Letting cat outside - first time

[freekitty1]

My kitten is 6 months old and was neutered a month ago.
We want him to go outside eventually but I'm nervous to do it! He's sitting on the windowsill and it's an almost spring day, should I do it??

Any tips?

We have no catflap yet but I'm home most of the time. We tried a collar to put a name tag on but he got very distressed. Will microchip him instead for the catflap.

Don't do it before he is microchipped!

When you do, start with supervised outings with you going into the garden with him as he is so young. And ideally have something he responds to, for example shaking his treat bag, so you can get him to come back if he goes off to explore.

Make sure he knows his name.
And that he responds quickly to a shaken dry food box!
Let him out before meals!
Little and often ime!!

Bought a harness for mine (£5 off amazon) for first trips out so he could smell the garden. I was petrified he wouldn’t be able to find his home if he wandered out of the garden and I was frightened of him taking fright and dashing off so spent several days walking him round the garden like an idiot.
Was quite difficult to wrestle him into it then, one he was neutered and microchipped, I let him in the garden but only if I was with him and I grabbed him every time he looked like he would jump the fence.
I also started calling him and saying “good boy” and giving him a tasty treat each time I said it.
Once I finally let him out alone he initially stuck to the garden but now he just vanishes and comes and sits by the patio door when he’s ready to come back in or I call his name and shout “good boy” and he races in and straight to his bowl for a treat

Make sure he knows his name that he gets fed when you say his name the noise of the cat food container

Let him out the first time when it is light and he is really hungry.

Try to create a routine where he comes in for dinner time and then the cat flap is locked and he stays in at night regardless of demands - night time is the time most cats get killed/kill small animals.

Thank you. I will wait then and follow these tips. He does like dreamies and I'm pretty sure he knows his name. Like the idea of the harness for first trips!

Defo get him microshipped first.

I waa terrified the first time I let one of my little people out for the first time. I went out with him the fist few times, and he kept rtnning off to investigate stuff, then running back to touch me. The first time he went out on his own.... I was a bundle of nerves as he disappeared for over a hour. But don't worry, they know where mummy is i.e. the person who feeds and cuddles them.

Dreamies are good too. Mine come in from miles away when I shout dreamies.

Our cat was three when we got her, so a bit different, but it actually took her ages to figure out going in and out by herself. We started by carrying her into the garden, then using treats to get her to come back. She would then sit by the patio furniture and wait for someone to pick her up and take her in! It was a couple of weeks until it clicked, but the whole thing was easier because it was school holidays and I’m a teacher. (Plus summer and no hanging about in the cold and rain!)

Even now she rarely goes further than the garden either side, and the one behind. She is still motivated by food, and very crafty - she knows I leave for work at 8, so goes out about five to so I have to bribe her in with Dreamies. (We don’t have a catflap so she’s always in while we’re at work in the day.)

Definitely microchip first, and outside cat vaccinations if not done already.
Check insurance is for outside cat too.
We walked ours on his harness at the front and back so he could rub his face on the doorstep etc. and see his house, then again off harness like everyone says little trips out when he's hungry and daytime and call him in after a few mins for a treat and fuss so he associates coming in with good things.
Shaking a tin or bag is a really good noise to train him to come in for.
I wouldn't let him go more than half an hour without calling him when he's so small, and you might need to keep an eye out for other cats coming to mark his patch. If you don't have a window or flap can you give him somewhere he can wait that is covered? We had an outside cat tree in our last garden which helped us keep the kitten close to home as he had a place to shelter when it rained.
I put a reflective quick release collar on mine in winter and a wee bell in spring just so he is not so lethal to the nesting birds, but a lot of people don't trust collars. He loses them regularly but we do have a reasonably busy road near us so want him to be visible at dusk.