When Can My Kitten Go Outside

Four months old is the earliest kittens can be neutered.

When can my kitten go outside. This gives them time to mature and also to be neutered. If you have adopted an adult cat you probably will have been advised to keep it in for 2 3 weeks to settle into its new home. It s unlikely you ll take ownership of your cat much before then anyway since a kitten should be with its mother until it s at least eight weeks old ideally 12 13 weeks. Start bringing the kittens outside when they re four weeks old.

As the kitten grows older the time outdoors can be increased until the kitten becomes independent and has learnt his recall down to a tee. Your cat may prefer to just lie around outdoors on his leash as does our jaspurr pictured above who is a beginner in leash etiquette although jaspurr is at the belly walking stage he eventually will progress to walking with us. When they re forced to stay indoors they may start to eliminate outside the box due to anxiety become irritable or overgroom themselves says dr. Laura emge mosoriak dvm owner of kingstowne cat clinic alexandria virginia.

It s all a matter of time and patience. It is best not to leave your kitten outside alone until it is 6 months old and it is essential that it is neutered from 4 months of age before allowing it unsupervised access. That s when they re around 13 14 weeks old. My cat s always been allowed outside so he can t be indoor only.

You can gradually start introducing your cat to the great outdoors at about six months of age once they have been neutered spayed and had all of their injections. It s not safe for a kitten to venture outside until at least a week after their initial vaccinations. By this age the kitten is already familiar with your home and will be able to track their way back after their adventure. Many cats have successfully gone from outdoor only or indoor outdoor to indoor only.

Most kittens are prepared to leave the house and to explore the outside world at six months old. There are some cats that have lived outside. The key again is making sure the indoor environment is just as interesting as outside and being vigilant about preventing escape attempts.