Ruby doesn't like her new collar!

Hello everyone - this is our first post, so please be kind!

We adopted little Ruby from the local RSPCA about a month ago. She is very sweet, little 1-year old black and white. I would say she was quite a shy/nervous little thing, but she has/is become/becomming very relaxed in our house, what with her sleeping with us, waking us up for food, LOTS of purring etc etc.

Here is the problem...

We want to let her explore out little garden outside - the RSPCA said to leave it about a month before you do so. She does seem very comfortable in the house and she seems very settled, so we thing now is the right time to introduce her to the outside world, however, we don't want her to kill our local birds so we got her a collar with a little bell on it. We put this on her this morning, and she has scarcley touched her breakfast, let alone her dinner. It seems to us that she isn't particularly bothered with the collar itself, but rather terrified of the sound the bell makes. She has stayed hidden behind the armchair almost all evening. So..this evening, we took the collar off, as we just couldn't bear to see her so sad and upset. Now she seems fine again - we really want to be able to let her outside, but we REALLY don't want her killing birds - what do we do? Will she eventually get used to the sound of the bell around her neck, or are there other alternatives to the little HELL bell?!?

Help!

- two, young, inexperienced cat parents, Ben and Flo.

Maybe you could attach the bell to Ruby's collar all the time, and keep it on permanantly. Animals hate it when you put something on them - collars, bells, whatever, - until they get used to it. I think Ruby will adjust to it if you just leave it on her. Maybe the bell is too big? She might not like having a jangling sound right next to her sensitive ears.
Maybe you could get a tinier bell and keep it on her all the time, then when you let her outside, it won't be a drastic change for her.
Also, I wouldn't recommend letting her outside at all: Either let her be an indoor cat or an outdoor one. When I let my kitty out on a tiny leash (it was actually yarn, she was so tiny!) she didn't understand the concept of being attached to a lead, and she would get tangled or keep pulling when she got to the end. Also, if I let my other kitten, Riley, outside, he would enjoy himself so much that he wouldn't want back in! It's better if they are kept inside, so that they won't miss being out.
But that's just for my kitties; maybe Ruby is better suited for being let out.

Ok first - You are going to get a lot of people who will say that cats shouldn't be let out at all - It can be dangerous to let cats out - Predators, cars, people etc.

But it is a personal decision, and I'm sure you would never intentially put your cats in harms way.

They HATE collars!! But will get used to them if you leave it on long enough. Just make sure she gets lots of cuddles and kisses with her collar on to make her feel more comfortable with it.

I would recommend getting a leash - I took my boy out on a leash and it took him a little while to get used to it but he was ok. This way you can let them explore and smell without the worry of them getting lost or attacking anything!

Also, if you start to let them out without a leash, make sure they are supervised visits at first - They can often get disorientated and need you there so they know where home is!!

And also, don't let them out on their own if she is not desexed - Otherwise you will have a pregnant cat on your hands!! I'm sure she is desexed especially if she came from the RSPCA.

Have fun!! And feel free to ask as many questions as you like!

I've heard that cats are quite capable of catching birds even with a bell on, so I'm not sure that it will do much to protect the bird population.

All three of my cats had lived outdoors for months or years before I got them, so I have let them go outside daytime. (We have coyotes in town, so it is too risky at night IMO.) My neighbor's cat lived to be 22, though, and she was allowed out day or night. But I soon discovered that my girl, Sheba, was just too good a hunter. She delivered two birds to my door, one to the back and one to the garage, within a one hour period in the spring or early summer. So I decided to keep her in most of the time. The boys catch mice and rats, but I've only seen evidence of two birds within six years, so I can live with that low casualty rate. If you choose to allow Ruby out, you may need to do some observation as to how big a threat she would be to the birds. Some cats are more vicious hunters than others.

I've heard suggestions on this board in the past to train a cat on a halter and leash inside first so they are comfortable with it before taking them outside with it. I may do that with Sheba later, and it is something you might want to consider.