# Letting cat outside (1st floor apartment)



## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hello everyone

We live in a 1st floor apartment and would love to let Beryl out, but have some concerns. I've been letting her out into the communal hallway and she really enjoyed exploring! The main issues are:

* There are no cat flaps, so it's goes flat -> hallway -> stairs -> outside
* No way for Beryl to get back in
* Is she going to end up begging to be let out all the time

We're quite happy letting her out, but recently she's been meowing / scratching at the door all night, which is quite frustrating as it's keeping us up. I was tempted to let her out into the hallway for a bit, but obviously I don't want her meowing and waking people up in the middle of the night outside their front doors!

Any tips / opinions? I'm guessing this isn't that uncommon!

A couple of pics as it's my first post


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

id keep her i, is she spayed yet? she souldnt go out until about a month after this, whats the point in letting hert in a hallway? say she uses it as a toilet...? say someone opens the door and she legs it & cant get back in?
letting her out more will = her wanting to go out more, personally id just keep her in, get lost of cat posts and toys!


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Yes, she has been spayed and has all of her vaccinations (2-3 months ago).

She ran out of a couple of times when we opened the door, plus she really seems to enjoy it (purring loads!). 

I don't leave her in the hallway, and that was never an option. The main reason I'm posting this is because she's meowing at the front door a lot or staring out the window and I feel she'd really enjoy it outside.

She has plenty of toys and we play with her loads too.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

I am with T.B. on this.It is not an ideal situation for an outdoor cat.Cats do very well as indoor cats,they dont know what"outside" is until they start to exlpore so they cant miss what they havnt had.Cats are naturally curious,so looking out the window is just the same as sitting on the "wrong"side of a closed door,They want to be on the other side .Unless you can provide her with safe access to and from outside world I would just keep her in.


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2010)

I think a lot of people confuse cats staring out the window as a want/need to go out but mine use the window like a giant telly they love watching the birds on the bird table, but mine are indoor cats and they show no desire to go out. Also cats being cats they are curious creatures and they always want to know what is on the other side of the door, I wouldn't be happy letting letting the cat out when she has no direct access back to your door/flat plus she is beautiful and unusual (ia she a pedigree) and it would worry that someone could steal her.


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

I can see where you are coming from.

On a side note, any tips for stopping her meowing at the front door in the middle of the night?

I've tried putting a scratch post in front of the door, with no luck. She'll stop for a bit and as soon as I fall back to sleep, it starts again.


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

GreyHare said:


> I wouldn't be happy letting letting the cat out when she has no direct access back to your door/flat plus she is beautiful and unusual (ia she a pedigree) and it would worry that someone could steal her.


She's isn't pedigree as far as I'm aware, we bought Beryl from a local family


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2010)

Beryl1 said:


> She's isn't pedigree as far as I'm aware, we bought Beryl from a local family


Beryl is a beautiful moggy but I would still keep her in, could you put a laundy bin or a box in front of the door to stop the scratching habit at night.


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## the melster (Mar 20, 2010)

I have the same problem. We re-homed Tabatha who will not go outside and we keep her as a house cat. She sits behind the door and flicks the draft excluder and will leg it into the hall at every opportunity. The thing is Tabatha doesn't distinguish between our flat and the hall. To her it is just another room which she is not allowed in and we all know about shutting doors on cats  It looks like she is always trying to escape but she isn't.

I would personally not let her out because it is not something you can undo afterwards. You may get complaints from other residents and she might scratch up at peoples doors. If you lived in a ground floor apartment where they could come and go through the window that would be different.


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## alisondalziel (Oct 8, 2008)

I would also keep her in, i personally don't think it's safe outside for pets.

Have you considered getting her a friend, that might settle her.


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

I'm with everyone else on keeping her in. There's no way I'd let Beryl out. She's too gorgeous, someone could steal her


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Beryl seems to be getting more frustrated as time goes on.

We've tried a few methods to stop her from meowing at the front door constantly which rarely work. 

Also when my fiancé comes home she's getting into the habit of biting her and running off even though she was purring and enjoying a stroke, almost as if she's a bit frustrated.

