# When is it too late to allow an indoor cat outside?



## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

Hi, just looking for a bit of advice.

Our neutered tom cat is nearly 2 years old - we've had him since he was a 10 week old kitten. He was very ill and had a low immune system so we decided it best to keep him as an indoor only cat. However, for the last year we've had a stray cat who has kind of adopted us - we made her a shelter in the garden and we feed her twice daily/ let her in the house for naps and when it's raining/ cold etc and they get on really well. But since she's been coming in and out Rio (our cat) has begun sitting at the back door and trying to get out when the back door is opened. He obviously sees her enjoying the best of both worlds and wants a bit for himself!

We walk with him up and down the garden and to be honest he just likes to eat the grass and sniff around - *touch wood* never runs off. He just seems to come alive when he's outside - tail straight up in the air, fur blowing in the breeze  and we thought that maybe it's time to stop being selfish and worrying about things that may never happen. One of the other main reasons he's an indoor cat is because I was so worried about the life expectancy of an outdoor cat and the fact that there's so many dangers. He's now a big, strong and healthy (albeit very clumsy) man cat and I just wonder, is it too late to let him outside to roam 'til his hearts content? My OH has been trying to convince me that I'm not being fair by keeping him in when he clearly would rather be outside. Sorry for the ramble. Any experiences or advice are welcome. Thanks.


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## Misi (Jul 13, 2009)

Well, 2 things: I lost my big, bruising, gorgeous, outdoors-loving, hunting cat last October to a car on our not very busy road. I still cry about that. My newest boy, Simba was allowed out in the garden with me supervising him, until one day he gave me the slip and my sister-in-law said she'd just seen him coming back from over the road. He now only goes out on his lead. Truth is, it takes years for them to build up road sense, and most cats that get hit by cars are very young. Because your cat hasn't ever been an outside cat, he'll be starting from a zero knowledge base. 
My cat Misi was hit by a car some years ago, but was lucky to escape with a grazed chin and a lost canine. Her dearly departed companion Tarka was also hit by a car and was okay. These were important life lessons for them both, but they were incredibly lucky. After losing Bruno, I will never let my cats out again. Just a thought...


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

Hello  - I think you have to look at your own personal situation and your surroundings to make a decision - personally if I had kept my cat indoors I would not have let him go out at all cos once they get a taste its hard to keep them in  that said if u do want to let him out then weigh up all the dangers first - ie where u live is it near a main road ? is there a lot of traffic? is there lots of other cats? is he neutered? also make your home readily available that he can come and go as he pleases so he is more of an indoor/outdoor this is what my cat is and its much better imo because u can keep a constant check on them - always make sure they are in at a certain time in the evening - dont let them stay out over night as this is when they are most likely to get into scraps with other cats or roam around - I also sort of keep it in the back of my mind when I let mine out and if he not back within a couple of hours etc I normally go out and find him - just to keep an extra eye -  there is a lot of dangers letting them out but if u minimise them as much as possible then hopefully he will be ok - but there is always a chance something will happen - its a risk - and u have to decide is it worth it ? good luck whatever u decidex


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

It's like letting children go out alone - except that you can't teach a cat any road sense  I can only say that if you have weighed up all the pros and cons, can leave with your fears or the sorrow if anything was to happen, then it is not too late to let him be an outdoor cat.
A better option imo, however would be either to cat-proof your garden or put in a cat run so that he can have some limited freedom in a safer environment. Or to get him used to going for walks on a harness.


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## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

Thank you for your reply, and sorry for your losses. That's the thing, it's so difficult. I said before we even had Rio that if we ever got a cat, it'd be indoor only. I read so many horror stories whereby they've been used in dog fights, poisoned by animal haters, tortured by kids, shot at, run over and that's precisely why I made that decision. 

My OH has had many cats (Rio is my first - can you tell? ) and said that they all lived till a ripe old age whilst still being outdoor cats. It was also put to me: 'would you rather live to 100 being stuck in a house the whole time when all you want to do is go outside OR live to 40 and be able to go out and do whatever you want, do what you want to do - but know that there would always be dangers.'

He's always been quite aloof and doesn't really care much for human attention - he's definately not a lap cat and can be downright aggressive. I always thought that it was down to his bad start in life before we got him and his illness in the early days but now I'm beginning to wonder if it's because he doesn't want to be indoors. He has scratchposts, attention, love and all the toys you could imagine but it's not enough to make him happy. 

