When to let adopted adult cat outside

You could try clicker training, every time she gets a treat click, then she will associate it with her treats, you can buy one from Amazon or most pet shops will sell them ,maybe pets at home
I would keep her in at least 4 weeks, i have 3 Ragdolls who were kept as indoor cats for quite a long time, but eventually decided to let them outside,they never go out of the garden, but having said that my garden is very enclosed, but still cats can climb or jump up

I adopted 2 rescue cats a few years ago and also worried about letting them out. I found it beneficial to always make the same noise before feeding them, either by tapping the bowl with a fork or shaking the food bag, to get them to associate a particular noise with food. After a couple of weeks doing this when they were still house-bound, I let them out before their mealtime and then tapped the food bowl after about 15 minutes and they came running.
One thing to remember though is to never leave uneaten food down and try to stick to the same regime of feeding times every day. Also, dry cat food has a much higher calorific value than wet and cats can become obese very quickly by giving them too much or leaving it down as a snack.

I have never had trouble with any of my cats when moving. Unfortunately because of my age and disabilities I can no longer have one.
None of my cats had litter trays but trained as kittens to go outside to do their business. They always buried their business unlike nowadays when they prefer peoples lawns or even low growing plants. I think this is because of them using litter trays.

Keeping cats indoors does have its benefits. They dont get run over as one of ours did. They do not go missing as another did all night only to come home badly injured. Another one was too mad to let out as he had no road sense just ran straight across every time we let him out. So he & his brother became house cats. Had lots of toys & were happy for many years. Now have two girl cats one who has a virus she could spread if allowed out so is happily living as an indoor cat with her daughter. Lots of play, love & food & they are happy never asking to go out. So for & against both indoor & outdoor. Whatever is needed.

When we have moved house with adult cats I wait a few days before they go out. They then go out hungry and I go out with them so I can watch where they are. After a few mins I call them back in using their names and rattling the food / treat packet. I do that a good few times. I also make sure I shove them in through the cat flap - so they get used to where their door is.

I have a cat that loves to go out at night. We had tried to let him out only during daytime but we gave in when he pleaded with us! I think night is his time when there are fewer cats about as we are in an urban area.
But he has twice brought in a live rat!
Our previous cat was good at ratting too and brought in rats and baby rabbits.
It’s a bit alarming in the middle of the night! But we can’t resist his desperate plea to be allowed out!
Just watched the BBC cat study in which they found only one pet cat that was willing to tackle a rat, although it was a stuffed one. I think New Zealand cats must be a bit closer to their wild origins!

Two weeks is ok when you're moving house with your own cat, but then the cat has already got a relationship with you, it might take longer with a recently adopted one. When you do decide it's time, first just leave the back door open and let her go in and out in her own time without encouraging her or carrying her any further down the garden than she decides to go of her own accord. This familiarises them with the act of recognising their own garden and back door and makes it less likely they will panic and get lost later.

Sashabel our 2 have wet food around 7.30am and 6pm but there is a bowl of dried good available all the time. Neither of them eat much of it at a time, and neither are obese.

Incidentally, for their evening meal I have "bong" trained them! The radio is tuned to Radio 4, and they don't get fed until the chimes of Big Ben are played.

One off my cats chasers her tail she goes out and has toys et so not sure its boredom
As for lettinng it can be scary but I have alwYs found initially they dont go very far I usually open a window until they get faniliar with outside surroundings.If the cat has been sotting loking out wi dows she will have some idea of bearings

I believe some cats simply need to go out...why wouldn’t they. Our cat was a rescue cat and was climbing the walls after two weeks of staying in and at night, was becoming destructive, trying so hard to get the cat flap open!When we let him out, he was so happy looking, it brought tears to my eyes. He came back fine after about half an hour (and was hungry). After a few years, he was run over one night and was found on the road dead ?. I still miss him..,he was such a gorgeous cat and so gentle....but he wouldn’t have been happy indoors all the time. You have to make your own decision about your own cat, I think. It’s all a balance....we can focus too much on our owns needs without considering theirs though, sometimes...

Some years ago I adopted a 12 year old cat and did not let him out at all for 3 weeks and then a further 4 weeks wearing a harness before letting him free
I now have an indoor cat I adopted 3 years ago at the age of 6 but she had never been out at all so did not try as it saves me the worry of wondering where she is

When we moved I kept our two cats, who were 9, in for three weeks before taking the one out into the garden on his harness and lead. His brother refused to come near me when he saw the lead, so he stayed indoors.

