# How often do you let your kitten/cat outside?



## Natalie12 (2 June 2010)

Hi All, 

sorry yet another kitten question.... just trying to be as well researched as poss! 

I amthinking of keeping my new kitten inside until he has been neutered.... ?? 

Then slowly start to introduce him to the outdoors! Do most people let them out in the morning and get them in after work or keep them in during the day whilst you are at work?? 

and let them go out after if they want to?? 

Any info would be much appreciated 

Thanks all ;0)


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## Ally_F (2 June 2010)

My two stayed in until they were neutered/all injections and then let them out slowly as you said - but now they go out during the day while we're at work and come in at night (we have put a cat-flap and a basket in the shed so they have somewhere to hide when it rains badly, as we don't have a back door so cant have a cat flap into the house  ).


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## Natalie12 (2 June 2010)

Ok great thanks, i think thats a good idea though a cat flap into the shed as if they do get soaked in the rain or something or muddy and then just go through as cat flap straight into the house... well you wouldn't be best impressed would you?? ;0)


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## Shutterbug (2 June 2010)

My two dont get out ever.  Tommy is too stupid to get out and when we tried to let him out after he had been neutered, he always wanted to lay down in the middle of the road and sleep so he stays in now.  My older cat Charlie went out in the morning and normally came home for his tea...until he went missing for 6 months a few years ago.  We thought we would never see him again until the CPL called me and asked if I wanted my cat back...they found him 7 miles away wandering around and luckily he was chipped so we were reunited.  So he is grounded for life!!


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## Natalie12 (2 June 2010)

That did make me chuckle Hevs.... a few people have told me there cats just slept in the middle of the road when they let them out....!!! I am definately getting him microchipped - its brilliant isn't it... i bet you were over the moon when you got him back! 

Do you find though that they try and run outside when you open the door or come in from outside etc??


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## Sarah Sum1 (2 June 2010)

My boy who is 7 goes out during the day but comes in at night (or he would be fighting all night!)
When he was a kitten, he escaped one day whilst i opened the front door and ran up the massive conifer tree in my garden.....three days later!! The RSPCA said he had to be up there 3 days before they would help  he was only small and it was during really hot weather. In the end a builder climbed up and got him. (we did try climbing up, but conifers are very dense)

After that he went out gradually, with me stood in front of tree 
I backed onto a park and he had this habit of seeing me taking my daughter to swings and coming with us! like a dog  But i used to take him back as i was worried dogs would catch him.
I could never keep my cat in, he cries if i don't let him out!


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## cindars (2 June 2010)

When ours are small they stay in until spayed etc then we go into the garden with them  and bring them in later, as they get older our cats have all behaved in different ways some stay out coming in for food, another one used to disappear for a couple of days but we knew where he went and if we called him he came back with us.  We don't have a cat flap but when we're in the door is open all the time into garden at night they have a tray and the bedroom window is open it leads onto a flat roof so they can go in and out when they want.


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## Flicker (2 June 2010)

Our two are quite young.  The older chap stayed in until he was familiar with the house and environment and would 'home' in.  He goes out now in the evenings for a few hours and comes in either just before we go to bed at about 11pm or if my OH is still up, later.  I let him out when I go and do the horse in the mornings and he meets me at the end of the drive when I get back - he escorts me to the front door and I give him his breakfast in return.  He then sleeps for the rest of the day inside.
The younger one is still too silly to be allowed out unaccompanied.  Fortunately he loves human contact as he was hand-reared and we have a harness for him and walk him out like a dog.  My OH had me in stitches the other day describing his embarrassement at being spotted by one of our neighbours walking a kitten in a pink harness!
Kitten will probably need another couple of months to mature.  Then we'll let him off the harness but only let him out in the garden when we are there, and only when he's hungry so we can tempt him back quickly if necessary!


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## Serephin (2 June 2010)

initially we took ours out in the garden in a kitty harness to introduce them to the sights, sounds and smells around them.  Did this for about a week or so and then let them out with access to a catflap to get back in the house - they are grown up now and have free run to go outside whenever they please.  

We did have a curfew with our eldest cat, she would dome in at 10pm every night, but our boy kitty completely turned that on its head as he is far too headstrong to be contained and broke out of the locked catflap, even when we reinforced it!


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## alainax (2 June 2010)

Ty never goes out. We had to sign a form when we got him a "kitten contract" stating that we woulndt let him out - as they get stolen apparently. Hes a big chicken anyway, he would hate the ig bad world!