I think we're going to try a couple of things.

Letting her out on the weekend (at first), which could progress onto letting her out when we get home from work at 6ish without food, then trying to call her back in at 9ish for food. We're in a quiet area so traffic shouldn't be too much of a concern at all.

The constant meowing is driving me crazy!!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

I would personally,if you feel you have to allow her out door access,not let her out in the dark.Wait until the nights are a lot lighter.Have you worked out an easy route for her to get back in again.


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Keen to give weekends a go at first (in the day), she may not even like it! 

There is no easy route for her back in, which was why I orginally posted for advice. My fiancé has been in a similar situation before and the cat meow'd to be let in. Infact, I've heard this from a few of people.

It's not ideal, I know, but got to be better than her going crazy inside and not enjoying the wonders of outside!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Beryl1 said:


> Keen to give weekends a go at first (in the day), she may not even like it!
> 
> There is no easy route for her back in, which was why I orginally posted for advice. My fiancé has been in a similar situation before and the cat meow'd to be let in. Infact, I've heard this from a few of people.
> 
> It's not ideal, I know, but got to be better than her going crazy inside and not enjoying the wonders of outside!


There is one problem about her having to ask to come in,what if you have to go out and she hasnt returned,how will she get in then.As for the"wonders" of outside,if there are any , I think they are outweighed by the downs.She doesnt know about them so she cant be missing out.But it is your decision whether she goes out or not.Just be sure that she can return to safety in a hurry if she needs to.


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

It seems to work well for other people, but I appreciate what you're saying.

There will never be an easy way for her back in though.

Could always look at getting a little friend for her........ heh.


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## celicababe1986 (Jun 22, 2009)

My first kitty used to do this, I got her a friend!! 
The worry about letting her out in your situation, if someone else opens the main door and she runs in, and your not aware, she could use the hallway as a toilet. cat pee does not smell nice and you will get complaints!


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## Beryl1 (Dec 21, 2010)

celicababe1986 said:


> My first kitty used to do this, I got her a friend!!
> The worry about letting her out in your situation, if someone else opens the main door and she runs in, and your not aware, she could use the hallway as a toilet. cat pee does not smell nice and you will get complaints!


How was she after you got her a friend?

By the way, this isn't a massive block of apartments, there's only 6 and we're fairly close to the ground despite being on the first floor.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Beryl1 said:


> It seems to work well for other people, but I appreciate what you're saying.
> 
> There will never be an easy way for her back in though.
> 
> Could always look at getting a little friend for her........ heh.


Im not trying to be negative just for the sake of it.It is just that once you do decide to let her out ,you will have a bigger problem on your hands if you later find it is to problematic for her to gain access when she needs it.


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## celicababe1986 (Jun 22, 2009)

Beryl1 said:


> How was she after you got her a friend?
> 
> By the way, this isn't a massive block of apartments, there's only 6 and we're fairly close to the ground despite being on the first floor.


Yes , I live in a similar situation, I am in a flat, there are only two apartments in my block. But what I mean is, what if you let her out, then one of your neighbours let her in (cats can slip through easily) then she couldnt get into your front door. she would be stuck and if she needs the toilet she will go! I know if this was my situation and the neighbours complained I would be evicted.

Once we got another kitty, my cat hissed for a few days, then settled in and has a companion. (i say companion, i now have 5 cats lol). Cats are nocturnal so this is why she probably does it night, shes wide awake and everyone else is asleep! If you get her a friend she will have someone to play with through the night. In my flat all you hear is the patter of there paws running up and down the hall way!!


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## sarahdisco (Jan 4, 2010)

celicababe1986 said:


> In my flat all you hear is the patter of there paws running up and down the hall way!!


I'm currently being treated to a symphony of feline elephants running up and down the upstairs hallway!

Spartacus was let out for a few days but it didnt work out so we kept her in and ended up getting Hercules for company. She's never looked back and they entertain themselves all day long! Best decision we ever made.

Also, Beryl is an absolutely stunning cat! I love her sooo much!


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