Letting older cats out for the first time??

I have 2 cats, one is 2.5 and the other turned 2 in feb, having worked in vet hospitals and done animal studies I've always believed in having inside cats, at best they've spent the day in our tiny yard, but they have always wanted to go out the front since day dot, now with bub number 2 on the way and getting a brand new lounge at the end of the year (:dance: ) I think it's time they are allowed outside during the day, the only thing is, because they aren't exactly kittens, I'm not sure how to go about doing it, I've made sure all their vaccinations and flea and worming treatments are up to date and they are microchipped, I also went and bought them new collars with bells and all that, so they are ready to go, but I'm not sure where to start,

Yesterday we sat outside and let them roam around and they were out there for a good half an hour but didn't go further than our garden so I thought that was good as well,

I'm just scared they will get hurt or not come back lol, I want to get them in the habit of coming back by night time

Does anyone have any tips or ideas of how I can start and get them in the habit of coming back before dark?

TIA xx

Just keep on doing what you're doing at the moment, then gradually move onto you being inside but with the screen door open so they can get in and out, build up to you being inside with the screen door closed, so they can get used to meowing to get let back in.

As for the in before dark, with all of mine, when they were younger, I used to physically call them before dusk, but when they were at the outside when I was outside stage, I'd physically pick them up and bring them in, telling them that they had to be inside before dinner. They also used to get fed after dark, so if they didn't come in they didn't get fed.

My cat was an inside cat for about 3-4 years, with the occasion where she would slip past you and run all the way to the end of the yard, now she is a fully fledged outside (inside when she feels like it) cat. They might disappear for a bit but they will always come back when it's hungry. I could always get my cat to return no matter where she disappeared off to, by shaking her food bax, 5minutes later she was rushing to her food bowl :)
Hope this helps :) And good luck with your kitties and your new baby on the way :)