Turning an indoor cat into an outdoor one?

Glowing

Hiya,

I was just wondering - if you have a (neutered) cat who has lived indoors for 2 years, is it at all possible that he could learn to be an indoor/outdoor cat? Or would it be too challenging for him?

And if it would be possible, how would you go about the transition?

Thanks!

Whispered

I wouldn't recommend it, he's safer inside and it would probably be pretty stressful for him I would imagine. Do you have an enclosed garden? If you could find a way of keeping him in it then it would be great for him to get outdoors for a bit. (Does anybody know of any irish suppliers who do this, I'm looking to get it done?). Otherwise, he's probably better off staying indoors. What about a cat enclosure? He could lounge in the sun and fresh air then, without you having to worry too much.

I don't think a cat who has been indoors most of his life would be able to look after himself very well in the big bad world.

forestfruits

Two years is a long time, would worry he wouldnt be able to cope with the big bad world, cant imagine hed be up to defending himself , probably not even away he should!

the idea of a cat enclosure is a great idea, like a dog run but for the cat might get him used to being outside.

Glowing

Thanks for that.

My situation is that I'm fostering 2 cats at the moment. They're both great, and I'd *consider* keeping them if they could spend time outdoors. I don't feel its right to keep the cats cooped up in the kitchen during the day while we're at work (we live in a small 2up/2down). The kitten I feel would have no issues with going outside, but the other older guy is very placid .... we have a small yard backing onto a quiet lane. There are high walls around the yard, but you know cats! They'd be up on the roof before you know it!

Whispered

Thats the worse of fostering

What i was considering doing with my garden is to get loads of "L" brackets, or those hooks you hang flower baskets on. Attach them to the wall around the garden and use fishing line strung from one to the other to create a kind of lip around the top of the wall (being careful not to leave gaps at corners etc). The you could hang baskets, or even little lanterns around the top of the wall from the brackets. I really must get around to doing it. Maybe you could try something like that?

Glowing

Hmm nice idea Helena, but you haven't seen my back yard! Lanterns would look a bit out of place! The house is 100 years old, so are the walls surrounding it .... and the walls are very climbable.

I don't think that would work in our situation unfortunately. I think if the cats are out, they're out!

Whispered

Candle lanterns on 100 year old walls sound lovely! :P

Another tip I heard was to get large pipes and cut down the centre, so you have 2 long half pipes, then stick them around the top of the wall, just below the top. The cat would get as far as the pipe, and would be able to get any further.

I honestly don't think the older guy would cope with being out. If you're in a town he'd have no clue about traffic.

Glowing

helena.ryan wrote: »

I honestly don't think the older guy would cope with being out. If you're in a town he'd have no clue about traffic.

Yeah that's what I thought (but hoped against) We're fronting onto a main st. I have seen cats wander around the place but I guess they've more road sense than Beans does.

tubos

We used to live in a ground floor apartment with a back garden, but kept our cat indoors, as a few cats had gone missing. There was a few building sites around. After two years we moved house, to a bigger house and garden and a quieter estate. We kept the cat in for a few months, then would bring him out to the garden on a lead every now and then. when he got used to that we would let him off the lead but always try to be close by him, he'd run back in to the house at any sign of a noise!!!

Anyway, after gradually letting him out more and more he now likes to venture outside a lot but also likes to come back for his grub and a bit of a sleep!

We are now starting to leave him out overnight so during the day he'll come back in and sleep. We are doing this as he has started to wander into our neighbours house during the day when they have the door open!! and our neighbours are not too happy about it!

carwash_2006

I prefer indoor or safe outdoor access for cats myself. I hate not being sure whether they'll come home or not. Bear in mind that one in four outdoor cats never come home and the owners mostly never find out why.

I have a completely enclosed cat run for my lot.

You say you are fostering these cats. Have you checked that whoever you are fostering them for would be ok with them becoming outdoor?

Glowing

carwash_2006 wrote: »

You say you are fostering these cats. Have you checked that whoever you are fostering them for would be ok with them becoming outdoor?

Yes of course - I'll keep them indoors while I'm fostering. My house is quite small, and I would consider keeping them myself *only* if they could have safe access outside .... it's not practical for us otherwise unfortunately. The door from our kitchen goes straight into the back yard - it would mean we couldn't open that door anytime without risking the cats escaping (or unless we uproot them and shut them into the other room, not great when they're sleeping/eating/playing). We don't have an 'air-lock' as such!! Given the cat's alternative (to live in a cage in a windowless room in a vets practice), we feel they're better off with us until they find somewhere permanent, but long term, it can't really work with our current living conditions. Boo.

Otherwise .... would anyone with a bigger house fancy adopting 2 lovely cats? :pac:

Other people who have indoor cats, how do you deal with opening windows and doors and stuff?

carwash_2006

The part of the house that the cats have access to has all it's windows opening out into the run. Thankfully they are not inclined to run through doors and the only door to the outside closes itself quite quickly so it can't get left open by mistake.

I have seen some really gorgeous runs made by several people that include their back doors and have an airlock system for access to the rest of the garden.

I do have one window in the house that I have to be very careful about opening because one of my dogs will jump through it. With that one I don't open it unless the dogs are safely in their garden.

I was just wondering if you were fostering them for a rescue they might have had homing regulations that might not allow the cats to become outdoor cats. If the alternative for them is to be shut in a cage in the vets then yes they are hugely better off.

Pimp Ninja

Carwash, would you be referring to this ?



This is what we have had built for our two. I know its probably not ideal if you dont have the space for it.

One is 2 years old, the other is 1. They both are perma-indoor cats.

We had this finished about a month ago because we have a baby on the way and wanted to restrict the cats movement around the indoors. So while taking away their access to our bedroom we had this built for them to have safe access to the outside. The lads are super happy with it and spend the day out in it.

Theres still some extra work to be done in it (building some shelves and things for them to climb on) but it is by far the best thing we have done for our cats.

-Dan

carwash_2006

That would be one of them.

Hope all is going well with the special delivery.

luckat

May I suggest that you let the cat out during the day, but not at night?

Nighttime is mostly when cats

a) get into fights
b) get run over
c) kill baby birds

Glowing

luckat wrote: »

a) get into fights
c) kill baby birds

I'm shocked! My dear kitty would never do anything of the sort!

BlackCat2008

Pimp Ninja wrote: »

Carwash, would you be referring to this ?



This is what we have had built for our two. I know its probably not ideal if you dont have the space for it.

Would you ask your builder if I can have his no. I've been trying to find some one who could inclose an entire garden with out touching of one of the nieghbours walls he looks like he's done a great job won't be doing it for a while as the garden has to be landscaped first, but like to know I could have some in line to do it when their finished.

Lovely Kittie too.

I live in the south of Dublin if he works around here you can pm it to me. Thank you.

Pimp Ninja

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

Would you ask your builder if I can have his no. I've been trying to find some one who could inclose an entire garden with out touching of one of the nieghbours walls he looks like he's done a great job won't be doing it for a while as the garden has to be landscaped first, but like to know I could have some in line to do it when their finished.

Lovely Kittie too.

I live in the south of Dublin if he works around here you can pm it to me. Thank you.

We just got a carpenter to do it for us. It cost €2000 for the lot (materials & 3 days work). We had 3 different carpenters out for quotes and they all came in around the same price.

Its only attached to the house around the outside of the frame. Everything else is nailed back onto that. Nothing is dug into the ground, it kind of just sits onto the grass.

Hes coming out to the house this sunday for some indoor stuff for us, so Ill have a chat with him and ask if its OK to pass on your number.