What age is safe to let a cat out for the first time???

Personal opinion ... I would take a cat out on a harness at maybe 7-8 months? but not let them out on their own till maybe 11-12 Months.

Depends a lot on circumstances .. are there any other more mature cat's in your area? Any foxes? Lots of car traffic? Any dog owners that have their dogs out in the garden / without a lead on?

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"Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it."

Ok thanks, he is only 5 months and is being neutured next month so was not sure if he was ok to go out after that or is it still too young.

Yes there are older cats in the area, i have one of them and she goes out. Yes we do have foxes in the area, yes we do have a main road which is my biggest fear. We dont have any dogs in our area so that is one thing.

I'd wait until at least 9 months preferably a year - as he is still a baby and will have no sense at all at 5/6 months. Once he seems grown up inside he is probably ready for outside, but if he still seems kitten like keep him in.

ok thank you for that advice.

As you might expect given another thread ... in my opinion it's never safe to let them out alone. But it's a personal decision people make on behalf of their cat, given the known risks.

All the cats I've seen killed on the road or picked up injured have been or appeared, mature adults ... Personally I don't think it wise to rely on the age of a cat to keep it safe

But each owner does what they believe is best hopefully.

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

My kittens are 4-5 months and I take them out on a harness which they really enjoy. However, they are tiny compared with the big wide world, so I personally wouldn't let them roam around as we have many urban foxes etc, and I think if they did get lost they would not be able to defend themselves against anything.

Also, given observations of Oscar around the flat I find him rather reckless and I could see him wanting to play chicken with the passing traffic. Whether he will mature out of that I don't know. What I do know is that no way am I letting him out without a secure garden.

Wilbur is like my old cat. He will only venture when he is 100% sure - and therefore has never fallen off tables etc as if he is even slightly unsure, he won't do it.

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I do understand people concerns and believe me i have many concerns myself, when i got thomas i told you all i would keep him as a house cat but there is no chance of that, i have found him hanging by his back legs out of my bathroom window, if he had fallen he would of died instantly!!

Everytime i open the front door he is out, i have young children so it is hard to get them to QUICKLY shut the door ALL of the time.

He howls not meows he actually howls at the windows and doors to go out and you just cant listen to that all day and night.

My house is like a cat nursery i have gone out and bought all the toys i can for him, we are constantly playing with him to distract him but still does not work.

I have an older cat and she goes out so he wants to do it as well and cannot understand why he cant.

He is absolutely reckless i tell you, he has no fear and is nothing like my older cat, he is so nuts and that is what worries me, with the traffic etc.

I am definitely going to get him a cat harness and take him out, my neighbours will think i am mental but i dont care.

It's the main road that would concern me
Having lost one of our cats to a RTA in our cul de sac.
Is there anyway you could cat proof your garden?
If you already have 5 or 6 foot fencing up then it can be done quite cheaply.
All you need is some metal brackets and some pond mesh.
Take a look at my pictures.
The beauty of cat proofing your garden is that you can have your windows and doors open in the warm weather and your cats can be safe in the garden.

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That's a good idea!

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