Letting a new cat out

[Dilbertian]

Mr FattyCat has only been with us for two weeks, but he got out after six days and returned at dd's call a couple of hours later. So we figure he knows who we are and where his food is, and we started letting him out two days ago. We let him out first thing in the morning, after he's been asking for food for a while, and call him back in for breakfast after half an hour.

I know the advice is to keep them in for at least three weeks, but Mr FattyCat took matters in to his own paws by escaping, and now he sits by the garden door and begs

Should we let him come and go as he pleases, or should we continue keeping him in for another week, with just a brief outing before breakfast?

I think that now the cat is out of the bag so to speak there is nothing to be gained by trying to keep him in again.

Dh is very nervous and wants to keep dcat in for longer.

If it was me I would take him out for short walks on a harness in the garden to be sure he gets used to his surroundings and has his bearings right first. But then I am quite cautious.

I would never recommend a harness. Some cats can tolerate them and others become extremely upset and stressed by them. I would never risk it.

He has already gone over the fence and returned, which is why I think he has his bearings.

But D-"I don't like cats"-H is now besotted with the new 'baby' and is too worried to give him more freedom.

I wouldn't put a 10yo cat in a harness.

Whistle for /at him every time you feed him for a while. Same kind of long two tone whistle. Let him out before feeding him so he is hungry. When you want him home whistle for him. Works every time. Had cats for 30 years and never fails.

FattyCat is out. DH is watching him through the windows and following him around the house. "Is he OK?" "Should we move the dustbins for him?" "Does next door still have a dog?" (No, not for at least a year. But I don't know if DH knows that a different neighbour now does.) "He's on the garage roof! How did he get up there? How will he get down again?"

When my cats started going out, the fat one would climb up on the kitchen roof, climb onto the top of the open kitchen door, totter all the way to the end of it and then chirp pathetically until I got the ladder and lifted him down. (Knowing full well he could have just hopped through the upstairs bathroom window)

The first few times they go out is nerve wracking.

We have a fairly young cat and we let her out before being fed, and she is used to coming back in when she hears me opening her food. Seems to work so far!

My DH was exactly the same when our cat first started going out

Sounds like he's a confident and happy cat so I would continue to let him out