Letting them out?

[MaddyHatter]

What did you do to prep your cats for being let out, and how old were they?

I have a 10 mo kitten, chipped and snipped, he wants out really badly! My older cat had some supervised garden visits, but this guy is really energetic and a climber, which she isn't, wasn't and never will be! She doesn't leave the garden, but I know he will! Argh

I'd let him out, he needs his street smarts.

Are you working tomorrow? After the schools traffic has gone is a good time.

Our pair, about the same age, have now been out for about a month or so. We started out with supervised garden visits (which ended with us bringing them in and closing the door), then last weekend we fitted a cat flap and just let them loose.

It was terrifying at first, but after their first voluntary return home I felt so much better about it, and they come and go as they please now (well, they have a curfew - the flap locks at 9pm and doesn't let them out again until 8am).

We did a lot of spying on them from upstairs windows to start off with, but they don't go far. A few gardens away (including some recent pond dipping, which resulted in a bath when he returned home - he was not pleased...).

Today is actually a bit of a nail-biter, though. Husband has been off the last week, so he's been around while they've been in and out. Today is the first day we'll both been out all day - I'm trusting they'll still be there when we get home!

It has made them so happy to be out, and to see them chasing each other around the garden and clearly having the time of their lives lets me know it was the right thing to do. They love it, and I'm sure yours will too xx