Kitten's first outing

[Yukduck]

Our new kitten is 12 weeks old. He weighs about 2kg. He is our first kitten and we are totally smitten!! He has had all jabs. He will be neutered at 5 months (about October). He will be chipped on Saturday. He is a lovely, healthy, clever, affectionate, BSH ginger tom.

He is gagging to go out into the garden. He cries at the back door and windows, yearning to go out with the dog when I let our dog out (they are best mates now). It is breaking our hearts. I have let him explore the patio on a kitten lead and he loved it. After he is chipped when would it be safe to let him go out on his own (with us watching him of course) and not on a kitten lead?

Any advice would be welcome.

Nope, he's in or on a lead (I'd swap to a harness because it's harder to escape) until the trouble nuts get removed.

They can move when they want to and if he gets away you've lost control of the situation.

Once he's neutered, I don't let any of mine out until they're neutered/spayed

I think that a picture is required before any advice can be given.

Trouble nuts??!!!!! Love it! That will be his new nickname. It is better than kitkit which is what I was calling him. His real name is Samwell.

Picture here (I hope!).

Fluffy troublenuts
He is lovely! I think advice is to keep them in until neutered. As an adult I've only had adults who were neutered/spayed already.

Yep. Wait until he's recovered from neutering. And a bit bigger. Safer then.
Let out in the morning on an empty tummy. Start now whistling when you feed him to get him to come to food. Then you can call him in to be fed at night.

I didn't come up with trouble nuts, I saw it on here and liked it.

He's a lovely chap.

It would be safer to wait until he has had all his jabs, neutered, chipped etc. When you do first let him out make sure he's hungry in order to make him keen to come back. The other helpful thing we did was ring a bell whenever she's fed so she associates the bell with food. This has been really useful to get her to come in late on summer nights when she doesn't want to come in. You have a gorgeous little kitten by the way!

Ok, I will harden my heart when he mews at the back door to go out. So kitten harness and lead for now.

Thanks for the food idea, letting him out just before his dinner and calling him in for food (he loves his food). I can see that working well with him.

He really is the cutest thing and has taken over and charmed the whole family. Poor dog is feeling like yesterday's pet but even the dog loves him!

If you've got a garden and you are out with him it should be fine just don't let him out himself and keep a bit of string with his favourite toy close by. I used to follow mine for at least 2 months until I was 100% sure they knew how to get home, I'm a worrier. Vaccinations are against diseases as opposed to things picked up outside and he won't know what his manhood is for until he's older so you shouldn't worry about that. You'll have to keep him in after his op but only for a few days. He won't go far just keep an eye on him. He's a wee beauty. Makes me broody