Two kittens, growing fast, should I let them out at night?

[Drew32]

Hi all.

I am currently living on Koh Tao, a remote desert island in Thailand. adopted two kittens a few months ago, I have a big carry box I keep them in at night, otherwise they run around the apartment and wake me, and I am apprehensive about letting them out to roam wild at night, even though they are wild cats. They don't really go anywhere anyway, just hang around my front door and windows.

But they are getting bigger, and I am getting concerned that they are too big now for the (bigg-ish) box, plus, would love for them to go out and explore at night, as they are wild island cats anyway.

Advice?

 

[moxiewild]

They don’t sound wild to me! Why do say they are wild?

And why do you keep them in the box (or carrier?) at night?

I would very strongly advise against letting them outside - especially at night.

There are innumerable dangers for cats outdoors, and this is far, far worse for kittens in particular.

How old are they, anyway?

Would love to see photos of your kittens if you care to post! We love pictures here! What are their names, by the way?

 

[Drew32]

Molly if the black one. Hunter is white. She like to be taken out at night to hunt the geckos, She breaks their back in her louth then gobbles them down.

 

[Drew32]

They're four/five months now. Got vaccinated and splayed today. Generally speaking the cats on this island are all wild by nature and have it in their genes. So I'm thinking if I'm letting them roam at night (I'm a light sleeper and the apartment is just one big room and a bathroom), then let them roam outside...

 

[Talien]

If there are any kinds of predators (Dogs, large Lizards, Snakes, even some Primates, etc.) living near where you are then it's not a good idea to let them outside especially at night, you risk them being eaten by something.

How big is the box, and how big is your bathroom? You might be better off putting them in there at night, if you put some soft toys (soft so they don't make too much noise) in the bathtub it should keep them occupied while you sleep.

Letting them hunt prey is also risky as that can expose them to many different kinds of parasites, not only is that bad for them but it can be expensive to get them treated.

 

[Drew32]

I'd leave them in the bathroom but it's open shower and hot, with no air con like the main room.

 

[Talien]

I'd leave them in the bathroom but it's open shower and hot, with no air con like the main room.

A baby gate is a good thing to use to keep Kittens in a separate room, if needed you could even stack 2 of them in the doorway to keep them from climbing over. That way you can leave the door open while still giving them ventilation.

 

[Willowy]

I'm guessing there isn't a lot of traffic on the island? How about predators? If it's fairly safe for them to be outside, you can start working up to that, but nighttime is particularly dangerous and kittens tend to get themselves in sticky situations.

Kittens should be gradually introduced to the outdoors. Let them out for a little while, supervised, at first, then slowly work up to leaving them alone. It's best to establish a firm mealtime beforehand, so you know they'll come home at that time at least.

Since they were just spayed, though, don't let them out for at least 2 weeks. You don't want dirt to get in their incisions.

Can you get a larger dog/rabbit/etc. cage? Big enough for a litterbox and moving around? That would be better than a carrier box for overnights.

 

[Columbine]

I don't think I'd be wanting to leave them to roam outside at night either. What about letting them have the run of the apartment? That would be a much safer alternative.

 

[Drew32]

I pay the rent tho lol

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It rarely matters who pays the rent...the cats RULE! And if they were spayed today, you definitely don't want them outside overnight for at LEAST 7-10 days.

About that baby gate...it's an excellent idea, but I'd suggest two of them, one stacked on top of the other, to fill the doorway. Kittens CLIMB!

And they aren't wild cats anymore, they are housecats. More than that, they are YOUR cats. ENJOY them, but KEEP THEM SAFE! I'm not familiar with predators that might inhabit Koh Tao, but that's always a concern.