Expert: Tina - 11/4/2007

Question
when can i let my cat out?

Answer
I am not sure if you are referring to a kitten, or did you just adopt a cat, or you just moved? A little more detail in the future would be helpful. In any case, NEVER is the answer.

Cats allowed outside are subjected to danger from
cars, wild animals, contagious diseases, poisoning from rat poison and other materials, nasty cat-hating neighbors, and the list goes on and on.

Cars are the number one cause of death for cats allowed outside. Even if the cat is not killed by a car, they are in danger from fights with other cats that can lead to diseases such as FIV, Feline Leukemia, and abscesses from infected wounds. Because of these dangers, cats allowed outdoors live an average of 5 years versus 15 for indoor only cats.

So, please consider keeping your cat strictly indoors, or you can consider building or buying a cat enclosure. These things are great because they give the cat fresh air and the feeling of being outside without all the dangers!

More info on cat enclosures:

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/enclosures.html