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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think my cat doesn’t need to be locked indoors for 2 weeks before I let him out?

68 replies

Latinorapida · 08/09/2021 15:50

6 year old cat. Been outside his whole life. We’ve moved into a new place and poor thing has been cooped up in a flat for 2 months because our new place wasn’t ready yet.

Everywhere online says to wait 2 weeks but he’s desperate to go outside.

Can I let him out?

Yes- let him out
No - wait the two weeks

OP posts:

IcaMorgan · 08/09/2021 16:52

If you want to risk it then put butter on his feet first, it will leave a trail he will follow home

CherryHug · 08/09/2021 16:53

Can you take him for a little walk about with a harness?

LastToBePicked · 08/09/2021 16:54

@IcaMorgan

If you want to risk it then put butter on his feet first, it will leave a trail he will follow home

I think this is a bit of an old wives tale!

CatJumperTwat · 08/09/2021 16:55

@Coogee

We have had cats all our lives. We have taken them with us camping and haven’t lost one yet.

I imagine it might be a problem if you only move a short distance away.

You've been very lucky. Or rather, your cats have been lucky. That's really irresponsible.

Coogee · 08/09/2021 16:56

If you want to risk it then put butter on his feet first, it will leave a trail he will follow home

If I put butter on my cat’s feet, he would just lick it off and ask for more.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 08/09/2021 16:56

Make sure his microchip details are fully up to date before you let him out, whenever you decide that may be.

I don't think there really is a right or wrong answer tbh.

LastToBePicked · 08/09/2021 16:57

Depends on the cat but I’d try to keep closer to 2 weeks if you can.

A cat rescue we were dealing with recently wanted cats to stay in for TWO MONTHS minimum before letting them out…that seemed w bit excessive! Lots of rescues recommend 3 weeks.

Coogee · 08/09/2021 16:57

You've been very lucky. Or rather, your cats have been lucky. That's really irresponsible.

Oh get lost. If it was that irresponsible, something bad would have happened. It hasn’t.

CatJumperTwat · 08/09/2021 17:00

Oh get lost.

Like your poor cats will be one day.

If it was that irresponsible, something bad would have happened. It hasn’t.

No, that's not how risk works.

icedcoffees · 08/09/2021 17:02

Oh get lost. If it was that irresponsible, something bad would have happened. It hasn’t.

That's not really how risk works though, is it?

Just because your cats have never gone missing while camping, doesn't mean you're not taking a big risk each time you take them.

Coogee · 08/09/2021 17:04

Like your poor cats will be one day.

Unlikely. They aren’t stupid.

LemonMeringueThreePointOneFour · 08/09/2021 17:06

I think it depends on the cat. Mine gets her bearings very quickly and loves exploring, but she's quite switched on. She's stayed in about five different places and always gone out pretty soon.

Heartofglass12345 · 08/09/2021 17:07

One of our cats had diarrhoea on the way to our new house and he's got long hair so we put him in the garden hoping he would clean it off and he carried on going out from that day. We spent the day in the garden with him and stayed out there for the next few days with him and left the door open and he's never disappeared. That was 6 years ago

Dragonfly909 · 08/09/2021 17:13

I had a cat that I moved house about 14 times with. Always let him out after a couple of days but I took him for a walk to get his bearings first (not on a lead, we just went out together!). He always came back but obviously he was very used to moving. I think it depends on what your individual cat is like as to what the best strategy is!

notthemum · 08/09/2021 17:15

Obviously your decision, but I'd hate to see you back on here in 2/3 weeks time distraught because your cat who was desperate to get out haßnt come back.

IfNot · 08/09/2021 17:19

It really depends on the cat. I do what Dragonfly does-go out with the cat. Mostly, if a cat has a home with you (as opposed to a cat who has just come to stay with you) they will explore carefully, work out their new boundaries, get somewhere high up and survey their territory and be fine. Just make sure they are hungry when they go out. Some cats just cant handle being kept indoors. Ours managed maybe a week and I caved as he was so so depressed!

MrMeSeeks · 08/09/2021 17:20

@Coogee

You've been very lucky. Or rather, your cats have been lucky. That's really irresponsible.

Oh get lost. If it was that irresponsible, something bad would have happened. It hasn’t.

No, your cats have just been lucky

Hope their chips are at least updated

Piglet89 · 08/09/2021 17:21

Totally depends on the cat, I think.

We’ve recently moved house; we let our cat out before the requisite two weeks were up.

But she is a scaredy cat, our new place has a big garden and is bounded and she doesn’t venture far. I was a bit worried last night because friends came round and brought their quite excitable dog and he ran after her and scared her out of the garden, but she came back in her own time later that evening, as I knew she would.

She knows what side her bread is buttered on!

MrMeSeeks · 08/09/2021 17:21

@Coogee

Like your poor cats will be one day.

Unlikely. They aren’t stupid.

Yes, as all cats who get lost must be then?

user1471538283 · 08/09/2021 17:22

I've only managed 2 weeks with our two because it really affects Boycats mental health. He is always around though. I think no matter how long Girlcat is in she will wander.

It is such a hard thing to balance.

TheHouseIsOnFire · 08/09/2021 17:38

Your cat doesn’t know you’ve moved house. To them their home is the last place they lived and where they’ve rubbed their scent all over everything. If they haven’t scent marked the new place appropriately they won’t be able to find their way home “because they know where their bread’s buttered” etc because they didn’t their way by smell.

When he goes out maybe put his litter or bed etc outside, or the contents of your hoover bag. That way the smell of the house will be out there for him to catch on the breeze if he gets lost. They can smell for up to a mile so it will definitely help.

TheHouseIsOnFire · 08/09/2021 17:38

They find their way by smell

wheresmymojo · 08/09/2021 17:40

I never wait two weeks. It's always been a week and then I let them out under supervision...if I'm out with them they don't tend to wander off.

I also put the contents of their litter tray in the garden as the smell helps them navigate back to the correct place.

Have moved several times and had no issues however my cats don't tend to stray far from home anyway (one of them just follows me around the house like a dog) so I might feel differently if I had a wanderer...

wheresmymojo · 08/09/2021 17:41

I probably wouldn't do it if I were moving reasonably close to the previous house either but we've always been moving 30-40 mins drive away.

wheresmymojo · 08/09/2021 17:42

@CatTuxedo

Yes. I think for people who don't get cays/ haven't lived with them their whole lives, it's a useful safety guideline. But sometimes you just "know" they've found their home with you, they're settled and not anxious about being there.

^ Also this. I tend to 'know' when my cats have accepted the new place as 'home'

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