Babies and exercise

[catslovelycats]

Could you advise me please on when I should/could start letting my kits out of their cage? The boy escapes every time I let mum out and the girl is showing signs of being interested.
I've seen conflicting advice but the majority seems to be wait for a year. I have read that mum shouldn't come out while nursing but she was desperate for a change of scene and enjoys her little kit-free moments, before going back in to nurse them and is much happier for it.
TIA

 

[tunes]

You don't have to wait for a year, that's silly. People recommend waiting at least 6 months for a wheel, but that's because some chins literally run themselves to death. I used to let my babies out with mom for short periods of time in a playpen that had been covered with hardware cloth so they couldn't escape. I only did it for about 15 minutes every couple days until they built up tolerance, but they loved it and mom enjoyed the ability to get away from the kits for a while even if it was just because she had a larger space to move around in. You just have to be exceptionally careful that there is no way for them to escape and that you are absolutely in the clear of not stepping on them when you pick them up to put them back in their cage. It also won't hurt mom to be out on her own for a little while. When the kits are newborns no, but if they are a 4 weeks old or so, then mom would probably love an hour break here and there.