# Letting my cat out



## Jojolou (Mar 13, 2011)

My cat is about 4 months old... I orginally wanted him to be inside cat. But he is too wild to be in all day he climbing the walls .. So im wondering when the best time to let him out.. Im due to take him for his injections on monday... But worried once he is out will he come back home as i live in ground floor appartment. Would be grateful for all your help. Thanks


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Not until he is fixed at least! Otherwise he could wander away and not come back in his search for a female.


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## honeysmummy (Oct 17, 2010)

Hi,

I can relate in a way with the worry of letting your kitty out, i had the same dilemma but in the end decided to keep them as house cats for various reasons.

There are alot of people on here who have cats who go out, so they will probably be able to advise you on how you go about introducing them to the outdoors.

However i have to be honest, i know a vet will say they can go out after they have had their vaccs and been neutered, but i think they are still too young to cope with the outdoors at that age.

I think between 10mths to a year would be the best time.
Your kitten will be bigger and much more able to hold its own against the situations it will face outdoors.

My youngest is 5 1/2 mths and she still looks so tiny 

If your kitten is climbing the walls...maybe a harness would help it to explore and be safe at the same time 

Hope that helps...Good luck

Kelly xx


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Jojolou said:


> My cat is about 4 months old... I orginally wanted him to be inside cat. But he is too wild to be in all day he climbing the walls .. So im wondering when the best time to let him out.. Im due to take him for his injections on monday... But worried once he is out will he come back home as i live in ground floor appartment. Would be grateful for all your help. Thanks


Hi.4 months as the previous poster rightly says is way to young to be going outside.He needs to have his full vaccination's,neutered and Ideally no younger than 8/9 months old to have any chance of being able to fend for himself against the bigger males in the big wide world.You say he is to wild to be an indoor cat What makes you think this.Does he have lots of stimulating toys/scratchers climbing tree's to occupy his time with.He will also benefit from lots of quality play time with you. Kittens need to be kept occupied both mentally and physically.30 minutes of active play a few times a day will keep him happy.All my cats have been indoor cats ,the most recent one is a very feisty 16 month old ragdoll,normally very laidback natured cats but I get the exception and he has settled into a very contented indoor cat.Cant see the cat that could change my mind on the indoor/outdoor debate.


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## KirstyLouise (Mar 17, 2011)

Heya

Please dont let your kitty out at four months old. They wouldnt stand a chance against an adult cat and please you should get them done before allowing them out.

My two are both boys are done and are seven months old and from advice on this website i will allow them out when their 10months old. I allow them to run around in the garden when im with them and they love it.

My two were mental at four months jumping up mine and my OHs legs for food and onto benches and were into everything and always fighting but as they have got older they have calmed down so much its amazing i have the same kittens and having them done has helped so much.

Your kitten doesnt know what the outside world is all about yet and is just being a cat wanting to go everywhere wait til his older and youll feel alot more relaxed in letting them out.

Kirsty xxxx


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## AnimatedApe (Oct 18, 2010)

I think that if you have an enclosed garden/yard and you supervise him then it is ok to let him out for short periods. But 4 months is still very young for him to be wondering out on his own, and certainly too young to be wondering further afield. 

My eldest is 12 months and my youngest is 15 weeks, the eldest (Lenin) is so much bigger and stronger than the kitten that I am amazed everytime that I pick her up. If the kitten ran into a cat her size outdoors then I don't think he'd make it home.

He will calm down a great deal once he has had his snip, but in the mean time make sure that the house is populated with hidey holes, places to climb and plenty of places to scratch.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

thats a typical kitten, thats what they do whether they are inside or outside they play 24/7 and go mad! they arent wild 

He can NOT go outside until 2 months after he is netuered, or you will never see him again, or he will spray/crap all over your house and fight Everything and possibly contract feline aids / etc 

so about 10months of age plus, he can be neutered from now


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## Sadie SU (May 15, 2011)

Oh boy, I can sympathise with you on the climbing walls front.  Our kitten's favourite trick is to run at full pelt from the back of the house, up the stairs to the top, then up the wallpaper to a height of about 10 feet as if it's just an extension of the staircase.  He's about fifteen weeks old now, and the plan is to keep him inside until he's about a year old. He'll be neutered when he's about six months, but I daren't contemplate putting him outside until he's more like a year old. 

We still keep our kitten (Popeye) caged at night, mainly so we don't have to worry about wall climbing exploits in the wee small hours, but also so we can give him higher calorie kitten rations while he's separated from our older cat (Sophie). And it give the older cat a break from being dive bombed by a hyperactive kitten, as well. There will come a point where he's just too darn big to be realistically caged for that length of time, so then he'll be shut into Cat Central (the room where they both get shut in when we're out during the day) at night. I'm putting that off for as long as possible because I suspect that Popeye will want/expect Sophie to join him in Cat Central at night, just like she does during the day, and Sophie thoroughly enjoys her Right to Roam at night.


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## tyrole (May 5, 2009)

He will calm down soon I promise You will see a difference as soon as he's had the snip. At what age will your vet do the op?
We invested in a lot of toys and a climbing pole with platforms. 
Max is a house/garden cat, he's 1 year old now. We have cat proofed the garden to stop him getting out.
I also put him in one room at night, its a large sitting room with a few toys in. He usually goes in when we got to bed at 11.30 and comes back out in the morning around 7.30.


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## Lulus mum (Feb 14, 2011)

Agree with all the previous posts-he is doing what kittens do-he needs to be given chances to play and run and climb-he is NOT being wild
He will calm down after his op.,but as others have already said he is way too young to be given his freedom
All my cats are indoor,(2 are 14 and 1 is 6 and we have had them all since they were kittens so I know where you are coming from-)they do go out in the garden with me and O.H to have a chance to see the outside world-they love it,but I dont feel guilty when I bring them in-as I know that they are safe and not at the mercy of other animals,"people" or traffic.
If you really want to have an outdoor cat ,please wait until he is much older
Maureen


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