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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

Letting kittens out for the first time

23 replies

custardbear · 28/03/2022 09:00

It's been a while since I've introduced new cats to the garden, and I'm worried 😟
I adore my new kittens (1 especially who is a clumsy moggie!) and feeling very nervous - I have a good set up where I work from home in a room with back doors onto the garden so I can keep an eye on them - I'm sure they'll be fine but hand hold!
I do need to set up insurance today for them as I want to ensure they're covered (especially clumsy pants lol 😆)

OP posts:

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dementedpixie · 28/03/2022 11:19

Are they spayed/neutered and chipped?

topdot · 28/03/2022 11:25

Let them out hungry, before breakfast maybe, and have some dreamies on hand! I agree it's nerve wracking but cats are generally very good at finding their way back.

Original poster

custardbear · 28/03/2022 12:58

@dementedpixie

Are they spayed/neutered and chipped?

Yes, absolutely

OP posts:

Original poster

custardbear · 28/03/2022 12:59

@topdot

Let them out hungry, before breakfast maybe, and have some dreamies on hand! I agree it's nerve wracking but cats are generally very good at finding their way back.

Thanks, yes that's a good idea - they're Dreamie monsters - they LOVE them (cat crack 😆)

OP posts:

Funkyslippers · 28/03/2022 13:15

A friend of mine used harnesses for her kittens. I never did but our back garden is enclosed. I'd say just stay with them for a week or so.

Also my vet said it's not really worth getting insurance for cats as it will generally cost more than vets bills

Original poster

custardbear · 29/03/2022 06:54

They went for a very surreptitious sniff around the garden nearest to the open door, one ventured a bit further to the outer flower border of the garden and did a quick lap of sniffing then bounced in again. Took about 15 minutes - they slept all afternoon after that lol 😆

OP posts:

Arucanafeather · 29/03/2022 07:03

I’m not sure I agree with saying cat insurance isn’t worth it! A broken limb or something can cost a lot of money to fix. Most people won’t need it but that’s the same with all insurance.
I also can’t see how harnesses let cats enjoy their usual behaviours. There is a reason cats are considered only semi domesticated in the UK. I totally get the anxiety about letting them be free to go out and about as they wish but not allowing them to be able to do if they wish sits really uncomfortably with me and reduces them to the status of an object, a human possession, in my opinion rather than a sentient being in their own right. I don’t wish to live a risk-free live myself and I don’t wish it for my “pets” either. (Sorry op, that “rant” isn’t aimed at your post at all).
I totally recall the nervousness letting them out and still get it even though I’ve done it many times before. Letting them out hungry and having the dreamies to hand is a good idea. They will know where their home is.

Arucanafeather · 29/03/2022 07:04

My post took me so long to type, I crossed with your post. Aw, that sounds a lovely first trip outside!

User7777 · 29/03/2022 07:10

I was really nervous letting mine out for the first time. I did a few short accompanied trips (they were 6 months old), taught them to use the cat flap, used dreamies etc. Just bear in mind that the first time they leave your sight and don't come back is really worrying! But they are fine. I lock them in at night and they come and go at they please on the day now.
Also re cat insurance, my last cat had hyperthyroidism and the treatment cos way more than the insurance. He was diagnosed at middle age, so was ongoing for years, and would have cost thousands if he wasn't insured.

JustJam4Tea · 29/03/2022 07:12

I was so grateful for cat insurance.it paid out 2 k for a cat that got itself caught in its collar (I didn’t know, never put a cat in a collar…even quick release ones). And the other one had a dodgy knee cap….t1500.

They will get more adventurous….they go round in an 3xpanding circle to establish their territory…

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/03/2022 07:42

Most expensive cat collar ever then.

Trixiefirecracker · 29/03/2022 07:47

I trained mine to come back by shaking their biscuit box. Works every time! Plus I put butter on their feet ( old wives take I know but it gives me some strange comfort!)

3xmonsters · 29/03/2022 07:48

I'm a month into this... Mine went over the garden wall for the first time yesterday and I nearly had a heart attack!

sashh · 29/03/2022 08:32

Are you forgetting the rules OP?

QuantumWeatherButterfly · 29/03/2022 15:45

We still haven't let our two out unsupervised - we always make sure one of us is out there with them. See my other thread about nervousness on this! It's easy for them to get out over the high fences, because of immovable objects that are near to them, but much harder to get directly back in, so I'm eventually just going to have to trust them to find their way back once they are over.

However, while we were out there recently, another cat wandered through, obviously not expecting to find our two there, and immediately bounded straight over the 6 foot fence and out! It was a much less athletic looking thing than ours, so hopefully all will be well.

urbanbuddha · 29/03/2022 15:51

Train them to recognise the word "Treats!". Won't take long.

Original poster

custardbear · 29/03/2022 21:06

@sashh

Are you forgetting the rules OP?

Oops sorry ....

OP posts:

Original poster

custardbear · 29/03/2022 21:07

@urbanbuddha

Train them to recognise the word "Treats!". Won't take long.

Shaking the bag makes them literally fight to get to us lol

OP posts:

Original poster

custardbear · 29/03/2022 21:10

A few more cutie pix

OP posts:

HoollyWugger · 29/03/2022 21:17

Beautiful, OP!

We got our kitten last October and I still haven't let him out except round the garden on a harness; twice he has escaped through a window, and ended up hiding in a neighbour's car engine and I'm petrified he'll get stuck there as the car starts. I've said we will have to let him out in the warmer weather but I won't rest until he's back in!

sashh · 30/03/2022 04:38

They are lovely OP

fantasmasgoria1 · 30/03/2022 05:01

I never let my cats our until they are around a year old. This is because they are not far off fully grown at a year and if another cat picks s fight they can better defend themselves.

butteriesplease · 31/03/2022 14:47

hi, we have recently (earlier in March) started letting our kitten out - she's 9months, and got spayed at the end of Jan, so then recovery time, and then the weather was awful. at first, I would go and sit out (in the cold...) whilst she was out. She just sniffed about the garden. then when I went in, i would entice her in with food. We tended to go out just before her lunch, so she'd come in for her dry food. Now, she goes out after her breakfast, and is in & out (we must get a cat flap). She has not (as yet) shown much desire to leave the garden, which isn't in any way large. She enjoys hiding under a plant and watching the birds, or chasing bees/bugs. she comes back in to use her litter tray, and to (loudly) request food. As that's nearly a month of going out, but just a few weeks of longer access, not sure if she will stay like that, or get more adventurous. Like a previous poster, I think she could climb our 6 foot fences, as they have the horizontal bits going across, but they are flat on the other side, so not sure if she got out, if she could easily get back in... We are about to leave her in a cattery whilst we go on a few days hol, wonder if we should keep her in when we get back for a few days?

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