I waited until I had him a month ish and until he was 4 months to finally try a leash outside. I do NOT want an outdoor kitty but he is SO determined & I know with 3 young children who have to be told 500 times a day to shut the door all the way the likelihood of him getting out is high :( plus as summer comes windows are opened & my last kitty was a genius at getting screens off. I carry him out about 15 feet so that he doesn't get used to the idea of walking out. Any how he was adorable!!! SO excited for something new :) the whole point of this is so that he will know where home is but honestly we spend a good hour or two at least outside daily. Usually 3-5 honestly and it's nice to have him out & with the family. We come in & out a TON but with the kids we are always outside playing.

He is so gorgeous!

dont feel you have to justify yourself he is your cat and your decision

glad you are enjoying him

Looks like he's loving being on a leash. As he gets older, he will probably want to expand his walking territory. Make sure you have him microchipped. Check out some portable cat enclosures that you can place in the yard where he can enjoy some time out there off the leash. He will continue to cry to go outside. Cats love being out there, but it's best that you supervise their time outdoors to keep them safe.

You will want to familiarize him with your entire yard. Get his scent out there so if he does get out, he can follow it back. He needs to know where the proper door is for him to go in and out of. Most indoor cats who escape have no idea where they are and run scared! A confident cat who has been outdoors and in his own yard, should be able to stick around and easily found.

He's such a little tiny tyke -- just gorgeous!

I would LOVE a kitty enclosure but we rent and it's not allowed :(

What an adorable baby!

Diablo has been with us for 2 years and he did not like the harness when I first tried it over a year ago. I finally found one he likes - where his two front paws fit it and it clips on the top, kind of like he is wearing a bib if you know what I mean, and he just loves it! We are so happy he can now join us on the balcony, but I never ever take my eyes off him and I am always holding the leash. We are on the 7th floor, so I am not taking any chances.

You can get cat enclosures that are small, portable, and fold up for storage. You just put it outside when you all are out there and put him in it and you don't have to constantly keep an eye on him and he can have some fun on is own in the grass. Amazon and pet stores carry them. They do no damage to the yard and are not permanent. They have ALL kinds and all sizes. Just a thought. I think your kitty would really enjoy it. Mine, on the other hand, would tear something like that apart.

What a gorgeous happy little face!

My OSH used to be allowed outside with us but one day she slipped under the fence when we weren't looking. I'm unsure what happened but she was gone for a few days and we were absolutely devastated. We went door-to-door and called in her microchip to no avail.

3 days later I got a call from someone that found her on the side of the freeway about 10 miles from us! She thought it was a statue so she pulled over and then realized it was a cat with a bag tied to her head!!

When we got our cat back, She had what looked like drag burns on her legs and her back claws were worn down to the paw pad! I was so happy that the person that found her stopped their car, yanno? But also its devastating to know that someone did this to her. They had to have taken her from my front yard because the only other time she ran out the front door, she stayed huddled up near the door because she was confused.

Anyway long story short, the experience of having our cat get out of the yard for the split second I wasn't looking caused us to stop letting her outside. Not sure what we are gonna do with our bengal kitten yet but I've seen some fencing kits that you can put on your fence that keeps them from jumping it and we put rebar at the bottom of our fence to keep them from going under the gap. They also have kitty walk systems, i think someone mentioned that.

Another reason not to let your kitties be outdoors without supervision! Tragic story with a happy ending. Some people are just so cruel to animals. Glad you were able to get your baby back.