Mary Allen
For many cats, being an indoor cat outside is a great thing. They can explore and hunt to their hearts’ content outdoors while enjoying the benefits of human care indoors. However, the release is not without risk. So how can you get your cat used to being outdoors so that it moves around as safely as possible outside?
Realistic Expectation
When you open the door for your cat, you don’t really have control over the course of the first outing unless you have your cat on a leash (we’ll get to those later). Your wary cat may not want to go further than the doorstep for the first hour. Your adventure cat may also be in the neighbor’s garden in no time at all. So prepare yourself internally to keep calm one way or the other and to trust your cat to do something. With the following suggestions, you have a good chance of influencing the course of the first excursions in your favor.
What is the Front Door Like?
How might the front of the house appear to your cat? She will feel the need to move camouflaged, i.e. along bushes and hedges, under and next to the garden furniture. If you only have a large lawn in front of the house and the nearest bushes are 20 m away, your cat will probably dash to these bushes quite quickly and then be quite a distance away. So try to set up camouflage offers for them, e.g. with garden chairs, flower pots, etc. Then your cat will stay close by and take a look at the surroundings.
The Right Time
For the normally curious to the adventurous cat, you should choose the following conditions for the first release: Your cat is hungry and the weather is only moderately good. It’s welcome to drizzle or light rain or start in the next hour. Then there are two good reasons for your cat to stop by again soon, despite the excitement and the urge to explore. There should also be a few hours of daylight so that you can see your cat. For your cat, however, this point is not so important.
If, on the other hand, your cat is very hesitant, it should be warm and the sun should shine – if there is no wind, of course.
Team with Limits
Offer your cat companionship. Go outside with her and point out the most beautiful—and safe—spots in the yard by walking ahead. Show her the appropriate routes around the house and into the next field (if any). Do this slowly and don’t lead your cat further from the door than she wants to go herself.
Make sure you give your cat enough space to explore. She’ll be very agitated and distracted, making her less approachable than usual. If you keep calling her, she’ll probably be bothered. That’s why you have a better hand if you’re around and pretending to be busy with something else. For example, you can move a small stick in the grass or in the leaves. Your cat might be interested in this. If she comes to you, offer her a head pat or a super treat. And then let her do her own thing again.
The End of the First Trip
Try to give your cat enough time to develop the need to go back into the familiar home. So don’t keep calling her in the direction of the door during the trip to see if she’s coming. Even if you don’t do this, if you ask her after an hour or two, the chances that she’ll swoop in increase.
Then it is best to have really great highlights ready to present to her inside: favorite food, favorite toy, favorite cuddle offer. Your cat should notice from the first moment that it’s always worth coming home.