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## Captain Bridget (2 June 2010)

When my two were little we waited until they had all their vaccinations etc before letting them outside, and they only went outside for about 10 minutes to begin with when we were home to keep and eye on them. We slowly increased the time until we allowed them to be out all the time if they want, but they are both very homely cats and come in a lot. We have a cat flap tunnel through our dining room wall so they come and go as they please. We also somehow managed to make them understand at a young age they weren't to go out the front of our house because our drive goes straight onto the road. Still not sure how we did that though!


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## Lotty (2 June 2010)

When we bought our cat we had to sign a form from the breeders to say that we wouldn't let him out but he is a Ragdoll cat   We have a harness for him and my daughter takes him for walks.....he wouldn't survive outdoors as he has no hunting instinct and is so stupid x


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## Brandy (2 June 2010)

My cat was one of a batch of feral kittens that I caught up and took to CPL to be spayed etc. So he was WILD (livid!) when I first got him. He was kept in a big cat cage until he stopped spitting and hissing at me, then kept indoors until he was rather more tame and reasonable (he was about 6 weeks when we caught them) So he was probably a year old when he first went out into the big wide world, and was very much a scardy cat. 

I do live 'in the sticks' so although there is a road 40 yards from the house, the rest of the house is surrounded by fields. I rarely see him on the road and have never seen him across the other side. He runs away from cars. 

He goes out as and when he wants, daytime, nighttime, whenever. He will come and call to be let in in the middle of the night, or let out for that matter.

Although he tends to sleep indoors all night during the winter, at this time of year he starts staying out all night. There is no way he would be an indoor cat. He loves climbing trees, and scampering about the fields and garden, and also killing things  Thats cats I guess!


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## Ali2 (2 June 2010)

Ours were all kept in until they'd been fully vaccd and neutered then they were slowly introduced to the great outdoors.  It was horrible keeping them in that long - the older two used to stand at the french windows and scream to go outside.  The younger lad wasn't so bothered.  They now have free rein to come and go as they please via the catflap (get one that only your cats can get access to otherwise you'll be feeding the neighbourhood as we used to!) but do spend a lot of time napping in various sunspots within the house.  Major bonus to never having to lock them in is no need for a litter tray, the emptying of which is, IMO, a horrible job best left to OH LOL


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## Shutterbug (2 June 2010)

Natalie12 said:



			That did make me chuckle Hevs.... a few people have told me there cats just slept in the middle of the road when they let them out....!!! I am definately getting him microchipped - its brilliant isn't it... i bet you were over the moon when you got him back! 

Do you find though that they try and run outside when you open the door or come in from outside etc??
		
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Oh Tommy is the thickest cat ever and scared of his own shadow but he's incredibly cute so he gets away with being stupid lol.  And yes, we were delighted to have Charlie back, we honestly though we had lost him forever.

Charlie won't leave the house, I think he has had enough being outside and prefers to stay indoors - Tommy runs out into the garden then panics and runs back in - nutter


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## Umbongo (2 June 2010)

After my previous cat going missing when we had lots of snow in 2000 (we found him frozen to death under a hedge ) we then got 2 kittens. To begin with I was so paranoid about them going missing that we took them for little walks around the village on a kitten harness 

We got some strange looks, but (I was only a kid) and I found solace in thinking that when we did let them out that they would recognize their surroundings and smells etc and find their way home.

We have a cat flap, but now one cat is epileptic (on medication) but sometimes has a fit outside and forgets where she is and ends up 10 miles away a few months later. She now lives in a flat with my mum as a house cat. And my cat is so fat and lazy he only goes outside every couple of days for the loo!!


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## ladyt25 (2 June 2010)

Our cats have always been stable cats so effectively have always lived out. They had a feild shelter with their beds etc in and where they were fed if they hadn't fed themselves on the local rabbit population! Sadly our last cat died just over 2 weeks ago and we have since got another from the Blue Cross who apparently was picked up as a stray. However, he seems rather too bold and friendly to have been a real stray. Still, he is shut in now as they said we had to shut him in for 3 weeks. It'll be just over two weeks this friday and I am tempted to let him out! He will live there unless he decides to bugger off but generally it's pretty idyllic a life for cats as they have plenty of land to roam about before hitting any roads or houses.


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## Winklepoker (2 June 2010)

We have Meeru - a siamese and she rarely goes out and if she does it is very closely monitored! And Sangu - my 1st born  she is just a plain old mogster and it isnt really fair to let one and not the other so she stays in too. Can you tell I am one of those weird cat ladies!!! lol


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## CrazyMare (2 June 2010)

Well I have no idea where any of our three are - I suspect either asleep in either the house or the shed, or in the garden.

