Time for the kittens to be let out? But we have a local neighbourhood fox...

[DrZoidbergsTentacles]

Hi Cat mums! Some advice please about letting our cats out.
We have 2 kittens - one is 7 months old and the other 6 months old.
So far, they have been kept indoors and are becoming ever more inquisitive about going outside . We have always planned to let them out (though one of them is on the smaller side, so waiting for her to grow a little more, but she is itching to climb and run) but we have a neighbourhood fox who we see pretty much daily around our garden. He's a big old fox.... There are loads of other local cats too always roaming around our garden.
Our worries are: Mr Fox going after our cats.
Also, when is the right time to let them go out? How do you know? These are our little fur babies, so we're just a bit overly cautious. Husband wants to wait until the Spring... any advice would be super. Thanks!

Foxes aren't normally a risk to adult cats, but they definitely are to kittens. At six months yours are somewhere in between. If you do let them out you really should get them in again before dark - but of course that's more easily said than done. Letting them out when hungry should help.

However I'm more inclined to agree with your husband. I think I'd be waiting till Spring too if they were mine.

Oh another thing you could do to minimise the risk would be to feed the fox. Dog or cat food is good. A fox that isn't hungry is much less likely to pose a risk.

Have they both been neutered, microchipped and had their full sets of vaccinations?

In general, there is no rush. At that age they are still in their crazy kitten stage and not particularly risk-averse and definitely not street smart. If you must, then start with supervised outings to the back garden only, before meal times is best so you can tempt them back in with food. Get them in again early (before sunset) and never let them stay out overnight.

Thanks thecatneuterer - do you not think feeding the fox will just encourage it to be around more? I think we will wait until Spring.

viccat - yup - both chipped and neutered and fully vaccinated (though one of them had cat flu as a tiny kitten, so she's always a little snuffly - think she'll actually prefer indoors then out, but we shall see).

I'm thinking we'll wait that bit longer, and also keep an eye on old foxxy.

Maybe it would encourage it. But a hungry fox will be roaming around anyway. I feed the foxes in my garden. They always defer to the cats and don't even approach until the cats have finished eating themselves.

If they are desperately hungry they are likely to take more chances.

My kittens started going out at 5-6 months. We have local foxes, dogs next door etc.

I have also seen one of my older cats chatting to the local fox - they do seem remarkably unfazed by each other.

My view would be that since your cats are keen to get out - better now when it's cold because they are less likely to stay out for long.