Tips for new cat going outside

[JoandMax]

We got a rescue cat last weekend, she's 15 months and has had 4 homes so far the poor thing.

She is gorgeous and has settled really well so far, very affectionate and eating etc. She's extremely inquisitive, in every cupboard the second you open it, up on every piece of furniture and very vocal!!

We have kept her in so far but she is desperate to go outside, watching the birds out the window yowling is a frequent occurrence!

We want to be able to let her go outside but I am a bit concerned about her bolting off to explore, she doesn't seem the type of cat to sniff around for 5 minutes then come back in...... Also we don't live in a particularly pet friendly country and if she did go off then most people would probably ignore her and not check her collar for numbers if she seemed lost.

So any tips for letting her out? I've had cats before and we've done the not feeding beforehand then calling in for food after a short time, staying in garden with them but they've always been a lot more placid!

Thanks

[dodobookends]

With our rehomed cats we have always been advised to keep them in for at least a fortnight, sorry! It is something to do with them forming some sort of attachment bond to their new home, which takes that amount of time to develop.

When the time comes to let her out, do it in the morning when you know you will be at home all day, and only give the tiniest breakfast, so she will be fairly hungry. Then, after she's been outside a minute or two, you can rattle the biscuits or bang the plate and she will come in for food. It's one way of teaching her that this new home has food and is a good place to come back to!

[thecatneuterer]

We recommend keeping them in for three weeks. It really is worth it. You don't want to risk losing her. And good advice above about letting her out when she's fairly hungry.

[JoandMax]

3 weeks?! I was going to go for 2 but think we'll go for longer to make sure she's fully attached, although she's currently asleep on my lap and spent last night under the duvet next to me so hopefully it'll all be good!!