To let my Ragdoll outside?

[ConcernedCatmother]

I have 4 cats, one of which is a Ragdoll breed. Anyone with a Ragdoll breed will probably know it is recommended not to let them outside due to their “lack of survival instinct.”

So here is my predicament;

All of my 4 cats are indoor cats. I live in a 5 bed house currently, but i’m having to massively downsize to a 1 bed bungalow. I am planning to let the cats go outside as it is too small to not give them that extra space.

AIBU to let my Ragdoll outside? Does anyone let their Ragdoll outside? The other option is to sadly rehome her, as it would upset her to see the others going out but not her.

P.s I do not want to have a catio installed

My full Ragdoll is scared of wind

Do you apply the same thoughts to your own life? I don’t want a risk adverse life myself and I don’t want that for cats either. In my experience, cats who can’t cope with going outside, choose not to go out even if the door is wide open or to stay in their own garden.

PIL's have a ragdoll and let her outside, although they have done since she was young so she has got used to it. She is very dopey but she doesn't seem to go very far. She can usually just be found lying in their flower bed, and she comes back in immediately if you shake her biscuits

sounds like a very gentle and unchallenging existence being a ragdoll

I let my ragdoll outside but I literally can 100% say she does not leave the garden which is fenced. They are not the brightest of breeds and they're very trusting of everything!

My ragdoll can go into the garden whenever she likes, only the back garden though, she'd have zero road sense or danger sense.

She barely goes out, mainly just when I'm out there to shout into the sky and look irritated by the wind and damp ground.

She has no desire to leave the garden and wouldn't be able to scale a fence.

So it probably depends how athletic and explore your ragdoll is.

Either catproof the garden or enrich the catio. Could you make it more garden-like?

Our British Shorthair goes out, but a lot of BSH owners keep them in. Ragdolls are next level dappy.

My parents have ragdolls who roll over when they meet a strange dog. I’m sure they’d be very quickly killed outside. They aren’t a breed suited to it.

I have 2 male ragdolls, they are allowed outside. One is mostly spending his time in the garden, the other likes to venture and visit nearby streets and neighbours. Always comes home. Both are 3 years old. Garden is cat proofed, so other cats cannot enter. They use two cat flaps, one for the back door in the garden and one for the house.

My ragdoll goes out. She is a rescue and the rescue insisted we had a cat flap and provided outdoor access.

Once I got her, I did hesitate but she absolutely loves it and it really enhances her existence. She had a shit life as a breeding queen so it’s a pleasure to give her a bit of freedom.

Dcat doesn’t go far, generally stays at the back and between our garden and the neighbours either side. She has gone out front a couple of times but doesn’t stay long and scarpers back.

Dcat is scared of everything and would run home, cats, dogs, car noise, people…she runs home.

I guess you have to decide what is right for your cat. Once they have outside access though, it’s much harder to take that away than if they never had it.

Our elder Ragdoll died a couple years ago. Younger one now 16. Like chalk and cheese in their temperaments.

But both enjoy/enjoyed getting outside in the garden. Neither attempted to go any further.

I have an outdoor elderly moggie and a young indoor Ragdoll he has escaped into the garden a couple of times but just gets to the middle and doesn’t know what to do next. He has no fear of anything so I’d never let him roam but would love to try n cat proof at least a bit of our garden

My ragdolls go outside. It’s fine. They aren’t very adventurous and stick to the garden and run inside if they see other cats. They do now prefer to do their business outside which is great, meaning no litter tray needed

Its funny how no one has this argument about dogs, they have been domesticated longer but you have dogs that would instinctively want to hunt.

Big difference. Dogs are brought on walks. If anyone claimed to have an 'indoor dog' they'd be thought to be a very negligent/cruel dog owner.

yes, as long as they have access to pad about a garden that sounds fine.

My ragamuffin goes out
pads about the garden, let’s the wind blow through her fur and sunbathes if she can be bothered. She did do more when younger but she’s old now and can’t really be bothered. She doesn’t ask to get out but will come out when I’m in the garden or hanging washing etc she’s a lovely girl but a bit highly strung. Cat proof the garden? They are bred to be very laid back, our old boy was amazing just a big cuddly bear.

I've got cat fencing. There is a slight prison yard I winter vibe but when it's spring and the garden is starting to bloom, it is less noticeable

I've a cornish rex and he'd probably die of exposure if he went out and then got lost or anything. Even on a winters day he'd be at risk from the cold. He's quite happy inside

I adopted 2 cats that previously were indoor only. The black and white moggy really wanted to go out, so after a month we allowed her to use the cat flap. She loves being able to roll in the sun and nibble on grass.

The other cat is persian, she is gorgeous but a bit foolish, like ragdolls seem to be. She didn't want to go out - I think she was so used to not being allowed. Almost a year later, she does occasionally go out in the garden if the back door is open. She never goes further than the garden, and comes back in at the slightest noise. Airplane noise sees them both come running in! I'd let your ragdoll out in the garden under supervision and see how she gets on.

A friend of mine lets her Ragdoll out - I don't think she is interested in getting up to much though and seems to just sit on the patio. I think most breeders of pedigree cats strongly suggest they are kept as house cats, but they are still just cats at the end of the day and many want to go outside - I used to have two Maine Coons and I let them out (no idea if they are considered a more streetwise breed than Ragdolls).

I have a 12 year old ragdoll. She goes outside but never leaves the garden. She doesn't even attempt to. Our garden is patio and shingle with bushes and hiding places. She loves relaxing out there in the Summer but doesn't so much in the colder months.

My parents have Maine Coons which are similar in regards to lacking in survival instinct and they had to get a catio in the end. The one time they went out was a disaster and not worth the risk.