After a month I took them out without their leads and stayed in sight of them in the garden, gradually letting them wander round the garden alone.

I wouldn't let a rescue cat out just yet, but do play with her during her mad hour. Here the best possible cat toy is also the cheapest, as it consists of a piece of fur fabric tied to a long piece of string. Does she recognise her name and come when you call her, or rattle the kibble tin? If not, you are going to worry while she is out.

I would never use a laser toy - as I am afraid that the cat's eyes could be harmed.

I have 8 cats and we moved house about 6 months ago. I was really worried about them - especially as we had to go back to the old house to capture two of them. Personally, I would not let them out for at least three weeks, ideally four or more weeks. I would then only allow them out for a short while, before encouraging them back in with treats.

Lots of good advice posted here - definitely put down used cat litter on the borders of the garden, make sure your cat is microchipped, wait until the cat is hungry before letting it out, etc.

Hope your cat soon seems well settled - they are such great companions

Personally, if you cannot currently pick up the cat, I would leave it a little longer and try to build up more of a relationship with the cat before letting it out.

We have had several rescue carts and have always kept them in for four weeks but I purchased a cat harness and lead and took them out in the garden to get used to smells and sights. It worked most of the time except for the cat that hated the harness, he would just lie down. At least I knew that even if I carried him and he jumped down then I had him on the lead.

Cats!!! not ?

Another note on shaking a tub of Dreamies (or other) cat treats.

I did this one evening and ended up with not only my neighbours 10 (yes, 10, really!) cats, but several other neighbourhood moggies hurtling towards me! [shock It was like something from a Stephen King film!

All my 3 cats are indoor cats with a Catio outside which keeps them safe from the road. I used to let my cats out but when they both got run over I decided that my new additions would be indoor cats. We have plenty of things to stimulate them so they don't get bored and I know they are safe.

We have only ever had rescue cats and they have all gone outdoors. When we moved with them, we always took them out on their harnesses at first, so they could explore the new garden. Only let them out before their mealtime and stayed with them the first few times off their leads.

When we came to this house we had two relatively young cats. The tom settled quickly and roamed far and wide, but always returned in time for his breakfast/tea. His sister had one or two scrapes. Once she got her head stuck under a neighbour's gate and they called us - she had our phone number on a tag on her collar. Then she went 'missing' for a couple of days - she had fallen down into the gap between two boundary fences and couldn't get out - we had to take part of the fence down to get to her. After that she pretty much stayed close to home and didn't really leave our garden!
Good Luck, humptydumpty

Oh phoenix you have made me chuckle . I have this vision of cats coming from every corner straight at you, fur flying and claws out ready to fight for their treats.

Well, having decided, reading the posts, that I would wait another week, Lola bolted past me and out the door having shown no interest previously! and she obviously isn't thinking of coming in any time soon.. and so the worry begins.....

We have only ever had rescue cats and they have all gone outdoors. When we moved with them, we always took them out on their harnesses at first, so they could explore the new garden. Only let them out before their mealtime and stayed with them the first few times off their leads.

When we came to this house we had two relatively young cats. The tom settled quickly and roamed far and wide, but always returned in time for his breakfast/tea. His sister had one or two scrapes. Once she got her head stuck under a neighbour's gate and they called us - she had our phone number on a tag on her collar. Then she went 'missing' for a couple of days - she had fallen down into the gap between two boundary fences and couldn't get out - we had to take part of the fence down to get to her. After that she pretty much stayed close to home and didn't really leave our garden!
Good Luck, humptydumpty

Thanks, Tabbycat - I just saw her out of the corner of my eye dart into my bedroom - so rushed to shut the door! - she's already keen to go out again though, will have to check that she can use the cat flap as it seems she can find her way back..

please be careful...i am now 2 weeks in from my 10 month old kitten going out and never coming back...its killing me. it was only his 2nd early morning out and i,m actually now thinking someone has stolen him...he was is pretty..i cry daily i hope daily and i pray daily...but not even a sniff..(i even hired a scent dog but nothing)

One of my abiding (and funniest) memories of my first cat was of my husband trying to teach her how to use a cat flap when we moved - our first home was a flat and it didn't have a cat flap. She sat and watched him, but still cried at the door when she wanted to go out into the garden and the same when she wanted to come back in. I just ignored her and put her food down as usual (in sight of the cat flap window) - she slipped inwithout a fuss. BUT she wouldn't use it when he was there for ages!

Hope it all goes well, Lola and humptydumpty