# cat and going outside



## ronss (Dec 12, 2010)

my 6 month siamese male wants to go outside ...he was bought from me at arizona humaine society, and he was brought in to the facility at 3months, a stray......i let him out on the 2 nc floor balcony , he likes to walk on the edge, looking at birds...i tryed to keep him inside, but he would get mad, and just not happy....i have tryed letting him outside, under my supervision, did this twice, and had to chase him and grab him after some he took a nice walk, being careful i would not catch him until a nice jog...now he wants to go outside each time i come it....if i let him out with my supervison, he would not take off , would he???:?:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Yes. All it would take is one little bird or lizard - or anything - to distract him and off he would go. Have you tried using a leash? 

If your balcony isn't secure, I would never let him out there. The fall could seriously injure or kill him. If you're allowed, you could put up some kind of netting on your balcony so he'd be safe.


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## ronss (Dec 12, 2010)

the leash is something i would like to do, but i am sure he would hate it...he had a collar on when i brought him home from the shelter, and he immediately was trying to take it off..i removed it, i would not like wearing one either.......I sort of hate letting him out on the balcony, but i quess i got to give him some freedom....might look into a net,,,,,problem, the apartments i live in are fairly fussy about adding things....i don,t clip his claws, he might then slip for sure off the balcony


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

There are some members here that have added some netting that's really hard to see from the ground floor. In Phoenix, I guess the leash wouldn't really be realistic during the summers, or even the winters. I would clip the claws, though. My cats get caught in things once they get long and sharp - the windows screens, my clothes, the carpeting, ME!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I bought netting that is used for fruit trees. It's 20' by 7' and I wove it through the railing of my balcony. The railing is black and so is the netting so the apartment complex cant even tell it's there.


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

When Apollo was a kitten, he slipped out onto the balcony while I was watering my plants, and almost fell off before I could grab him, so I definitely wouldn't risk letting him out there (even supervised, cats can be awfully fast). 

He's young enough that you can probably still raise him to be a comfortable indoor cat. Both my cats were fairly interested in going outside at first, but after a few weeks/months of just refusing to let them out, and keeping them occupied and stimulated with plenty to do inside, they lost interest.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

One of my friends let her cats out on the balcony (it was safe), but after that, they cried constantly, wanting to be let out. She finally stopped altogether, and they eventually went back to normal. That's my #1 fear of letting my girls out even just in my yard, even on a leash. They'd want to go out all the time. 

Phoenix is pretty dangerous if your kitty runs away (coyotes). If he has some good windows views, toys and love and attention, he'll be happy to be inside.


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## ronss (Dec 12, 2010)

i live next to the north mountain preserve, i see coyotes out on the street now and then....i quess they make a quick death for a cat from what i have been told


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## Quartermutt (Jun 23, 2010)

Talk to the apt manager about putting bird netting around your balcony. When I lived in a second story apt, they didn't like the idea until I showed them the netting and that it wasn't going to be garish or obscenely obvious. A few years later, they installed the same netting on all the 2nd floor balconies to keep pigeons off them. The bird netting is strong enough to help keep cats in when fastened correctly but is low visibility.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

One of my cats that I adopted at 6 months old acted like he wanted to go out all the time. We didn't let him go out, and after a while he stopped crying at the door. He is a very happy indoor cat--he has a cat tree, two other cats to play with, and lots of toys and playtime. There is no reason to let your cat outside--his so-called "freedom" is not as important as his health and safety.


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## Gloworm (Nov 19, 2010)

Is your kitten fixed and microchipped?

I would not let my kittens out, I would be too scared they would be hurt or stolen. I dont know what your apartment complex is like, but I live on the top floor of my apartment (though only one floor up) and if I let my kittens out during the day, they would not be able to get back in, there is no cat flap or direct access to the outside, it would have to be through my balcony window etc which would not be ideal.


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

I think he would take off. My cats were outside/indoor cats for 6 to 5 years. Then I moved into an apartment. They became indoor cats. It took Razzle a while to get used to it. Geets didn't mind. I'm glad they are indoors or I would of lost them years ago due to wild animals, dogs, cars, etc. 

Kathy


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