what should i do and how do i let my 4 month old kitten out for the first time?

Question

*i have no lead
*shes 4 months old
*i would like ehr to go outside, but i have no cat flap at the moment
*My garden is very open

Answer 1

I had a cat when I was little and at first we put them outside in a cat carrier so they could see things outside. Then we carried them outside so they got a look around and took them back inside. Then I got a chair and sat outside and put the kitten down (at about 6months old). He will go and explore a bit and them come back to you when you call him. Then take him back in and get a cat flap or an open window and hopefully he will have realised how he can go outside and come back. Don't Liston to people saying they wont like as long because my 2 cats I had at childhood lived to 14 and 15 years old.

Answer 2

If you can keep her as an indoor cat that woulde be the best thing. But cats are always happier when they can go out and keeping cats indoors once they have been outside is really difficult and can cause a number of mental health problems. You need to make a decision on what you should do. I am in the process of having my garden cat proofed so that there is a high fence around it with a piece at the top which points slightly inwards. This way cats are unable to register whether they can jump it or no. Its costly but certainly worth it.

Answer 3

Buy a harness & lead. Bring the kitten out 1st thing in the morning before you feed her. Keep her under careful supervision & bring her back inside afterr a short time, then feed her, so that she associates coming back inside with being fed. Let her out only when you can stay in the kitchen with the door open, so that she can come back in. You can gradually lengthen the time that she spends outside. Make sure that she has a means of escape if she is cornered - some way of getting back inside. You don't say how long the kitten has been with you - she shouldn't be allowed out at all for at least 4 - 6 weeks & then only if you feel that she is really settled.

Answer 4

Pleasekillme is talking bull crap. 2 years is the average lifespan of a hamster, not a friggin outdoor-cat. I would really like to see where she gets her statistics from! Anyway, if you really do want to let your kitten out, get her microchipped, and have a collar with you number and address on it incase she gets lost if she escapes from the garden. Just leave a small window ajar which she can access when she wants to come in again until you have time to fit/can afford a cat flap. Leave some food out for her because it will tempt her back- most cats main priorities are their stomachs!!! And make sure shes vaccinated if she is going to meet other cats when outside otherwise she could get really sick. I would say just let her roam the garden for now, till she gets a bit older and used to her surroundings and how everything smells, sso when she eventually goes for longer 'walks' outside, she'll be able to find her way back. Good luck.

Answer 5

My suggestion would be to not let the kitten outside, but find an alternative. Look for a cat run or a large cage to put it outside. Or only let it out onto a screened porch. I've had too many bad experiences with letting my cats outside.

Answer 6

when my cats were little we lived next to a pub and i very busy road. so i made a run for them it wasn't very big i think saw 5ft by 5ft but it was just four little bits of wood at each corner and wire around them. so they could see out of the run and get a feel of their surroundings. after having it in about the same place for a few days i moved it to a different part of the garden, i was there with them. this went on for about 3 weeks. when they were about 5 months i used to take one on out of the run and let it play and the garden so it got used to being out of the run. i did this until i thort they were ready to go out with out the run.

i hope this helps

Answer 7

Cats are outdoor annimals. It is very cruel to keep them indors. I have 3 cats and they all love the outdoors. There is always a risk of injury by cars or foxs, but would you stop going out yourself because of a risk of being hurt?. You'd go stir crazy.
Vets recommend keeping a new cat indoors for about 3 weeks before letting them out. You will worry like mad at first, but cats soon get to know their home, and like their comforts.
beware, if you get a cat door you will be bombarded with "presents",dead mice,birds and even snails.Although cats
Are nocturnal it is better(for yourself) if you get her used to staying in at night

Answer 8

I would not recommend letting your cat outdoors.

If you must, however, there are "kittywalks" kind of like dog runs, but on a much smaller scale. They are completely enclosed so your kitty can enjoy being outdoors without the possibility of escape. You can find the a Drs. Foster and Smith

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/

Just keep in mind that as soon as your kitty has a taste of the outside, even if by accident, she will be trying to get out all of the time. Ours try to get out during the summer months when we let the dogs out or in. The have only ever been outside because they snuck out, not because we let them out. I love my kitties to much to put them in danger by letting them out of doors.

Answer 9

Cats don't need to go outside, what would be the purpose of letting your cat out?

If you do decide that you just must let them outside, they should be on a leash just like a dog. If you don't keep them on a leash and keep an eye on them they could get hit by a car or get into a fight with another cat or animal.

So basically you should just keep your cat inside.

Answer 10

Let her out once in a while supervised.

We let our cat out, she would disapear hunting for days at a time which was worrying. No harm came to her. She is 18 now and just likes to sleep.

Pleasekillme, what are you taking?? (I want some)