# When to Let a New Cat Outside?



## negative creep (Dec 20, 2012)

Last week I got my first cat from a rescue home, a 13 year old neutered male who I've been told used to go outside. The plan was to keep him in my room initially with his food and litter tray, but basically it's proved physically impossible as I have to keep going out to the kitchen, work etc so he's got out and explored the house. Now he's got a taste for it he keeps mewling and scratching the door wanting to leave my room. Normally it wouldn't bother me at all letting him around the house, but the problem is it's a shared one and he could get out the door when someone else comes in. I've told everyone not to let him out but the only realistic way of stopping it would be me constantly supervising him, which obviously can't happen.

A big part of me doesn't want to let him out at all, but for the above reasons I may not have much of a choice. He does seem to be getting frustrated at being cooped up, but other than that is doing well and took a shine to me very quickly. We live in a quiet area with a private road, but is 10 or so days simply too soon to allow him more freedom?


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## sarahecp (Aug 22, 2011)

Hi and welcome to the forum 

Personally, I don't think it's fair or good for your cat to be kept in one room, this is OK when settling him in to his new home but for him to live in one room at all times I don't think is good for your cat, especially if you want him to be an indoor cat. 

There is no wrong in keeping him as an indoor cat, lots of members on here have innies and they are all happy cats, but they are used to having more than one room to live in. Is there any way you can cat proof your garden or build a cat run? You could also put screens or netting on the windows so he doesn't escape through them if you and your fellow house sharers want some fresh air. 

I think 10 days is far too soon to let him out, when I adopted my cat Frankie, I made sure he was confident and comfortable with being in his new home and the environment, I also taught a recall with him, he came to me when I called his name or shook the treat bag. It was around 4 weeks before I let him out in to the garden. I let him out on a Saturday morning and before he had breakfast, so if he decided to explore further he'd come back sooner rather than later because he was hungry. 

Talk to the others in the house and stress to them how important it is not to let your cat out and please don't keep him confined to one room.

Let us know how you get on. 

Would love to see some pics of your cat  and what's his name?


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## Krafty Katz (Oct 31, 2012)

I've just let mine out a couple of days ago after 6-7 weeks and after being very worried he would not come back as he was a rescue and stray for a short while. Well surprsingly he was very cautious to step out initially and after supervision he would go out walk a little further hear a funny noise and then dart back in. Repeated this the first day. He now goes for half hour to an hour and a half and travels much further before returning. Would advise giving it at least a month til you have a stronger bond with him.


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## negative creep (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I do feel mean for keeping him confined in one room, but unless I sat by the front door all day there's no way of stopping him from getting out if he really wanted to. He hasn't made any attempt to escape outside; even though I put mesh over my windows (2nd floor) it's been completely unnecessary. So he may not even want to go outside, and to be honest I'd rather he didn't but I won't stop him if he wants to. As I don't really know the other people in the house I can't expect them to be chasing him down if he ran out, especially as I'm at work 5 days a week.We do have a fairly big garden which is patrolled by 3 other cats, but there's no way of making a run or closing it off.

On the plus side, he's definitely taken a shine to me and follows me around everywhere always wanting affection. He's slept on my bed every night since he arrives and has always been straight over the moment I wake up to start nuzzling. Only just got in from work and he's fast asleep on my leg as we speak, and I have been trying to spend every possible moment in the room with him. So since he appears to be quite clingy I'm hoping that means he'll want to come back. As you can see, he may only have one room at the moment but it's definitely become his home!

I've called him Curtis, partly because I'm a big Nirvana fan (hence the username), partly due to my interest in WW2 aircraft, and partly because it just has a nice ring to it


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## sarahecp (Aug 22, 2011)

Curtis is a very handsome boy :001_wub::001_wub: he does look happy and content 

See how things go with him, he may be happy as an indoor cat or one just to potter around the garden and laze in the sunshine  if he's got lots of toys to keep him occupied and stimulated he'll be just fine  

Keep us updated. 

Pop over to Cat Chat and join in  we're a friendly bunch


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

They all vary. I let my new male out after only a week and he was actually very cautious and kept coming in and going out again, so I'm glad I didn't keep him in longer. He now chooses to stay in most of the day anyway apart from his evening and morning jaunts when he'll decide to use the cat flap.


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## Ian B (Jul 19, 2011)

A neighbour once took a cat, Pablo, off a friend of hers after she was forced to move into *no pet* accommodation. My neighbour wasn't well and knowing how much I liked cats asked me if I'd take him on, I readily agreed after being assured he was used to other cats, so Pablo duly arrived on a 24 to 48 hour trial as while he might get on with other cats, my lot may not have got on with him.

He settled down within minutes of being brought to my house, instantly investigating while purring for England, but it didn't take long to realise he wasn't keen on my cats, nor they on him. 

He was a massive cat, so I had to tread carefully about them meeting, and I wasn't overly bothered hen he followed me out into the back garden as while it isn't cat proofed, it was fenced. He mooched about enjoying himself and even came when I called him, but then he spotted a narrow gap in a fence and bolted thro' it.

This was within a few hours of him arriving so it was major panic time as I live on a very, very large housing estate (I'm talking 100's of houses with sheds, garages, etc) so he could have gone anywhere, if not tried to get back to his *real* home which was several miles away. I hunted high and low for him but had to give up and try to find some way of explaining what had happened to my neighbour. 

I called back home before going down to tell her and as I walked into the living room I spotted a tail poking out from behind a chair, it was Pablo  He couldn't have gone far tbh, but even so, all the houses and gardens here are very much alike but he'd found mine again. Pretty impressive for a cat who hadn't set foot outside on this estate before. I don't think he'd ever used a cat flap before either, but he'd used mine to let himself back in.

Sadly, I had to return as there was just too much friction between my lot and him, but the good news is his original owner found pet friendly accommodation and they were reunited 

Ian


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## negative creep (Dec 20, 2012)

He's been out exploring the house in the last few days and seems pretty confident. He met a couple of my housemates and jumped up straight away to get some attention which was nice to see. Since he will always follow me back upstairs when called I don't think it will be too long before he can go into the great outdoors, but I must admit I'm somewhat hoping he shows no interest and will just want to stay indoors.

He can be noisy at times and will meow a lot when I'm up and walking around. It must be to get attention, since if I turn my back and make a point of ignoring it he normally stops. Also seems rather random in his eating times, as he ignored breakfast until I left fo work at 2pm, but it was all gone by the time I got back at half ten. Sometimes he will only take a few bites, and others only eats when I sit next to the food bowl. Hopefully nothing but as a first time owner I do worry that I'm not doing it properly!


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

he's a lovely looking cat!

I used to always keep new cats in for at least 3 weeks before allowing them to explore outside (i say used to because i just keep them indoors now that i live so close to a main road)


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

When I moved house I never kept my cats in for a long time as they would have gone stir crazy - one of them would go out to pee etc. even when the snow was up to his tummy. However I only let them out when they were hungry, and I watched them. When I thought they had been out long enough (just a few minutes to start with) or thought they were looking like going a bit too far I called them back for their meal.


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## negative creep (Dec 20, 2012)

Well I went for it today. The constant meowing was making it increasingly hard to say no. He had a good sniff round the garden and must admit I was rather worried when he vanished from sight for the first time. Luckily he returned half hour or so later, came straight back in when called......and started constant meowing again. Oh well.


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## Laurac (Oct 1, 2011)

There comes a point when you have to to trust them and your instinct in equal measures.


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