Cat Chat Feline Forum

I recently adopted two all-black boy cats - Monty & Rolo. I've had them just over three weeks now, they're around 10/11 months old and lived at the adoption place since they were kittens so other than the courtyard garden they had there 'outside' is a bit of a foreign concept to them. They seemed quite well settled; got excited at meal times, Rolo very affectionate and comes for strokes (Monty has personal space issues!), both like playing, sprawl around the place like they own it. So I decided to start letting them have supervised excursions in my back garden - five or ten minutes before their breakfast and dinner of wet food. That worked well for the first few days and they cautiously explored before being shooed back in, and then I sat out in the garden with them for twenty minutes one evening and they had a good old explore but were still cautious, and darted back to the kitchen a few times.

However then they seemed to become more confident and we had clambering over the fence to explore next door and taking up residence under the decking at the end of the garden where I can't reach them, so I had to leave them to it and hoped they'd come back when they were hungry. They ignored all clatterings of food bowls and shaking of biscuit containers, and it was when we had storms and I had a very sleepless night waiting for them to come back. That night (Thursday) it took until 3 and 4am for them both to come back inside.

Due to being temporarily grounded and me having a trip to London they didn't go out again until yesterday (Sunday) where I started them afresh, letting them out at 10am. I think they spent most of the day snoozing under the decking and then went exploring in the evening. Rolo didn't come back until 2:30am and Monty didn't come back inside at all - though I heard a noise and saw him clambering into the garden over the perimeter fence from the wider cul de sac at about 5am. He strolled around the garden then went back under the decking, where I'm guessing he still was when I left for work at 8am. Unless he found food elsewhere he won't have eaten at all for nearly 24 hours by that point, hunger hasn't driven him to come back inside via the entry-only cat flap! (Which he can and has used several times) I'm hoping he'll come back in during the day while I'm out.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try to prevent them staying out so long? I really don't want them staying out at night - certainly not so soon after being adopted. All the advice on introducing cats to outside for the first few times seems to be let them out just before a meal and they'll be hungry so come back soon - but that doesn't seem to be working here! They're effectively teenage boy cats and I get it's all quite exciting - is it just something I have to tolerate for the first few days and then they'll probably settle down when the novelty wears off and they realise they can come and go during the day? Or should I keep them completely inside for a few more weeks and then start again?

oh, that is a bit of a tough one. Given that they are staying close(ish) to home they obviously know where home is; but given their inquisitive natures and that you've only had them three weeks - I'd personally be tempted to get them back inside and keep them confined for a few more weeks. But it may not make a bit of difference. The warmer weather isn't helping much either - most cats I know are happy to spend all day hanging about outside under a shrub somewhere, where it's cool. And there are lots of mice and young birds about that are fairly easy prey for them.

Alternatively, can you cat proof your back garden so they can come and go between house and garden as they please but not go further than your back garden?

Hi meriad, thanks for replying.

Yeah that's it - I'm not sure whether the inquisitive exploration and getting too caught up in nosing about everywhere to bother coming back for meals is just going to have to happen sometime, so keeping them in longer won't really help, or if another couple of weeks in will help to cement the attachment and encourage a more prompt return to their adventures. They do seem to know where home and food is, they're just not all that bothered about it when they could be chillaxing under the decking or venturing out to see what's exciting on the other side of the cul de sac!

Unfortunately cat proofing the garden isn't much of an option - it's a rented house, six foot fence on two sides (that I've seen Monty climb over without difficulty) and a low fence to the house next door - it's the end house in a set of four. If I could prevent them getting under the decking I'd be tempted to do that because having that as a safe space they feel comfortable returning to isn't helping matters - otherwise they'd probably be more likely to come indoors for safety. Not sure how I would do that without netting the whole side and back of it up where it's open. Cutting back some of the overgrown area at the back end of the garden may help a bit though - going to look into doing that.

Just have fingers crossed there'll be a Monty sprawled out at the top of the stairs when I get home this afternoon, looking at me nonchalantly as if to say "yeah, problem?"

