# Letting your kitten outdoors for the first time



## katyn82

My 4 month kitten Milo will be neutered between 5 & 6 months depending on his weight as advised by my vet but one of my main concerns is letting him out for the first time. On one hand I can't wait to let him out so he can explore a new part of his home but on the other i am terrified that as he gets more confident and reaches his full climbing capabilites he will disappear over the fence and never come back. If anyone has any tips on getting your kitten/cat to return i would be really grateful. 

FYI - he is fully vaccinated and has had flea and worming treatments and when he is neutered he will have a microchip inserted at the same time so he will be ready for the big bad world!


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## ellsbells0123

I wouldn't let him out until 9/12 months and I would take him out on a lead initially.


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## buffie

I would advise that you dont let your kitten out before he is 10/12 months old.Young kittens heads are far to full of kitten things,playing,exploring ect to realise that there are dangers in the outside world.He also wont have the mental or physical ability to fend of any adult cats who may see him as a threat to their territory.
As for disappearing over the fence, he will for sure be over and off.Start now to teach him a recall so that when he does venture off you have a better chance of him coming back when called.


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## Guest

It's really upto you if you decide to let your cat out when old enough but I don't really advise it even though I have one outdoor cat myself. The outside world is very dangerous for your cat. Road accidents, accidental poisonings, On purpose cruelty by non cat lovers to name just a few. If your cat has never been outside then your cat won't miss it. Many cats live happily indoors and are so much safer. Its good that you want to wait untill after neutering but at 5 or 6 months your kitten would still be too young to go outside. There is no sure way to make sure your cat will come back after letting him out and all because the cat is microchipped does not nessarsarily mean if he got lost then he would be returned to you.


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## Kiwi

I clicker-trained my semi-feral cat and she always responds when I call her in at night (she is kept in overnight following several nightime brawls). However, we kept her in for 8 months after she arrived aged 15 mths and very ill. I would wait at least 8 months or until the kitten is strong enough to survive a cat-fight or respond sensibly to other threats. Even then, it won't save you worrying like crazy when they are out


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## McSquirtle

I'd wait a few more months after neutering before you let him outside. I'm sure hes crazy and into everything and hasn't developed a sense of danger yet - like all kittens! My boys went out at around 10/11months, despite being neutered at 5months. They were more aware and wary and took things much slower. You're always going to be nervous the first time but I allowed many supervised short periods in the garden first, we installed our cat flap a month or two later and then they were free to go and come. It was a slow process but they spend more time at home, and only go out to toilet really.
It gets easier the more cats you have. Lola is almost 6months (is neutered of course) and is already having regular access to our garden. She hasn't attempted jumping over and following the boys and seems content with the extra space we have allowed her. I'm confident that when she does jump the fence, the boys will show her the way and she will always come back.
Perhaps you could buy a harness and lead, then you can show him the outdoors without giving him so much freedom so young.


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## Treaclesmum

I think it is safer if you have several cats. My previous cats were always out from an early age, too young really, but they all had each other and never came to any harm.

As our local foxes seem to have decamped and gone back to the fields, I am hoping to let the boys out around May time, when they will be 8 and 10 months old :smile5:


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## pinkbetty

We kept our cats in for around 7 weeks when we first got them, partly so they knew this was home, and partly whilst we got a catflap sorted. The first time we let our cats out (the kittens were around 7-8 months and their mother) we made sure it was weekend so we would be around whilst they were learning to use the cat flap. Letting them out a bit hungry will help to make sure they come back quickly. Our cats are quite nervous anyway so they don't wander too far and run away from almost everything and everyone. It took the kittens quite a while to work out how to scale the fences, and they like to tease the neighbour's dog, which barks a lot then gets told off by our neighbour! Their mum was a stray so it was nice knowing they had a streetwise cat to show them what to do. I think she's even trained them to go to the loo outside, or they just figured it out themselves.


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## Rylee

My kitten is 6 months old and she has been going outside, always with me there, for a couple of months. She has recently been neutered so now i am letting her out by herself, still watching her out of the window though. She seems very sensible about it and has never ventured further than the neighbours garden. I do worry about her going further but she seems to be quite cautious so i don't think she will go far. I'm wondering if she will be more of a house cat, that just goes into the garden and not much further because at the minute she doesn't have much interest in venturing off. Maybe that will change as she gets a bit older and more confident. I'm letting her make up her own mind though, i'd be more than happy if she spent most of her time inside and just went out for a little while each day. 

Someone has recommended for me to train her to come in with a whistle, haven't tried it yet but definately having some kind of recall is a good idea. Treats always work to lure her in too.


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## katyn82

Thank you all for your interesting thoughts and opinions i will definitely take all advice on board! He often stares out the window and stands by the back door looking out at the garden so i'm sure he wants to go out. He also gets very curious when the front or back door opens and pops his head round to see what's behind it! In reply to McSquirtle yes he is in to everything!
I do not want to keep him as a house cat personally but i understand why people do. All of my other cats went outdoors and always came back for food, attention and a warm place to sleep overnight i just was too young to remember the training process.


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## Treaclesmum

katyn82 said:


> I do not want to keep him as a house cat personally but i understand why people do. All of my other cats went outdoors and always came back for food, attention and a warm place to sleep overnight i just was too young to remember the training process.


That's how I feel about mine! I want them to enjoy the garden, but I was only 10 years old when the others first went outdoors, so I don't remember what it was like. I am over-protective of these boys of mine! :001_tongue:


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