What's the safest time for my indoor-outdoor cat to go outside?

It is great you are thinking of Ketty's safety at night! I agree, that being out at night is typically not necessary and can lead to fight wounds, etc. Unfortunately you will probably not be able to have him WANT to stay in at night. Usually the best thing to do is feed him dinner and keep him in after, even if he wants to go out. I hope this helps!

Possibly - especially if she is now pretty tame. If she is easily spooked or still not particularly attached to you it might not be a good idea. I recommend starting with short supervised trips outside. You should only feed your cat indoors and offer food during specific meal times to make sure you get her to come back in at night. You can also practice calling to her and giving a treat. Keep in mind that living indoors is much safer for cats and there are risks in going outdoors: infectious diseases, fights with other cats, and cars and dogs are a few of the threats. If she has not been vaccinated for the Feline Leukemia virus I would recommend completing that vaccine series before letting her outdoors where she could contact other cats.

I have 5 cats and live in the same kind of environment. Our cats are also inside outside cats and I can tell you how we manage: 1) we feed twice a day wet food and call the cats for it. They come running for their food, we use the same call every time. This ensures that your cats come home when you call them. 2) Our cats are to be inside at night. ie we do not let them out after the evening feed. 3) they can go out if they wish, after the morning feed. Most predators hunt at dusk and dawn. So this minimizes the opportunity for contact of the cats with predators. If you can replace door handles with door knobs, the cats cannot open the doors anymore. We have been doing this for 12 years now, and have not lost a cat yet.

I would start out slowly so they can get used to the outside and learn where your home is located. I would bring them out supervised in the yard starting at 10-15 minutes at a time, monitoring them the entire time. Gradually increase the amount of time they are outside until you feel they know their area and how to come home. At that point, I would let them outside unsupervised. I would only let them out during the day, and make sure they are inside at night. I hope this helps!

How lovely of you to take in this kitten! Personally I believe in keeping cats indoors. They are safer indoors, they aren't at risk of being attacked by other cats and dogs, they can't get attacked by wild animals, and they won't be hit by cars. In addition, cats who live indoors typically live longer than cats who go outside. If you want Scruff to have time outside, I recommend building or buying an outdoor enclosure for her. That way she can enjoy the sunshine outside, but won't wander away and won't have any contact with wild animals and other pets. If you provide enrichment inside (plenty of toys, cat trees to climb, a window seat for her to look outside), then she won't feel cooped up. Good luck, I hope this help!

I would have to say that preferably and in an ideal world they would be kept inside to keep them safe from predators and also from getting into fights with other stray cats. But if they must go outside they are safe after they are fully vaccinated which is around 4 months of age. And ideally having them all spayed and neutered before going outside will reduce the chances of injury and also increase their lifespan. Look into a low-cost spay and neuter facility in your area that may be able to assist you with these kitties. Best wishes.

There is no fail safe way to make sure he will be completely safe as accidents can always happen, but personally I believe cats should be able to go out as it allows them to exhibit natural behaviour. Because he is an older neutered cat he is unlikely to stray too far, but obviously he hasnt had the experience of outdoors since he was young. I would start by taking him out on a harness, let him get used to your garden and outdoor sounds such as engines etc. When you come to let him off for the first time don't feed him before so he has a good reason to come home if he does venture off. Make sure he is microchipped and has an id on his collar just in case. To an extent you will just have to leave him to it, but he should be fine. Investing in a cat flap is a good idea too and make sure he is vaccinated. Good luck!