Introducing new kittens to the garden

Jem123

Good morning,

I recently got 2 kittens who are now 10 weeks old. When they are not with us they are sleeping in our shed. I'm nervous about letting them out alone as afraid they will run off or wander onto the road.

Is there any tips on how to encourage them to stay around our house/garden? I vaguely remember hearing something about butter on their paws.

Thanks!

Zapperzy

First congrats on the new kittens!

I would be in no rush to let them out. Some vets will neuter cats at 12 weeks. I would have this done first, especially if they're female. Some females go into heat very young and it's not unknown to end up with a kitten herself having kittens. I'd also vaccinate before letting them out.

When it comes to letting them out I'd let them out just before feeding time. That way they're not going to go too far hungry. Cats are most active at dawn and dusk so I'd continue to keep them indoors at night as this is when most of them seem to get hit on the road.

If you do put collars on them for identification make sure they have a quick release mechanism if it gets caught on something. Most collars unclick when pressure is put on them or have an elasticated point, some cheap collars or flea collars don't have this. Microchipping is also an option for cats, becoming more common now. The vet laughed at me when I got my first cat microchipped in 2011. At least if they get hit on the road and brought to a vet you'll be contactable. Plenty of stories of them hopping in vans and relocating for a few years to be reunited when it's discovered they're microchipped.

sillysmiles

I vaguely remember hearing something about butter on their paws.

Why? That seems like a mad idea. Interested to hear if people know anything about this.

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Jem123

Zapperzy wrote: »

First congrats on the new kittens!

I would be in no rush to let them out. Some vets will neuter cats at 12 weeks. I would have this done first, especially if they're female. Some females go into heat very young and it's not unknown to end up with a kitten herself having kittens. I'd also vaccinate before letting them out.

When it comes to letting them out I'd let them out just before feeding time. That way they're not going to go too far hungry. Cats are most active at dawn and dusk so I'd continue to keep them indoors at night as this is when most of them seem to get hit on the road.

If you do put collars on them for identification make sure they have a quick release mechanism if it gets caught on something. Most collars unclick when pressure is put on them or have an elasticated point, some cheap collars or flea collars don't have this. Microchipping is also an option for cats, becoming more common now. The vet laughed at me when I got my first cat microchipped in 2011. At least if they get hit on the road and brought to a vet you'll be contactable. Plenty of stories of them hopping in vans and relocating for a few years to be reunited when it's discovered they're microchipped.

Thanks for the tips! I'll definitely keep them in for now. I think they are boys but will be bringing them to the vet this week for vaccs and to verify sex

Jem123

sillysmiles wrote: »

Why? That seems like a mad idea. Interested to hear if people know anything about this.

I think the idea was that they would lick it off and taste/smell their new home

Not mad to try this as seems very messy!

Doctors room ghost

Rumour has it that if you dip the feet in a butter dish they lick off the butter and associates it with the house and tend to hang around

Baybay

Jem123 wrote: »

Is there any tips on how to encourage them to stay around our house/garden? I vaguely remember hearing something about butter on their paws.

This buys into the notion that once relaxed, a cat grooms themselves.
Didn’t need it with our fellow as he only came outside with one of us for months. By the time he did go out alone, he was very aware which side his bread was buttered.
Still likes company though!

aonb

Im not a cat expert, but do have two rescue cats, one hand-reared from a kitten, and one an adult cat that came to our house in a dreadful state. The first cat, we kept indoors until she was old enough to be neutered. When she was neutered, we let her out in the garden, and she explored while we were outside. Roll on now 3 years (:eek:) and shes still coming in to eat and sleep at night, has a cosy bed, water, basket and food. She goes out in the morning, but is never too far away - when we call she comes usually.Shes in/out all day - will sleep inside for a few hours on our bed. We live in a very quiet rural area, with very little traffic.
Our second cat came half-dead about 18 months ago. So thin and damaged (old and new wounds) I had to trap her and take her to the vet to be put to sleep (I thought) Roll on 18 months, she is a fat lump, sleeps in the house all day, and goes out at night (has a cosy bed/food/water in an workshop with access through an open window) She is neutered also.
So my point is, establish a routine. FOOD based! One cat we've always kept inside at night - easier as she was a kitten to establish this routine - called her to come in at bed-time, and main meal/feed then - plus it was winter time.
The other cat, comes to the door every morning like clockwork, gets a huge feed and lots of cuddles and play, then sleeps inside for the day. Feed at lunchtime, feed in the evening (thus shes a fat lump!) So basically the house, food and comfortable bed and safety means that my two spend their time either in the house or in very close proximity to the house/property. But we do live in a very quiet rural area - Im not sure how it would be for kittens in a town/urban area with lots of traffic etc... The other option to keep them in your garden, would be a CATIO set up - lots of threads on here on the subject.

forgodssake

It's so hard letting them out . Our first little fella came to a bad end on the road after about 6 weeks due to our lack of experience and knowledge . We were devastated . We have two more since and they are exclusively indoors . I just can't take the risk letting them out and we are living very rurally but they don't have good road sense . Cats are very happy to live indoors all the time . You are taking a risk letting them out unless they are secured in a catio really . Info I have been given is leaving them out for short periods, before feeding time , supervised and gradually building that time up . Wish you all the best with your new kittens they will bring such joy to your life .

Glass fused light

let them out when your are in the garden and feed them but lift the food and bring it back inside so as not to encourage any other cats into your garden. keep an eye out at dusk to see your garden is on a cat route. Also as they are small they would be vunrable to foxes who hunt mainly at night in an urban setting but could be out during the day in the countryside.

Zapperzy wrote: »

Plenty of stories of them hopping in vans and relocating for a few years to be reunited when it's discovered they're microchipped.

.
The brother was on a job last week and left the windows open, opens the door at home time to be greeted by the house's cat curled up on the drivers seat, she did not want to move either.

Graces7

If you let them out a while before they are due to be fed, then get them in for food?

I do this with the hens...

I am so blessed here as the island is tiny and almost no traffic which leaves them wary... When I wait by the gate for the ferry minibus, my big boy comes to sit with me but as soon as the vehicle approaches he is off.. Makes them laugh but as I say I need them to stay wary ..

twomonkeys

I put my cats dry food/treats in a little tin. For a couple of weeks beforehand I would shake the tin whenever I went to feed her so that she’d associate the sound with food.
Then when I started to let her outside I made sure she was hungry. If I wanted her to come home I would shake the tin and she’d appear. I always praised her for coming home and have lots of treats in the first few weeks.