They have a catflap and come & go as they please - often hear them crashing in and out at speed.

When the kitten first arrived, she didn't go outside, then as she started getting a little older she ventured onto the patio if someone was in the garden, then made it out to the fence eventually. Now shes all done & vaccinated, knows how to use the cat flap, shes just like the other two.


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## Sarah Sum1 (2 June 2010)

Also to add, having a cat that goes out but at one point didn't because of the area we were in, i can say that he is 100% happier being allowed out. I think it's different for cats that have always been inside as they don't know any different, but for cats that are made to stay in after years outside, then it can be horrible for them  (I appreciate the many reasons as to why this may have to happen though, been there myself)


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## ecrozier (2 June 2010)

We had/have a big Bengal cat who was supposed to be a house cat according to the breeder but I'm afraid I couldn't do it to him.  We kept him in til he was neutered but by then he was desperate to get out - we couldn't open and windows or leave any doors open - not hugely practical with a dog as well.  So we gave in, had him microchipped and let him out gradually at first then free rein with a cat flap.  He was fine for about 2 years, but gradualy started roaming further and further and now hasn't been home for about 6 weeks 
Miss him like mad, he has been spotted by some people who live about 2 miles away and its definately him as YO's girlfriend lives there and has also seen him but despite lots of people calling him he won't come, I have spent hours wandering around those fields round there looking for him, so he has either gone totally feral or moved in with someone! I am still hoping we might get him back but TBH better to have had a happy cat for three years who then chose to move out than a miserable cat for 15 years.  
We have agreed that if we don't get him back in 6 months we will get another cat but will get a lazier more laid back breed next time, maybe a british blue, (I'd happily have a bog standard mog but husband likes 'fancy' pets!) and I'd like to start a regime where they come in at night to be fed and stay in til the morning.... mistake we made with him was that we left food down all the time etc so he had no particular reason to come back at any particular time....


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## Natalie12 (2 June 2010)

Thanks everyone for your comments... My plan i think is to keep him in until 6 months ish when he has been neutered and microchipped! He will also need to have his leukemia vacs i think as the breeder hasn't had this done with his normal vacs i dont think.... she said i would possibly need this if he is going to go out??  

Then clowly maybe via a harness at first start to let him out?? I will be massively nervous i suspect at this point but i am hoping he will just have little strolls and then come back.... fingers crossed!!! 

My mine worry i suppose is as he is a pedigree bengal Cat he may get stolen...


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## Flibble (2 June 2010)

I had Tiggy as a CPL kitten at 10 weeks and I kept her in util she was neutered. I used to take her out on a kitten harness for walks and then when she started going out I only let her in or out via back door. It took ages to understand there was a front door. 

I always get her in at dusk or slightly before. My partner built a wooden frame that fits into the sliding conservatory door so we could install a catflap for daytime use.

Here she is with her babysitter






Here venturing out in her harness.






Here a lady of complete independance







Here you can see her catflap in conservatory as she tries to get into kitchen!!


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## Natalie12 (2 June 2010)

Hi flibbles, thanks for the info, do you just call her and he appears then to come inside? Take it he has te choice to go in or out then during the day?? Did you haw her vaccinated against leukemia??

Thanks again to everyone!


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## Flibble (2 June 2010)

Sometimes I call her and she comes running but if she knows I particularly need her to come in she races into the garden dances around the lawn chirruping at me and then runs up a tree hangs upside down and waves a paw.

I always feed her tea very late so she then comes in when she hears me tapping her dish. On the days she wants to be completely obstinate I move a button across on the catflap so once she comes in she cant get back out.

Yes to vaccinations flu and leukemia she gets wormed regularly and treated for fleas.


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## china (2 June 2010)

mine is the biggest wimp ever. she used to go out all day, come in and have a sleep then go out when it got dark but soon as firework night comes round she wont go out! weve just moved house and been here 2 months and she wont go any further than the back gate! she is petrified of the work man still building round here. but even when they arnt here on the weekends she wont go out. shes a pain coz she sleeps all day and skets around at night. and we didnt have  a litter tray when she went out coz she didnt ever use it. she didnt go out till she was spayed and had her vacs and she just wondered around the garden and went back in the house when she wanted.


