Outdoor cats can act out their natural instincts such as sneaking and hunting more intensively than indoor cats. However, outdoor access should only take place after a sufficiently long acclimatization phase and in slow steps.
When can a cat go outside for the first time?
If you have taken in a kitten , it should not be allowed outside for the first few months. This should take place at eight months at the earliest. Some cat owners even wait until the cat is almost a year old.
Even if you have taken in an adult animal or have just moved house, it is advisable to wait a while before letting your cat outside. The situation can become unpleasant if the cat was previously an outdoor cat and is now no longer allowed outside. This can lead to a lack of understanding and corresponding reactions. If outdoor access is planned again, it should be postponed for a while and the waiting time should be pushed into the background with varied play opportunities. Only when you have the feeling that the cat has really accepted its new home should you think about letting it out. This generally takes at least three to four weeks.
Cats love to sneak up on prey. This can also be done indoors with stuffed mice or a conspecific, but it is certainly more exciting outside. Cats mark out a territory for themselves, check it daily, know where there is something to prey on, where friends and foes live and where a bowl is occasionally placed for them.
They have to reckon with everything on a daily basis and therefore roam the area with alert senses. This provides not only perfect mental but also physical exercise. Free-roaming cats are therefore less likely to be overweight and therefore live healthier lives. However, despite the many advantages, the disadvantages must not be forgotten. These include the dangers of road traffic and infection from other cats as well as territorial fights, poisoned bait, the cat disappearing or being shot by a hunter.
Before you let your cat out for the first time, you should go through several points:
When the cat is due to go outside for the first time , it should neither be full nor should it be early evening. Give the cat less food than usual in the morning and start your first outing together later in the day. Have treats ready and behave in a calm and relaxed manner. Lure it outside, talk to your cat and stand on the patio or near the entrance to your home. Don't push her, but don't run after her either if she suddenly approaches the property boundary. Everything should be harmonious to give the cat a sense of security. Follow her slowly, show her around and wait. If she wants to come back in after a few minutes, be happy about it and reward her. She should know that she is always welcome.
The first excursions are usually relatively short, as cats only slowly expand their territory over time. In the beginning, you should continue to allow your cat to go outside only with a small snack in its stomach. It is all the more likely that hunger will automatically drive them back home after a certain time. The same applies if it is drizzling. The weather can therefore also be mixed.
The next few days and weeks will show how often the cat wants to go out and how long its walks are. If this is difficult to coordinate with your daily routine, you may want to consider buying a cat flap . This will not only get rid of your job as doorman, but depending on the model, you can also set that only your cat is allowed in and out and when the flap remains closed (in the evening). This is made possible by a reader that recognizes your cat's chip. A cat flap of this type is highly recommended if strange cats are not afraid to enter your cat's domain.
Tip:
It is best to get your cat used to going outside only during the day and to keep the door or flap closed in the evening. This not only reduces the risk of something happening in the dark, but also allows them to sleep more peacefully.
The radius in which outdoor cats move varies greatly. Some barely stray more than 100 meters, while others regularly roam up to a kilometer or more. This depends on several factors: In a busy city with lots of "obstacles", the radius is usually smaller than in the countryside. It also depends on whether the cat is a farm cat (spoiled by freedom) or a pedigree cat.
Whether the catis neutered or not also has a major influence. A neutered animal generally has a smaller territory and is much less likely to get into fights. For this reason, as well as to avoid unwanted offspring, all outdoor cats should be neutered.
Cats have deeply hidden instincts, some of which they can live out better in the wild than indoors. But that doesn't mean that they are all happier and healthier. Quite often the opposite is the case! Cats have to defend their territory and can be attacked, injured or chased away by other cats. These disputes also always carry the risk of bacteria, viruses or parasites being transmitted, which can cause illness.
In addition, countless cats are run over by cars or shot by hunters every year. As wonderful as life as an outdoor cat can be, the dangers are manifold, which is impressively reflected in their life expectancy: While indoor cats reach an average age of 15 years, the average for outdoor cats is only 10 years.