Mardy is just over 5 months old and was neutered last Monday. When I first got him at 8 weeks, the owners had let him venture into the garden but I was adamant he was going to be a house cat, and despite a few tries, we succeeded in keeping him in.
For the past couple of days he's been really 'odd' I don't know why I think this, but just do, he's been sitting by the front door for ages on end and just didn't seem happy. I know he's been desperate to get outside and for a while I've felt cruel keeping him in. Anyway, today, after sitting at the door etc, he's weed on my rug! He's NEVER done anything like that, and he did it right in front of my face. I picked him up and said "No, what are you doing!" and took him to his litter tray but he just got out and walked away, staring at what he'd done (and me frantically scrubbing it, I'm completely paranoid about smells!) Anyway, I've put a collar on him, took him outside and stayed with him for 10 mins, before bringing him in and feeding him, he then wanted to go out so I let him, watching him before he went out of sight through the bushes in our back garden. He's been back once then went again, but the second time he came back I got him in as I need to go out and obviously don't have a cat flap yet! My worry is that I'm at work all day tomorrow, from around 9 till 6, my OH will be home at 4 but do I let him out first thing, and put some food and water outside or do I not let him out!?

Mardy is just over 5 months old and was neutered last Monday. When I first got him at 8 weeks, the owners had let him venture into the garden but I was adamant he was going to be a house cat, and despite a few tries, we succeeded in keeping him in.
For the past couple of days he's been really 'odd' I don't know why I think this, but just do, he's been sitting by the front door for ages on end and just didn't seem happy. I know he's been desperate to get outside and for a while I've felt cruel keeping him in. Anyway, today, after sitting at the door etc, he's weed on my rug! He's NEVER done anything like that, and he did it right in front of my face. I picked him up and said "No, what are you doing!" and took him to his litter tray but he just got out and walked away, staring at what he'd done (and me frantically scrubbing it, I'm completely paranoid about smells!) Anyway, I've put a collar on him, took him outside and stayed with him for 10 mins, before bringing him in and feeding him, he then wanted to go out so I let him, watching him before he went out of sight through the bushes in our back garden. He's been back once then went again, but the second time he came back I got him in as I need to go out and obviously don't have a cat flap yet! My worry is that I'm at work all day tomorrow, from around 9 till 6, my OH will be home at 4 but do I let him out first thing, and put some food and water outside or do I not let him out!?

I wouldn't let him out alone for a few weeks he is still very young, I would keep him in throughout the day don't feed him when you get home but let him out then while he is hungry so that he will come back for the food, I would do this until your sure that he will come back ok.

it is a hard thing to do.
i was like a parent with their kid on their first day of school when i let my cat out for the first time.
i was watching him on the garden and my friend had to make me come in and leave him to his own devices, and ...well the next thing we heard was a loud squarking noise and saw a crow up a tree.. i thought oh its seen my kitten..and went to check on said kitten, only to find him in the tree with the crow !! ....off the crow flys and im stood under the tree shouting kitten down....after about 10 mins of doin this i knew he was stuck ...so cue me up a ladder into the tree to get my kitten down !!! oh the joys of pet ownership !!

Well, he went out today and came back fine, but like you say I'm going to keep him in during the day and let him out when I or OH gets home. I am like an over protective parent, I nearly cried watching him go out of sight! He came home, I was upstairs and heard something going off downstairs, I go down and there he is with a wasp on the windowsill (wasp was dying a painful death!) I move him away and move the wasp only to see that the sting is in Mardy's lip. Managed to pin him down and get it out so he survived the great outdoors only to be hurt inside! Lol. Bless him, so now he has a swollen lip and is feeling very sorry for himself!

Our cats are house cats but do sometimes go into the garden for a short time , they love it but we always watch them , where I used to live we didn't have to watch them as much but they love just to explore for a short while.