We live on a main road although with very limited access - terraced houses with only a few alleyways to get from the back of the houses to the front where the road is. But still, I do worry about the things that could happen.


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## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

ooh, I took too long to write that and didn't see the other messages - thank you for your replies.


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## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

IF - and it's a big if at the moment we do decide to let him out, do you think it's better to have a collar on or not? He'll be microchipped so is there need for a collar as well?


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

mummiesofRio said:


> ooh, I took too long to write that and didn't see the other messages - thank you for your replies.


If u live close to a main road then I would prob say no then hun the fact is at 2yrs old he will not have learnt any road sense and could quite easily get into strife - can u cat proof your garden maybe?? if so I would go for that option  x


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

mummiesofRio said:


> IF - and it's a big if at the moment we do decide to let him out, do you think it's better to have a collar on or not? He'll be microchipped so is there need for a collar as well?


Collars imo are a bit iffy - esp if they are not safety catch ones which automatically unclip if he gets caught on something - but on a plus side it shows he is not a stray if u do get one make sure its a safety catch clasp one and not a buckle one


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## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

We wouldn't be able to cat-proof it, unfortunately, that's something I had considered before. One reason that it would be too expensive - we have quite a large garden with different sized and uneven fences on either side (and gaps underneath!) and secondly because we rent - we were lucky enough that the landlord said we could have a cat as it's in our contract that pets aren't allowed....one legitimate cat, a stray and 3 hamsters later.... we're probbly pushing it a bit


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## shyboots (Jun 29, 2011)

If you have lots of room out there, what about a cat run? If its freestanding then you can pick it up and take it with you if you move?

I have a 2 year old who I think yearns to go out too! I'm just waiting to finish his jabs then I'm going to take him out on a harness, but we are right next to a busy road so that's going to be it, I'm afraid.


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## Jocatza (Mar 30, 2011)

I realise that there are members who would urge you to reconsider letting him out but I can only offer you my own experiences as an owner of 3 indoor cats who became outdoor cats. Two of which managed to live to a ripe old age and one who we hope will also do so.

We adopted 10 year old brothers who had never been allowed outside of the one bedroom flat that was their first owners home. When she was offered a new job with live-in accommodation she decided that they were no longer wanted and dumped them at a pet rescue without a single backwards glance, or so I was informed. 

The brothers took to living in a full house in their stride but from the first day were fascinated with the view into our garden. After a couple of months we decided to let them go out under supervision. They took to it as though they had never been confined to indoors and continued to enjoy roaming free for a further 9 and 10 years respectively.

Our current cat, Riley, was again an indoors cat, who at 12 months old was abandoned in an empty 3rd floor flat when his owners did a moonlight flit. He was heard scrabbling at the door by neighbours who alerted the RSPCA and eventually found his way to us. 

Again we kept him in to bond with us, but he watched the birds and wildlife in our garden with total fascination and after 2 months we decided to let him go out with us close on his tail. His face when a bird flew over his head was priceless, obviously seeing them do something so extraordinary totally blew his mind and although he ran to me for reassurance he was still in no hurry to retreat indoors. That was when we realised he would be another cat that enjoyed a life of freedom.

As long as your boy has been neutered and he wants out then I would say give him the chance but try to be around so that he can retreat into the house and the safety of your company if the big wide world gets a bit much for him. Having access to back gardens with a restricted access to the main road is good but you do have to face the fact that cats can roam over quite large areas and the road will always be a danger. Safety Collars are good but I would always have a cat microchiped as well. It's also more important than ever to keep his injections up to date and keep his worm and flea treatments topped up.

So my opinion is that age doesn't seem to matter but you have to be able to be comfortable with what ever decision you do make as being a nervous wreck every time he goes out will soon wear you out.


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

One thing to point out for your OH - when his cats have been allowed out generally the worl has been a bit more cat friendly.

