Keeping our kitten in our garden

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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!

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.

So he's been unfaithful!

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.

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!

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 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!