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My 15 week kitten is dying to go outside. She has had all her jabs and she' been outside but on a harness so she won't run off. We are installing our cat flap in the next few weeks but I am so scared that she won't come back as she is a Bengal cat and costs a fair bit.How do you know that they won't run away? I just need some advice on how to make sure she will come back. Thanks
Quite honestly, a lot of experts do not recommend letting your cats outside without a leash.
Years ago, we had two (very expensive) persian cats, and we would let them go outside to play. They always came back in the evening. One day, after years of safe play, one of those persians never came back. The other one was found at that time with a dislocated hip. It was horrible. Obviously, something very bad happened. We contacted all the local radio stations, vets, shelters, and put posters all over the neighborhood, but no one had any information. He never came home again. The cat with the injury became an indoor cat again, and he healed beautifully and lived to a ripe old age.
I would not recommend letting your kitty out. At her age, she probably doesn't know what she's missing. What you should do is make the inside of your house super fun and interesting. Put in a cat nip plant, and scatter your floors with large paper bags and different cardboard boxes. She'll love them. The more toys they have, the better.
The main argument for keeping cats indoors is the major difference in life span:
"The average life span of indoor cats is about 14 years – though this is reduced to 4 years in cats that are allowed to roam free, exposing themselves to the hazards of outdoor life."
Please check out this site for more information:
The Great Debate: Indoor Versus Outdoor Cats
A cat that is given access to the outdoors is going to roam exactly as far as you let it. I had one cat that I would let out on my patio, and she did very well until the day that she ran off and went walk-about for a month. And I only got her back by using a live trap.
However, there are options between "free-roaming" and entirely indoors. I've used cat-fencing with pretty good results (the fencing works, but any spot you have edges is a weak point a clever kitty can use to wiggle out, and they don't stop cats from going out holes under the fence.) Unfortunately my new house has a hawk that hangs out nearby, so I have decided on an outside cat enclosure... fully roofed, to keep the hawk from grabbing my 5.5 pound cat.
Here's some links:
Pictures - The Affordable Cat Fence in action! (my preferred fence)
CAT FENCE-IN™ | Cat Containment System (This one works, but isn't quite as sturdy)
Cat Fence: Purrfect Cat Enclosures and Cat Fences (never used this one, so no comment)
Habitat Haven Outdoor Cat Enclosures & Pet Enclosures | Toronto, Ontario, Canada (fully roofed enclosures)
And the do-it-yourself versions:
Do-It-Yourself Cat Fence
Stanford Cat Network | Enclosures Keep Cats Safe Outdoors
I would say their home range would be about two square miles, and if it's an expensive cat anybody who saw it might keep it instead of looking for it's owner. If you had more than one kitten they would be more likely to play closer to home with each other. And an unaltered tom would probably roam even further.
If there is traffic anywhere within a few miles, it's just a matter of time. I saw three this AM that had been hit.
Oh god, my only problem is, is that my landlord has told us she has to be outside, we live on a small island in the channel islands so traffic and roads is not an issue really. We were planning in letting her out in 3 weeks as the land lord is picking up on the fact she isn't out and about.
Ok.. that makes the situation even worse, morally. Cats can have a devastating impact on wildlife, especially on an island. And even more especially on a small island (depending on what you mean by small). Further, cats are social creatures. If your landlord really expects you to keep your cat outside 24/7, be prepared for it to go feral, especially considering that Bengals are crossbreeds of the domestic cat and the Asian Jungle cat. It is quite possible that if you have her outside for long periods that she will become very stand-offish, stop by for food, but not really want to interact with you. I'd talk to your landlord about why he wants the cat outside, and see if you can come up with some way of compromising. And if that's not an option, I'd see about doing the enclosure. An enclosure for outside during the day, inside at night, and thankfully Bengals leash-train fairly easily, so I would be starting on that so that you can explore under controlled conditions.
If there is a road, a driveway, a car, a tractor, or a lawnmower on the island, it's dangerous. It doesn't take a pile of 6 lane highways to put a cat's life in serious jeopardy.
I want to be as nice as possible about this because I understand that you really care about your cat, but these should have been questions you resolved before adopting her. You cannot possibly consider putting a KITTEN outside where you live. How would she be your cat at all? She certainly hasn't learned the survival techniques she would have learned had she actually been feral. If something goes wrong, and it wouldn't take much, she could easily become maimed or die.
Also, you have to consider the cold winters in your area. The cold alone could kill her, as could a simple storm. By taking her in, you have told her that you will be responsible for her life. Do whatever you have to do to convince your landlord otherwise. If he or she cannot be swayed, I would find a new place. I don't mean to come off sounding harsh, but your kitty is just a baby, and she needs your best efforts.
One more thing. Wildlife present a serious danger to cats. You wouldn't think that hawks, eagles and coyotes would be true cat predators right outside of manhattan, but they most certainly are. Consider the dogs, birds, etc. on your island versus your kitten. She wouldn't stand a chance in one of those situations.
