AIBU to continue to let my cat out on a lead?

[Honesttodog]

I’ve messed up the dates on vaccinations so she has to restart the course. She is 9 mo. I had already been letting her out on a lead attached to a bit of rope so she could explore the beds and lie on the fake grass, for about 2 weeks, thinking it was fine. Vet said she should not go out at all but I don’t think the risk is that high as she is not out fully exploring. She is crying constantly. I feel terrible for having done this the wrong way around but I feel like we have done it now so it feels so cruel keeping her in.

Am sure people will flame me but go ahead and tell me what you think.

I'll probably get flamed also but I would just let her out, although I would not let her out until she has been spayed. I would never put a cat on a lead.

YANBU, if she's ok with the harness and lead then let her carry on enjoying the garden. As you say, the risk is pretty minimal.

Just make sure you stay with her and she doesn't get caught up in the rope.

Not worth it - you don't know what germs are out there and she could get really poorly. I know it's horrible when they're yowling to go out though, so I feel your pain!

Has she been spayed?

I would buy a proper cat harness with lead. Is she spayed?

You shouldn't let her out on her own on a lead - you never know what will come into the garden - other cats, foxes... and as PP has suggested, she may get twisted or caught up on the lead.

My cat goes out on a lead, but I'm always with her.
Mynwood jackets/harnesses are excellent

everyday she is never left on her own, I check her constantly and she has enough rope to come in if she needs to. She only goes to a small part of our garden where we can see her.

To be clear it’s a harness with a strap for her neck and another strap around her body so she can’t get out too easily.

Seconding the Mynwood harnesses - only ones my cats didn't manage to get out of (and they come in great patterns)!

You are out with her when she's on the lead, right?

Yes as I said before we always watch her

She’s not protected. You don’t know what wildlife has been in your garden or foxes/ squirrels / badgers etc. It feels cruel
But you must stuck to the vaccine period in order to keep her safe.

Ask the vet what the danger is if she's outside with you. I can only think that if she were out on her own (on a lead or not) she might have actual contact with another feline with feline leukaemia or similar which the vaccine will eventually protect her from. If she did catch that then you'd have to keep her completely inside your house for the rest of her life which would be even more difficult.

fyi - I've nothing against leads/harnesses as we used to have one for one of our cats when we lived on a busy road. It was the only way to keep him from roaming and potentially being hit by a car.

just give her away to someone who likes cats.

eh? Why say that?

I’d keep letting her in your garden personally.

Other cats will have come into the garden, particularly if she hasn't been spayed, but if she has been, it's already part of their territory.

Which means she's potentially coming into contact with infection.

Putting a cat on a rope is ridiculous and bordering on cruel. You seem to know nothing about cats. The least your can do is to take the vet's advice. If she's only 9 months old and you've messed up this badly already, I don't hold out much hope for her future. That poor cat

Is she spayed???