Letting my young tom cat out?

Hi, I have a 4 month old tom cat and I need advice on letting him out. He’s always desperate to go out, as we’ve already started supervising him in our back garden. He’s very nosy and bold and loves to explore indoors when we visit my parents-in-law, so I’m a bit worried he might wander off if he goes outside unsupervised. He’s being neutered in October, how much of an impact could this have on his desire to roam? Or is it a better idea to keep supervising him in the back garden, and then take him out the front a bit more after he’s been neutered? Our garden fence won’t hold him back for long as he can already climb on the shed roof. We live in a quiet cul-de-sac with several other cats in our street so it’s a fairly safe place, but I’d be heart-broken if he did wander off and get lost. I like the suggestion about putting used cat litter in the front garden so he can smell it and he knows to come when I shake his biscuit bag but is there anything else people can suggest?

Letting my young tom cat out?
get your cat neutered, as long as the cat is 2 lbs it can be done, and keep your cat INSIDE. cat's don't always know what is best for them, that's why they depend on us. outside = not anything good. inside= lots of love and fun etc. it is cruelty and abuse to allow your cat to go out unattended so it can get run over by a car, eaten by another animal, tortured or poisoned etc.
Reply:it's probably a good idea to get a cat door so he can get back in a hurry. As he is still little he will be picked on by other bigger cats and he will run away at least at first. De sexing will calm him down considerably but he will still wander. It's the way of the cat. I live on a main road but my cat only stays in the backyard as well as everyone else's. He has figured this out by himself so we are lucky. My neighbour does not have a cat as too many of her previous ones were killed on the road. He was away for 4 weeks earlier this year and I had almost given up but he turned up one morning as if nothing had happened. He has a bad scratch on his head at present but sits up on the bathroom cupboard and lets me wash it. I am impressed that he allows me to fiddle and wet his head. I do have stern words with him while I am cleaning the wound but I am not holding him and he is good just sitting although his tail is lashing----is he trying to tell me something ?


you have to let him wander he will be a happier cat and sounds like he will be OK and cats do come home when they are hungry and because they like you. Do look into a cat door as he will be beaten up by the others and needs to make a get away fast until he is big enough to stand up for himself and even then he may get scratched or bitten.
Reply:Cats have a strong territorial instinct, especially males, and very rarely wander off, however I'd suggest you supervise him until he's been neutered, even at this stage he could impregnate another cat, even though it's unlikely.
Reply:He does sound kind of young - i have cats which come and go as they please. But they are much older. One is a tom-cat. He has been neutered, yet still has that desire to roam. Of course though he wasnt neutered until later on in life.


I would let him in the yard supervised until he gets full grown. Once he gets full grown and able to somewhat take care of himself and fight off bully cats it will probably be ok to give him a little more freedom.
Reply:I have a two year old Tom. He was free to roam outside from about 4 months and never goes far. I live in the country and have fields and a small river out the back so he's in his element. He virtually lives out there now but comes in a couple of times a day for some food and attention.





Tom cats don't become sexually active until they are around 6 months so I think it's ok to let him out. It will be a nail-biting event the first time you let him out because you will wonder if he will come back...but he will.





Make sure he has had all the normal inoculations before you let him out.
Reply:we had the same thing going on- I eventually let him out - he comes and goes as he pleases now- Doesn't want to be in the house except to eat. We live in the country so cars weren't a issue, but the foxes have tried to get him a couple of times. We didn't declawed him (its cruel) so he climbs trees. We just figured he needed a better quality of life- being outside catching bugs as opposed to sitting in the house looking out the window. Good luck- its nerve wracking
Reply:do not let him out, there are anti freeze poisoners, raccoons, cars, other cats,dogs





so just keep him inside, if he is bored/loney try getting another cat, a female would make an excellent companion as they often "nag" the male into behaving better (just make sure they are both fixed of course)
Reply:Outdoor Cats live an estimate of 3 years, while an indoor cat can live up to 15. I wouldn't let my cats out. I have two about the same age as yours. I purchased a collar and lease and I walk them outside. I don't let them loose. There is to much that can happen to them.
Reply:He will probably roam less once you neuter him. But it's still a good idea to supervise him when he's out.
Reply:if your cat wants to go out that bad leash train him and take him out on the leash.
Reply:If I were you, I would not let a cat that hasn't been neutered out of the house, even at that young age.





After he's neutered, make sure you have a collar with ID on him, or even get his ear tattooed with your contact info.





I know cats love to roam, but it's a big, bad world out there, and so many things can happen. I'd just keep him indoors.
Reply:I would keep letting him be supervised outside in the backyard and take him out to the front once he has been neutered. It may be a safe place where you live but the heartbreak of a cat wandering off and getting lost or worse hit by a car is heartbreaking and not worth it. Keep him in your front and back yard and you''ll be happy you did.