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## BrynThePony (2 June 2010)

Princess Jessica was kept in for about a week when we moved house and then taken for walks in the gardens with her kitty harness so she could get used the sights and smells of the new place. She was let out after about 2 weeks but only when she was starving (which is 23 of the 24 hrs in a day)


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## Angelbones (2 June 2010)

I kept mine in until they were neutered etc and so they knew where home was, but now I have a pet fence around the garden and they wear collars that are activated if they get too close to the boundary - first by a noise and then by a small electric shock (no worse than static off your clothes) but it keeps them in. i don't live on a busy road - quite the opposite - but lost 4 cats in a year so decided on the fence rather than keep them indoors 24/7. It works very well and I have peace of mind.


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## Britestar (2 June 2010)

Mine do exactly as they please. Currently one is on the table here, but hadn't seen her for 2 days before she came home this evening. She goes off hunting and get too involved to remember to come home! Usually after a couple of days I'll go out calling her, and within an hour or so shes home. As for the rest, not a clue where they are. Outside doing cat 'stuff'. 
I live in the country on a farm, so they come and go. In the winter I like them to be inside at night, but if they don;t arrive at 'bedtime' then they have to stay out.


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## fireflymac (2 June 2010)

Ours are in all night but can come and go as they please during the day. They can get into the stables for shelter and water if we're out.


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## Natalie12 (3 June 2010)

I just don't want him gone for long periods... and defo inside really i think once i am home from work! 

Whether my plan will come off we will see....... ;0)


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## MyBoyChe (3 June 2010)

My 2 who are just coming up to 14 months old do exactly as they please, we let them out into the back garden from the day we brought them home, under supervision of course, and I dont think they ventured any further until they were almost a year old.  We back onto a field and allotments so they have plenty to keep them amused without straying very far.  We did install a cat flap in the back door but they prefer to use the bedroom window, via the trellis and porch, they are often found asleep on my bed having used this route!  The only downside is that they also use this method of entrance when I am asleep, fine except if they bring me a "gift".  "Shut the window" I hear you shout, well I would but I need the fresh air coming through to be able to get to sleep


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## Natalie12 (3 June 2010)

Mmmm not looking forward to the gifts i dont think....


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## ester (3 June 2010)

wow, am amazed how many cats stay in!

squish, one surviving kitten from yard litter.... mum didnt like the rest of them, he had a tough childhhood  arrived age about 12 weeks and moved into the stable (££££s worth of new stables and one small kitten  ) and has stayed there ever since. I'd like to say he was a wild feral thing but he loves human company, comes to call whenever you want him (or he is being fed) despite the fact that once a day its for his heart tablets which he still doesn't argue about. He isn't hugely intelligent or agile for that matter, he falls off things quite a lot and has got into a few scrapes, one involving a car but he learnt from that and now steers clear. 

I don't think I could keep a cat indoors. He does exactly what he pleases all day and comes for company when he wants it which is most of the time when people are about


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## Achinghips (3 June 2010)

I'm a massive cat person and have been breeding to show standard for 10 years.

RTA's are THE biggest killer of cats, so going out must depend on where you live and what the traffic is like and also the personality of the cat, some have no road sense at all and no matter what you do, the road is a magnet. I have learned this through sad error.
I have a massive network of centrally heated runs, all linked by walkways to the house for all my cats so am lucky, but appreciate not everyone has this. Also, after my mare, the cats are my hobby, obviously.

For safetys sake, I would suggest,keep 'em in during peak road traffic times, such as morning and evening when people are going to/from work, picking up kids from school etc.  Get a catflap too, so safe haven encouraging kitty to go in during day - and have a spot in garden, like a garden shed with catflap or a sunny spot with comfy blankets, so an additional place for kit to go, during the day, keep a gravel area too so they don't have to go searching for a loo somewhere and take out solids once a week, replace gravel once every 4/5 months. Airing cupboard or heat pad encourages in time - and feed them in that area too initially, so they learn to associate comfort in that place (even in summer). 
Oh and if you're lucky enough to have electricity in garden shed, get a plugin Feliway (cat relaxer hormone) initially, so they learn to love it in there.

If you live in a busy road area, think about investing in a cat run, like this below, so kit can get some fresh air (though you have to have 2 kits for this for company - wink, incidentally, with neighbour coming in daily, this saves a fortune, over time in cattery fees when you're away on holiday - this run cost £700 and has paid for itself within 2 years and is lined and insulated so can be used in winter):


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## Amymay (3 June 2010)

My cats have free access to the outside world via a cat flap.

