When Should Your Kitten Go Outside

When can my kitten go outside.

When should your kitten go outside. Ideally cats should be six months of age before they are allowed outside unsupervised. He will also need time to settle at home and bond with his new family. While it s great to create kitty fun zones it s also important to set limits to your cats indoor range. Because of potential infection with diseases such as enteritis or cat flu your kitten should not be allowed outside until at least a week after it has finished its first course of vaccinations at about 13 14 weeks old depending on the vaccine.

Cats make wonderful house pets and as long as they have enough stimulation can live long and healthy lives without ever venturing outside. The whole process should be gentle and go at the cat s pace not your own. You could then let it explore outside if it is supervised. There are lots of cat flaps to choose from.

This means your pet will sense familiar smells when they go outside and it also acts as a warning to other cats in the area that there s a new cat around. By this age the kitten is already familiar with your home and will be able to track their way back after their adventure. It allows them to practice their natural instincts to hunt and explore encourages exercise and mental stimulation and can reduce stress. During this time you can practice a sound recall at feeding time so your kitten comes to you.

How long you leave it before letting your cat outside depends on the cat s personality and how quickly they settle. One easy way to keep your cat out of your bed off the counter or out of the trash is to latch doors. Introduce the cat flap. Most kittens are prepared to leave the house and to explore the outside world at six months old.

On the other hand there are also benefits to letting your kitten outdoors. Kittens will not complete their vaccinations and waiting period until at least 13 weeks old so this. Read more about letting your kitten outside supervised access. Before letting your kitten outside for the first time he should be neutered microchipped and should have completed his full course of vaccinations.

You may be tempted to let your cat outside as soon as possible but generally it s best to allow at least 2 3 weeks and up to 4 6 weeks after you first take them home. Some open once programmed with your cat s microchip number and all come in different sizes to accommodate the size of your cat. Even if your kitten has had the basic vaccinations it is also worth having him vaccinated against the feline leukaemia virus felv if he is going out of doors as this particular virus is transmitted through the saliva or urine of an affected cat and there is a risk of unknown cats passing through your garden. Should your kitten be allowed to wander.

When you let your cat out for the first time follow the suggestions recommended for kittens to help your cat feel and be safe.