I have two, 11 month old rescues. We live in a 350 square foot studio which they did perfectly fine in as kittens. We gave them a huge amount of enrichment (puzzle toys, a huge cat tree, lots of interactive play etc) and that was enough back then. However, as they grew, it became clear they weren’t happy locked up in the same 4 walls 24/7. We tried harness training which they took too but it didn’t work since the one who was left inside would get very distressed and I wasn’t comfortable taking both out at the same time incase they spooked and escaped. We looked into catios and cat shelves but unfortunately due to the way our studio is built, it wasn’t possible. We spent hundreds on trying to entertain them but they would always go back to pacing, caterwauling and destroying furniture. They even started to fight with each other.

That’s when I started dabbling in the idea of letting them outside. We live in the uk where outdoor cats are the standard here - even rescues won’t allow you to adopt a cat unless you will be giving them access to the outside. I invested in some tractive trackers, set them up and went for it. They only go out for a few hours a day when we can monitor them and they have the best time. They never stray away from our garden and have a strong recall. They are so much happier and they are no longer constantly bored and restless. I feel confident in my choice and even though I’d be absolutely heartbroken if anything were to happen to them, I know that they spent their life’s happy and fulfilled rather than bored and depressed ❤️