However, as kittens they were only allowed out supervised, and only after their operations.  It wasn't until they were young cats that I let them out as and when they wanted to go.

I should add that I live in a very quiet area, with hardly any traffic.  Otherwise I simply wouldn't have a cat.


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## Achinghips (3 June 2010)

Forgot to add, I stipulate in my contract of sale for my babies that they must not go outside, despite this, out of 105 kittens, 18 have been killed on the road (that I know about).  It's alarming, but times have changed .... 20 years ago there was far less traffic than now, cat flu or feline leuk/cancer is no longer the main  killer - it's RTA's - and that is one horrible death.
If you can't stretch to a run like above, try this - cost £99 - and now with lots of seating areas, scratching posts etc


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## ester (3 June 2010)

see I really struggle to imagine restricting a cat at all even like that. 

But then I freely admit to not really getting the whole pedigree cat thing never have


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## Natalie12 (3 June 2010)

Thank you Rotchana for all the info and pics etc.. the problem is we don't have a huge garden so unfortuantely a large run wouldn't be possible...

I am still deciding on whether he will be allowed to go outside and if he is it will be on a harness at first and then perhaps slowly without?? Nervous already.....


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## Amymay (3 June 2010)

But then I freely admit to not really getting the whole pedigree cat thing never have
		
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My neighbour has 4 beautiful pedigree cats.  Can't remember the breed, but it's the same as the Whiskers cat.

The only difference between them and my moggies was their price tag  However, they too are free to wander at will, and frequently do - in to my house 






[/IMG]


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## RolyPolyPony (3 June 2010)

Mine goes out pretty much everyday. Apart from when it's tipping down with rain. He goes out at 7.30 in morn and comes back when he wants, usually around 8pm. We leave his window open (we live in middle of nowhere and we're very close to our neighbors so they keep eye on place when we are out) and he comes and goes as he pleases. We just have to shut door to his room (yes he. Spoilt and has own room!) as he's started bringing back mice!


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## Achinghips (3 June 2010)

There is no difference between moggies and pedigrees, apart from the price tag.

 If anything, in my experience, pedigrees are slightly more stupid and have far less road sense and if not very carefully bred can have major genetic problems. 

Either way, they can all get killed on the road. 

I'd rather restrict their environment than take the chance, but then as I said, I have major walkways everywhere all linked to the house for my cats, so the restriction is fairly minimal anyway.

My moggie rescues have free access to wherever they want to go as it's very hard to train an outdoor cat to an indoor life, but not if that's how you start off.


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## tiggycat (3 June 2010)

Sorry I cant understand why anyone would willingly keep a cat indoors 24/7 or put it in a run? 
It is natural for a cat to roam. 
I have lost 2 in a year, just gone out and never come back. I dont live on a main road and am surrounded by field, dont understand it, when I did live in the middle of a town with a roads all around they were fine.
Mine are free to come and go as they please, I have 3 now, one being Tiggycat. My kitten is 4 months old and he goes in the garden when one of us is out there, he is desperate to roam though, having his done asap.


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## Swift08 (3 June 2010)

All the cats i've had up until the ones I have now have had free access outdoors up until the current ones. Having lost our old boy just before we moved we decided to get 2 moggies and kept them in for the first 6 months, unfortunately we soon discovered that most of the cats round here are un neutered so picked on our boys  One then went missing so we took our other one down to devon to live with my gran and her old boy (who died over easter). He could not live inside and enjoys the devon life! I now have 3 cats, 2 are half russian blue X maine coone boys  and the other is a russian blue x BSH girl (the girl was free!) and due to her colour and the boys being 'special' (the vet said this) there is no way they are going out. *prepares to be jumped on* There was an accident thanks to my grandmother and the female had 4 kittens (thankfully we know which boy was to blame), one we are keeping and the other 3 have been sold. Because they look like pure bred russian blue's the new owners have decided themselves to keep them in. Due to the high numbers of un neutered cats, the m.o.d. land (which has snakes and several cats have died from snake bites round here) and the certain type of people that live up here, there is no way we will ever let a cat out round here.


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## rangerover (3 June 2010)

Hi Swift 08,
Am guessing you are somewhere near Camberley or Aldershot.  I'm not too far away and my cat lives out 24/7 although she can go in the buildings outside when she likes.  I have howver lost 2 x kittens on seperat occsions which I kept, during the past 2 years, dunno if they were stolen or taken by red kites/foxes.


