If you have a newly adopted cat, they will need time to settle into their new environment before you even consider allowing access to the outdoors. 

The Rule of Three

3 days for a cat to decompress, realise they are safe and relax

3 weeks for the cat to learn your routine and get to know their surroundings

3 months for a cat to feel completely at home

You might have adopted a cat that’s already known an outside life, but always air on the side of caution.

Hopefully after a period of four to six weeks, kitty knows that this is their new forever home. It’s important that they feel completely comfortable with you and their new home environment before you allow them out. Every cat is different and has been through different levels of trauma, abuse or upheaval, so always “follow their lead”.

If they are still hiding themselves away, avoiding human contact, always sitting bunched up like a loaf of bread hiding their bellies, and constantly licking their lips (a sure sign of stress) then they need way more time to adjust before you even think of letting them outside. If they get out at that stage, it may well be the last you see of them.

However, if kitty is strolling around the house like they own it, tail in the air, responding to their name, coming up for pets and stretching out like a model on a beach, then they might be ready for the next step.

Before you let your cat or kitten out, make sure:

1. indoor training has been completed (see below), and you are happy and confident they are ready
2. they are fully vaccinated
3. they are microchipped and registered with the national database
4. they are neutered
5. they have a reflective collar with a safety release
6. they have an ID tag on their collar
7. if you are using one, their GPS tracker is fully charged and working
8. you have removed anything harmful within your garden (especially lilies!), you’ve covered all but the shallowest of shallow ponds, and any water butts have a really secure lid (preferably taped up).
9. if they are to stay solely in the garden, that it’s been properly cat-proofed

Indoor Training

Feed your cat at roughly the same times every day if you can, rather than free-feeding them (letting them have a full bowl and helping themselves). They soon develop a pretty accurate Tummy Alarm Clock and know when it’s mealtime. This helps motivate them to come back in for breakfast/tea if they do a disappearing act.

Get them used to coming to you when they are called and reward them with a treat

Get them used to the shaking of the Dreamies bag or treat container - you want them to understand that coming to you when called or the shaking of the treats means rewards!

Call their names in different parts of your home to encourage they come when called. Then reward them.

Do this process over two to three weeks before you consider letting them out. If your cat isn’t motivated by food, you could try just using simple praise when they come when called (“such a good girl/boy” etc), plenty of pets or rewarding them with lick-e-lix or toy.

Get them used to wearing a safety release collar (with a GPS tracker if you are going to use one) during the day, taking it off at night for the first few nights if necessary. Comfort is key but they need to get used to wearing it 24/7.

Take several clear pictures of kitty when they are awake, from different angles and showing as many identifying marks as possible. Photos of your cat curled up asleep are cute, but not especially helpful in identifying them. Make sure you have these shots filed away somewhere safe and accessible, so that if they do a disappearing act you'll have useful photos to show people and make posters if necessary. 

We highly recommend that all cats and kittens are safe and secure inside your home from dusk till dawn. Please read our rationale and guidance on this.

Letting your cat out for the first time

The first time you allow kitty outside you must be with them. We recommend leaving your door wide open so if they get scared or spooked they can run back inside easily.

Try and choose a good day weather-wise. Don’t feed your kitty in the morning before you take them out, so they are motivated to come and eat after their first big adventure. Sit down in the garden quietly and let your kitty start to explore freely. If they are hesitant or timid, calmly call their name and encourage them to come to you. Once they do, reward them.

Let your cat have a little wander (so many new sights and smells!) but call them back every 5 minutes or so. Reward them and let them wander off again. We recommend having around 10 to 15 minutes outside, then bringing them back in and them giving them their breakfast.

A new outside experience can be somewhat overwhelming, so once back inside reward them and use lots of praise and pets to reinforce positive behaviour.

Over the next few weeks gradually start to take your kitty out for longer and longer periods. Start with 10/15 minutes in the morning and evening, to longer 20/30 minutes when you have more time at the weekends. Carry on the process of staying with kitty and using positive reinforcement such as praise, treats or toys. Remember that they should get their breakfast after their outside venture.

Having a GPS tracker on their collar will allow you at least some “piece of mind” in the event your kitty decides to give you a heart attack and disappears over the fence, or in the event that you kitty gets spooked whilst out and hides somewhere. Whatever the reason, all you need to do is turn on your phone and locate them. Please note, do give them time to come back first before you go tracking them down.

If you don’t have a GPS tracker and they do a disappearing act, remember the advice from the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and...

Don’t Panic!

Yes we know that's easier to say than do, but most cats come back after a short while (although it seems like days!) especially if they are hungry and you are shaking their favourite treats!

Once both you and kitty feel comfortable, you can start to allow them access the great outdoors unaccompanied. We recommend whilst they are now going out without you, for the first couple of outings you stay relatively close watching through a window and leave the door open for an easy return route.

Once kitty has fully earned their Master Adventurer Badge, they now have full rein to come and go as they please.

Job done!

Kittens and GPS trackers

A GPS Tracker is good idea for any outside cat, but we can’t recommend putting a GPS Tracker on your kitten highly enough. They are young, excitable, inexperienced and have zero fear, so jumping a fence or climbing into next door’s garden is just a fun and exciting new adventure.

As their owner however, your heart will be beating like a Buddy Rich drum solo and the fear will instantly set in. It’s a daunting leap of faith letting a kitten outside. Hopefully a simple shake of the treats back will quickly entice them back, but having a GPS back-up to help track the little tykes down really helps, especially for their first few forays.