kittens in the garden

[ath]

how will my kittens know where to come home when they venture out of the garden?

[purification]

Had cats all mylife and as far as I know, scent. Once a cat/kitten has become accustomed to the scent of their home, owners and surroundings they can usually find their way home!  

[mrs.pudding]

and when they first start going outside they are very wary and don't go far from the bolt hole of home!  A pretty powerful instinct for survival makes sure they return to familiar surroundings - and food!  If they're in their new home, keep them in for a few days til they settle and then the same rules will apply.  To begin with they won't want to be out for long and they do need to be able to get back in whenever they feel threatened - a gust of wind can send them scuttling for cover!

Good Luck

[ath]

Thanks for the tips! I have let them out a couple of times for half an hour at a time, but every time they look like they want to jump the fence boundaries I move them away. I just hope when they do climb over they know how to get back and where our home is. They can only just make the jump to the top of the fence and all of the neighbouring gardens are all enclosed too.

A worried and over-protective mother!

[Shire]

When we first let our kitten out we let him go out just before his usual feeding time, so he came straight back for his food when he was called.  Now at 9 months old he is happy to wander about the garden all day, and always comes back when called

[Otrere]

They tend to leave their own scent on fence posts, door steps, corners of sheds, etc. etc. etc. - that is what they do when they're rubbing their faces on everything.

They have scent glands in their cheeks and when they rub their faces all round things their glands leave their own scent on the item they are rubbing around. They also do this (as well as urinating) to mark their territory as well. They'll follow their own scent back home.

Hope this helps.

[Eastender]

I have 4 cats, and the old wifes tale is to put butter on their paws, it really does work.