Cat going to have two homes. How to settle him in so eventually he can go out,?

[bloodylongdrive]

Hi we're in the fortunate position to be purchasing a second home, Im trying to work out a plan for settling in my cat so that in the long term he can go outside.
He's nearly 7, neutered, cant jump more than three feet, I would say very unadventurous. He currently has run of the house and my small patio garden but he can't get out because the wall is too high. He aspires to catch birds but I think he's no more likely to catch one than I am. He only uses a litter tray but pees on the bloody furniture when stressed!!!
Someone suggested that as he's never really been out at his age he's unlikely to go far. So this is my plan:
He comes with us for Xmas (I'm there for three week) a few days in one room with food tray bed etc then open the door and allow him to come out in his own time.
Then once month he will come with me to the house for approx 10 days more some months and by June/July I'm hoping he will be settled enough to go out and come back as the house has three sets of French windows and keeping him in in the summer would be difficult the garden is not fenced in a way to keep him in and cant be. The house is rural with very little traffic we will put in a magnetic flap in (he currently uses one).

My worry at 2nd house, would be him trying to go home, and getting lost. Does he need to go out there?

I posted about this before (different user name) a few people knew cats who happily lived in two homes and went out in both. He's 400 miles from his home. It would very difficult to keep him in in the warmer weather as we have three sets of French windows and someone is bound to leave one open accidentally so I figure it would be easier to allow him outside in a controlled way.

If he pees on furniture when stressed I would think your plan was a little ambitious tbh. But good luck though.

If he's never been beyond the patio garden does he have any sense of cars? What is the road set up near the second house? I think it's a huge risk to take really. I'd put a tracker on him so you can see where he is.

Very few cars around as it’s a very rural area. I’m just going to have to give it ago I guess. I hadn’t thought of a tracker I’ll look into it.

My bil has a cat that goes on holiday with them in the motorhome. It doesn't wander far. Never heard of anything like it!

We have this one:

https://tractive.com/en/?gclid=CjwKCAiA8Jf-BRB-EiwAWDtEGgKiExkK0QNhllGnmxDZdECkPnAMzCFyg0-jaEYftLCf3t8UCkHuhoChboQAvDD_BwE

@gamerchick

If he pees on furniture when stressed I would think your plan was a little ambitious tbh. But good luck though.

Agreed.

He only uses a litter tray but pees on the bloody furniture when stressed!!

This would really concern me. What you're proposing would be fine for a well-adjusted, confident cat, but your cat pees on furniture - expecting him to happily adjust to two different homes is quite a lot to ask, tbh.