Letting my young tom cat out?

Question

Hi, I have a 4 month old tom cat and I need advice on letting him out. He’s always desperate to go out, as we’ve already started supervising him in our back garden. He’s very nosy and bold and loves to explore indoors when we visit my parents-in-law, so I’m a bit worried he might wander off if he goes outside unsupervised. He’s being neutered in October, how much of an impact could this have on his desire to roam? Or is it a better idea to keep supervising him in the back garden, and then take him out the front a bit more after he’s been neutered? Our garden fence won’t hold him back for long as he can already climb on the shed roof. We live in a quiet cul-de-sac with several other cats in our street so it’s a fairly safe place, but I’d be heart-broken if he did wander off and get lost. I like the suggestion about putting used cat litter in the front garden so he can smell it and he knows to come when I shake his biscuit bag but is there anything else people can suggest?

He’s vaccinated, chipped and tagged and there’s nothing in the way of dangerous wildlife in my Welsh suburb, but it’s a good point that he might get beaten up as there’s a big un-neutered tom on the street who roams all day and night. It’s not feasible to get him a companion or keep him in all the time as I live in a small house and he needs exercise. He’s happy enough in the back garden for now and he certainly won’t be encouraged to roam for miles when he does go out alone, and he’ll be kept in at night and while I’m at work. He’s being neutered in October, by then the evenings will be dark so it’s unlikely he’ll be out unsupervised til next spring anyway, by which time he’ll be bigger and more sensible.

Answer 1

get your cat neutered, as long as the cat is 2 lbs it can be done, and keep your cat INSIDE. cat's don't always know what is best for them, that's why they depend on us. outside = not anything good. inside= lots of love and fun etc. it is cruelty and abuse to allow your cat to go out unattended so it can get run over by a car, eaten by another animal, tortured or poisoned etc.

Answer 2

First, wait until he gets neutered. My year old boy kitten was neutered as fast as possible because he was brought into a house with a female cat. The good thing about it being a boy is that the recuperation time for a male cat is much shorter than in a female cat. You just let him rest for the day when he gets back and he'll be up and jumping to play in no time.

I highly recommend getting a thing called a Kitty Walk. It may look like a cage but it really isn't. (I have one and my male kitten loves it... he'll sit out there all day and watch the birds) It has a metal frame and there is a string netting around the outside. It is very easy to set up and there are many different ones you can choose to buy.

Getting the Kitty Walk is also very safe for your cat. People have told me that even small dogs have been carried away by hawks so your kitten is fair game too. Not to scare you or anything but the Kitty Walk prevents any animal to reach your cat and keeps your cat from running away and getting lost. Even thought the box says to not leave your animal unattended, we leave our kitten outside in it and it is perfectly safe. He'll just watch he birds or take a nap.

You can also put a blanket, a toy, and a few treats in it for him to eat or play with.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I have a two year old Tom. He was free to roam outside from about 4 months and never goes far. I live in the country and have fields and a small river out the back so he's in his element. He virtually lives out there now but comes in a couple of times a day for some food and attention.

Tom cats don't become sexually active until they are around 6 months so I think it's ok to let him out. It will be a nail-biting event the first time you let him out because you will wonder if he will come back...but he will.

Make sure he has had all the normal inoculations before you let him out.

Answer 4

Definitely don't let him out until he is neutered. Like other people have said, you don't want to contribute to the homeless cat population (at least, I hope you don't).

Getting him neutered will probably lessen his desire to roam as far from home, but this varies from cat to cat, and he will probably still want to be outside some because there's so much to do and see. Cats love to explore.

Do not get him declawed! It's just plain inhumane for any cat, but if you declaw a cat and let him outdoors, you have robbed him of his natural defenses.

Also, he needs to be tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or Feline AIDS). If you've taken him to the vet already (which I am guessing you have if you already have his neutering planned), he should have already been tested. If not, demand it! If he is negative for those diseases, then get him vaccinated for them. They are contagious from other cats, and there is no cure for either.