In the last 7 months in my quietish country village we have had

3 cats deliberately poisoned with antifreeze
2 more accidental (was spilled during the crazy snow)
1 cat shot with an air rifle (survived)
1 cat shot (didn't) 
11 cats stolen (4-6 depending who you listen to recovered)
3 cats just missing - no idea where they are/what's happened
4 kittens/cats run over (that I have seen)
1 nailed to a tree cos the owner's teenage son 'got angry with her for grounding him'
1 kitten killed by my neighbours cat on his first day being let out (9 months)
5 more injured by the same cat severely enough to need vets - my neighbour brags about this, those cats almost certainly are now FIV+ as their tom is.

that's the ones I've seen/heard off on the bus from friends - in a village of around 1,000 in rural North Lincolnshire

My cats are now and will always be indoor only - 2 are ex feral and 1 is ex stray/feral - they have adapted fine and are perfectly happy, my only trip to vets in the last year other than boosters was Mabel today with an upset tum.

Next doors has been around 8 times in same period - he is same age as Indy so about 3 - 3 eye injuries, fighting injuries, clipped by a car once and a nasty chest infection and a couple eye infections - so much so for outdoor access guarenteeing a stronger immune system.

It's your own decision whether you let your boy out but it's also up to you to weigh up the pros and cons... has anything changed since you got him to make the original decision to keep him in invalid?


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Sorry but main roads and cats don't go together.
We lost one of our cats to a RTA in our cul de sac
I think a cat run would be best or you could cat proof half of the garden by putting a partition up part of the way down the garden and cat proof that. That way he could have a bit of freedom but would be safe.
It doesn't have to cost a lot you just need some pond netting and metal elbows. 
see picture.
If you moved house this can easily be removed.


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## LibraLass (Jun 29, 2011)

Can you explain a bit more about cat-proofing a garden? Mine scales a 6'ft fence no problem, she is a outdoor can and loves to do her own thing, although we live in a cul-de-sac, so not like being on a busy road. Just wondered how you cat proof a garden?


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

LibraLass said:


> Can you explain a bit more about cat-proofing a garden? Mine scales a 6'ft fence no problem, she is a outdoor can and loves to do her own thing, although we live in a cul-de-sac, so not like being on a busy road. Just wondered how you cat proof a garden?


This link : Outdoor Cat Enclosures - Outdoor Cat Enclosure shows how a cat proofed fence works, the principle of it. A cat cannot climb over an angled inwards mesh as the cat is positioned 'upside down'. Sorry if this isn't clear, it's hard to describe but hopefully the link will show what I mean 

ps - it can be done cheaply, DIY, with brackets from Wickes or B&Q and mesh from Ebay.


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## LolaBoo (May 31, 2011)

We have 3 indoor cats Bandit is 8, George 4 and sookie 2 all of which have never been out 

We live on a main road so wouldnt even think about letting them out they love to sit on window sill and watch world go by

But have never shown any intrest in going out

I think in my opinon what they dont know they dont miss

But seeing as you have let him in garden hes got a taste for it and will want to be out all the time now 

Its a personal choice wether to ever let a indoor cat out but personally i wouldnt


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

tbh if you have never let your cat out and he is now 2 years old, i wouldnt chance it as he may not have road sense. i, like alot of people on here have cats that have access to a run in the garden, adjacent to the house. all the cats that i have now have never gone out and never will do, but they are happy as they are.


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## shyboots (Jun 29, 2011)

I think maybe Biffy is a bit similar to yours, he came from a 4th floor city centre flat and now he's very interested in watching everything out of the window here. Even cars and people, I'm not sure he knows to be more interested in birds than people. Going up and down stairs still seems quite exciting to him! Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with him...! He gets a really good run around the living room 3-4 times a day and can explore all around the house inbetween, 2 scratching trees, toys, lots of hiding places, 2 water bowls...wet and dry food...I've put the harness on him once just to check the size and see how he reacted...once he gets his final jabs tomorrow, I want to take him out, we have patio out the back (boring!) and more out front but also communal grass between the houses and the road, trees, etc, so we'll go out for a looksee there  I guess by comparison to what he had before, that is pretty good. I don't think it'd be fair to let him out alone though, he's so naive and inexperienced. If at some future point we move somewhere with a better garden with grass and that can be cat proofed or have a cat run in it, absolutely. That's my reasoning anyway.


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

For your own sake and his, I would keep him indoors. Indoor cats can have a rich and fulfilling life indoors with the right care and attention.
Cats WILL cross roads, even if you think they won't.


