the RSPCA say to keep them in for 4 weeks but...

[mckenzie]

Socks looks like he would really like to go outside. paris doens't seem bothered but Socks rushes to the door whenever anyone goes near it, looks out of the windows and also seems to do a back door check before using the litter tray.

We have had them nearly 2 weeks, before that they were at the RSPCA Cattery for about 6 months.

Do you think I could try letting him out sooner? Our garden is fairly secure - they would have to jump a high wall to get out - am I being foolish to think that their first time out they will do this? The RSPCA lady suggested that i put the cat's wet litter around the outside of the garden to give them something to sniff out should they decide to leave the garden.

TIA

Let them out hungry when it's raining.

I kept mine in for three days - they jumped out of first floor windows to explore - I figured they were ready if they were doing that.

well I probably wont have to wait long for rain will I? And they are always ravenous first thing in the morning. Maybe saturday then, when I can hang around and watch them rather than being frantic getting everything ready for the school run.

And would it be best to let them out one at a time I wonder?

Don't be fooled into thinking that they won't get over a high wall. People are very surprised to see my two teeny cats jump over our back wall.

Maybe between now and when you do let them out you could come up with a noise that symbolises "feeding time". Then let them out hungry, and when you want them to come home, make the noise outside (the noise I've always made is banging their metal feeding dishes together).

My cats come home every evening at 6pm for their dinner, I don't even need to bang the dishes together anymore. Good luck!

thanks EJD. I'll start doing that now.

Socks and Paris went out last night before tea and had a mooch round and then came back in, with some calling and prompting. So we did the same this morning.
Is this the right way to do it, little and often to start with?

I use shaking the dry food box to indicate DINNER TIME and it works a treat, unless that is they ate right before they went out. My older cat is a pedigree (Egyptian Mau) and I was told she's be a happy indoor cat. After 2 weeks she was hanging on the door frame looking out of the window and then looking and me with a "meowwww", I took that as a "Please can I play out?" and let her out of the not locked garden. I lost her for 6 hours and searched the estate looking for her to drag her home. Next time she got out she did the same. And the next... but after a week of being allowed out the novelty wore off and she would saunter in and out as she choose to and always come home when I shouted her.

I cant get over how great these cats are and how well they are settling in. We let them out again tonight as Socks was pleading at the back door. But this was after their tea and in the dark. I was worried but he seemed so keen to go. He and Paris just spent about 10 minutes having a good sniff round while I froze in the middle of the garden then when I decided it was time to go in they both let me pick them up and carry them in, no hassle. I'm sure they would both have liked to stay longer but I'm not sure that's a good idea yet.

What do we think? If I let them out tomorrow morning first thing, before food, can I leave them out there alone for 30 mins or so do you think?