When can a kitten go out and know where they live so they can return?

[freak_unique]

Hey guys another kitten question! We have 2 kittens they will be 10 weeks old on monday. We have had them a week this saturday. In the unfortunate event that they did get out, would they return?how long is it until they are aware of where they live etc? (dont worry i am not at all intending them to go out until after 6 months when they have both been neutered but i am just wondering in the event that they did)as i am worrying myself senseless as we live with a housemate who is a tad lousy when drunk (eugh)
x

[jules77]

I dont think they would, they are too young. Doesnt sound like the ideal environment to have kittens in as the housemate is likely to leave the door open.

[pingping]

we have 3 kittens who are 17 weeks old. they only go out with our supervision at the moment and won't go out unsupervised until they have been neutered (in mid-Sept).

what we have done with them so far is allow them out for very short periods of time close to the house, literally just before we feed them, so they are hungry and want to come back in again. This has worked so far, and they haven�t wandered off too much!

[freak_unique]

Cheers for your answers!
pingping - do they not just dart off when you let them out close to the house?

[pingping]

no - they are quite cautious! We initially took them out with pieces of string tied to their collars just in case they ran off, but they didn�t. they crept around really slowly just sniffing everything at first, and kept running back to us, or into the house for reassurance.

As they got bolder they started venturing a bit further from the doors, but remained well within range of the house.

They have now been the whole length of the garden (a 100ft) and again, keep running back to the house if they get spooked by a noise, or something.

I was really worried for them to start with, but now feel more calm about letting them out, but they do keep us on our toes, as we follow them around (at a distance) to make sure they are not getting stuck in anything!

Apparently once they have been neutered then their desire to explore and run away disappears, so we are looking forward to that!

[SKA]

we have two kittens one is around 10 weeks he doesn't leave the garden the other is 5 months and he's always roaming out of the garden, gets me worried but he always comes back after a little while - this is after he jumps on a rather high wall and strolls along the gararge roof.

[freak_unique]

Thanks alot guys youve made me feel slightly more at ease ive just been worrying none stop just incase they get out! But really theyd probably be too cautious at first to go far? They do look out the door and a couple of times one has gone out but just stopped. Yeah il be glad when I can get them neutered too :)