Letting a cat go outside?

Question

I dunno if I should let her go outside, I am concerned that she may not come back. The gate of our house has a big enough gap for her to pass through. Should I let her?? why or why not??

-btw, she's just a kitten. Not more than 5 months

Answer 1

No you shouldn't let her go out. She is way to young and will probally get lost easily.

Answer 2

Try going outside with her for short periods of time and then hang around to see what she does. Don't just let her be out there all alone until you feel more confident. Put some good food (like chicken skin or canned cat food) out for her so that she learns that this outdoor place is also part of her home, she lives here, and that there is food for her here.

Have you gotten her spayed yet? A kitten who is nearly 5 months old can and will get pregnant. Make sure to take her to the vet before she is allowed to go outside. This world doesn't need any more hungry, unwanted, feral cats.

Answer 3

My cat is an inside and outside cat. She goes in and out when she wants with us of course letting her in and out.

When she was a kitten I litter box trained her at first. Keeping up with a litter box got anoyying after a couple months, so I apt to try to get her to go outside to do her duty. I also took her outside periodically. In a place that she couldn't get away and with a friend to help keep her where we could find her. I started taking her out more often, letting her sniff around and such until I felt she was ready to go out on her own. I also had her a little trained to come when her food and or treats was shaken so that if I wanted her in she would come. It was hard the first couple years when she would stay out for a long time and sometimes be caught in a tree, but she is a cat they naturally live outside. That doesn't work so much now that she is older and more independent.

I think she was fine being an inside/outside cat after a month or two.

Answer 4

As you probably know, there are always risks involved with letting a cat outside. She could wander away (and they don't always come back no matter how loved they are.) She could get hit by a car or attacked by another cat or animal. She could get into something that could hurt her or make her sick. If she is not fixed she will soon be at risk of getting pregnant. But if you do live in a relatively safe area you may decide the risks are worth letting her follow her natural instincts to go outside. Or you could compromise and get a leash to keep her in the yard. Make sure you get a harness too that goes around her belly and shoulders so that she can't choke herself. Try the leash and harness on inside first to make sure she can't slip out of it.

Answer 5

well this is what i did i got my kitten at 2 months and keep her in untill she was 4 months first i would go out with her and only let her wonder a little bit i did this everyday the wen she was 6 months i let her stay in the back yard by herself but i had a tag on her so in case she did get lost she would get back to me any way i had gaps and stuff to but i just new that she wouldnt run and she did good now that shes 7 months she does leave the house but she always comes back good luck

Answer 6

No! Kittens should not go outside. It's healthier for cats to be indoor cats anyway. There are many diseases that can be spread when cats go outside. No gate would keep a kitten inside since they climb and jump.

Answer 7

DO NOT LET YOUR CAT OUTSIDE. Sure, cats love going outside. They can explore and eat and fight and get lost, eaten by predators, impregnated, or killed for fun by a roaming pack of dogs. Just think how much a 4 year old toddler would love to be allowed to roam the neighborhood! I had inside/outside cats for years, and we suffered all those things. Mama cat Queenie got caught in a car's fan belt. She survived that, but met her demise at the jaws of a pack of roaming dogs...and we were in a great neighborhood. Keep your baby inside and play with her. She'll be getting the protection that you owe her, and the attention that she deserves as your friend.

My friend has a cat that I rescued as a tiny kitten. She had owners, but they let her out to roam when she was a baby. The owners got in a snit when they found out later that she'd been found and adopted, but they never tried to find her.

Cats can usually survive in the wild, but they don't thrive. You owe your kitty the safety of an inside only home. It's a lot of work, but your cat will live so much longer and so much happier if you be the grownup and take care of your kitty properly. Good luck, sweetie. Make the right decision for that baby and keep her inside. Don't expose her to cars, dog packs, getting lost, poison food items, garages that close, etc. Do the right thing, honey. Keep her in.

Answer 8

If your cat is content to stay indoors then it's probably a good idea to keep her there. Outdoor cats are at risk of being hit by cars, getting into fights with other cats, getting trapped in garages or sheds, being picked up or being targeted by people would might want to hurt them.

If you want to take your kitten outside, 5 months is a great age to begin leash & harness training. It's a great way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors while keeping her safe.

Buy an H shaped harness that is suited to your kitten's size and a light weight nylon leash. For the first few days just leave these things on the floor with your cats toys and bedding, so that she can smell them and get used to them. Once she is comfortable with these things, place her in the harness only and let her walk around in it for five minutes. Reward her with a treat. Repeat this every day till she is used to wearing the harness. Once she is used to it, attach the lead and let her drag it around your house (supervise her at all times.) Repeat until she is comfortable with this, then get her used to being on the lead with you holding on to the end.

When you take her outdoors she's not likely to want to be walked like a dog - let her lead you where she wants to explore, making sure she doesn't get herself into any dangerous situations.

You could also consider building a fenced in cat enclosure from wood and chicken-wire (or you can find more attractive building materials.) It should be large enough for your cat to play in, be at least tall enough for you to stand up in and be enclosed on all sides. Place perches, toys and materials for climbing and scratching inside (a litterbox and water are also highly recommended if you plan on letting her be outside in the enclosure for more than a few minutes at a time.)

Answer 9

Oh NO WAY! Keep her inside please!!!! For me it would make me a lot less stressed. My niece had a Little kitten about 6 months when it died. She said it was going to be an inside cat but no she let it go outside, and another cat ( one of theirs ) bit it's neck twice ( not being playful ) and broke a blood vessel. That kitten was SO omg i think I'm gonna cry! =( Just keep her inside. Think of all the bad things that can happen. Dogs beat her up maybe even kill her. Same with other stray cats wondering around. They could harm her. She could get lost. Someone else could take her. She could get run over. etc etc Keep her in if you love her! =)

Answer 10

Let her become older first. Next if she is loved and enjoys the home, she will return. Next realize there are animals out there that can harm or kill her. Plus fleas. And she will start to bring you treats home as part of her nature. Treats as dead birds, mice, etc as gifts to you. You cannot declaw an out door cat, that's like putting a soldier in the middle of a fire fight w/o a gun.

Plus realize, once she knows outside, she can never be just an indoor cat. It will drive her nuts to get back out. I have mine trained as indoor only. But they get open windows with screens on the nice days. At 2 and 4 I can open the front door and the won't go out. They have no clue what it is.

Answer 11

It's a risk if your cat goes outside. Cars, diseases, (even if vaccinated, other cats and dogs are a danger. I have two cats. One is exclusively indoors. The other was an indoor outdoor cat when I got her. She sneaks out sometimes and it's a worry. If you can keep her inside, she will be healthier. flea free and live longer.