Kitten wants to...escape?

Hey guys, I've had my kitten for about 2-3 months, since it was just a little over 6-7 weeks old. I let it out to play in my backyard about 1-3 times every week. It always tries to run out my front door whenever I go out to mess around, never straying that far from my area. It's always a pain to capture it again. However, today, when I let it out in my backyard to play, it saw another cat about the same age as it on top of this small shed. It ran up the shed and started to circle around the small cat. It was a giant pain to get it back down. When I took it back into my house, it was very active and hyper (I guess it always is). It seems like it now wants to go out again, always looking for a chance to get out whenever I open the door. I'm afraid that next time it will get out, I will never see it again. What can I do? (I will be getting it spayed in about 1-2 months)

I'd try very hard to keep him in the house and not let him go out at all until he's neutered. The times you let him out in the backyard is just giving him more of a taste for being out. From what your post suggests, I'm putting him down to being about 5 months old. That means he might want to start wandering looking for a females. After he's neutered he'll start calming down about wanting to get out.

Would all that still apply if my kitten is a female?

Yes, because if she's in heat, she's going to be looking for a male cat. The same thing happened to me, mine was always under my feet at the door. I had to make sure they weren't around when I went out. It was inconvenient until I got them spayed/neutered, but it was a lot easier to deal with then
a litter of kittens.

Good luck.

Just be really careful not to let her outside. Keep a toy near the door and when you are leaving throw it to the opposite side of the room so the cat will be far away. When you get home and open the door, do it slowly and nudge the cat away from the door.

Once you start letting them out, it's *really* hard to keep them indoors only. I would try what the others here have suggested. Also I would make sure to get your baby micro-chipped.

I understand about the sprint for the door. All three of my young boys do that and they have never been out except through a tunnel to the cat enclosure. They do the same thing with other doors that are opened and closed in the house. I guess they want to be part of what's happening on the other side. Cats are such curious animals.

The vet that does the spay/neuter for our rescues lectured me once about how a cat as young as 4 months old (+ or - age) could go into heat and have a litter. Sad. If your little girl goes into heat there will be males from the area waiting outside for her. You may not be able to catch her if this happens because she will also naturally run to them.

Safest to wait until she is spayed before any more outside visits.

Tricks I used to distract mine when I leave was to give a treat before I leave in a place away from the door. While they are munching on the treat, I leave.You could put a container of treats at the door so when you come home just throw a few treats inside away from the door. Now when I get my keys they knock each outer over to get to the place where treats are given. This is the only time they get treats so that makes it even easier to train.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Does "it" have a name??? Lol!

Anyway, perhaps more interactive play, with things like laser pointers, may help calm him down a bit, or perhaps getting a feline companion for him to help burn some energy as well...

I would say, as long as your yard is safe, and you don't let him out unsupervised, your kitty can enjoy the outdoors. Mine certainly love going out on their leads to enjoy some of the great outdoors.