Letting kitten out in the garden

[NotABeliever]

Hi everyone
I'm after some advice as a very inexperienced new cat owner! We got an adorable Russian Blue kitten a few weeks ago and been advised by the breeder that they are indoor cats and should not be let out un the garden. She's now almost 6 months old and she's never been out. We're terrified at her escaping and we pay a lot of attention at keeping doors and windows closed when she's in the room which is hard in this warm weather.
Is this necessary? My brother has a cat and he seems to think it's nonsense. He thinks she should be allowed to go as she pleases but we're terrified she'd get lost of someone may steal her.
This is she having a little nap 😊
Any advice greatly appreciated

isn't she lovely!

you can't keep all doors and windows shut in hot weather. you'll suffocate.

any cat can be allowed to go out insofar as its health and wellbeing is concerned. Russian Blues are certainly among the breeds that can be perfectly content as an indoor-only cat as they tend towards a couch-potato temperament. that doesn't mean they should never be allowed outside.

there would always be a risk if a cat is allowed out - they could be stolen or run over. you need to decide whether to accept that risk.

if you decide to let her out, at first just do so for half an hour at a time immediately before a normal mealtime so you can easily tempt her back in1.

Cat harness and lead? Or get yourself a catio.
Gorgeous cat I wouldn’t want to let her out of my sight!

Thank you! Would you say it's better to let her out while she's still young or to wait until she's a bit older?

I like to see cats outside but understand your worry. Could you look at cat proofing top of your fence so she stays in the garden?

I can't cat-proof the garden so that she doesn't escape. It's a long garden with mature hedges between us and the neighbours. She'd be out of our sight in less than a minute if we let her out.

You can build wire enclosures, protectapet sell them or you can build a catio which can be as fancy or as plain as you want to make it.

Flat cats make mesh window covers, very effective and not expensive. It’s going to be murder in the hot weather if your windows are only open a crack. Even worse if your furry.

female cats tend to have a smaller exploration range than male cats.

our two are standard Domestic Moggy (mum had a bit of Burmese in the mix from the look of her. father unknown but possibly a bit of long hair in his genes)

we started letting them out when they were about 8 months old. they were pretty sensible about it - their first few explorations they chose to stay in sight of the house and dashed back if there was anything alarming. now (4 months later) they do disappear on quests of their own, but are pretty much always within earshot when in is food time so can't be going that far.

is your cat spayed? I wouldn't consider letting her out if she isn't, and if she comes into heat she will find a way to escape whether or not you plan to let her out, and will find herself a lover.

also flea and worming treatments are much more important if she starts going outside.

We let our 6 month old cat out in the garden during the day, and so far I don't think he has left the garden. He generally stays near where we are. We taught him to come for treats before we let him out. He now comes running and expects dreamies when we call so it's easy to get him in.

You can get screens for windows to prevent escapes, no, you agree not to let her out so you shouldn’t unless she is on a secure harness, or you have a catproof fence or a catio. Even if you did want an outdoor cat, six months is far too young for unsupervised outdoor time.

Bear in mind that Russian Blues are very friendly cats, and are also very desirable and expensive. This means they are pretty easy to steal if they are out unaccompanied - that was one of the reasons my DBro was given by the breeder of his Burmese to keep them as indoor only.

I have indoor only cats (different reasons for mine) and I use the Flat Cats mentioned above. They let in fresh air & breezes but no big insects (added bonus) and aren't as obtrusive from the outside as they may seem. My cats love to sit beside them letting a faint breeze ruffle their coats .

This is our cat (7 years old )
She is a housecat and does not go out.
Our windows are the ones that open up on the top only and we have them open whenever we like, including when we are not in the room but the cat is, she has never attempted to get out .
We don't make a point in having doors open , but a few times we have had the utility / back door open and the internal door to the kitchen closed, thinking the cat was indoors only to find she was actually in the room sleeping, not even bothered to sit at the doorway to look out . Some days are not fussed to go out. She has lots of scratching posts and high places to go on including umpteen beds and boxes , toys etc.

Some cats typo.

Flatcat screens but I’d get her a catio made. I don’t know but I always tell mine to go and get some fresh air 😃 I’d hate it if they never had the cobwebs blown off them!

Just checking - she has been both chipped and spayed, hasn't she?

Shes gorgeous.
I wouldnt let her out on her own incase she goes missing.
One of my neighbours had a 'posh' cat it was quite expensive. It moved in with another neighbour within 6 months and wouldn't go home. (Everytime it was taken home, it escaped back to its new home)

You could get a harness and lead and take the cat out on 'walks' either in the garden or out and about if you fancy it.

We're spaying and microchopping her next week. The question really is whether to take the plunge after this...

Once you let them out in any form, it will be difficult to change your mind, and more likely she will attempt an escape.

If you can afford it catio, if not I am sure she will be perfectly happy as a house cat, my ragdoll is.

I had a Russian blue for many years and he loved being outside. After she's been spayed and microchipped I would sit out in the garden and let her venture out for a short while and see how you feel and how she reacts.

Please listen to your breeder, a person with professional experience with the breed. I have found lost Russian Blues a few times in my life (before microchips) and it was heartbreaking. They really do have trouble finding their way back home.

People steal pedigree pets all the time. Why would you send your cat out to face that danger?

Why would you listen to your brother instead of the breeder in this case?

I assume agreed to follow the breeder's advice when you got the beautiful kitten. Please don't go back on your word.

You have some excellent advice above about alternatives to taking the risk of losing your adorable cat.

I've always had moggies, so they've always been allowed outside.

I compare cats to humans - humans can live indoors successfully but have better mental and physical health if they have access to outside. I'd assume that cats would be the same, but who knows, maybe there's some scientific research somewhere that says they don't have that same need.

I think all cats would enjoy going outside, but then it's a case of risk assessment - accepting the risk that they could be stolen, get lost, or get run over.

I have an Abyssinian cat, also from a breeder who instructed us to keep her indoors.

She is absolutely bonkers and even as a young kitten would dart through the front door anytime we opened it.

We were in two minds but soon realised that it wasn't fair on her to keep her in when she so desperately wanted to get out.

She is not particularly friendly cat to strangers, and quick as lightning, so I don't see anyone stealing her anytime soon.

She definitely gets into scrapes with other neighbourhood cats but thanks fully nothing too severe.

I recommend getting a flap with a timer and chip reader. We limit the hours she's allowed out, keeping her indoors at night when she is most at risk.

We have always had cats. 20+ years ago we used to always let them out but we lived on a cul de sac with fields opposite the house, so when they were young and stupid they weren't in danger of being run over.

We moved here 10 years ago, and the elderly cats we brought with us were happy just to bimble about in the garden and didn't go far. Just before the last of them died she was taken to the vets "as a stray" 3 times because somebody had seen her in their garden or walking up the road. Our local FB is full of cats going missing and cats being taken to the vets because they are assumed to be a stray.

The people opposite us had 2 ginger kittens run over on the road immediately outside our house (second one bought to replace the first). Our road is dangerous in that the traffic is intermittent and fast. If it was constant the cats would avoid the road.

Our current cats are pedigree and have always been house cats. Shutting doors and windows becomes second nature. We are going to have a catio built for them as the girl would like to go outside. They ignore the top opening windows so we can leave them open.

If you've told the breeder you are keeping her in you should. If your road is quiet she might be OK, but bear in mind that they get stolen, run over and attacked. Someone local found her cat dead last week after she'd been used as a paintball target . There are some sick people out there.