when is it safe to let it start roaming the great outdoors?
2007-10-10 04:03:17 · 13 answers · asked by Ripcity-zen 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
we already have an older indoor/outdoor cat that might help show the kitten the ropes. problem is it was so long ago since we got the older cat, we forgot when we first let her out lol
2007-10-10 04:19:15 · update #1
We have all indoor/outdoor cats. When they are about 3-4 months old we start taking them out while we are outside.
Cats LOVE to be outdoors and there's no reason to keep them cooped up if they are healthy and up-to-date with shots.
We let ours stay out overnight after they have been spayed or neutered. Night time is when a lot of fighting and mating goes on.
Also, always check underneath your car/truck when starting the motor. In cold weather they sometimes try to get warm there.
2007-10-10 04:26:19 · answer #1 · answered by Veritas 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
NEVER! Vetrenarians now know that indoor cats can live as much as 15% longer than the outdoor variety. And that's assuming the outdoor cat doesn't succomb to any mishap of any sort.
But that's not the way it usually works. Cats fall victim to all kinds of calamity. Disease, Snake Bite, Vicous Dogs, Car Tires, Cruel Kids. The list goes on.
Cats survived in the old days because they were equiped with the cunning, skill and instincts their mothers taught them. In otherwords they were wild. Today all those attributes are gone. They are domesticated. They just don't have or need those skills anymore.
Here are just a couple of tips to keep your indoor cat happy. Get two indoor cats! Cats love to play with each other which gives them great exorcise and they will bond with each other even to the point of becoming unseperatable. Plus you get the pleasure of watching them while they chase each other around the house at break neck speeds and do all kinds of other silly things.
Keep lots of toys on hand and buy them new toys every once in a while. Get them a cat castle. Cats love their cat castles.
Play with them lots. Love on them even lots more. They will love you back and accept you as part of the cat pride.
Never, ever hit your cat for no matter what reason. If you are having a bit of a dicipline problem get a squirt bottle. Fill it 3/4 full of water and the rest the way up with ammonia. When Fe Fe is doing something she shouldn't let her have it. Cats hate this and will learn soon to stop doing what ever is causing the stinky rain. (Don't worry about the odor for now. It won't be strong and cats are fast learners).
I hope this was helpful. I've used this method on all my cats and it's worked perfect every time.
Bye!
2007-10-10 05:21:30 · answer #2 · answered by Thomas Watts 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Never. Even after she has all of her vaccinations and is spayed, that will not keep her safe from roaming cats and dogs and cars when she crosses the street. I have had outdoor cats, indoor cats and indoor/outdoor cats. The healthiest ones by far have been the 100% indoor cats and they have a much longer life span. There are too many things that vaccinations do not protect her from and no way you can protect her from cars, worms, fleas, etc. I know from personal experience that one of the saddest things I ever had to do was euthanize one of my cats that got hit by a car and was terribly hurt.
Give an indoor cat a scratching post, some toys and lots of TLC and you will have her with you for many years. Yes, you will see indoor cats sitting in a sunny window watching birds but who's to say if they are wanting to be outside or instead saying, "I'm glad my Mom loves me enough to keep me inside and safe".
2007-10-10 04:50:55 · answer #3 · answered by Donna D 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ideally, never. Cats can spend their entire lives happily inside the house. Going outside puts them at risk for getting into fights with or catching diseases from other animals, ingesting poison, being hit by a car, or stolen. If your area has leash laws, there’s nothing to stop animal control from picking up your lose kitty.
Mine are 5.5 and have never been outside. The best part is they’re AFRAID to go outside, because they only time they experience it is on the way to the vet. It’s great! I don’t have to worry about them trying to run away.
2007-10-10 04:41:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
When the kitten has been vaccinated and neutered then wait a week before letting them out. Restrict their outdoor access to daylight hours only. Initially only let them out for brief periods and call them back in for dinner.
2007-10-10 04:59:05 · answer #5 · answered by fordicus 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Certainly not before all shots, spaying and/or neutering.
Also the shortest days are upon us now with the year's worst weather. You do NOT want a lost kitten you are searching for in the dark, snow or rain. Plus the risk of exposure is too great for a young kitten. Many cats and kittens are killed when they get up into car motors seeking warmth and shelter.
A kitten is like a toddler - they have absolutely no sense of fear and can get themselves into great danger
2007-10-10 04:25:02 · answer #6 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Our cat is 8 years outdated. we are residing contained in the rustic. She spends ninety% of her time outdoors. (Her determination) the only extra vet invoice we've is for an occasional tape trojan horse medicine. we are able to in common terms positioned our selves of their places on determining whether to enable them to out or not. might you reside interior your total existence because of the fact somebody thinks it is safer for then you letting you pass out. it is in common terms been the recent bubble wrap society that thinks this way. Cat have been outdoors or hundreds of years. enable a cat be a cat and don't keeper interior based on your worry of lose.
2016-10-06 10:36:38 · answer #7 · answered by beliveau 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Today letting a cat outside is asking for trouble...accidental poisonings, attacks by other animals,exposure to disease such as feline leukemia and F.I.V, Lyme disease,flea & tick infestations, worms,exposure to the elements, traffic...and yes cats can and do get lost/stolen/picked up by animal wardens..a cat can be very happy and content as an inside pet...you will be not only keeping him/her safe but prolonging his/her life...please reconsider and keep Kitty inside
2007-10-10 04:24:15 · answer #8 · answered by The Original GarnetGlitter 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I have a wall around my backyard. My cats are all welcome to go out when ever they please. My one cat always come home pregnant, and recently I kept one of the kittens. We just left the door open, and let her decide on her own when she was ready. She would go to the door a while, but never go out, now she is going out, but only to the side then back in, she is decideing her limits, and learning her surrounding so she can come home. I would say take it slow. Let her little by little. Like u take her out for the first few times. Like stay out with her, so she can memorize the backyard to come home to.
2007-10-10 04:11:14 · answer #9 · answered by Kay-Cody 0918 3 · 2⤊ 4⤋
never! keep the baby indoors and safe!
2007-10-10 04:29:23 · answer #10 · answered by badkat423 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