No they don't need to be let out.  A cat can stay indoors all their life
with no problems

7 weeks is just a baby IMO KEEP THE FURBALL INSIDE.  This will start a major
debate  but think about the area you live in  how many cars go by a 3 mile
radius of your house daily.  Winter  will kill a baby cat if they can't find
shelter.   Think about all the predators out there and not just animal think
about human and the dangers they will cause purposely.

But it also depends on the are you live in  the USA  has more dangers than
say Europe.  You have to make the judgment call.  Think about it from a
child point of view what will they get into and what can hurt them

Phil has a great site about all of this
http://www.maxshouse.com/outdoor_risks.htm

A cat will purr even when it is dying or in pain.

Suddenly, without warning, Jay Kaner exclaimed (28-Nov-06 11:56 AM):

Oh, you've opened a can of worms here!  This is a subject that often
devolves into a flameware.

I'm a moderate on this subject.  I think if it has to be black or white,
all indoor is better than all outdoor.  She'll be healthier, and live
longer, as an indoor cat.  If you give her plenty of attention and
sufficient toys, etc to keep her occupied, she'll be a happy indoor
kitty as well.

However, if you have a safe, enclosed outdoor area, I see no harm in
letting her outside, "under supervision".  This is what Meep gets.  We
let her outside in our enclosed back yard, but only when we're home, and
if we're not out there, we check on her periodically.  She's never out
at night, or out when we're not home.  It's our choice to offer to let
her go out, but her choice whether she does so.

As for the purring... cats do purr for other reasons than happiness.
I've never come across a kitten that purrs continuously, but that
doesn't mean much.  Is there anything else that seems off about her?
Does she seem quieter than you'd expect a kitten to be?  Does she eat
and eliminate normally?  Does she cry, or hiss at odd times?  It's
probably nothing, but if anything else seems odd about her, a call to
the vet wouldn't be amiss.

At any rate, if you haven't already, you should take her to the vet for
a checkup anyway, find out what shots she needs and when... and you can
ask the vet about her purring.

jmc

At seven weeks, she is too small anyways to be outside.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure all of her vaccinations are
up-to-date and she is spayed before you let her outside, or you will
likely end up with a litter of kittens.

It is ok to keep a cat indoors, provided they've never know anything
else. Preferably you should have two cats though, so they can keep each
other company. Maybe there's still a littermate of the kitten
available?

You will hear lots of opinions about this - I have always adopted adult
cats which had been outdoor-only / indoor-outdoor when I adopted them,
so they remained that way. I have a bias towards trying to leave a cat
indoors if you adopt a kitten (kittens). If they accept it, great, if
not, you may decide to let them outside IF you live in a safe
environment, the cats are neutered, microchipped and have all their
vaccinations. Keep in mind that you will need to treat for fleas and
deworm regularly.

She will know her home well by the time you start letting her out :-)

For Gods shake let your cat out,she has to discover,play and learn in
natural enviroment.Do not  have your cat caged in your
appartment,especially now that she is young no matter how many silly
cat toys you have

I've had indoor cats and outdoor cats.  The indoor cats lived to be 17
and 19 years of age.  The outdoor ones all died around 12 and cost me a
fortune in vet bills (cat fights, flea treatments, etc.).

We made sure our indoor cats knew the outside of their house by taking
them out on a leash & harness regularly.  If your cat runs out (as most
do) or a visitor or burglar lets her out, you want her to know the
smells outside her house so she can find her way back.  However, never
leave her outside on the leash unattended because she might be attacked
and defenseless.

If I had my druthers, all my cats would be indoor cats. Birds and
chipmunks are safer, and so are the cats (think cars, dogs, other cats,
falls from trees or fences, poisons left out by nasty neighbours who are
fed up with your cat digging their flower or vegetable gardens, etc.).

Bobble

I agree with the others who've said 7 weeks is too young to go outside
alone.  I personally keep my cats indoors only.  Some people think that's
mean.  But the last cat I allowed to be indoor-outdoor disappeared when he
was only 18 months old.  That's the last cat I allowed to go outside.  I
live in a rural area, and I thought he'd be OK out there since I had
another cat at the time who came and went as he pleased.  He lived to be
17, but he was the exception, I think.  There are many dangers outside --
cars, dogs, people.

I also think it's important for indoor kitties to have another cat as a
playmate.  They need their own furniture, too.  I have lots of cat trees
and other things for them to rip to shreds.

My brother has two cats that he lets roam anywhere they want.  They kill
everything they can find.  I'm sure that most of the pheasant babies in
the area have fallen prey to these two cats.  That's another reason I
don't like to let the cats outside.  Mine get their killing thrills by
getting a mouse or two a year who think it's a good idea to come in here
when it starts to get cold.

I don't know about the purring thing either.  I had a cat once who purred
if you looked at him.  But kittens will purr to comfort themselves.  He's
a little young to be taken away from his mother and his siblings, and he
may be doing so much purring because he's lonesome for feline
companionship.  I suggest you get another kitten and let them grow up
together.  The best time to introduce a second cat is when they are so
young and will take to each other easily.

Good luck!

Eva

In my hometown(countryside) all of my cats(young or old) are roaming
FREE(=YAY! they all can do whatever they like) in my garden
Winter is not so harsh here so we have a room just to store some
wood.In this room theres a box with some old clothes so thats were some
of my cats sleep whenever they WANT,i have also provided this room with
a thermal bulb.Anyone of my cats who gave birth to kittens(oh who
lovely they are),theaches them how to hunt down their preys and how to
prowl.DOESNT THIS SEEM SO NATURAL??
CATS ARE ANIMALS NOT YOUR TEDDYBEARS!
MY CATS ACT LIKE CATS NOT LIKE SOME FAT FURRY THING

As for Matthew: Go on mate feed your cat to death,dress them up like
clowns or sg
and act like they are some lifeless object you need just for your
ENTERTAINMENT!
Your redneck soft soul makes me feel quite uncomfortable :(
GO ON MATTHEW EXPLOIT your cats
or should i say cat?

anyway cheers

OK guys as said i think that the idea of having a cat in our out is
based on the culture of each nation
Anyway like the total troll i am heres a question:If you keep a female
cat indoors and she wants to get laid,
what will you do?Will you let her out to satisfy the basic motive of a
female cat which is being a mother or keep her inside horny and
angry?Or worse treat her with chemicals or have her castrated(!  :'(
!)