Think my cat has just had its first fight

[Marne]

Poor Iggy , let him out for a wee as he was asking to go out, heard lots of noise (cats fighting) so rushed to the door, he came straight in, hair stuck up so i scooped him up and noticed a horrid smell and the poor thing had poo on him (his own i think).

Maybe i should'nt be letting him out so soon , how old should a cat/kitten be to go outside? He's been asking to go out (crying at the windows) and when i let him out he doeas'nt seem to go far (just under our car or on the green infront of the house). Should i wait to get him castrated before sending him out? will this make him less vunrable to fighting?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yes should be castrated, vaccinated (which I'm sure you've already done if he's out) and microchipped in case he wanders. Always let them out furthest away from the nearest road.

Collars should be the type that snaps off not the elastic type.

Mine was 6 months old before he wanted to go out, other cats might see your garden as their territory but they sort it out.

If he's castrated he'll still fight but he's less likely to wander or get hit by a car, My SIL wouldn't have her first tom castrated and said he wouldn't come to any harm but he didn't make 6 months needless to say her new tom is castrated.

[Marne]

Thanks Fluffy, i'm not sure how old he is, was told he was 10 weeks when we got him but he looked a lot older (maybe 4 months). When can i get him castrated? i did ask at the vets but as i couldn't conform how old he is then they could'nt realy advise. He was going outside before we got him (even though he was too little). I started letting him out in the back garden a week ago (we have a large back garden that backs onto fields) but now he manages to get over the fence into the front garden. There is another young(ish) cat next door which i suspect is a young tom cat which also comes into our garden.

Is there any way of telling how old he is?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Not really, if he's "dropped" it's pretty obvious! My vets do it at 6 months cos they like them to have that full cobby tom face shape but he was so feisty I made them do it 5 1/2 months. Where did you get him from? I only ask because breeders would know and a rescue centre wouldn't send him out without castration etc

[Marne]

The cat came from my step childrens house (they had been given it by a relitive but didn't want him as he was too friendly and the other cats where getting fed up of him), they think he was born around christmas time but were not 100% sure, it looks older . We live in the midle of nowhere (only a couple houses, on the edge of a village) so not near any major roads.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sounds like cat heaven fields and not too many cars, if you've had a cat before and you think he's older then follow your instincts re castration. Toms are usually bigger than females but if he wants to go out and he's figured out how to get to the front of the house I'd assume he's older than 10 wks cos there happy to be in at 10 weeks and quite often still with mum. The mom kicks toms out first apparently because there so boistrous.

Maybe phone vet and say you want to know when they advise neutering, so he doesn't go off after local farm cats in season and get lost/decide ferals the life for me (neighbours Norwegian forest cat went feral you see him with squirrels). Our cat always went out hungry when he was a full tom because he such a slave to his tummy I knew he'd come back when called.

[Marne]

Thanks fluffy, he has a smal sore on his mounth so i may have to take him to the vets any how (so will ask how old they think he is).