Kitten ready to go outside exploring

Kettleson

Hi all.


We have a kitten, 6 months old. Has had his innoculations etc, but not yet snipped.

He's ready to go out/wants to go outside into the garden to go exploring. Any tips? Should he be accompanied, and for how long etc?

I gather that kittens at this stage can get lost if they go too far away and cant find their way back (not that I think he's ready to go too far away without being watched).

We have a large enough garden, with small trees and shrubs, and fully fenced to keep in our dogs. He gets on well with them no bother, at the moment inside anyway.

There are a lot of wild cats living nearby too.

Any tips? Thanks.

Whispered

I wouldn't even consider letting him out until neutered to be honest. He could be done around this age. He is at risk from other toms and cats can father kittens from as young as 3 months!!! I was amazed when I found that out.

A friend recently lost her 4 month old kitten when she had him out their back garden.

Kettleson

Thanks Whispered, yeah I think I'll keep him in til he's snipped a the very earliest, and even then I'm pretty sure he'll be chaperoned in the garden until well into the summer.

jimf

get him done now before he starts getting the bad tomcat habits of scent marking etc he is not far off maturity so best not let the bad habits develop and he will be a far more settled cat as well and less likely to ramble and get into fights

Nody

Kettleson wrote: »

Thanks Whispered, yeah I think I'll keep him in til he's snipped a the very earliest, and even then I'm pretty sure he'll be chaperoned in the garden until well into the summer.

And how exactly do you plan to chaperon a cat? Do you think you can catch it if it decides to make a run for it?

Also an early warning here, expect him to go out and not come back down the line; it's one of the most heartbroken days you'll get (been there along with several other people I know).

Kettleson

Nody wrote: »

And how exactly do you plan to chaperon a cat? Do you think you can catch it if it decides to make a run for it?

I wasn't being serious there Nody. I know what he's like to try and catch in the house.

Whispered

Nody wrote: »

And how exactly do you plan to chaperon a cat? Do you think you can catch it if it decides to make a run for it?

I chaperone my cat! He sits out the back, if he climbs up the wall I call him and he turns and comes back. If I leave the kitchen for a minute he might hop the wall and run around the front of the house to see if he can see me in the front.

Granted he's getting old, is terribly lazy and has better recall than one of my dogs. But it can be done

honerbright

I used to live in an apartment with my cat and used to take her out on a harness and lead. She's 4 now and we've a house with a yard and still goes out in the harness but with one of those extendable leads, so maybe you could try that, OP?

Kettleson

Thanks all...much appreciated.

I suppose its because I don't know what to expect really, and I'm hoping that he'll learn quick and be streetwise when he begins to walk out on his own.

I hear some folk saying that their cats are "house cats" and don't go out much, I don't think that will be him.

He was born in the wild, his mum lived wild near my work (we knew she was having kittens), but got knocked down when the litter were about 6 weeks old. And I went looking for them in the fields.

Anyways I digress...thanks again.