Hey Charl89. When I first got my kittens I was scared to let them outside too. I had them since they were four days old. Their mom abandoned them. You never know what is going to happen. It’s scary, but you should try. My cats love outside. They love to play and chase bugs. I get my little “presents.” One of them even loves to roll in the dirt. The reasons people don't let their cats outside is fear. Fear they will run away or fear that something will happen. And trust me I was scared too. I use to keep my cats locked in the house and they could only go outside if I was out there to watch them. When I first let them outside, any sound I heard I was outside. I also use to try and find them every few minutes. Just take your kitten outside and observe her. Make sure she has good extinct.
I have a female and a male cat. I know my male cat would be fine outside when I saw him chase adult stray cats when he was only 20 weeks old. My female cat didn’t like outside, but now she does. She is extremely smart and she is the one who brings me the presents. I did worry about them, but once you see your cat kill a poisonous snake you kind of stop worrying about them.
When my male cat went outside I was scared all the time, but he always returns to the house. All I need to do is call his name and he comes in the house. So make sure to train her. Now I don’t even need a litter box in the house because they go outside, which is a big plus.
First step is just to let her outside and see what happens. If you think the environment is good, then let her outside. Cats are very resourceful. They know how to run fast, climb up a tree, or hide in a small space if necessary. Even though I let them outside that’s something that will always be there. Sometimes they are having so much fun they don’t come inside when you call, but my cats will come on the windowsill and meow until I let them in. This can be 8 p.m. or 1 a.m.
The main reason she wants to go outside is curiosity. Let her explore a little bit. Explore with her. Play with her outside. I take branches and run around and let them chase it. Like a cat teaser. It’ll be fine.;)
Hope everything goes well :D.
Also make sure she has her tags on to identify her. And if you still are worried about her running away they have the chips you can use to locate her. I was thinking about getting them for my cats. From the information I have, it is about $35 for the procedure and $10 for the registry. You can ask her vet about it. And then you can locate her wherever... whenever.:)
Just a note about the chips: I think they're great. However, it's not like a LoJack tracking system. If they're lost and someone brings them to a vet, and then they're scanned for a chip, they can try to relocate you. However, it will not help you to find her in the woods or if she is stolen by somebody. Let us know how things are going!
Your kitty could get fleas outside!
... but flea and tick drops alla frontline could prevent them. This was a little weird. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by zawatska
To expand on this a bit... the chip has a unique ID number on it that a scanner reads. The person with the scanner then goes and calls a number and they look the ID number up in a database and tell the person with the cat the phone number/address of the registered owner. So, as you can see, the weak link is keeping the database up-to-date. If you move or switch phone numbers, you need to remember to go and do that, or it's not really helpful to have the pet chipped.Quote:
Originally Posted by linnealand
Yeah she is being chipped for her to use her catflap but she can't run far on a 1 and a half mile long island. Lol
I would keep the kitty inside unless you have an enclosure for her. I'm not sure where you live but you should check into legal factors if your landlord is forcing you to keep her outside.
Where I live, it's illegal for the landlord to deny pets (making them stay outside counts as denying) unless there is danger to another tenant/landlord in the same living quarters by way of allergies.
I'd very seriously investigate that law and also consider renting from someone else.
Well I have decided to let her out. I think it is totally unfair to keep a cat in a house, she is a cat, they hunt and need to run around. So today is the day and she is dying to go out. Thanks for everyone's help, but keeping her in is not an option.
In any case, it was good of you to let us in on an update. Knowing your island is only a mile and a half long, I don't think that having a cat go out is the worst thing to ever happen to the planet earth. :) have you been able to find a way for her to stay indoors at least at night or when the weather's bad?
I wonder if this little kitty knows just how many people are thinking about her all around the world... :)
p. s. what's her name?
I have got a cat flap which only allows her in via a microchip. It has a night mode on so that when night falls it locks itself so she can't get out but can get back in. But to be honest she finds it cold so been in even with the catflap open lol.
Wow. That's incredible! I've never even heard of such a thing! Okay, you just made me very happy, and I am honestly impressed. Do they make something like that for husbands? :) just kidding. Thank you for the fascinating info.
There is no way to know for absolute that your kitten won't run away, but there are ways to help her find her way back. It may sound odd, but if you but a little butter on her paws, they will be able to find their way back by the scent. Make sure that she has her collar so that if she does get lost, she can be brought happily back to you. Once she builds up her confidence, it should all be good. :) Try playing with her a bit outside. :)
In my experience, I have had cats that were perfectly content staying inside, and then I had cats that were dying to get outside every chence they could. I love cats- I have 5. But the way I see it, if you preserve it's life by keeping it inside, but its spent dying to get outside the whole time, what's the point?
I would keep her inside until she's about 2 yrs. Old, and then start letting her out. Kittens are too curious and will approach just about anybody. Give her a chance to grow up and fully mature. If she's still dying to get out at that point (and she's been spayed/neutered, with all shots) I say let her out. Also, have you considered having her microchipped? Its really not very expensive, and it can be done at the same time as the spay or neuter.
Of course, I live in the country. If you live in the city, definitely don't let your cat out.
I would try a small shock collar
No problem, wish they did the same for my partner too. Lol
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