Keeping our kitten in our garden

I believe you can get a sonic system that produces a noise that cats dislike. You place the gadgets around the perifery of the garden and another on the cat's collar. When it tries to stray beyond the boundary the noise is supposed to put it off and keep it at home. It's inaudible to people. I have no idea how well it works!

I don’t think there’s anything you can do to stop a cat doing what they’ve set their mind on. I say this looking pointedly at a certain gentleman who decided to roll around in the builder’s clay next door today.

AmberSpyglass

I don’t think there’s anything you can do to stop a cat doing what they’ve set their mind on. I say this looking pointedly at a certain gentleman who decided to roll around in the builder’s clay next door today.

I've got a horrible feeling you are right!

Honestly, when my boy started going out last year I didn’t think he’d go further than our garden.

....I have no idea where he’s been today, aside from in the bucket of clay. He came in smelling like another woman’s perfume earlier.

So he's been unfaithful!

We started having house cats because we’d lost so many on the road. Built a cat pen in the garden. But I regret it now and don’t have cats, much as I love them. 9 months is a difficult age, when they’re ‘cattens’ and start exploring but have no sense. I used to shake a Munchies box to bring mine home. Any road accidents seemed to happen early/late evening so I tried to get them in for feeding and then kept them in. If they survive the catten months they seem to develop some kind of car sense so perhaps just try to keep him in as much as possible for a few months.

Liz46 He’s a little tart, is what he is! I wish I knew where he went, though - that perfume is really nice, I want a bottle!

If there is a way I’d be in the queue to get one again.

I don’t think a determined cat can be stopped, except with robust physical barriers to make it into a lions’ enclosure.

Little to add except cats do as they wish. Humans are just there to provide food and comfort when they feel they need it.

You could try only letting him out in the garden when you are there yourself and calling him back every time he goes near the fence.

He is unlikely to take the hint, however.

Six foor chain link fencing all round your garden might do the trick, nothing else will.

Have you considered making a covered run, like a hen run but roofed in - big enough for him to play in? And training him to walk on a lead?

As he is only nine months old he can learn to walk on the lead and accustom himself to a cat run.

I personally don't care for the cat run idea, but it is better than him being run over, if you cannot afford to fence the entire garden with a tall fence.

Thanks for your help ladies. grandtante, we've tried calling him back when he goes near the fence but he puts two claws up at us. My husband tried lifting him back down but that is not working.

He is a gorgeous cat and very loving. He was the runt of the litter but has quickly grown and is huge now. I think as some of you have said - we're doomed as he will do as he likes.

A friend put a sort of electric fence round her garden to keep her cats in, it seemed to work.

Cats are cats- and would never have a cat unless I lived in a place where they can roam, naturally, as safely as possible.

If I could afford it I would have a catio. I aspire to one. My house cats would adore it and could sit and swear at the birds, instead of miming at them through the window.

That's a hard one GagaJo. He has such a lovely time running round the lawn and all over my flowers trying to catch flies.

I don't think that, after giving him the chance to run round the garden, I would have the heart to put him in a 'cage' even if it was to keep him safe.

It would be lovely if all cat owners confined their pets to their gardens. I would not be ankle deep in cat poo from the various moggies round here who treat my garden as their own personal toilet - horrid!!!

For the time being until he learns his way around, I would put a collar on him with your phone number and address. He will soon find his way, but to start that stops you worrying.

He's a cat, and cats being cats, if he wants to go outside your garden he will. The only real way to stop this is to either keep him in, which would be a bit sad, or build him a fenced in 'catio' - they are very popular in the USA, and Australia.

Have you looked at protect a pet

I agree, cats are outside animals. But I have lost cats in the past. Car accidents. Wandering and getting lost. Injured while out.

My cats are rescue cats. They have a better home than they would have had as strays. It's a compromise.

Friends have moved to France with their 3 adult cats- used to roaming. They kept them in for 3 weeks, but it was clear they were desperate to go out and do their thing. so they have got them GPS collars so they can be located at all times.

I would never have indoor cats - it is so totally against all their instincts- so would rather not have any in that case. I have had outdoor cats all my life.

Don’t thin pic posted so here it is

We have a 5 foot wall and a 6 foot fence to stop our neighbours cat wandering. It's black and used to jump through the open window at night and give everyone a heart attack!! The wall was there anyway but they added the fence. Tbh I prefer that to having a cat wandering round at night