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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

When to let out...

31 replies

idontbelieveanymore · 04/05/2012 13:55

I have a 7 month old kitten. I am dreadfully afraid of letting her out as my last kitten disappeared at a year old, never to be seen again Sad

My kitten has been spayed and chipped and is obviously interested in going out - but how on earth will she find her way back????

How have you all done it??? Thank you in advance

OP posts:
crazynanna · 04/05/2012 13:58

marking spot. Same problem Smile

Original poster
idontbelieveanymore · 04/05/2012 13:59

crazy - how old is your cat?

OP posts:
crazynanna · 04/05/2012 14:02

7 months like you...put she is very small. There is a big bully cat doing the tounds. Upstairs is a massive 3yo female...and she is a nervous wreck due to bully cat! Also..lot of foxes pass through my garden,my fencing is old and gappy so not a secure garden.

She so wants out though. Sits and stares out of the back glass door. I feel bad Sad

Original poster
idontbelieveanymore · 04/05/2012 14:09

Yes - just like my cat then. We also have lots of cats out and about locally. I cannot imagine ever letting her wander off and come back when ready to. She has dashed out into the street before and run back in. I don't think it will be possible to keep her in in the summer months and the back door opening from the kids etc...

OP posts:
crazynanna · 04/05/2012 14:11

someone said a cat lead around the garden a few times first. But eventually she has to go on her own.

Maybe we just have to take a deep breath.....

ragged · 04/05/2012 14:15

Just let her out when she's hungry, and I say get it over with so do it today. She'll probably be very nervous about exploring the garden at first & not want to go far, never mind the bad weather may put her off (my cats hate the rain/cold/wind & wouldn't go further than a few m from the door for the first few weeks!). Call her (for food in the usual way) after 20 minutes or so. Repeat daily for a few days & after that let her out whenever she wants.

I keep mine it at night which has worked very well (so far).

SecretSquirrels · 05/05/2012 15:36

I led kitten squirrel around the garden for a few days first. Then let him out when he was hungry and hovered after him for a few days.
We also had a tin of treats and he got one whenever he came home. It rattles quite loudly and he runs back when he hears it.

Fluffycloudland77 · 05/05/2012 20:30

The worst bit is when they go UNDER THE FENCE.

Worst thing ever.

But they come back so happy from going out.

Ours is called in about 9.30, no overnighters here. I think foxes are more of a threat when they are small.

If you look on youtube there of videos of cats kicking fox ass.

crazynanna · 17/05/2012 15:06

Have you let your kitten out yet, idontbelieve?

I opened the back door and stood just outside with crazykitten in my arms...her first experience of being in the fresh air! (apart from the carrier to vets)

I thought she would bolt out of my arms to go...but she didn't. She was swishing her head around and around at all the bird sounds, and her nose was twitching like crazy! When I brought her in, she ran and hid! Maybe she was confused.

Still scared.....

MrsGrumps · 18/05/2012 13:45

I've never let mine out till they are a year plus old. My current kittens will not be allowed out till next summer but what they have never had they will not miss.

I make sure they have plenty of toys to play with and windows to watch the world with so they will be happy enough.

teanosugar · 18/05/2012 15:23

Our kitten is seven months old and we have big gardens. Its a bit tricky to keep him in as we have an old cat and two dogs, so, this is what I did:

Carried him outside a few times (over about a week) and just walked round the back garden with him then brought him in.

Sat outside a few times (again over a few days) with him on my knee watching the dogs play, he was looking everywhere, at the birds, at the wasps, watching the trees swaying etc.

Then put him on the back lawn whilst I was gardening and made sure he stayed in the garden.

Everytime we brought him back in we gave him some treats.

We are home all day so he plays in the back garden with the back door open and up to now has always comes back when shouted, and is always given a big cuddle and some treats so he knows its a good thing to come back.

The cats have to be indoors when we go out and definately stay in overnight ( big cat is 15 and has never been out overnight).

I also mentioned to the neighbours that he was ours and to shoo him back to our garden.

It is a bit nerve wracking and I'm dreading the time he doesn't come back straight away.

teanosugar · 18/05/2012 15:24

also, he has been snipped and chipped.

crazynanna · 18/05/2012 22:09

Thankyou teanosugar some good tips there Smile

Still I will wait a bit longer as she is sooo tiny for her age, and we do get foxes milling around out the back.

