Just let our kittens out for the first time. One has legged it. Tell me he’ll come back....

[fishalive]

They are 7 months and we thought we’d try them outside for the first time. They explored close to us for a bit, then one has run off (other indoors).

We are semi-rural so houses and gardens quite spread out and I’ve looked all around but can’t see him. The roads here are quiet but I’m panicking as to how far he could’ve gone and whether he’ll find his way back.

I read that warming their food makes it more smelly so have don’t that and put it outside. DH has tried his “whistle and shake bag of treats” a hundred times.

Please reassure me he’ll come back.

Yup, he’ll come back. Try not to worry if he’s missing a while. Sometimes they just go off to explore for a bit.

I reckon he’ll be back today.

Is he microchipped?

He‘ll come back though hopefully you e had him neutered and chipped before letting him out?

I reckon he will be back in no time at all. Leave a dirty litter tray outside for him to smell if needed.

The third week we let ours out she disappeared for hours. Finally turned up yowling about 11pm super hungry and very happy to tell us all about her day. She never went so long again. Yep to leaving food and litter tray out to help him navigate.

Is he neutered? Hard to answer unless we know the answer to that.

Neutered, microchipped and vaccinated.

Found him looking a bit bewildered under a massive conifer, then brought him back in.

Phew.

DH has sprinkled their soiled litter around the edges of our garden now as read that this can help. Thing is where we live there aren’t really any fences or clear definitions between properties (we are abroad) so they can roam and roam and roam?

Do we now just keep doing this? Maybe we should we should wait to the spring when the weather is milder and we can leave the doors open a bit more for them to wander in and out?

It gets v cold here (-5 expected tonight) so I couldn’t bear the thought of either of them being out late at night.... (we can’t have a cat flap).

Wait till spring. Glad he's back.

Don't let them out at night - mine have a curfew!

And start by only letting them out when they are hungry.

It's prob easier to do letting them out now as they won't be so keen - our kittens really got excited in the summer when there were clearly far more interesting things to do than come home and we had a couple of failures to return home, but in the cold, no, they aren't that stupid.

Omg OP i could have written your post myself, I’m in the exact same situation with same age cat and spaced out garden set up, with hedges partitioning gardens , but these are full of holes at this time. Ours also went out today and shot off in his excitement to be out. Had to get from a Neighbours garden. It’s also very cold and windy here. Ideally I want him to explore the area immediately close to the house first but no idea how to make this happen!!! Interested to hear the litter tray sprinkling idea and leaving food and litter tray outside ( although there are loads of cats around the neighborhood) . For now we are going to keep taking him outside for short visits, maybe with a game he likes, and hope he gradually gets more used to. Reading this with interest though !!

Top tips - let them out for the first times just before their dinner, so they'll come home as they're hungry. They need to learn their territory a bit, and that takes time. Don't let them out overnight or in the dark as they're too young to have any road sense at all.

If you can wait till the Spring when you can have the door open and they can wander in and out that is ideal - if something panics them they need to be able to run home as fast as possible.

Yes I think waiting for spring maybe answer for us, it’s too nerve wracking plus worry about cold/ snow etc if gets lost!

When we first let our kittens out, one of them jumped onto a bin then over the fence. We could then hear it crying because it could not work out how to get back over the fence. In the end DH had to go round the neighbours to rescue it! It is always so stressful letting them out for the first time but ours have always come home.

No they will be in at night for sure. Too cold and too much other wildlife round here.

I think we will wait until spring.

I think we’ll be less nervous letting the DC out in their own

Glad yours is home too @Nutellanjam!

Would it be worth taking them out on a harness for a while if they’d tolerate it? I am taking our six month old kitten out on a harness to try and get him used to the outside without having freedom to run off entirely because he is nuts

This is him today, on a harness, deciding to have a nice sit on the solid ice on the garden pond. I couldn’t quite reach him so was left holding the end of the lead for ages until he decided to come back!

You can let them out in steps to let them get used to it, and coming back home.

Let them out just before meal times. They're more likely to come back and keep their exploration short if they're hungry.

I've always spent first week or so in the garden with them while they get it's scent. They generally will decide when they're comfortable enough to widen their circle.

Cats are good at this. They won't generally just leg it and not know the way back. The only real reasons cats don't come back are that they got in trouble or they found a better home.

It does get easier! Once they have sniffed everywhere out, they may decide they prefer to stay in your garden anyway

We first let ours out after she had been indoors for nearly 2 years, at the vets advice (issues with her eyes), until we got a second opinion.

The first few times she would leg it to the back and over a low fence, so DP used to stand guard and try to catch her like a goalie🤣🤣. She still had issues with her eyes and seemingly no sense of direction (she went to neighbours backdoor but crying back at me to let her in), so it was very nerve wracking.

Bit by bit she got slower at going out, and now that the novelty has warn off, she just saunters about and comes back to shout under the window every so often. She still has no sense of direction, considering that she tries to jump up a tree in our garden to catch a bird next door, but she doesn’t have any interest in going past the fence anymore!

Ours escaped after he had been with us a week. Five months old.

Luckily, he came back after an hour. We just let him come and go as he pleased after that.

I've just let mine out this week for the first time. No idea where 9 month old went - I lost sight in the first 30 seconds. But he now happily goes off for 1/2 hr then comes back and goes off again. 3 year old just sits at the open door and looks at outside.

I think this is a good time of year as the cold/snow means staying out isnt as appealing

Well we have two brothers. I think one was the brute of the litter, one was the runt. It’s the brute who went off today, he’s much more “wild” and instinctive. Reminds me of a boxer when he swipes to catch a toy or string! He’s always been a bit shyer and more serious. He doesn’t love being picked up but does like a cuddle when he chooses it (and you feel so special when he’s chosen you)! The littler one is more playful and chats to us and loves cuddles more. He’s a bit like a puppy and would happily sit on our shoulders all day.

So whilst I think the bigger one will be tougher overall because he’s not quite as peopley I do worry that because he’s a bit more independent he’ll go all hunty and his instincts will take him off roaming far away.

I’ve had cats before but was a child myself. I do remember them going off but at that point we lived in terrace houses with small gardens and fences. In our house now, the world is their oyster!!

Not everyone will agree, but - Dreamies!

Get them used to having a couple a day as a treat. Before you dish them out, shake the packet (this is V important!)

Let them outside (supervised) and shake the packet at them - each time they come to you, give them a couple. Don’t give them treats any other time. This is their reward for coming in.

I stand at the back door and shake the packet loudly - never fails. Mr Little Legs comes hot footing it up the large garden every time (plus, saves the neighbours putting me up with yelling his name at nighttime!)

Our cat had been in for 5 weeks before we let him out in December.
Personally I wouldn't keep him in until spring.Once a cat has tasted the outdoor life , seems unfair to keep him in.
Perhaps the cold weather will be an advantage too, he won't want to stay out for hours.
Plus the fact you will have the same anxiety in spring, when it's warmer.He could be gone for much longer.
Good luck whatever you decide.It's the worst ferling in the world letting them out for the first time.
My cats have always come back.