Letting kittens out properly for the first time...

freethink3r

I got two kittens back in September and we were told to wait 2 months before we let them outside. It's been 2 months now (they're 4 months old in total) but they still look small to me. They were hand reared because their mother got knocked down. I let them out for 10 minutes every day split into 2 or 3 outings one at a time to the back garden with me watching them like a hawk and making sure they stay within the garden.

Is it safe to let them out properly yet? Like to just open the door and let them go?

This is how big they are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H-1wGJ1wlY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUvWWQjbQpUB3euOk1h_Nb5A

taytobreath

its a gradual process, they have a great survival instinct, but when it comes to cars they are a disaster.
you're doing the right thing. Up the amount of time they spend outdoors every day, if you want, keep the door open so they can come and go to give them the added bit of security. They will wander off too for a while.
regarding keeping them outdoors all the time I think it will be too cold for them to get used to that idea, Summer time would of been better.
Your probably afraid if you open the door and they'll leg it and never be seen again, well with my limited experience of cats this has never happened to me, I doubt it will happen to you.
good luck.
lovely coloured cats by the way

mymo

I never let mine out until after neutering, give it 2 weeks for males or 4 for females after neutering.
I tend to walk out into the garden and let them follow, leave door open, and make sure they are really hungry. Stay in the garden for a few mins, when it's time to come in get the nicest food they know and dish it up, they should come running if hungry enough.
For the first week I keep this up, giving them longer every day, always make sure they are hungry, easier to get them in.
By the second week I leave the door open and let them out, do this a few times a day. No going out in the dark until they are used to going out and coming in when called.
If your garden is enclosed its easy enough to cat proof to keep them safe.

boomerang

They're still much too young. I would wait until they are at least six months, and neutered. They have no sense of danger and a huge proprtion get knocked down. They are easy prey for dogs, foxes, even people that hate cats. This is just about the worst time of year to be introducing kittens to the outdoors. It's too dark and the weather is too bad. It means the chances of the kittens coming a cropper are much higher.

For instance: On Monday I rescued two five month old kittens from remote forestry. It was sheer chance that they were spotted; my dad is pretty much the only person that visits there, to walk our dogs. Nothing else goes on there save for a bit of illegal dumping.

Long story short, it turns out the kittens have an owner, and they went missing around the 20th of October. The owner had received bad advice from the vet, which was to start leaving them out. He'd wrongly estimated their age to be older than they actually are. The owner lives ten miles away from where the kittens were found. Our best guess is that the kittens strayed into someone who didn't want to take them on, and therefore dumped them. It's nothing short of a miracle the owner got their kittens back in one piece this evening. When I took them in, they hadn't eaten in three or four days. They would certainly have died if my dad didn't spot them and I took action.

One of the owner's kittens is already dead on the road at four months old, and his sister (one of the two that I rescued) had also already been hit by a car and had her leg in a splint until shortly before she disappeared.

Just because cats are independent and self-sufficient as adults, doesn't mean they are invulnerable as kittens. Don't be in any rush to start leaving them out.

freethink3r

Thanks everybody for the advice. I definitely want to be cautious for the next two months and only let them out when I'm watching them closely and they stay within the garden. A few years ago I had a cat who had kittens and when they were just 3 or 4 months old their mother got hit by a car. Then another month later so did one of the kittens. And these ones don't even have a mother to teach them or look out for them outside of our garden. There are foxes that come into our garden regularly, and though another cat we have (adult) doesn't seem nervous of the foxes and even chased them out of our garden before, I really really really don't want to take risks with these sweet little things. I imagine I'll continue to let them out for a few minutes each day until after Christmas when they're 6 months old and are bigger Boomerang's really made me think. Our vet said it would be OK to let them out when they're hungry (so they'll come back home quicker) but one of them is particularly trusting and a bit of a dummy sometimes He stole a slice of bread once, and tried to drink out of our toilet, and got a lollipop stuck to his bum which had to be cut off... and got his dewclaw stuck in a little toy cat ball ~_~ Sooo... I'll heir on the side of caution.

lewlew

I have two cats who are fifteen months now. We let them out at about 6 months but the weather was better and nights longer. I would get them micro chipped and vaccinated first. I also ket them out hungry and gave them treats when they came back.

ferretone

Yes, totally 1000% agree with what Boomerang says, and also lewlew's point about the weather is very valid.