She is chipped, jabbed and 'done' Wink

teanosugar · 19/05/2012 11:21

Dh went running out the back door yesterday saying 'whats going on?!

Kitten was 20ft up a conifer being dive bombed by a not very happy crow (he must have found a nest) ! Shock

crazynanna · 19/05/2012 15:27

Shock Even more scared to let kitten out

teanosugar · 24/05/2012 10:29

Yep, definately found a nest, hence my two 'presents' yesterday.

On the plus side, he has just run in, used the litter tray, and gone back out!

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/05/2012 19:21

Mine used to come in to use the litter tray.

He doesnt anymore but he does poo in the garden of the neighbours we dont like. V proud.

Rollergirl1 · 24/05/2012 20:39

My almost 8 month old kitten has been going out since 6 months. He does seem to be in the garden quite a lot of the time but I have seen him go over the back fence and he is a bit partial to next doors garden, despite their big dog that woofs at him when it sees him. There are a few other cats that come in to our garden but kitten is easily the same size as them now and doesn't seem concerned.

I'm more worried about someone stealing him as he is rather a handsome chap.

We also shut him in once it gets dark as i worry about him getting run over at night.

suzi2 · 24/05/2012 22:56

Mine is 10 months and she's been getting out under close supervision since 6 months. I went with her for a long time, just 20 mins a day or so, and watched what she was up to. Blocked all the bits of fence she could sneak under. Played with her outside so she stayed nearby. I leave the back door open at all times.

These days she goes out but I always have her in if I'm not here, always in before it's dark, and I check/shout on her every 15 mins or so. I know she's sneaked over the front fence-she was busted! But she mostly stays in the garden and plays with flies at the moment. In the last month or so I'd say she's more wise to things - will run back in if there are strange noises and stuff.

EccentricaGallumbits · 25/05/2012 10:59

6 months!!!!!

Bloody Rupert is only 10 weeks and desperately trying to escape. Little sod is far too bold for his own good.

How am I going to kerp him contained for another 4 months?

teanosugar · 25/05/2012 20:17

Kitten cat is huge for his age (7mnths) even the vet remarked on it. He does seem to stay nearby and has actually started coming in on his own accord about 7pm and going to bed!!
It must be tiring, up one tree, down that then up the conifer, then down that then up next doors fruit tree then down that then up our apple tree... you get the picture.
Ask the dogs where kitten is and they go outside and look up the nearest tree!

Eccentrica - I don't know how you're going to do it but you really should keep him in till hes' had his jabs and been snipped and chipped.

crazynanna · 26/05/2012 00:29

Smile well I did it!

Sat outside and let kitten out! First time...

She jumped down into my basement patio, then came back up. Went down the little alley that separates mine and next doors garden. Then she came back. Then went down again and went into next doors garden where I could not get her Shock So I went inside my back door and slammed it shut,but stood there as its glass. She came scuttling back! We sat out for a good 45 mins and she really loved it! DD1 took a photo, I will upload tomorrow when she comes around.

Phew!

Now all night she has sat at the back door looking like I have nicked her food,all mournfully!

TheHouseOnTheCorner · 26/05/2012 00:35

Ah bless her! I let my cat out tonight (haggard, one toothed Siamese) and when I went out to check where he was, he and another two local cats had cornered a little hedgehog!

I ran at the lot of them, arms swinging and the poor hedgie made his escape.

I love cats but gosh they're mean!

crazynanna · 26/05/2012 00:38

I know...that I am not looking forward to.
She chased a ladybird today and DD1 said "see, it will be baby birds next" Sad

teanosugar · 26/05/2012 12:12

Big fat old cat brought a live thrush in the house last year, it was huge, then she let it go and it was flapping all over.
We had to shut the dogs in the kitchen, the cat in the bedroom, then open the patio door while DH caught it in a towel and put it outside.

Another time we were eating our tea and the back door and patio doors were open. There was a huge squawking fracas going on in the back garden. On investigation Fat old cat was reclined in the shrubbery in a nonchalant way with one paw anchoring down a cuckoo.
Running up and down in front of her squawking away was a blackbird trying to get the cuckoo back as it had fallen out of the blackbirds nest.
The cuckoo was unharmed, I picked the cat up and the cuckoo flew off with the blackbird.

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