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## Swift08 (3 June 2010)

rangerover said:



			Hi Swift 08,
Am guessing you are somewhere near Camberley or Aldershot.  I'm not too far away and my cat lives out 24/7 although she can go in the buildings outside when she likes.  I have howver lost 2 x kittens on seperat occsions which I kept, during the past 2 years, dunno if they were stolen or taken by red kites/foxes.
		
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Im near aldershot on a certain estate (did not know what it was like etc until we exchanged!) so many cats go missing up here and the one that we lost was deliberatley taken by someone for 4 days! None of our cats will ever go out for as long as we are living here


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## martlin (4 June 2010)

Basil (His Lordship) comes and goes whenever he pleases, he does have to say meoww though for the door to open - there is no way I'm having half dead rats brought through a cat flap






Kitty never comes in, she lives in the horse barn and roams the countryside, I also only feed her when she asks for it


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## Natalie12 (4 June 2010)

he is very cute Martlin! 

Thanks for all the info all! ;0)


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## Winklepoker (4 June 2010)

Meeru is the first (Siam) and Sangu the second... neither of which go out and never really have the urge to even if the door is open.  But like a few on here, we are Surrey/Hants border in Army quarters and I would NEVER let them out here!


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## Umbongo (4 June 2010)

martlin said:



			Basil (His Lordship) comes and goes whenever he pleases, he does have to say meoww though for the door to open - there is no way I'm having half dead rats brought through a cat flap
		
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Ha, my fat cat still meows to be let in even though we have a cat flap! And yes, we do get the odd dead bird, still alive bunnies and rats in our house  wish we didn't have a cat flap sometimes!

Here's my kitty 






He doesn't spend much time outside as he is too lazy, but he has free access. Our cat flap doesn't actually have a "flap" anymore, after the dog thought he could get through and broke it...so we now have a nice hole in our door!


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## Natalie12 (4 June 2010)

Very cute pics.... how do you put a picture on??? I have one of him!! ;0)


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## Amymay (4 June 2010)

Natalie12 said:



			Very cute pics.... how do you put a picture on??? I have one of him!! ;0)
		
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Open a photobucket account - put the photo on there, copy the url and then post it on here.


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## Natalie12 (4 June 2010)

Open a photobucket account??? 

Sorry i am lost already..... it is friday i suppose - hence the stupidity!


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## Natalie12 (8 June 2010)

Here is my boy.... hoping this works???







and another...


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## Amymay (8 June 2010)

OMG he's the cutest little chap!!!!


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## Natalie12 (8 June 2010)

Thank you Amymay, pick him up on the 2nd July.... soooooo excited! D


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## Amymay (8 June 2010)

Natalie12 said:



			Thank you Amymay, pick him up on the 2nd July.... soooooo excited! D
		
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I bet you are - can't blame you.


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## Aces_High (8 June 2010)

My stable cats were outside from the start and had a little nest in the straw barn for them to sleep in.  Having said that one of them was dumped down at the stables at 4-6 weeks old so she just sort of stuck!!  They are very spoilt though as fed twice a day, cat flap into tack room and a heater on all winter with their beds beside it!!  My cat at my house he was kept in the conservatory as a kitten for about a fortnight.  I used to let him out with me in the garden for a few hours everyday.  We would just play and he'd stalk pretend things.  Naughty (house cat) comes and goes and I leave a window open for him to use as a cat flap until it gets cold.  He does sleep on my bed every night though!!  I can't sleep if he's not inside and then at 4am he'll scream outside my window wanting to come in - so I get up and let him in.  Yes spoilt rotten!!


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## spotty_pony (8 June 2010)

Mine stayed in until they were neutered. Then we started letting them out in the garden for about 20 mins at a time, a couple of times a day and supervised them. Gradually we let them stay out for longer, and supervised them less. They always stay in at night, and we have a one way cat flap so if they are out and we are going out they can still get in but cannot get back out. They still prefer to come in through the door if possible though!


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## Fransurrey (8 June 2010)

I've kept them in until vaccinations have finished (and neutering), bar the odd outing into the garden. Always in at night, due to accidents and fights - on the rare occasion they don't come in, I don't get a wink of sleep, but thankfully that really is rare. Since getting my old boy in Feb, I've split the evening feed into two, so they get a sachet between them about 7pm and another before I go to bed. This ensures that they're always hanging around if I'm out for the evening. I couldn't shut them in permanently. Poor rosco spent nearly 4 months in a pen before I got him and was quite withdrawn. What with neither cat having a tail and one having an ear missing, I tend to spoil them a bit, as the poor buggers have had a hard enough life as it is!


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