How can I safely let my cat outside?

Almost any cat can get down from a tree when it wants to. We have let our cats outside all the time in good weather for the last 25 years, with little or no problems.

Do this:

Don't feed the cat until it's hungry. When you do feet the cat, tap the dish a few times with a spoon or fork. The cat will quickly associate that sound with food.

Don't feed the cat for several hours before you let her out. When you do let her out (maybe when you get home from work), go outside with her for the first few times. She will appreciate the security. When it's time to bring her back in, tap the dish with a spoon or fork. Odds are, she'll come running. Unless your cat is half-feral, she will need to come home for regular meals. And I haven't seen many cats that will forego regular meals very often.

Unless you live next to a busy road, or you've got animals nearby that will target your cats (and ('m talking big dogs, feral cats, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, etc) you can let a cat out in the yard safely. Yes, cats CAN live longer lives if they are indoor all the time. But if you've got one that makes this much racket to get outside, you may be wondering if this will go on for the next 10 years.

Let the cat outside.

Cat Outside

Angela..."Bird of Prey" threat? Are you kidding? That's not a serious issue, unless you're in the rainforest, where Harpey Eagles carry off primates! lol. "Eeek...the red-tailed hawk flew off with my fluffy!" NOT.

Listen, cats are smart, and the biggest real threat is road traffic. Getting up trees is not a problem. As others have said, they can get down any tree they get up...it's merely a matter of desire. The second biggest threat is other cats or aggressive dogs. On the chance your cat has been declawed, do NOT let your cat out, or it will get it's butt kicked...possibly lethally. If it's a fiesty male, it may instigate a fight with another cat, which is the biggest concern for our neutered male (he thinks he's tougher than he is). As for dogs, intelligent cats will stay away or make sure they have an escape route.

Again, the biggest concern is traffic -- the number one killer of cats. We have a 5-ft. welded-wire fence (the kind that comes as a 50-ft roll. Yes, some cats could get over it, but our cats don't seem inclined to even try. Wire fencing with T-post supports is the least expensive sort of fencing anyhow, and it's semi-permanent, so it doesn't affect your house value one way or the other. if you own your home, I would advise against true cat fencing, because you never know if subsequent buyers will like it or not.

But birds of prey? That's a real hoot!

Try a kittywalk or similar outside play area. The kittywalks are expensive but I've found similar products for more reasonable prices. Check out the links to the products below- I love the drsfostersmith.com website for both cat and parrot products. I wish I'd found them before I spent 150 on a kittywalk, but my three cats love it.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display...

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display...

These allow your cat to be outside without risking it running away or getting hit by a car etc. I highly recommend it as all of my cats are strictly indoor with the exeption of being allowed to bask outdoor (with supervision!) in their kittywalk.

edit: for all of you who think that its safe to let your cats outdoors: last night at about 3am I woke up to four cats outside my house SCREAMING and tearing each other apart. I'm sorry, but I LOVE my cats and wouldn't want them to end up attacked by another cat and come home diseased or die somewhere and not be able to find them. Why get a PET if you're just going to let it wander like a feral cat?

There are two acceptable ways to let your cat outside. First, get a real harness that goes over the shoulders and waist (like the halters you see some dogs wear). Take your cat with you to get the proper fit. A simple collar/leash combo is WAY too easy for a cat (or dog) to slip out of and escape.

The second option is a "cat run" -- an enclosed space where your cat can run around safely. It must have an enclosed top and sides that can't be dug under, and must provide some shade.

I have four cats. Only two will accept the harness, and one actually takes walks with us (the other just sits there). The third is a former outdoor cat who stays in all the time, and the fourth is just terrified of outdoors!

Keeping a cat inside is a better decision than letting her out loose (watching her or not). I live with the guilt of causing my favorite cat's death by letting him outside -- he got hit by a car. Don't put yourself through that - it's better to be indoors even if they want out.

My cats were the same way when we moved from an apt to a house. They ALWAYS wanted to go outside. One night they got out by way of a careless roommate, and I was worried sick all night. But they came back the next morning. They stay close to the house and always come back and scratch on the door to be let back in. And I wouldn't worry too much about the tree climbing. Most cats can get back down if they want to, and no cat wants to live in a tree forever. All cats are different, so if you don't think your cat can find her way back to the house or if you just don't feel good about letting them out, you'll just have to keep an eye on the door. Also, getting collars with bells help a lot; especially if they are out at night and you can't see them.

Let the cat outside and don't worry. My cat climbs trees all the time and she comes down when she wants to. My cat has a cheap collar that you can buy at Wal-Mart that unsnaps if your cat gets trapped on a tree and pulls so it prevents suffocation. My cat is at the point where you can let her out, she wanders around and comes back later. I found out that most cats stay in there yard anyway. The only thing you might want is to have a bell on their collar so if she hunts a bird the bell rings and the bird gets away. An old legend is to put butter on a cat's foot to keep them in your yard but it only works with some cats. It's worth a try. Remember to just let her out and she'll come back. She knows where your house is.

Cats are not safe outside unless they are on a leash, in a carrier, or in an enclosed from all sides and the top outdoor run.

Consider:

Dogs to frieghten them into running into an unknown location; cars to hit them;

hawks and larger birds who pick them up as prey;

neighbors two streets over who accidently shut them in their garage with no water when they leave for summer vacation;

mean people who are tired of meowing at there window and decide to do something mean about it;

roofs to fall from (see another of todays posters)

collars to get hung on chain link fences

feline leukemia that that they would be exposed to

(most indoor cats are not vaccinated for that.)

other lonely people who think they have just found a new pet and take it home with them.

It is not worth it.

YOU DON'T!!!! At least not unattended. I put a leash on my cat and keep it staked securely in the ground. It's long enough for him to roam the yard but not too long. He is not able to reach the fence where he might get in trouble should he try to leap over. And I only do this while I am in the yard gardening or whatever.

p.s. My cat was scared at first too. I just let him alone on the leash and went about my yard work. He eventually learned it was not so bad after all. Now all I have to do is reach for the gardening gloves and he goes right to where the leash is hanging by the back door. ♥

OK you are going to get so many people saying that you shouldn't let your cat outside and i understand that some people have the worry of wild animals etc.. attacking cats when they are out but i personally couldn't think of anything worse than keeping a cat indoors all day everyday.

cats don't wander that far from home, especially if they have been spayed or neutered.

As for climbing trees, that is what cats do, they climb trees and make us owners worry that they won't be able to get down, but they do, it's quite rare for a cat to get so stuck it can't get down.

I say let her out and she will come back.

Please don't thumbs down me for my opinion - you all have yours.