noobie cat question, very important .. butting heads with my boyfriend on kitty rules!

Hey guys! This is my first post on the forums, but I have been lurking the posts ever since I got 2 little black sister kittens.

They are maybe 5-7 months old now (not exactly sure), I think 6.5 months.

They are NOT yet spayed. This will be done after the holidays, as I do not want to put them through discomfort.

They get along great and bring us so much love and happiness that I could cry. I adore my new babies more and more every day.

They both have such unique personalities: my tuxedo colored girl, mittens, is super hyper, independent, playful yet veryyy cautious (super smart), my fluffy little black kitty-mynx, is chubbier, fluffy, silly, less coordinated, lazier, funnier (silly), and NOT cautious at all, she is super curious and open to new experiences.

Their personalities really come out when my boyfriend goes outside to water his plants, we live in an apartment complex and the outside porch is like 5 feet long with our door on one side and the neighbor's door on the opposite side. We are on the second story so there are stairs leading down to the grounds, and he let's the kitties out while he waters the plants or smokes a cigarette (ugh). This is cute and all, but makes me extremely uncomfortable. I have had a doggie who was untrained and bolted away any chance she could (yorkie) and once I had to chase her through a busy street- had to stop traffic and finally caught her. It was traumatizing. I do not want this to happen with little Mynx. She used to never try to run out the front door, but due to him letting them outside, and falling in love with all the smells/sounds, mynx now knows what is beyond the front door & constantly tries to bolt out before us. She never gets past the 3rd step on her own. She has been to the grounds with me right next to her, literally almost on top of her- ready to pick her up. She is fairly obedient and knows her name. She will stop when she sees me running after her- and she is lazy. However, I know her curiosity *will* get the best of her and she *will* try to roam farther and farther. I am getting a harness/leash so I can take her for walks because I want to make her happy. Mittens is less curious and appreciates the safety of home. 

I fear one day I won't be home and my boyfriend will let them out as usual while he waters his plants/smokes and minx will run run run faster than he expects her to.. and he will lose her, especially with her not being spayed and us not knowing whether she is sexually ready or not. They are black cats so we wouldn't be able to see blood. They meow more but nothing annoying. 

I would be so grateful for advise on this situation from experienced cat owners. I would never ever let them out the porch on their own.

I do however let them out on the balcony when I go out there. I don't let Mynx jump on the ledge, but I do allow Mittens since she is more coordinated/never falls or slips off ledges or beds or tables like Mynx does.. so i keep a paranoid/hypervigiilant eye on them out there. Only letting them out on balcony for 3-5 minutes maximum. 

What should I do? What should the rules be on outdoor time while bf waters plants/smokes? My gut tells me not to trust his "they won't go anywhere" line. I know he adores them just as much as I do and would die if minx got away. she is his favorite. But he is a man and doesn't have the same motherly protective instincts as I do. 

Thanks in advance!

Merry Christmas! Glad you finally joined us! 

Everybody is going to give you the same ans, lol, we highly recommend, you keep them indoors.  There are just way too many things that can happen to kitties that go outside, and being that they are not yet spayed, and they are at that age, where they will be coming in heat, and want, to go out and find a boyfriend. Then now ya got 2 kitties, that are going to have kittens. 

Tell your boyfriend, if he really cares for them, he will not put their lifes in danger. If ya need help in convincing him, I excell in that area, lol.         

Tell him he at least needs to keep them in until after they're spayed, or you'll make HIM clean up after the babies! :tongue2: Once they are ready to mate (and you may not see signs of heat right away), they'll certainly take off to find a male, regardless of their normal behavior. The biological urge to mate is very strong. After they're spayed, you could maybe make a deal with him that they can be out with certain precautions---perhaps with a leash or something like that.

Definitely agree if you love them keep them indoors.  I work for a vet and all too often I see what happens to outdoor kitties, get in cat fights, get wounded, get hit by a car, get lost.  It just isn't safe for kitties to be outside.

I agree with everyone else; cats should see the outdoors from a window. Kittens are cute, bumbling little klutzes. They grow into stealthy athletic cats that can dart in front of cars. Do commend your boyfriend for going outside to smoke, though. It's his choice to smoke but kitties have no say in the matter if he smoked indoors.