on one side. But because of a deck is build over the room, it's quite dark throughout the day and it has no directly sunlight. I wonder if the cats will feel miserable and get bored quickly due to the small space? (our previous apartment is also small, but at least it has a bedroom. It's on the 6th floor and is filled with sunlight)

The airbnb has a door to the backyard, which is fully fenced. The cats seem to be very interested in it.
I've been leash training them for a while and now they can wear the harness without complains. While we're living in the apartment, I tried to let them walk out my door to the staircase. Pen Pen ventured out three times (she's the confident one) but got spooked easily if someone in the building made any sounds. Loki only briefly stepped out once but ran back quickly.

I wonder if I should resume the leash training after they settle down, so I can at least take them to the backyard for some fresh air and sunshine. (The airbnb owner who lives in the main house has two dogs, so I assume the yard has dog scent.)
If yes, how long should I wait?
I also thought about taking them to the backyard of my home, which is a short car ride. But that place is not fenced and there are many construction workers going in and out all the time. I think it's not ideal because the cats won't have hiding place or can run back to the house if getting spooked.
Another idea is, put them in a carrier, so I can sit the carrier in an outdoor spot that has sunlight.
Final idea, I can let transfer them in a carrier to the car, and let them play in the car. Although it's a leased car and I'm afraid they will scratch the leather seat.

We'll be in this temporary place for 3 months and I want to keep them as comfortable as I could. Any suggestions on how to keep them happy during this transition? They're both 10-month old and they're indoor cats.

 

[daftcat75]

My concern about letting them out in a place that's not their own is that if they do get away, e.g. they get spooked and jump a fence, they may not know their way back. And the scents will all be different.

I would get them a portable pen (like a catio but cheaper and less permanent.) This way they can still have outdoor time and you won't have to worry about whether they get spooked and run away. Perhaps after they've been there for awhile and know the scents of the backyard, you may continue harness training. I would avoid letting them off leash altogether. As I said, this neighborhood doesn't smell like their normal neighborhood and that can get them very disoriented if they manage to jump a fence or otherwise get out of the backyard.

Some pens to choose from:
Cat Pens: Indoor, Outdoor & More, Low Prices (Free Shipping) | Chewy

 

[fionasmom]

Ixnay the idea about the rental car. A portable pen with a top is a good idea. If you use leashes and harnesses instead, you will need to be with them, holding the leash, and using a harness that is escape proof. Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control posted a story yesterday about a microchipped cat who got away 15 years ago and was finally reunited with his owner.

 

[koolimy]

This might be controversial but I would advise against letting them out. I have heard that letting cats outside is kind of like opening pandora's box, as they may fall too much in love with it and always want to go outside. As mentioned by daftcat75, the outside they experience now will be different to the outside they experience when you get back home. They will adapt to this outside as part of their new territory, so they might get disoriented when you let them outside at your house. When you're inside you can control everything but if you let them outside you can't control everything and one mistake can mean they get lost.

I would wait until you can set up your catio outside your house before I let them outside. It would be best to let them outside close to your house, but you said that construction workers are there all the time, so it might be stressful for the cats. You could drive to your house and let them out in a mini catio when there have been pauses in construction, but they might not appreciate the constant driving. Thus, my opinion would be to keep them inside for now, let them outside at your house after all the construction is done and you can begin constructing your catio.

 

[Maggiez]

Thanks so much for all of your advice.
After more observation and thoughts, I think it's good to keep them inside for the moment.

The airbnb owner sometimes let their dogs out in the backyard. Last night the dogs got upset and barked nonstop for 10 minutes outside of our window. They got so close and kept scratching the window. Loki went hiding under the bed for 30 minutes. Pen Pen wasn't scared at all. She stayed very close to the window and just stared at them. I didn't take it a great sign since it might indicate that she is too curious and won't realize that dogs might be dangerous if encountered outdoor.

I rearranged the table and chairs in the airbnb to give them more space to play. They seem to love the sofa bed, which is a good hiding spot and they like to climb up and downs.
So far it seems like they are not complaining about the smaller space and darker room.
If I decide to set up a playing pen eventually, I'll talk to the airbnb host to make sure the dogs are not letting out while they're playing in it. And if their behavior is normal during our stay, I'll just wait until we settle into the new house before trying out anything outdoor.

PS. I will never let them roaming outside without supervision. If I eventually let them out without a catio, I'll put them on harness and leash and supervise them.