Obviously that is an option. It's not one I have ever taken yet, though I will have to do so with the pedigree cats I purchased recently. Yes, letting cats out is a risk, but then so is letting children outside, and freedom has a great deal to be said for it. You can't remove all risks - such as the (admittedly tiny) risk of your house catching fire with all your cats locked inside, as happened years ago to two different breeders I heard about

A totally cat proof garden is undoubtedly the best of both worlds, but hideously expensive if your garden is a big as mine. One day ...

Liz