If you do decide to keep them in for a bit longer then what I'd do in that time is try and food train them. Feed them at a set time only and be precise about that time and before each feed make a specific noise such as gently clanging two food bowls together, shake of a treat tin, but something that they'll learn to associate that noise with feeding time.

As for blocking off the decking - I wouldn't. Yes you'd rather have them see the house as their safe point, but who knows they may choose a shrub in the neighbours garden instead. And at least the decking is in your own garden.

Do your cats wear collars? If yes then this is quite handy to have http://www.loc8tor.com/uk/pets/cats/loc8tor-pet.html/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And if they like being outdoors - I have two of these http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_ ... oor/278229" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and my cats love them, esp that top layer and also sitting on the roof. They may prefer that to the decking. How many larger shrubs do you have in the garden? Again, with this warm weather mine are usually found under a shrub vs in the house - it must be cooler for them.

I think the key is making sure that your boys know where home is and where their next meal is coming from. If they don't wear a collar then give some serious thought to putting one on them; just make sure it's a safety collar - these are fab: http://www.kittycollars.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; at least then people will know your cats have a home and hopefully not be tempted to feed them.

and hopefully your Monty (fab name btw - one of mine is also called Monty ) is inside when you get home

They've been getting fed wet food (and sometimes raw meat e.g. chicken wings and such since I'm testing them on that sort of food too) when I get up and when I get back from work, then just before bed, and the food bowl clicking together has been the clearest sign of breakfast and dinner which gets their attention indoors but guess it'll be a while yet before that properly sinks in as a dinner bell sign enough to distract them from adventuring.

That is a posh outdoor cat house - definitely something to consider, thanks! It's not a huge garden but there's some folded up chairs and a few large plant pots on top of the decking they could lie amongst if they wanted to - have seen them exploring around there, maybe with time they'll relocate from under to on top of the decking. I've noticed in the house Rolo now lies next to my bed more than under it, unless something like visitors disturbs him, and he's just started coming up and sitting next to me on the bed if I'm sat on there and he wants attention - guess it's all a gradual process!

Rolo had a collar temporarily - a breakaway safety reflective one with a bell, which I put on him briefly a week or so in and he clearly didn't like and had a small freak out so I took it off again, then it went back on just before their Thursday adventure and outside was thrilling enough he didn't bother trying to get it off so at least I had jingling to let me know when he was moving around in the dark nearby. He divested himself of it indoors the next day and haven't bothered putting it back on again yet. Monty's personal space issues mean I haven't tried with him yet - he's not keen on being touched much beyond playtime or being hand-fed Dreamies! He's a proper character and very nosy - just rather awkward at times as well! Fingers crossed.

Monty still wasn't back when I got home from work, rattled bowls and Dreamies packets outside but nothing stirred. I was pretty much ready to just cry with frustration. In the end I decided to let Rolo out again, since they tend to be bravest when together and Monty often follows his lead as he's a lot more confident with people and such. Rolo had a sniff around and then went under the decking, and Monty popped his head up a couple of minutes later!

The next bit - getting him from suspiciously watching from the decking to inside - was a tad trickier, but quickly went in and grabbed some chicken which got Rolo's interest and he trotted after me back to the kitchen where I fed him a few small scraps. Monty's interest was piqued - he usually wants whatever Rolo might be enjoying! - so he cautiously followed. Door firmly shut behind him.

He seems a bit spooked, almost a bit 'wild' (he hasn't had any human contact for almost 36 hours!) and wanted to go back outside but that certainly isn't happening for a few days... The adoption centre has a behaviourist I'm hopefully going to have a chat with tomorrow to see what she recommends; possibly since Monty is still quite people-shy it would be better to keep them both in for a few more weeks till he's hopefully more confident and doesn't find living the free life outside worth missing several meals for. He's not actually as hungry as I thought he'd be, though he's topped up his biscuit levels a bit! I don't know if it'll let me upload a photo but if so then this is him back and a little scruff-looking.