The RSPCA recommend keeping rescue cats in for 6-8 weeks.... My MIL who has had cats all her life reckons 2 weeks is excessive... Friends with cats say 4.

I think I am stuck on around 6 weeks, but am planning territory trips on a lead before then.

Would be interested with others views.

I don't want to keep Harry and Sabrina contained for longer than is necessary, as I, personally, feel that cats are happiest when they have some freedom. But equally, I don't want to let them out too soon.

My last cat was a (kind of) stray that chose us, so I never had these issues.

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Debs

Lives with a wonderful husband, 2 adorable rescue kitties Harry and Sabrina, and a flock of pampered pet chickens.

Cats don't have to be outdoors, as many have and Do say on here they can live quite a comfortable life without being outdoors. There is a lot of info on here for cats to be very happy indoors.

We let our first kitty go outside -a couple years ago-, and he got run over aged 6 months, This was a very horrible feeling especially for me cos it was Me who insisted kitty was let out because I thought he would be missing out on something. There are so many dangers out there, The list is endless.

Indie is two now and He does go out, he goes into the back gardens sometimes for a couple of hours, But I don't know exactly where he goes or what he,s doing. He normally comes in when we call him. But I DO still worry about him when he,s out.

Hamish is 4 months old. He is not old enough to be out and we are determined to keep him in, So we will have to see how it goes with that one.

Its down to you whether to let them out or not. If I were to choose again then I would build a secure cat run. Its The only safe option.

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R.I.P Ollie.
Will never forget You.

This abit old fashioned but my mum swears by it put butter on the cats feet when they go out for the first time as it leaves a smell so that they can find their way back home. Don't know if it works as I have never tried it.

Poppy only goes in the garden in the summer and Snoopy usually only goes in our neighbours garden either side of us as she likes to be close to the dogs but she went missing recently but luckily after two weeks she came home but is now scared to go out.

Leave it as long as possible and see how the cats react to staying inside. If they are okay being inside let them stay.

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Black with white around his private area



Black Tortoiseshell




R.I.P Patch my well behaved boy dog
R.I.P. Abby and Rebel my beautifull litter sister cats

How are they in themselves? Outgoing or very shy? We have had 3 rescues from kittens, and 2 from adults. The adults were very damaged from their past and from memory we kept them in for a good 3 months or so to make sure they trusted us enough to come back.

If your cats are fairly confident with you and in themselves I think the 6 week guide is a good one, especially if you allow them to explore outside on a harness beforehand. If they show an interest in going outside that is good too, and we found that happened after a few weeks of settling in.

They are confident and very sociable with us.

Sabrina has already taken a regular spot on the kitchen windowsill looking longingly at the garden! So I do want to let them out. I know the dangers, but we live in a very quiet cul de sac which backs onto woodland, so it isn't as bad as some places.

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Debs

Lives with a wonderful husband, 2 adorable rescue kitties Harry and Sabrina, and a flock of pampered pet chickens.

When I lived in London, I used to rent for quite a few years. Every time I moved, I always kept the cats in for at least a month before allowing them out. I never had any problems with them returning after that.

I did the same when I moved to the Midlands - so that is what I would suggest.

The Indoor v Outdoor debate is another matter altogether.......

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3 weeks has always been enough for me

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We kept our three rescue cats (2 six month old kittens and their mother of indeterminate age) in for around 6-7 weeks in the end as it took us that long to get the cat-flap sorted out. They are only allowed out the back where there are paths and gardens though as the front is full of traffic and I'm pretty sure they haven't made it over there by themselves yet. When we first let them out we made sure it was a weekend so we could be around to keep an eye on them. The mother cat is still very nervous but is much more relaxed now she can go outside, and although she isn't that keen on us yet, she repeatedly comes back for a warm bed and food.

I adopted Bandit from the RSPCA 5 weeks ago. I didn't let her out at all for a little under 4 weeks. I let her out now every day for about 15 mins in the morning. She has a good wander around, even in to the next couple of gardens, but the most important thing is to have a call that they will answer to. Right from the first day I jangled a spoon in a glass before I fed her so she has associated that sound with food. If you haven't already done so, I would recommend doing so before letting them out.
Pete