If you haven't done so already, be certain to get him microchipped when he is getting neutered. And please do it while he's under for surgery. I know it seems like you're just added to an already big expense, but the microchip needle is huge, and I don't know care who says what - it hurts! Trust me, I've implanted microchips myself.

And the microships really work! At my clinic, someone brought in a stray cat she found, we scanned him, and we found his number. We called for the information and were able to reunite him with his family. He had been lost for several months!

Of course, a microchip, neutering, and a collar with ID tags are not 100%, so if you do let him out, please be prepared for the chance that you might lose him forever. It's scary, but you need to weigh the pros (a happy and well exercised cat, etc.) and cons (losing him) and decide what's right for you both.

Oh, and one more thing - when you get him neutered, do not let him run and play until his stitches come out. You don't want him to tear the incision open or get an infection!

Answer 5

If I were you, I would not let a cat that hasn't been neutered out of the house, even at that young age.

After he's neutered, make sure you have a collar with ID on him, or even get his ear tattooed with your contact info.

I know cats love to roam, but it's a big, bad world out there, and so many things can happen. I'd just keep him indoors.

Answer 6

I've always had cats and I never let them out. There's just to much out there that can harm, maim or kill them. Sad to say, there are even people who kill cats and dogs. If you stay firm in your resolve the cat will soon stop wanting to go out. He will cry and stand at the door, etc. but will give up after a while. My cats hate going outside even though it's only once a year to see the Vet. I would make sure your cat has at least one window with a window seat so he can look out. That they really enjoy. I have a high "condo" that my cats use and they love sitting on top and looking out. Honestly, cats that stay indoors have a longer life expectancy than those that don't.

Answer 7

it's probably a good idea to get a cat door so he can get back in a hurry. As he is still little he will be picked on by other bigger cats and he will run away at least at first. De sexing will calm him down considerably but he will still wander. It's the way of the cat. I live on a main road but my cat only stays in the backyard as well as everyone else's. He has figured this out by himself so we are lucky. My neighbour does not have a cat as too many of her previous ones were killed on the road. He was away for 4 weeks earlier this year and I had almost given up but he turned up one morning as if nothing had happened. He has a bad scratch on his head at present but sits up on the bathroom cupboard and lets me wash it. I am impressed that he allows me to fiddle and wet his head. I do have stern words with him while I am cleaning the wound but I am not holding him and he is good just sitting although his tail is lashing----is he trying to tell me something ?
you have to let him wander he will be a happier cat and sounds like he will be OK and cats do come home when they are hungry and because they like you. Do look into a cat door as he will be beaten up by the others and needs to make a get away fast until he is big enough to stand up for himself and even then he may get scratched or bitten.

Answer 8

I would keep letting him be supervised outside in the backyard and take him out to the front once he has been neutered. It may be a safe place where you live but the heartbreak of a cat wandering off and getting lost or worse hit by a car is heartbreaking and not worth it. Keep him in your front and back yard and you''ll be happy you did.

Hope I could help!

Answer 9

well I've had my cat going on four years now and before she was spayed she would love to go outside and roam the yard. one day she slipped out when i came home from work. i looked around the house and just brushed off as shes in some weird place like always. when i woke up to go to work she came running in the house and had a large gash on her back. apparently she was attacked. poor thing. shes fine, she was operated on and spayed and ever since she still comes outside just to jump around in the bush in front of my house but only under my supervision, or the supervision of the dog (her big bodyguard who loves her but she hates). the world is crazy out there. its best to keep your cat inside and not go past the front or back yard if that

Answer 10

He does sound kind of young - i have cats which come and go as they please. But they are much older. One is a tom-cat. He has been neutered, yet still has that desire to roam. Of course though he wasnt neutered until later on in life.
I would let him in the yard supervised until he gets full grown. Once he gets full grown and able to somewhat take care of himself and fight off bully cats it will probably be ok to give him a little more freedom.

Answer 11

Cats have a strong territorial instinct, especially males, and very rarely wander off, however I'd suggest you supervise him until he's been neutered, even at this stage he could impregnate another cat, even though it's unlikely.