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## wellsandmittens (May 29, 2011)

It's a personal decision, you have to be comfortable with whatever you decide. Take all the points people have made on here and weight them up in your own mind to see whether you would be happier keeping him in or taking the risk of letting him out. I totally agree that there is a risk with letting him out, and he will sooner or later find his way to the road although hopefully he might decide it's more interesting in the gardens. Ours were already outdoor cats before we rescued them and it is clear to me that they are happier being able to come and go particularly as me and my oh both work full time so are not able to keep them entertained in the way I would want to if they were indoor. I do worry about them a lot but I love to see how happy they are being independent, hunting (even took the neighbour's goldfish out of the pond ), enjoying the nice weather when we get it, making new friends of both feline and human variety (not the neighbour with the fish though) and generally enjoying life.

Re collars, my view is that as long as you use a safety collar it should come off if needed. I know there are mixed views about that but my cats have been known to go through 3 in a week so I hope it will be ok. Being rather friendly I am always worried that my cats will be adopted somewhere else and this nearly happened so I think it's important to keep them with a collar. Also, if one of them were to be found injured or even dead (god forbid, but there is a chance) I think having a phone number makes it more likely you will be contacted as otherwise the person would have to take them to a vet to get scanned. There was a story about this on the forum not long ago.


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

I have 3 cats - 2 of which are allowed outdoors when I say they can go out. It is not a 24/7 facility. My little girl is only 11mths and she is not allowed out at this time.

If I could turn back time, however, I would never have introduced Merson to the great outdoors because I worry myself silly EVERY SINGLE TIME he is out of my sight!!! Being white & fluffy makes him an easy target for anyone who is of bad intent. I am working on minimising his outdoor time but he adores going out and I feel really bad & nasty for keeping him in. I must be the only person in the land who celebrates rainy days as I have got a justifiable excuse for not allowing him out. Abby is desperate to go out and often runs for the back door when it opens but we hope to try and keep her as an indoor cat if we can. We are also considering the various options of providing a cat run in the garden for them.

All three cats have collars & the 2 youngest are chipped. If (god forbid) anything were to happen to them outdoors then non-pet people who may not know about microchipping would still be able to contact me. I recommend the Ancol safety catch collars as I have first-hand cat experience of their quick release action which prevents a tangled cat from hurting itself (or one that decides to chase another cat out of a first-floor window......)

I can fully appreciate how difficult a decision this is and your OH is not helping you either. I'd say to go with your gut instinct. How do YOU feel inside about letting him out? 

Good luck.


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## mummiesofRio (Oct 25, 2009)

IndysMamma said:


> has anything changed since you got him to make the original decision to keep him in invalid?


The main reason he wasn't allowed out in the beginning was because he was a very sickly kitten with a low immune system but he has surpassed all expectations - the vet was amazed when seeing him as he is now - he said he never thought that Rio would grow up to be so big and *touch wood* healthy.

Also, since allowing the stray cat in, Rio has become increasingly more aware that there is a whole world outside the house and he kept trying to get out, which is why we take him out into the garden for supervised outings. However, his behaviour has always been quite aggressive - we've tried everything - toys, cuddles, leaving him to come to us when he's ready, the best food, lots of places to sleep and chill out, feliway etc but nothing's ever worked - well, the feliway did after a while.... His background before we got him is somewhat of a mystery but due to his behaviour, we have our suspicions that he may have had no positive contact with humans - we also think he was the runt of the litter. Which is why now, seeing how happy he is when he's in the garden - and the fact he hisses when he's brought back in and sulks  maybe it would do him good to be a semi outdoor cat.

As for anything else changing, my worries are still the same - I know all the horrible things that could happen, I'm just fighting with what's best for him - keeping him inside where I know I can keep an eye on him all the time and know that he's safe but pretty darn miserable OR allow him out do do everything that's natural to him - hunt, climb, explore etc but worry myself something silly until I see him and know that he's ok, knowing all the things that could (but hopefully wouldn't) happen.

I just want him to be happy, he's so loved and cared for but as my OH said maybe he's just not cut out to be an indoor cat.


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## Jo Deeley (Aug 4, 2018)

This has answered my questions. I have 2 daft and soppy Birmans and one streetwise moggy. So the moggy goes out whenever he likes through his microchip catflap but my Birmans.... well I made the decision to keep them inside cats. We have built a catio and I’m in the process of planting up some pots with catmint and grass for them but they still sit at the edge of it looking out and making me feel guilty. I had thought to go in the garden with them but then this just gives them a taste for something they’ve never had so surely that’s worse. If they went out I know for a fact they would see a car flop on the floor and roll over. Hate keeping them in but I love them too much to risk it so catio it is!


