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

To Let Out or Not?

12 replies

IceniSky · 08/09/2019 08:20

My Maine Coon is 7 months and is ready to go out. But I am hesitating.

I have had 8 cats so far. 2 were ran over. 1 disappeared, 1 moved into another house. 4 lived until they died of disease or old age.

Next doors cat was killed on her drive by an escaped dog from two doors down a month ago.

We live on an estate, our house fronts onto common land and woodlands of several miles. The closest busy road is a few minutes walk.

I dont think we can cat proof the garden as they can escape up a pergola onto the garage roof and over.

I hold certain beliefs that means I wont allow the children to have caged pets. I dont think cats should be kept in captivity e.g. shut in the house. It's better off not having pets if this is the case. But now I'm scared to let him out! I have a bad feeling!

OP posts:
nachosTrafficante · 08/09/2019 08:25

I know people who have perfectly happy indoor only cats who hav3 never been outside or have cat runs.

Our cats have always had cat flap and access. One did get run over. But he’d had a magnificent life up till then. Unless I lived on act busy road. I’d always let them out.

bodgeitandscarper · 08/09/2019 08:34

Try Protect a pet for cat proofing a garden, they have some really good ideas and can make areas safe that you wouldn't imagine you can.

I think a lot depends on your individual cat, I have three that go outside and three that are indoor cats, they do have a large 'catio' to go in though. I think seven months is still too young however, I'd wait until they were about a year.

SimonJT · 08/09/2019 08:40

My cat is indoor, she is very happy and gets lots of attention. I tend to find outdoor cats get very little direct stimulation which is a shame.

Our old flat had a garden, I cat proofed it (with guttering pipes) and we didn’t have any successful escapes. She tried a few times, but very quickly stopped bothering.

If I can’t keep a pet safe then I shouldn’t take that pet on, allowing them to be run over, attacked, poisoned etc is not keeping them safe.

viccat · 08/09/2019 09:42

Ideally you should have considered all this before taking on another cat... You could perhaps have chosen a more savvy and streetwise rescue cat for example, and not a pedigree kitten.

It's not easy to have an indoor cat if you live in a house and have children. Doors will be left open in the summer when people are in and out of the garden etc., even if you wanted to keep him in it would be almost impossible to do so. I'm all for keeping indoor cats when the home suits that (i.e. a flat with no direct outside access) and the cat's personality.

Catproofing would require blocking all potential escape routes, for example if you went with the brackets & netting type catproofing, the garage roof life would need to have some too. If it's a complicated garden, it's best to ask one of the catproofing companies for advice.

IceniSky · 08/09/2019 09:55

Viccat, I did consider it, he was going out. Now after a life of owning cats, all resure moggies, I am unsure! The amount of people telling me he shouldn't be going out is making me doubt my previous strategies.

Funnily enough, I can't remember what I did with my other cats. It all just happened, and that was that.

OP posts:
bobstersmum · 08/09/2019 10:06

I thought pedigree cats all stayed inside? We would like a cat, we have an amazing garden that it could play out in but would be impossible to cat proof it due to the size. Our last cat went missing and for that reason as much as we'd like one we won't get one.

SimonJT · 08/09/2019 10:09

@IceniSky It would be very very unusual for a reputable breeder to allow kittens to go to homes that allow unrestricted outdoor access.

sugarplumfairy28 · 09/09/2019 06:44

We currently have 11 cats and we have lost others previously.

My family cat Polly was run over (10 years ago) Totally drivers fault
Second family cat Mitzi, who went outside, died from cancer.
DHs family cat Salem, was an inside cat, was PTS at 8 years old.
DHs second family cat Tommy, lived 13 years inside, then went outside for about 5-6 years, was PTS at 18 ish.

Our Abby Mimi was an inside cat due to age, died at 5 months old from a tragic mirror related accident.
Our BSH, Lady was an outside cat, was killed by foxes at the age of 2.
Our Nala, was an inside cat (her choice), died at age 2 from a lung problem.
Our George, half Bengal, my pride and joy, was an outside cat, died suddenly, outside from a heart attack type incident at age 6.
His son Suru, was an outside cat, and our neighbours tell us he was run over by a tractor, although there was no evidence to support that age 7.

My point is, I guess, is that out of all of these only 2 (maybe 3) are as a result of being outside cats. I do believe that cats live the fullest of lives by being allowed outside.

Of our current 11, we have only 2 adult cats who are not allowed outside, one (Bumble) suffered mild brain damage at birth, and the other is a rescued Savannah cat (Zelda) who was abused, but also so incredibly friendly she would wander off following someone or be very easy to steal, but more importantly hasn't shown any interest in going out.

We have 4 who go out all the time (Lennon, Shinobi, Teddy and Tux), a 5 month old Maine Coon kitten, Nova, whose not ready, the 2 who are not allowed out, then we have 1 boy, Remi, we are trying to get to go out, and then 3 girls who are allowed out Momo, Pixie and Cici. Momo will go outside maybe once or twice a year, and the other 2 will sit at an open door or window and have no interest in going out and never have done.

I would try and let your kitten outside, maybe look at a catio if you are worried. With our Maine Coon, I am very aware how he stands out, his pure white and theft has crossed my mind, I am hoping he will be the type to frolic in our garden and not explore too far.

cansu · 09/09/2019 09:45

Personally I think cats should be able to go out. It is in their nature to explore and hunt and they should be allowed to do this. I have always let my cat out. He has a charmed life, out hunting at night back in the morning for breakfast cuddles and sleep. Yes he is at more risk but he is enjoying his life. Keeping him in would in my opinion be cruel. Does your cat show signs of wanting to go out?

IceniSky · 09/09/2019 17:34

Yes, he is desperate. He watches DD from the patio doors and paws the windows. He escaped out a third floor window onto the guttering after sneaking in after me, into an off limits room. He really wants to be climbing.

He is 10 pounds at the moment, so will look big as he grows. I'll be keeping him in for a few more months and maybe use winter as a time to introduce him.

OP posts:
Blastnamechangeagain · 09/09/2019 17:58

I have lost my last 2 cats. 1 at 9 years hit by car outside our house ( main road through quitish village), annoyingly he literally spent 20 hours a day sleeping on our bed and still managed to get killed on his morning hunting/ roaming session but he did have a nice life. cat 2 let out at 1 year old and just disappeared. This completely broke me.
We have a current cat who we have kept indoors he is now 2. But we are moving soon to a little close on a quiet new development area opposite a field. So I have to prepare to let him out.
I can’t live anymore with windows closed and I also agree cats need to be able to go out. I feel cruel keeping him in now.

My childhood Burmese lived to 19 and always went out happily although in old age only ever as far as a deckchair down the garden. The 2 family moggies lived to old age happily going out. All had happy lives and spent more time asleep inside than out.

Don’t let your cat out until after 1 year. But it
is damn hard keeping a cat inside, I have spent all summer trying to catch my cat every time he escapes and yes he does escape we have children and he is fast.

thecatneuterer · 10/09/2019 12:35

bumping to knock all the cat pee threads off the front page.

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