An indoor kitty got out and now pitiful meows to go out. Should he be let out

[snagglepuss]

on a leash?

My mom's 1 year old kitty was out for 3 hours the other day before we found him. Now he scratchs at the door while letting out the most pitiful meows wanting to go back outside. Mishka has no problems wearing a harness so my mom is thinking of taking him outside with a leash in the back yard. My sister thinks it is a very bad idea as Mishka might get fleas or some other condition. Given that Mishka sleeps with my elderly mom and sits on the table while my mom eats, my sister's concern may not be unfounded. How liable is it for Mishka to get fleas or other parasites from being in a garden? I've seen wipes for kitty paws. I'm wondering if they're safe and effective for killing germs and if anyone uses them.

I've read online some people who have regretted taking a kitty out on a leash because the kitty wants out all the time, others seem to have no problem. Hard to know what to do:(

[HopeHoops]

1. Get a harness and leash. He'll bitch about it the first few times, but he'll get used to it.

[snagglepuss]

10. Mishka seems okay with a harness. I'm wondering if he'll be okay only going out occasionally.

[HopeHoops]

19. My big boy loves to sit out in the grass with the dogs. He'll take whatever time he can get.

[Appenzell Wars]

2. Hiow do you keep them on the farm after they have seen Paree??? nt

[snagglepuss]

6. LOL How true. Welome to DU.

:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. My parents used to let Shadow out on a harness. And he used to sneak out whenever he could and

really got them worried and upset about him getting run over by a car.

Also, how prevalent are deer ticks and Lyme disease in your mom's area?

[snagglepuss]

8. No lyme or deer ticks but my sister says cats can get fleas just being in a back yard

as well as FIV. I think she is being too caustious. My concern is that Mishka will want to go out all the time not just 10 or 20 minutes a day on a leash.

[hifiguy]

4. A friend of mine and cat expert

uses a harness with a long leash that is clipped to the laundry lines in her yard via one of those heavy duty climber's clips. Her cats can walk around all over the whole yard but nowhere near the street or anything dangerous, and they have plenty of leash to run away or get up high if any menacing animal happens by.

[snagglepuss]

9. Thanks for that feedback. Do you know if her cat gets a flea shot? I'm

wondering if a flea shot is necessary if a cat is confined to a backyard.

[hifiguy]

20. That I do not know

Sorry.

[Demoiselle]

5. I had a lovely indoor cat who was curious about "outside"...

I NEVER let him go out. Then my dad came to stay with us for a year and announced that he couldn't be bothered to keep the cat inside. (Bothering meant looking around and making sure the cat wasn't nearby when he opened a door.) So the cat got in the habit of quick escape runs, which I ultimately couldn't prevent. This lovely cat, who had lasted 12 years of perfect health inside, finally drank from a puddle of antifreeze under a car parked on our street. He died. I still miss him. And yes, I still feel just a bit bitter about it.

[snagglepuss]

7. What a horribe thing to have happen. I can completely understand why it still hurts.

:( :hug:

[elias49]

11. Get a flea collar! Or use "Frontline" once a month.

It works for my (3) outdoor cats.
(They like to come in at night but spend a good part of each day just cruising around the property).

[snagglepuss]

14. Are those better than getting a shot?

[elias49]

16. Yes.

Don't have to take kitty to the vet for one thing. So cheaper! And they work well. Really.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. I have had 4 indoor cats over the years, and all have

gone outside. But only with me there. They actually trained very well about where they were allowed to be and where they were not allowed to be. I would call them back and corral them into the back yard or porch whenever they wandered to the property lines or toward the front. After a relatively short period of time, they would stay in that area where I was not concerned about them. Another reason I did not worry was that I do not use any pesticides, nor do any neighbors abutting my property.

The only problems I ever had was when another neighborhood cat would come into that area. And this was why I had to be outside with them. They never got fleas or ticks, but I always knew that could be a possibility. My cats would never got on a leash or harness, so if this cat will do that without trouble, I don't see a problem.

[snagglepuss]

13. Thanks Curmudgeoness. Were your cats allowed to sleep with you?

Mishka sleeps with my mom and sits next to her on table watching her eat. Do you think his being outside might be unwise given germs that might get tracked into the house?

I'm thinking if she wiped off his paws there shouldn't be a health issue.

[Curmudgeoness]

15. My cats have always done whatever they wanted. I am a pushover.

Yes, they slept with me, sat on the table, ate from my plate, whatever they wanted to do. But then again, I am not one to be at all concerned about germs (note ate from my plate). My opinion has always been that the more germs we are exposed to, the more we have an immunity to them. But I realize I would disgust most people with this. Maybe they are right and I am wrong. You had better take someone else's advise on that part of it.

Seriously though, cats really can be trained to stay in an area of your choosing if you work at it from the beginning.

[snagglepuss]

17. Cats rule. We are but servants. Your comments have been very helpful.

Thanks :hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

18. Even an indoor cat spreads germs, dander, litter, and other stuff

and they clean their butts on a very regular basis. Compared to that stuff fleas are small potatoes to control. Frontline or Advantage once a month does the trick (Frontline has a fleas AND tick formula, if the latter are a problem in your mother's area. )

I think it's worth a shot trying to leash train the cat (said training must start indoors, for obvious reasons.) Some cats take to it, some don't.