Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone else on here lets their Bengal go outside unsupervised?


I have been letting Tia outside 3 or 4 times now supervised. However, she loves it and gets very excited and she has now become very confident by trying to jump fences etc?

When do you think I can let her go outside unsupervised and for how long? Do you think she will know how to get back home and how do they know?

Many Thanks
Natalie

My Bengal goes outdoors unsupervised but I think I'm the exception rather than the norm. You have to make a decision based on your own assessment of the risks for where you live - roads, other animals, thieves etc. My decision hasn't been easy and I lost Dolly's sister to the road but Dolly is a much steadier character and has shown no signs of going anywhere near the road (which is quiet anyway). I live in a very rural area surrounded by fields and woods so I've decided to accept the risk. She's never had any problem finding her way home, although she has been known to "disappear" for 24 hours quite regularly - and also a whole week, when I suspect she was shut in someone's shed.

It's a personal choice which only you can make.

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Our Pride And Joy...Nikita.

I take mine out 2 or 3 times a day 'unleashed' but always supervised.
We have several acres of ground so lots of places for him to explore and get lost but luckily he stays fairly close to me and will come to call, and if at any point he disappears out of my sight he will shout at me to let me know he's still close by.
It has taken a while for me to get that trust with him, he's only 7 months and initially went out in his harness but he just doesn't get as much fun when he's in that.
I don't think I could let him out unsupervised, Im sure he would be fine but I wouldn't be able to relax and would never forgive myself if something happened!
I do have two other moggies that live outside in the stables, they were initially house cats but made the transition to full-time outdoors cats very easily. They do disappear for a few days at times but always come back home to fill their bellies and have a strong instinct of self-preservation!

we have a cat proofed garden, my main worry is the road

This is what happened to my ocicat when she escaped out of the broken cat door in our new place when we moved in.

She was hit at 3pm and we found her at 11pm in the pouring rain locked in a shed in shock. had she not called out to me when i called for her I would have never found her. She followed the voices down to the pub and ran out in the road after being chased by a dog from the local farm. the driver didn't even stop and had there not been some people out smoking in front of the pub that saw her run in the direction of the shed I wouldn't have found her either. They had called the RSPCA because when they tried to catch her she tried to attack them, but they could tell she was injured. Her pelvis was broken in two places and she had to have a screw with a wire to hold her hip socket back to one side of her pelvis and on the other side a 16 screw plate to hold the break together. She then suffered from irritation from the implant and began to self mutilate her foot to get to it. she chewed it to the point where we had to cover it. luckly she left the bandage alone but it took three times as long to heal covered and we couldn't use a collar on her because being a long legged breed she could still reach her foot with the collar on.






I have to admit all my life I have had moggies and they have all been indoor because of the place we lived. I got excited about living in the country. I live in a small village now and the pub is walking distance and the road is a good 5mins walk from the house. She still managed to make it to the road because she was so friendly and heard the people at the pub. Bengals are very similar in this way and are very curious and get caught up in the moment if they are hunting or running from something. I don't think I would ever risk letting them out. They all have harness and leads and a fenced in courtyard where the cat door is.

This all happened last august and since then her coat still hasn't fully grown back. she may also have some scaring in her coat from the impact and will have white hairs in place of her beautiful spots.

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Steph

aka The NO! ->

I took the decision to let Sol out. I was torn as to what to do. I have 4 mogs who have always been allowed out. When i had Sol I chose to let him out as well. We live in a town although in a quiet area. I would never let them out if I lived close to a main road. Every house I have bought has been chosen for area first as priority.IE no main roads, neighbours dogs etc. I have owned cats for over 20 years and they have all lived long and healthy lives. My first mog (Raffles RIP) did get run over twice in his life time.Both time survived Both times were in my first house I ever bought after that I always chose location first. He also had a number of things go wrong with him in his life but lived a happy and healthy life until he was 20.
I know there are risks letting Sol out and I only hope I dont live to regret it. I always worry if any of them are out longfer than normal or I get home from work and they are not there to greet me but I have to live with that.
Only you know the area you live in (if its safe etc) there will always be an element of risk where ever you risk.
Hope that helps

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Hi Ginnym, The www.freedom-fence.co.uk[url] is not electric but works on Radio frequencies where the Cat gets like a static shock. You do have to train them but it's defiantly worth looking at.

Hi Nig, I know cats are cats and it depends on your location, cat attitude! etc like our black & white moggie doesn't go further then our boarderand has never really ventured that far away. Anyway for the first few years I would prefer to keep him indoors or use some product like above to limit him just to our garden.

Regards, Andy[/url]

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