When to let adopted adult cat outside

If she came from a recognised organisation they might be a good place for information. I seem to remember being told it was about 4 weeks when we took on a couple many years ago. Do make sure she is chipped, just in case. Some people manage to use a cat harness, is this possible?

Humptydumpty I have two 7 month old kittens an dI'm terrified of letting them out.Our last cat was hit and killed by a car last summer and I'm worried the same would happen to these two.Ours do the tail chasing/running around thing every evening ,I thought thats what all cats do,every cat we've had has a "mad half hour" ,mind you my son did that as well .Have you got a laser toy for her to chase or other toys she's happy to play with? I bought some little furry mice from Amazon and they have had so much fun with them .If she was used to being outdoors she might want out but I'd try keeping her in a bit longer .Good luck with her ,our house wasn't the same without our cat and its lovely to see them relaxed and happy so I hope your wee friend settles well and stays for many years .

paddyann, thank you for yooour good wishes, and so sorry to hear about your experience, you must have been devastated. I have a laser toy which is awaiting batteries! I am definitely thinking this weekend might be too soon, buut I may try briefly in the morning before she has been fed, to see how she behaves. My great worry is that she won't come when called, and she hates being picked up, so I can't take her outside for a walk-around.

humptydumpty when we moved here 2 yrs ago we already had Oliver and he had been a house cat (we lived in a 1st floor flat) up until then,we where very nervous about letting him out to explore our new back garden.
We kept him inside for 4 weeks and on the 4th week we fitted the baby gate across the kitchen door so he could smell the surroundings.When he did go out he never went far at all and always came back I kept food outside all the time,needless to say he did go missing after about 6mths and I spent the worst 48hrs of my life worrying about him but he came back hungry and demanding attention at 3am in the morning.
I would certainly wait a wee bit longer just to be on the safe side,I can now say Oliver is the boss cat in our area and all the neighbours now know him well even what he likes to eat !! say no more. Best of luck and enjoy your new friend. x glamma x

We reently had a feral cat we brought back from Spain and kept him inside for 3 weeks. When we let him out he seemed terrified and disappeared. I waited up half the night for him but he eventually came back and was OK after that.

A good tip from Cats Protection. Empty some of the litter tray (the poo bits) into various spots in the garden, as this is their own smell and reassures them that this is their territory.

It's so difficult with cats isn't it, busy roads, neighbours gardens versus their independence.
My daughter has three cats who all go out, one of them has just come home after being missing for eight weeks. She was well fed and cared for during her disappearance so obviously found another cat lover to care for her. She has now been fitted with a GPS collar and is tracked crossing busy roads and going into built up areas. An independent happy life for her lots of worry for her owners.

Preferably 4 weeks but definitely two and let the cat out when he/she is hungry. If his tum is full he will go exploring for hours!

Good luck.

paddyann No luck with getting the cat netting fixed up to make your kittens safe, then?

I was advised by the RSPCA to not feed the cat before I let him out for the first time. It worked - he came back after about half an hour

When you call and have food waiting, he will quickly associate the calls with food. It may not happen immediately.

I think my cat has an alarm clock fitted because Tara comes home around 7pm every evening.

Make sure when you let the cat out for the first time you have plenty of time in case he/she has other ideas!

A good rattle of a box of those Whiskas temptations treats has my cat running in. Does yours like them?

Our cat does that mad tail chasing thing too and she goes out so I don’t think it’s related to being kept in.

When she was a kitten, we walked her round the garden for a while on a lead and harness to learn her surroundings, before letting her off on her own.

Sparkle the house is on the market and we're hoping to move soon,so we're waiting until then to try the netting.The new garden is easier to cover with net than this one so fingers crossed .

Good luck with the sale (and with the netting). Having lost 2 young cats on a quiet road, it has made my life so much less stressful knowing where my remaining lovely cat is.

When you call and have food waiting, he will quickly associate the calls with food. It may not happen immediately.