To be honest, if I were you I'd just leave it until spring is well sprung before leaving them outside alone. They really are desperately clueless as kittens, and you can't overestimate the amount of help they'd still be getting from Mum if she were there.

I have 2 completely indoor cats, one a highly active 3-y-o, the other a recently acquired kitten (around 5 months), whom we've already had spayed several weeks ago. It's been hard work keeping the 3-y-o entertained, especially when she only had our recently deceased older cat for company. She's much better matched with the new one: the first cat I've deliberately chosen to get in many years, actually!

But it's worked out well in the long run. Kitterton (3-y-o) is a very happy and healthy cat: we've been keeping her entertained, and now she's here, Ygritte (the kitten) is a huge help with that.

I realise you don't want to keep yours as totally indoor, but if we can work it out for years, a few extra months will be pretty easy for you, especially as you have the 2 to entertain one another. I'd just be careful even taking them out supervised though; one sudden loud noise or movement in the corner of the eye, and they could well be off to hide somewhere random. They will be rapidly developing great agility in the next few months. Great sense, sadly, tends to take a lot longer! :rolleyes:

taytobreath

just a heads up regarding letting kittens out,
i let my 4 month old kitten out as i regularly do for about an hour today, A gradual process, I was calling her in and she was under a bush playing with something and a stray male came on the scene as i was calling her, i have been feeding this stray male with the last few days because i have never seen him before and he looked hungry and he has a coller on him too.
but when i was calling my kitten he attacked her and he was trying to kill her. it shook me to the bone to see this attack and i was lucky i was there to scare away the male cat, but the kitten got scared too and she ran like mad too, i have'nt seen the poor thing since it happened, i have looked everywhere but i still havent found her. All the experience I have had with cats and I never believed that they could kill each other. i have heard of it but i refused to believe it until today.
still no sign of her after 8 hours

taytobreath

just searched around my area still no sign, this will be the first night my kitten will be spending outdoors, because i have college in the morning and i will look for her when it gets bright but then i wont be home till after 4pm
my heart is broken over this

sparkle_23

taytobreath wrote: »

just searched around my area still no sign, this will be the first night my kitten will be spending outdoors, because i have college in the morning and i will look for her when it gets bright but then i wont be home till after 4pm
my heart is broken over this

Hope she comes back.

taytobreath

still missing, we spent 2 hours this evening looking for her, my poor daughters little feet were sore from walking around trying to find her.
im hoping someone may have taken her in because we havent found a body, its been 36 hours since she has eaten so it is my hope she is in the comfort of
someones home and doing her little purring machine noise.

posters will be up tomorrow

angelfire9

Awww

Fingers and paws crossed that you find her

taytobreath

thank you for that message, posts like that always give me some sort of promise and hope that she may come back,its nice to hear from the animal and pet issues forum that people like you can post a message like that
xxxx

angelfire9

My fella went missing for 48 hours I was inconsolable but it turned out he'd gotten looked in the neighbours shed had heard me calling him the 2 nights and had scratched a hole through the half rotten wooden door to get home to me
Neighbour had heard him mewing but couldn't find the source of the sound silly beggar had hidden himself anytime she went looking and she didn't realise where he was til she saw the paw coming out through the door on the morning

taytobreath

she's back, she sauntered into my back garden 10 minutes ago, absolutely starving and dirty, she has a small lump near her chest, i think it was because of the attack from the large stray male a few days ago. I'll have to bring her to the vet in the morning because she doesn't like me touching it. its a huge relief.

it has made me think on how attached we can get to our animals when they do go missing, i have exams monday and i couldnt make myself study because i couldnt stop thinking and worrying of where she was and was she dead. thanks angelfire for your posts,
and my apologies for hijacking this thread

sparkle_23

So glad she came home!! Fingers crossed all goes ok at the vets x

angelfire9

Delighted for you!
Hope the vet visit goes well but little kitties heal fast anyway!

grey_so_what

Good news tayto!....

Best of luck with the exams...GSWx

taytobreath

Thanks guys, shes fast asleep now, wrecked from her adventures, how dare she think she can casually walk in and out of our lives without a care in the world with no explaination to where she was, if she thinks shes gonna start doing that on a regular basis , well... i wont let it happen, shes grounded