Struggling to let cats out after moving house

[iabvvu]

Hoping someone can talk some sense into me! We have 3 lovely cats, one is nearly 11 and the others are 1 & 2. We moved house 3 weeks ago but stayed with family temporarily for a month prior to that - so the cats haven't been out for about 7 weeks. They were previously allowed outside during the day, two of them went out for short stints and one would stay out all day and night if we let her. I'm really struggling to commit to letting them out - part of me wants to keep them inside indefinitely. They seem ok, they're not climbing up the walls, they have plenty of space and toys and cat trees and attention but they are showing a lot of interest in going outside again. The road we live on now is a bit busier but has speed bumps - and we lived next to a very busy road before and it was fine. We would only let them out the back but as we know, cats go wherever they want!
I just worry so much that something would happen to them and I'd regret ever letting them out but at the same time I don't want them to miss out because of my own anxieties!
Has anyone else been in the same situation? Thanks in advance

My cat is purely indoor. He goes to the backyard only highly supervised. If he's outside in the street I wouldn't let jump everywhere with his dirty paws. Regardless of that, it is dangerous for them, they could get injured or eat something bad. Be ready for a high cost vet bill.

Can you make them an outdoor area? There are people who make like Cat Enclosures. They will be safe and still enjoy the outdoors.

Thank you for your reply. Yes it's defo so much safer indoors but they're used to being able to go outside so they know what they're missing. If they had never been out it would be a much easier decision.

You don't really want an inside cat; the reality of that is litter trays m everywhere for life, never being to open windows and doors even in the height of summer, and worrying when you go away if they'll be bored / lonely....
A sensible compromise would be to let them out in the daytime but bring them in at night which is when most road fatalities occur.

It’d be cruel to start keeping an outdoor cat inside. We moved three times with our cats and they’ve adjusted each time. It’s always nerve raking at first especially re roads.

We live very rurally and the cats could walk for miles through open countryside from the back garden. However what they love to do is to cross the road at the front! That’s cats for you!

Have you looked in to a catio? It’s like an aviary for cats 😊 you could build it directly on to the back of your house and they can get the benefit of going out, but still being contained and safe

@iabvvu They say you should keep your cats in for several days after moving. But after I moved last time, my cat Fluffy wasn't having any of it! She was scratching at the door almost immediately, and I had to let her out. But it turned out not to be a problem, as she loved her little garden, and didn't wonder very far away. She always could find her way back, and learnt to hse her new cat flap right away. She would spend many days sitting in the garden, and even had a little friend she used to hang out with.