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

Jo Deeley said:


> This has answered my questions. I have 2 daft and soppy Birmans and one streetwise moggy. So the moggy goes out whenever he likes through his microchip catflap but my Birmans.... well I made the decision to keep them inside cats. We have built a catio and I'm in the process of planting up some pots with catmint and grass for them but they still sit at the edge of it looking out and making me feel guilty. I had thought to go in the garden with them but then this just gives them a taste for something they've never had so surely that's worse. If they went out I know for a fact they would see a car flop on the floor and roll over. Hate keeping them in but I love them too much to risk it so catio it is!


Sitting at the edge looking out doesn't mean anything except they like to sit at the edge and look out. Just the same as a cat looking out a window doesn't mean the cat "needs to go out". Cats look out windows because they like to look out windows. Keep your cats contained happy and safe, and not annoying the neighbors.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Meeko has free access to his run via a tunnel from the house but still likes to sit looking out of the window that is right next to his tunnel entrance so I can only assume that the 2 are not connected ......well not in *his head* anyway


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

Miss Milo is sitting at the window now, she is just watching. If she wanted out she would be meowing and rubbing her paws against the window or door. She has never done that.She doesn't want to go out.


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## Quartermass (Nov 25, 2016)

I don't know how much indoor cats really get the concept of being out. My indoor cat sometimes stands on his back legs with his front paws high up the window when there's a bird near the window but the last time he managed to get outside he just cowered and sat once he'd gone a few metres from the door.

Of course an outdoor cat will have learned, but my cat I suspect was an outdoor cat for the first part of his life and for the past 2 years he's only been out twice when he's escaped. 

I would look into safe play areas - the green wire stuff for example, or cat proofing the garden first. You can't cat proof it afterwards.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

I have 6 cats that don't go outside, and the last 11 years they have had a 48 feet run. Now it is getting old and so I am in the process of getting the garden fenced in. I will still keep the run until it falls down and maybe keep it so the cats still have somewhere to go if I am on holiday or at night. None of them have had any interest in going out, in fact there have been a couple of occasions when the door has been left open, and none of them were remotely interested in going through that door.


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## Amanda Sturdy (Jun 16, 2018)

I have started to let Bobbie sit at the door she is 1 next month.I have usually when i take a trip to my bins shut the door behind me.Lately i have left it open i have to add she could not escape the confines of my garden.She usually comes and sts on the step and watches the birds and insects she does take a couple of steps out but never many.I did think i was being cruel to let her sit on the step but she is constantly in her window seat so she gets to see outside all the time.I think my logic was i am just letting her get some fresh air.I do wonder if i should do this wether i am giving her a taste of something she can never have.I could never let her be outdoors to many dangers cars other cats, poisons in rodents antifreeze drips, salt on the roads.Councils also near me spray pavement edges with weedkiller even in quiet locations so for me the dangers outweigh everything else.If you have a child you learn them whats not safe its not in born its a learned concept and we cannot do that for cats to late when it licks the puddle on the floor laced with antifreeze or if it gets salt on its paws from gritted roads also laced with antifreeze. My list could go on but i for one want to keep my treasured companion with me for as long as possible


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## BarneyBobCat (Feb 22, 2019)

My neighbour lost two cats recently due to road injuries. Another neighbours cat got hit but survived - I was quite shocked that after 3months recuperation she let him out again, I can only think this is because they are out of the house all day typically 8am to 6 or 7pm and they thought he would be bored


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## Psygon (Apr 24, 2013)

lorilu said:


> Sitting at the edge looking out doesn't mean anything except they like to sit at the edge and look out. Just the same as a cat looking out a window doesn't mean the cat "needs to go out". Cats look out windows because they like to look out windows. Keep your cats contained happy and safe, and not annoying the neighbors.


Ours sit in their cat run and look into the house through the windows, and it definitely doesn't mean they want to come in.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

_If you think she likes being in the fresh air which most cats do, have your considered a small cat run adjacent to the back of the house?_


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## Precious1 (Mar 28, 2019)

I adopted my 6 year old cat at age 2. She also lived in a flat and was indoors only before then. We introduced her gradually to the garden (like you not easy access to the road as we are surrounded by other gardens). She loves going outside and I feel it’s good for her to have the freedom. However, she also likes home life and doesn’t go out if it’s too cold and generally doesn’t stay out too long.


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