Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

Want to let kitten out but scared she won't come back

26 replies

BleddyHell · 14/07/2021 11:49

We've had our kitten for around 3 weeks now and she's due for her jabs etc in a couple of weeks (for some reason the get couldn't fit her in any earlier). I really want to be able to let her out, I don't want a house cat, but how do I make sure she comes back?!
Thus may seem like a really stupid question but I've always been a dog owner, never cat, and my dog was easy to train...my kitten not so 😆 we live rurally so I'm just really worried she'll bugger off over the fields, never to be seen again (I let her out in the garden day before yesterday and she made an instant beeline for the field out front and I panicked and pit her straight back inside)

OP posts:
SometimesIFeedTheSparrows · 14/07/2021 11:51

How old is she? Collar, shipped, speyed?

Easiest thing to do is wait until she's hungry and then go out and stay out with her. But if she's not had her jabs or been chipped or neutered - no way.

FatCatThinCat · 14/07/2021 11:52

I wouldn't let a kitten out after 3 weeks. Mine have always been kept in until they're vaccinated and neutered/spayed at around 6 months old.

Fluffycloudland77 · 14/07/2021 12:39

If she’s not jabbed, neutered & microchipped she can’t go out.

Plump82 · 14/07/2021 13:23

What age is she?
I wouldnt be letting her out till she was fully vaccinated and neutered. Kittens can get pregnant very, very young.
Please be responsible.
Also 3 weeks at yours is hardly any time for her to get settled.

RiaOverTheRainbow · 14/07/2021 13:35

Have you thought about harness training her? Apparently it can work well if you do it while they're kittens.

Stickytreacle · 14/07/2021 13:41

I've always kept kittens in until a year old, they are just far too young to keep out of trouble in the big wide world imo. Yours needs to be spayed, vaccinated and chipped as a minimum, and three weeks is way too soon to consider it, it's practically guaranteeing a lost cat that will end up semi feral, if it survives, pregnant and adding to welfare issues. Cat proofing your garden would be the only way I'd let her out at this stage.

ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn · 14/07/2021 13:42

How old is she?

She must be vaccinated, spayed and chipped as a minimum before going out.

whatisthisinhere · 14/07/2021 14:05

I kept my kitten in until around 6 months. When she finally went out into the back garden, she didn't go much further than the back fence. She still prefers not to go far. Your cat will esp
Tabling her territory, your back garden, and will protect it, so won't go too far

Original poster
BleddyHell · 14/07/2021 17:38

Ahh thank you all, as I said I am clueless in kittens hence why I've asked Blush
She's 11 weeks old, not chipped or vaccinated yet as my vet I use for my dog couldn't fit her in until week after next.
There is absolutely no way she will be un-neutered given the amount of farm cats around us, what age is ideal for neutering?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 14/07/2021 18:13

4 months for spaying. Keep her in until she is vaccinated, spayed and microchipped

violetbunny · 14/07/2021 20:30

That's way too young to be out.

At a minimum she should be chipped and desexed. At that age they're still learning how to defend themselves, they would be mincemeat if they encountered an adult cat who was aggressive for example (cats are very territorial). We waited until ours were 7 months, and even then they started it short supervised trips outside.

If the cat will be an outdoor cat, please also get a catflap. Ours are in and out all day, accessing food and water, and it's not unusual for them to be chased by another cat and come tearing inside because they need a safe space.

TheNameTheWebsiteForgot · 14/07/2021 20:38

Bloody hell don't let an 11 week old kitten out.

For context mine went out at about 6/7 months (in the garden only for several weeks.

4 - 6 months for spaying and not out before then.

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 14/07/2021 20:41

Keep her in until she's 6 months and fully vaccinated and spayed.
Then you can start letting her out for short periods if you go out with her and bring her back regularly by shaking the dreamies and calling her name. After a few days she'll probably be ok to use a cat flap and come and go.

careerchangeperhaps · 14/07/2021 20:44

I'd not let a kitten out until about 6 months. They need to be spayed (between 4-6 months) and fully vaccinated and also need to be big enough to get out of trouble (dogs / big Tom cats might chase them).

Don't worry, they come back. Start by leaving the door open when it's nearly their feeding time and encourage them to follow you out to the garden. Don't panic if they run up a tree / jump the fence. After a few minutes, get the food out and they'll be back.

WhoNeedsaManOfTheWorld · 14/07/2021 20:44

Way too young
Mine started going out at 6 months but he is gradually expanding his area. He didn't leave the garden for weeks and ran back if anything scared him. He is almost a year old and still isn't going far

TableNiner · 14/07/2021 20:45

Agree with others that I’d wait until she is 6 months, then using a lead helped me train our cat not to go too far. Just walked him round the same area for nights on end.

PickleAF · 14/07/2021 21:02

We waited until 6 months for our kitten (the other cat was older!) at first they just explored the garden for a few weeks before braving climbing the 6ft fence Confused Now they're out playing in the pond by the house all hours! I bought two vodafone curves when they first got over the fence, and attached them to their collars. They're GPS so track them, and you can set boundaries so you know if they've gone far. The eldest cat needed collecting when he'd wandered too far the first few weeks a couple of times, the tracker meant I was able to find him super quickly and just lead him home - he's not got lost since! It really helped with peace of mind in case they did get lost.

FelicityBeedle · 14/07/2021 21:05

Okce old enough I also recommend a tracker! We use a Tractive collar and it’s fab, looks a bit bulky but doesn’t impede him and when he’s gotten himself a bit lost (a whole two streets away!) it’s been easy to fetch him back

ThedaBara · 14/07/2021 21:50

You HAVE to get your cat vaccinated agains parvo before you even let them out into your garden. Not worth the risk

FartleBarfle · 14/07/2021 22:03

Blimey! 11 weeks! Definitely don't let her out yet. She will seem bigger once she is 6-7 months and actually ready to go exploring. Ours didn't go too far at first but when they jumped over the fence we were very worried about them. But they always came back. These days they go out all night and sleep at home all day, they are proper teenagers... We always remember how worried we were for them at first and how weirdly quickly we got used to them.

gamerchick · 14/07/2021 22:06

As said and it's worth saying again. When she's neutered, chipped, insured and vaccinated. Then you can let her out.

Bit young yet anyroad.

Notaroadrunner · 15/07/2021 18:29

We got our kitten at 11 weeks. He has just had his second vaccination and was chipped this week. He's almost 4 months. He had his first vaccination a month ago. You shouldn't let them out to roam before being vaccinated/neutered. We do bring him out to the enclosed garden but today he managed to get up on a wall and into next doors garden. So we have to be extra vigilant now if we let him out.

I thought they had to be 6 months to be neutered but after reading this I'll hopefully get him snipped sooner Smile. We plan to move him out to the cat hotel (shed) with our older cat when he's done.

thecatneuterer · 15/07/2021 19:58

I agree with everyone else - and to answer your question about the ideal age for neutering - 4 months.

Oldraver · 15/07/2021 20:04

She shouldn't be allowed out on her own until she is neutered and chipped . Depends when you get will do it

We used to take ours out on a harness and will do with anymore we have

They do love a run round the garden but you can't risk them going off

Notaroadrunner · 15/07/2021 20:04

@thecatneuterer

I agree with everyone else - and to answer your question about the ideal age for neutering - 4 months.
That's great so I can book our boy in asap.