Hope I could help!
Reply:Your cat will always wonder off, mine does it all the time, it will come back when it's hungry.
Reply:well I've had my cat going on four years now and before she was spayed she would love to go outside and roam the yard. one day she slipped out when i came home from work. i looked around the house and just brushed off as shes in some weird place like always. when i woke up to go to work she came running in the house and had a large gash on her back. apparently she was attacked. poor thing. shes fine, she was operated on and spayed and ever since she still comes outside just to jump around in the bush in front of my house but only under my supervision, or the supervision of the dog (her big bodyguard who loves her but she hates). the world is crazy out there. its best to keep your cat inside and not go past the front or back yard if that
Reply:I would NOT let him out further than the backyard even after he has been neutered...there are too many bad possibilities that could happen to him....also once he has been neutered his desire to go outdoors should lessen even stop...keep your kitty indoors if you desire for him to stay alive...
Reply:Getting your cat neutered is a great idea, but it won't keep him at home. When you let your cat outside, he will not only contribute to the demise of native songbirds, you run the risk of losing him to disease, poisoning or death by car. My neighbors just lost their cat this way. Please keep him indoors or purchase a cat enclosure for him- kind of like a big screen tent with weighted bottom so he can't escape but can still be outside.
Reply:I've always had cats and I never let them out. There's just to much out there that can harm, maim or kill them. Sad to say, there are even people who kill cats and dogs. If you stay firm in your resolve the cat will soon stop wanting to go out. He will cry and stand at the door, etc. but will give up after a while. My cats hate going outside even though it's only once a year to see the Vet. I would make sure your cat has at least one window with a window seat so he can look out. That they really enjoy. I have a high "condo" that my cats use and they love sitting on top and looking out. Honestly, cats that stay indoors have a longer life expectancy than those that don't.
Reply:First, wait until he gets neutered. My year old boy kitten was neutered as fast as possible because he was brought into a house with a female cat. The good thing about it being a boy is that the recuperation time for a male cat is much shorter than in a female cat. You just let him rest for the day when he gets back and he'll be up and jumping to play in no time.





I highly recommend getting a thing called a Kitty Walk. It may look like a cage but it really isn't. (I have one and my male kitten loves it... he'll sit out there all day and watch the birds) It has a metal frame and there is a string netting around the outside. It is very easy to set up and there are many different ones you can choose to buy.





Getting the Kitty Walk is also very safe for your cat. People have told me that even small dogs have been carried away by hawks so your kitten is fair game too. Not to scare you or anything but the Kitty Walk prevents any animal to reach your cat and keeps your cat from running away and getting lost. Even thought the box says to not leave your animal unattended, we leave our kitten outside in it and it is perfectly safe. He'll just watch he birds or take a nap.





You can also put a blanket, a toy, and a few treats in it for him to eat or play with.





Hope this helps!
Reply:don't let him out til he's fixed, i let my toms out before they were fixed and i never saw them again. All was fine for a couple of months and then they disappeared, . leash train him or build him a cat run but please don't let your kitty get into roaming / impregnating the neighborhood.





Once fixed your cats desire to roam and procreate will diminish a lot. I now have a 3 year old neutered male and he is cool beans (if somewhat scatty) but he don't go too far and isn't interested when a lady cat presents herself to him
Reply:Definitely don't let him out until he is neutered. Like other people have said, you don't want to contribute to the homeless cat population (at least, I hope you don't).





Getting him neutered will probably lessen his desire to roam as far from home, but this varies from cat to cat, and he will probably still want to be outside some because there's so much to do and see. Cats love to explore.





Do not get him declawed! It's just plain inhumane for any cat, but if you declaw a cat and let him outdoors, you have robbed him of his natural defenses.





Also, he needs to be tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or Feline AIDS). If you've taken him to the vet already (which I am guessing you have if you already have his neutering planned), he should have already been tested. If not, demand it! If he is negative for those diseases, then get him vaccinated for them. They are contagious from other cats, and there is no cure for either.





If you haven't done so already, be certain to get him microchipped when he is getting neutered. And please do it while he's under for surgery. I know it seems like you're just added to an already big expense, but the microchip needle is huge, and I don't know care who says what - it hurts! Trust me, I've implanted microchips myself.





And the microships really work! At my clinic, someone brought in a stray cat she found, we scanned him, and we found his number. We called for the information and were able to reunite him with his family. He had been lost for several months!





Of course, a microchip, neutering, and a collar with ID tags are not 100%, so if you do let him out, please be prepared for the chance that you might lose him forever. It's scary, but you need to weigh the pros (a happy and well exercised cat, etc.) and cons (losing him) and decide what's right for you both.





Oh, and one more thing - when you get him neutered, do not let him run and play until his stitches come out. You don't want him to tear the incision open or get an infection!
Reply:I used to let my cats out and then feed them canned food at night. They would expect it and come running. When they came to eat I would call them so they would associate the two together. Soon I could just call and they would come, I would always feed them though.


BUT. Please don't let him out except on a leash until he is neutered. There are plenty of irresponsible pet owners letting their unfixed animals run at large. Don't contribute to the kitty population that is already out of hand.


I know that you want your cat out...and do that but on a leash until you neuter him.


Somebody on YA gave me a wonderful but sad video to watch on all of the unwanted animals. Please watch it, although it may be disturbing. Pass it along to anybody that you know that leaves their unfixed animal run a large.


Thanks for caring.


http://Brightlion.com/Inhope/Inhope.aspx If you can't pull it up, email me and I will link you it.