I have always taught my cats the word "Fooooood" called out in a high sing-song voice. They have learnt it within a few days while small kittens, and would come skidding round the corner on 3 legs like cartoon kitties into the kitchen.

At Cat Protection we advise at least 4 weeks, could be 6, partly depending how the cat is with you. The used cat litter in garden is a good idea.

Is she used to playing? Not all adult cats have ever been played with, and may need coaxing to plat at first. You could do this regularly indoors, to give her a fun time and, work off some energy, and build a relationship with you, before you let her out. When you do, be out there with her. Keep talking to her. Keep the door open so she can bolt in if she gets scared.

Most of our cats have all loved the 3 way tunnel from Ancona. A feather on some string pulled around. A long stick under an old rug or newspaper. Laser, Cat nip mouse etc.

Our most recent adopted cat, Minnie, was, we were assured, neutered.

Less than a week after she moved in, she managed a quite impressive escape, out of the bedroom window, on to the roof of the downstairs loo and away!

The first we knew was hearing her yowling to be let in, so she had obviously got her Sat nav pretty well set!

She was in season, and the little hussy was on the prowl for a mate!

I have a 4 year old cat we adopted from Cats Protection. Every time he goes out I worry! But I’m not a fan of keeping cats indoors - just my opinion. I have a friend who keeps her 2 cats indoors and they look so wistful staring out of the window. We kept Theo in for 4 weeks by which time he was desperate to go out but was quite wary once he got outside. We have got time used to the rattle of Dreamies - cats treats - in the tin and if I shake that and call him he quite often will come running

We adopted a cat, I carefully kept it in as suggested. One morning I had to let the cat IN! She had squeezed out of a window! No advice but good luck with your cat.

Maybe try a sound you make indoors every time you feed your cat - we trained ours to come to a whistled tune for food - so when she went outside the first time - she knew to respond to my whistling.

Also, on the first time out in our new home, we got her to follow us in the direction we wanted her to go - out of the door turn right - into fields, not left, to the road. She forever took the same route after that and stayed safe.

Your cat will smell its litter tray, so make sure its not been changed before you let it out. Then place the tray outside when you're worrying its been gone too long, along with food.
I don't have a cat but my Aunt took on a rescue cat that escaped on the second day. She came back after two days. Now she prefers being outdoors but always comes home for food and cuddles.

Let her out when she is hungry, but teach her that rattling the treats means food....this has worked with all 6 of our cats over the years. 20 years ago we were advised to put butter on their paws the first time they went out so they could find their way home by the smell....cats love butter....they went out, licked off the butter instantly and thoroughly enjoyed it.....but still came back! We are out in the sticks with no cat proof boundaries so the cats roam far and wide.....rattling the cat biscuits or dreamies bag always gets them running home! Going out with her the first few times helps too.

I keep my rescue cat in for three weeks and then let him into the garden. I have had cats before and always keep them in that length of time. Let a cat out earlier, you may well lose it. I'm moving shortly and I do worry about my cat but hopefully he will be alright. Letting a cat out before feeding is a good idea.

When we first had our rescue cat we started calling her to us at food times by tapping a teaspoon on a saucer. That way she was used to that as a message to come to us for a treat, so that when she was allowed out she would come running whenever we did it. Good luck.

Last week while returning from the supermarket in my car I spotted a cat roaming down the road, sniffing about and in great danger as the road has got quite busy in recent years. I am not a cat lover, prefer dogs, but I got out and called her "Pussy, come here. puss puss!" and she came to me. So I caught her and put her in my car and brought her home. She had a tag on her collar with a phone number so I rang it and the owner came over for her after about 40 minutes. By then she was getting used to my house and had stopped yowling and running about, and she tried to get away from her owner and rolled on her back on my carpet. The owner took her away and said she had run away before. Where I found her was some way away from her home, I hope she is all right now.