Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

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

Letting cat out...too late?

12 replies

NFATR · 21/03/2018 14:02

We adopted our kitten from rescue last May when he was about 12/13 weeks old. We were told to keep him in until after he had all vaccinations and was neutered etc. He was neutered quite late as he was very small and underweight and then there was the snow and so on, and between one thing and another he's now nearly a year old and hasn't been outside yet.
It's obvious he wants to though, he sits in the windows watching all activity, he paws at the glass. So I have bought a cat flap and getting it fitted in the next few days.

Have I left it too late though? Someone said I should have let him out months ago, that if hes too old he's past the stage of learning to be safe outside? Is that true? How should I do it, do I just let him go or try to acclimatise him? Harness training?

I haven't a breeze to be honest, this is my first pet at 45 years old! TIA.

OP posts:
sportyfool · 21/03/2018 14:17

Yes just let him out but make sure he is hungry and you are around . Short spells And keep an eye on him.

bonzo77 · 21/03/2018 14:19

Not too late. My previous cat was indoor cat till age 5 (with previous owners).

thecatneuterer · 21/03/2018 15:19

The 'someone' who told you that is talking bollocks. It's OK to start letting them out at any age. To start with only let him out when he's hungry. Try to keep him in at night.

A cat flap is a really, really good idea.

HardAsSnails · 21/03/2018 20:00

Never too late. I've always gone for early morning before breakfast, opening back door and leaving the cat to explore at their own pace and build their mental map, and scent mark as needed, then call and put breakfast down leaving door open. Before you do it make sure he will come to call, something like a tub of dreamies you can shake is ideal as he'll hear it from a distance.

I've seen people carry their cats to look around but I really can't see the point as he really needs to be on the ground leaving his trail of scent.

MikeUniformMike · 21/03/2018 20:06

Let him out and feed him when he comes back. Rattling the treats tub is good for getting them back in.
The first few times you will worry that he won't come back, but he will.
Once you have let him out he'll no longer wish to be an indoor cat, but he doesn't want to be an indoor cat now.

kikibo · 21/03/2018 20:13

Our cats were also 5 when they went out for the first time. They just sniffed around, came back, then went further and sniffed around, then came back and so on. They never looked back and our boy loves it outside now.

Trust the instinct of your cat.

viccat · 21/03/2018 20:20

Start before a meal time so he has a reason to return - just open the back door and wait to see if he wants to explore. Go into the garden with him at first.

Only ever let him out from the back of the property, never the front, for safety. A lot depends on your house and your street of course, either it's safe or not and his age doesn't really matter.

NFATR · 21/03/2018 20:28

Thanks, some good advice here. He is a very affectionate cat who loves attention, and is also well aware of mealtimes, so I'm not too worried about him legging it and never coming back.

The cat flap will be on the back door, but the garden is not totally secured (and can't be made so). It's quiet little cul de sac though so I wouldn't be too worried about him being out the front? There are nearby areas though with thorns and god knows what, but I presume we just have to trust his instincts to not hurt himself? There don't appear to be many cats around here.

OP posts:
NFATR · 21/03/2018 20:29

Question, he is microchipped so does he need a collar? We did try and put one on him but he hated it, we left him as obviously he doesn't need one indoors. Should we try again?

OP posts:
viccat · 21/03/2018 20:32

Collars really help to reunite lost or injured cats - get one with your phone number on it printed or on a tag. Obviously with a quick release safety clasp.

thecatneuterer · 21/03/2018 20:47

Our charity advises against collars. Even a quick release one can cause an injury. The other thing is that a cat has to be in a much worse condition if it has a collar than one without before someone will take notice of it and try to help it, as people assume that a cat with a collar must have a home.

Wolfiefan · 21/03/2018 20:49

No collar. They can cause horrible injuries. The quick release doesn't always. Cats can get a front leg through it. It can end with an amputated leg. Also a choking or hanging risk.
We used to be able to get Velcro ones called Beastie Bands. Can't find them now.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread