I can't wait for my cat to go outside - she's driving me mad!

[happyhorse]

We got a lovely little one year old cat last week from the Cats Protection League. She's so lively though and is obviously starting to feel cooped up. I get no peace as she wants me to play constantly (and scratches my sofas when I ignore her).

Just thought I'd have a little whinge here amongst the cat people.

Oh can I join you?

Two rescue kittens now 6 months - being snipped and chipped today and thank the lord because they are driving me to distraction.

and cleaning a litter tray for two hungry cats is an unrelenting job.

I would let her out after a week.

Really lljkk?

I think 10 days/2 weeks is probably the earliest I'd do, but it's complicated by the fact that we're going on holiday for a week next Saturday (someone is coming to live here to look after her while we're away) so I worry that she'll get all confused and not come back, or end up shut out all day.

Kew - when do you get to let yours out?

well just heard from the vet that they have survived the (very simple) op. I guess they need a few days/week to recover then I will let them out for a few hours at a time whilst I'm there before letting them out unsupervised. My plan is to keep them in at night as the rescue recommends.

Also we are off on hols for Easter and they are boarding in someones home so I don't want them to be out much until after then.

We (at Celia Hammonds) say cats should be kept in for at least three weeks. And in your situation I wouldn't let them out until at least a week after they've come back from staying somewhere else over Easter as that is also likely to confuse them.

Just to clarify - that's three weeks after adopting a cat, not three weeks after the neuter operation.

good advice thanks - I leave it a week after our hols. They know the house and have happily been before mind you. I can hang out a few more weeks though.

My mother used to let them out after 3 days after moving house. Never had any trouble. I let mine out after 6 days; they were terrified of the outdoors anyway, so didn't even want to go out. Were new to us so not that bonded (as bonded as cats ever get).

thecatneuterer our boys came from Celia Hammonds three years ago. Sometimes I think I will explode with love for them both. What a great charity.

No advice to add to the professional's but one of ours will charge outside as soon as we are in a new place (we've moved house every year since we got them due to DH's job! But they settle more quickly each time) and go for an explore; the other will only go outside if we are in the garden and in sight at all times. And much to my chagrin, he refuses to poo outside - so no getting rid of the stinky tray for us :)

Ours won't go out even with the door wide open and its driving me mad! Its too cold to leave her sitting there contemplating whether to go out or not so I'll just keep trying and hope the weather improves soon as am sick of having a litter tray in the lounge.

She has been out but is a very timid cat even with us. Don't know whether she has been badly treated before being rescued while pregnant, taken to local animal shelter and lived for nearly a year before we bought her.