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The litter tray

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

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Original poster

How and at what age do you let kittens outside?

18 replies

IDontMindMarmite · 13/10/2020 16:03

I have two 4 month old kitties. Both boys and recovered from bring neutered. I'm nervous about letting them out! But I don't think I'll be able to keep them in much longer, they're already trying to escape.

Any tips?

OP posts:

Haffdonga · 13/10/2020 16:21

If you can, make sure they know to come when you call for dinner time before going outside in case you need to call them when they've done a disappearing act.

Make sure the area you will let them out into is safe, not onto a road for example. It's a good idea to do it when they are due a meal so they have good reason to come home. Never carry them outside yourself (because have no control over their surroundings and can panic). Always always make sure they have a clear route back home (no shut windows or closed catflaps to start with.)

We just let our new boy do it at his own pace (I think he was about 6 months old) by leaving the door open on sunny days. We sat outside nearby watching. Over the course of a few days he went from popping in and out of the door as far as the doorstep and going no further, to extending his range by a metre or so each time and then repeatedly heading back to the safety of the house until within a week he was exploring the excitement of the bottom of the garden.

Catflap training was second nature to him but our old cat took ages and is basically a bit stupid.

Original poster

IDontMindMarmite · 13/10/2020 16:28

They always come running when I call them (with treats, they are highly food motivated) so that's good. We don't have a cat flap though.

OP posts:

Scweltish · 13/10/2020 16:32

In that case I’d let them out right before dinner, so you know there already hungry

HighBrows · 13/10/2020 16:46

We have a brother and sister, they are roughly 18 weeks. They are due to be neutered next month. I will probably keep them in until March or April.
They come when I shake a sachet or their treats.

My advice is as above and definitely let them out hungry so they will come back.

BrightSunshineDay · 13/10/2020 16:57

At least 7 months, 4 months is way too young. Even then it will depend on whether you live near roads, how many adult cats around etc

Oldraver · 14/10/2020 09:06

Colin has been going out for a few weeks now though is under strict observation sometimes with a harness on. He is never left alone and probably wont be until he is at least oooh 5.

He just loves the wander round the garden, though has made it up a tree

Oldraver · 14/10/2020 09:07

Strict observation (sorry couldn't think of the right words) means some fool has to be with him all the time in the garden. His little trips have got shorter with the colder weather

Original poster

IDontMindMarmite · 14/10/2020 09:44

@BrightSunshineDay

At least 7 months, 4 months is way too young. Even then it will depend on whether you live near roads, how many adult cats around etc

We're in a quiet spot roads wise, but there are a couple of big cats roaming around.

My last cat was an indoor cat and I am nervous about letting them out at all but do feel it is in cats nature to roam.

OP posts:

Original poster

IDontMindMarmite · 14/10/2020 09:51

Maybe I'll see if I can keep them in until the days get longer again and it's not so dark so early...

OP posts:

fantasmasgoria1 · 14/10/2020 09:54

We waited until our girl was a year old. I have always done this with each cat I have had because I feel its better for them to be adult size as they are better able to defend themselves or get away from another cat for example.

pumpkinpie01 · 14/10/2020 09:59

Following this , our kitten is 5 months old and we let him in the garden a couple of times a week but we stay with him. He escaped about 6 weeks ago and was gone for 3 days and it's made us so nervous about letting him out alone.

Frenchfancy · 14/10/2020 12:38

Ours has just had her last set of jabs (16 wks) and we fitted a cat flap at the weekend with the vets approval. She's going in and out with no problems.

No road issues here though and no immediate neighbours.

Yorkshiremummyof1 · 14/10/2020 15:38

Mine have been out since a month they were castrated. They got out one day when I let the dog out and would basically scream at the door everyday. They spent a month just lounging in the sun in the back garden, then they were neutered and now they go out in the morning for an hour, they come back and sleep from 11 til evening and they spend a few hours outside before they’re meowing at the door to come back in for tea. In fact it’s hilarious, one of them sits at the patio doors looking startled and trying to see inside. His face is so comical. The other site on top of the shed roof. Actually no, the first time they went out one of them escaped a second floor window and jumped into next doors garden, he couldn’t get back in so I had to scale the fence to collect him. Couldn’t knock on the door as the owner had passed away so it was empty.

Yorkshiremummyof1 · 14/10/2020 15:39

And by scale, it’s a 7/8 foot fence

Original poster

IDontMindMarmite · 14/10/2020 15:49

Bless,I hope mine will be as comfortable to stay at home so much.

OP posts:

Fluffycloudland77 · 15/10/2020 16:33

4 months is way too young, they are still snack sized at 4 months.

vanillandhoney · 15/10/2020 20:17

Four months seems way too young to me. They're so, so small at that age and wouldn't stand a chance in a fight.

8 months plus here.

FazeleysRoyale · 15/10/2020 20:56

We let our boy out at 5 months old, after his vaccinations and neutering. He was fitted with a microchip at the same time as he was neutered. We tried collars as well but he got rid of two, each within one to two days, so he has remained unadorned since and he is six years old now.

We took him for little walks around the garden in a harness before he was let out. When he saw me pick up the harness he would stand at the door, purring loudly.

The weather was very good when he was let out, warm golden September days, he probably thought weather was always going to do that. Ha ! About a month later we had a cat flap fitted and he learned to use it straight away.

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