kittens

[kerry0502199]

how long do you have to keep a new kitten in the house before letting them out???

[Kleiber]

You should keep any new cat in for at least a couple of weeks, so that it gets used to its home surroundings before letting it out. Also, it depends on how old your kitten is. I'm assuming it's over 8 weeks. Has it had its innoculations? I'd advise you to get them done first, before letting it out, as if it gets cat 'flu or any of the other things that can be vaccinated against, it could become very ill or could even die - young animals are obviously more susceptible as their immune system is weaker than that of an adult. When you do let the wee thing out for the first time, keep an eye on it and make sure it is able to get back indoors in a hurry if it needs to - it could get frightened by something and panic. Most likely, though, when it gets its first taste of the outdoors, it'll be fascinated by all the new sights & smells (another good reason to watch over it - you'll be in stitches at its antics!). Have fun with your new baby!

[Jugglering]

As Kleiber says, ensure your new kitten knows his/her house first before letting it out into the garden. A good tip is to only let him/her out before food, so that the enticement of dinner is enough to get him/her back indoors - the sights and smells of *outdoors* will be oh so fascinating ... You might want to wait for a dry day as well and sit in the garden with your kitten, so that s/he knows you are around in case of any problems. My two mistresses were allowed out after 10 days but that was only because they weren't kittens (16 months and 8 years old) and they were going absolutely potty at being able to see the garden through the cat flap (locked) and the kitchen windows but unable to get out there...