cats outside

[Griffon15]

Hi

I just joined yesterday and as I said I will be getting my MC Boy in about4 weeks. I have a question about letting him outside. Well when I say outside I mean, I have a newly built shed attached to a dog run. My husband built it for the dogs but its never used so I was going to cat proof it and put things in it for the cats instead so they can go outside. Its not attached to the house so I will have to carry them out to it. My question is how long would you put them outside in it without them feeling left out or something from the family. I am new to cats since just last year I got my Persian. I have always had dogs. I don't want the cats to feel excluded, would they. Im new so bare with me

[Hermine]

Well I would say it depence to the weather!
Our cats like to lay outside in the cats run between bushes and on chairs and look around, when the weather is nice. They have also the possibility to sit dry when it's raining.
When you put them out for an hour in the morning befor you go to work and then another one or two hours in the evening they get used to it and know exactly the times.
Maybe they can stay longer at weekend when you are at home but I would them not stay outside the whole day, when you are not at home.

[Kopernika]

Hello Hermine,

I also let my MC-lady go out, we have an area from where she cannot break out.

The time, she wants to stay outside is very different and depends in the weather. When its warm outside, the sun is shining and not windy, she wants to stay longer. I would say, she stays outside for 1,5 hours on average.
When I am in the garden, and she notes, that someone else is there, she might stay longer.
You should try what the cat-boy likes. At the beginning, I would leave him out for a shorter time and stay with him a bit, otherwise he could feel lonely.

[Wivelspiker]

When I first decided to have an outside run for my cats, we built a run in the garden. It was not attached to the house and I had to carry the cats out - I had only 2 at the time. It seemed like a good idea at the time but the arrangement didn't last long. First there was the problem of carrying them out. An armful of struggling and heavy Maine Coon is hard to manage while fending off another Maine Coon that can't understand where their friend is going and wants to come too. I would get the door shut and the indoor one would get anxious while the struggling one was on its way to the run. As soon as it got to the run it would try to bolt but I'd get the run shut and go back for the anxious one. I won't go on - it was a nightmare for them and for me because they sat and stared miserably at the house trying to catch sight of me.

In the end I took the run to bits, brought it over and rebuilt it on the patio which is now a catio. I can leave the kitchen door open for them to run in and out to food, litter and snoozing places and they are all content. Maine Coons love to see what's going on, to hang out and be with you. Mine were definitely miserable in the detached run. Maybe it works for some people and some cats but I really wouldn't recommend it.

[Felix65]

Darcie-lu discovered the catflap at 8months & there was no stopping her. She loves the garden, she sits by the pond & wanders around like she owns the place, sleeping amongst the plants when necessary. Ive never used a run, but I imagine it depends where you live. Weve never had no problems, & all the neighbours love her as she sits on their fences being nosey.