Indoor cats and the garden
Discussion
We have two cats we adopted late last year who had been kept as indoor cats all their lives. So far we've kept them in as well. They've never really shown any particular interest in going out. Yesterday was a nice day so we were sitting in the garden for a bit but were being watched from a window by the cats who apparently wanted to come out to join us.
We live on a pretty busy street and there are a number of other cats in the area so we're not sure we're happy to try and fully introduce them to going outside. The walls and fences surrounding the garden are not sufficient to keep them in. Would it be a bad thing to get them harnesses and leads and use those to allow them to come outside with us from time to time? Are we likely to find them pining at the back door a lot?
I guess I'm ideally looking for thoughts from anyone that does or has done this, or any of the vets and vet nurses that may have views or experience on this.
We live on a pretty busy street and there are a number of other cats in the area so we're not sure we're happy to try and fully introduce them to going outside. The walls and fences surrounding the garden are not sufficient to keep them in. Would it be a bad thing to get them harnesses and leads and use those to allow them to come outside with us from time to time? Are we likely to find them pining at the back door a lot?
I guess I'm ideally looking for thoughts from anyone that does or has done this, or any of the vets and vet nurses that may have views or experience on this.
We took ours out on a harness for a couple of months (which was quite a comical sight) when we first got her. Didn't have too many problems though it sounds like our garden is quieter and is also ringed with a 6ft fence (which it turns out is easily cat scaleable.
Our cat is also a rescue cat and was around 5 years old at the time so it was more to get her used to her new surroundings in general.
Once off the lead she is now quite happy to just have a snooze in the sun or chase various flying things around, though we only let her out supervised. She has had forays over every side of the fence into other gardens but has quickly come back / not shown much interest in doing so again.
She does let us know when she wants to go out and sometimes has to be dragged / tempted by treats to come back in. No sign of her getting too upset if we refuse to let her out or ignore her when she's meowling at the patio doors so far though.
In summary : I don't think the harness is a bad idea but you likely are opening the pandoras box of them being outside which they will definitely want to keep doing. They might be quite happy to let you define their territory whilst on their lead and then be happy to just stay there and just enjoy being outdoors and in the sun. That seems to be the case with ours though we do have quite a lazy and dippy cat!
Our cat is also a rescue cat and was around 5 years old at the time so it was more to get her used to her new surroundings in general.
Once off the lead she is now quite happy to just have a snooze in the sun or chase various flying things around, though we only let her out supervised. She has had forays over every side of the fence into other gardens but has quickly come back / not shown much interest in doing so again.
She does let us know when she wants to go out and sometimes has to be dragged / tempted by treats to come back in. No sign of her getting too upset if we refuse to let her out or ignore her when she's meowling at the patio doors so far though.
In summary : I don't think the harness is a bad idea but you likely are opening the pandoras box of them being outside which they will definitely want to keep doing. They might be quite happy to let you define their territory whilst on their lead and then be happy to just stay there and just enjoy being outdoors and in the sun. That seems to be the case with ours though we do have quite a lazy and dippy cat!
Our 2 were house cats for the first 2 years of their lives, when we got them we kept them inside for a couple of months and then opened the doors to the garden. In the winter they don't like being out but the last couple of weeks i've kept the doors open for them.
Initially they both had a sniff around and walked right back, now they do the same but over the whole garden and stay out for hours at a time, if me or my other half venture into the garden they come running in and the few times George, the ginger Tom has stayed out longer than normal he tells us by meowing near our bedroom window.
Let them find their own way imo.
Just let them out before tea so they know to come back for their food.
Dave!
Initially they both had a sniff around and walked right back, now they do the same but over the whole garden and stay out for hours at a time, if me or my other half venture into the garden they come running in and the few times George, the ginger Tom has stayed out longer than normal he tells us by meowing near our bedroom window.
Let them find their own way imo.
Just let them out before tea so they know to come back for their food.
Dave!
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