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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.

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Original poster

Kitten going out

17 replies

hemel07 · 31/08/2017 19:21

We have a kitten who is almost 5 months old. He's been chipped and neutered (about 3 weeks ago). We have started to let him out in the back garden when we are in and he is loving it. He hasn't mastered the cat flap yet. When can we start leaving him out when we're not home? And how do we get him to use the cat flap?
Thanks

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 31/08/2017 19:27

Have you tried getting him to go through it with the flap left open? I don't have a catflap so up until recently I have made sure the cats are in when we are out. Today was the first time i left them outside fir any length of time with no access to inside. They are coming up on 10 months old

dementedpixie · 31/08/2017 19:33

P.s. I let them out when i am in and they go over the fence to God knows where! To start with I did go out with them and they took a wee while to master climbing the fence and to walk along it

Original poster

hemel07 · 31/08/2017 19:47

He has managed to come in through the cat flap from the outside, he just refuses to go the other way! He was out in the garden just now and vanished right over the fence and away. He scared me a bit but he did come back when we rattled the biscuits. Do you think he's too young just to be left to it? I'm dying to get rid of the litter tray!

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 31/08/2017 19:52

I still have the litter tray as the cats still come inside to use it and it's good for overnight too. I'm just glad they don't crap in the neighbours gardens!

Walkingdead11 · 31/08/2017 19:53

I wouldn't let him out unless you're in, just in case he gets into a fracas with another fully grown cat.

dementedpixie · 31/08/2017 19:57

he's very young to just be left to it. I wouldn't go out and leave him if he was outside

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/08/2017 20:00

I wouldn't leave him to it until he's older & less snack sized.

You'll still need a tray for bonfire night, Halloween, Christmas & New Year's Eve & any other night people let fireworks off to celebrate an arbitrary date on the calendar.

RonSwansonsMoustache · 31/08/2017 20:11

He's too young to just be left to his own devices. I wouldn't let him go outside unless you're home to call him in, and please don't let him go out at night!

And don't get rid of the litter tray - all cat owners should have one. He should be kept in overnight really, or at least have access to the indoors 24/7. Plus, he should always have a safe space to do his business. Cats fight and lots of cats are too scared to go to the toilet outside incase a stronger/more dominant cat attacks them.

And like a PP said, you'll need to keep him in around Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Diwali etc. due to all the fireworks.

Original poster

hemel07 · 31/08/2017 20:21

All excellent points and taken on board. Will keep the litter tray, I hadn't thought about it from that point of view. He's loving it outside though, I feel a bit mean restricting him. Realistically how old do you think he should be before we can leave him? Obviously we wouldn't do this until he has mastered the cat flap.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 31/08/2017 20:26

What do you man by leave him to it? Even if he uses the cat flap I would still set it so he can't go out during the night. As I said it's only now mine are 9/10 months old that I left them out when I wasn't there to let them back in.

RonSwansonsMoustache · 31/08/2017 20:27

I wouldn't let him out completely unrestricted until he's about a year, to be honest. He's still small - no matter how brave/feisty he might be, there are some big tom cats out there who'll have him for breakfast and you don't want him getting into fights when he can't defend himself yet.

RonSwansonsMoustache · 31/08/2017 20:27

And YY please keep him in at night.

sm40 · 31/08/2017 20:33

Are you anywhere in southern England? There is a cat killer on the lose. Advice is to keep cats in at night. So if you can get him in this habit for the time being I would do until the scumbag is caught!

Checklist · 31/08/2017 20:38

I started off letting our kittens out (after the ops) just before mealtimes, so they were sure to come back when I called and banged their plates about; and we went out in the garden with them!

Original poster

hemel07 · 31/08/2017 21:01

Not in the south no, but that's awful! I meant to let him out whilst we're at work, not overnight.

OP posts:

sweatylemon · 31/08/2017 21:04

My kittens are 11 months (not really kittens) they would love to be out all the time. I am so worried they will disappear and not come back. I always go out with them.

EachandEveryone · 01/09/2017 16:41

No way will mine be going out if I'm not home. She's fine and a half months and will not be following her sister outside until she's been to the cattery in November. I've booked them the outdoor pens and I'll see how she goes when she gets back. She'll be nearly nine months then and it still feels too young. I'm in a flat in London. No cat flap from my door but there is a joint one to outside. The most I've left the big one outside is when I've nipped to tescos, it's fine when I'm in but i could no longer go to work knowing she was outside especially as a kitten and she's 15months now. I wouldn't trust her as far as I can throw her plus we have lots of strays in our area and I'd hate for her to get chased off her patch.

I've got no intentions of ever getting rid of my litter trays. It's a routine I'm used to and with World Best litter I hardly notice.

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