Can you make an outdoor cat into an indoor cat.....?

soupdrinker

Guys sorry if this has been posted before......

We found a stray cat (about 3-4 years old) a couple of months ago.... he has been neutered.

Since we have had him he sleeps in every night but in the warmer weather we used to leave him outside for the day, now in the colder weather we keep him all day......we only let me out maybe at the weekends for an hour or so each day.

The thing is I hate letting him out as I'm afraid something will happen him (get knocked down, hide under someones car and get run over) but the OH thinks its cruel to keep him in all the time

Sometimes he sits at the front door, whimpering and pawing at the door as he really wants to go out.

I'm torn between letting him out (which he loves) to have a roam around and keeping him in all the time cos I'm afraid something will happen to him. Would be devastated if something happened to him.

Is it possible to turn him into an indoor cat or is it really cruel to keep him in all the time when he really wants to go out????

Mo60

Its all down to choice on your part. Some people believe that cats should be kept indoors mainly for their own safety. Many, myself included, have been brought up to believe cats should be free to go outside.

If you do decide to let your cat outside you have to accept that it could come to harm, either by accident or deliberately, unfortunately. You will have to weigh up the pros and cons to do what you think is best for your cat.

Cherry Blossom

soupdrinker wrote: »

I'm torn between letting him out (which he loves) to have a roam around and keeping him in all the time cos I'm afraid something will happen to him. Would be devastated if something happened to him.

Is it possible to turn him into an indoor cat or is it really cruel to keep him in all the time when he really wants to go out????

You can do both.

http://www.purrfectfence.co.uk/

Themadhouse

Our first cats were a yr and a half old mammy cat that we adopted with her 2 kittens.
We have kept them indoors right from the start. We kept them confined to a couple of rooms until they settled in. After a while they got the run of the house. If we open an outside door all 3 will run in the opposite direction. We took the boy out on a lead once and he clung to the wall, terrified. We adopted another cat and when we got him he was an unneutered 2 yr old and again once he settled inside he had no interest in an open door.

We were lucky enough 2 yrs ago to get a huge amount of the garden fully enclosed and they can wander out there if they want, they dont use it as much as i thought they would tho prefering to be indoors.

He will turn around and want to be indoors. Make sure he has some hidey holes, like leave a carrier out with the door off. A box, a scratch post.

I can understand your worries as i would not let my guys out due to fear of loosing them. my dog doesnt roam as she is an indoor dog, my chickens are in a fox/cat safe garden and the cats have their safe outside space if they wish.

You and your oh could get some cheap wood and rabbit fencing and build a small run for him. It can be easy enough to do. You could put it so a bathroom window or something can be opened saay for 2 hrs a day or something and let him have his bit of fun outside.

Graces7

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

You can do both.

http://www.purrfectfence.co.uk/

Many cannot afford this...

Graces7

As others have said, it is your choice. I would let the cat out if he is asking and is used to it, IF the surroundings are safe.

When we lived in a town/village, there was no way we would let the cats out. We bred Siamese then. And even when we started changing to rescue cats, we would keep them in in a town. Too many dangers etc.

When that time ended, and we moved to a rural setting, the cats were allowed out and that is how it has been since. It would with this present pair be extremely cruel to confine them even in a run. When we have been getting ready to move and kept them in it has been an ordeal all round.

They come in at night etc. And they revel in their freedom.

Really there are no fixed rules.

MaryK666

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

You can do both.

http://www.purrfectfence.co.uk/

Totally agree. I got this fence for my garden and it really does work. My cats are mostly indoor cats (despite two of them having been 2year old ferals) but now they can come out in the garden with us in the summer and for a bit of a runabout at other times of the year when it's not raining.

audreyp

Its totally possible! My cat was an outdoor cat for 3+ years. He kept getting in trouble, fights, endless dead mice in the house, poisoned once, hit by a car and finally a septic foot. I decided no more even thought it was HELL, two months later I'm through it. He is a nicer and happier cat for it. He was such a volatile cat and now he is such a cuddler. Not saying it wasn't tough but def worth it!!!! Hope this helps, I've been through all of this so can definitely understand. Good luck!

purplepanda

This thread is the opposite of what my situation is, we've took in 2 10 year old neutered female tabby cats which lived indoors all their lives until their owner couldn't care for them any longer.

They have been here for 5 weeks now, the last two weeks I have let them go out through the cat flap (closed at night & when we are out) to the garden.

They don't seem to be that bothered & won't leave the garden path & don't really want to explore any further, maybe it's the rain & bad weather putting them off. 5 minutes outside & they're back indoors :rolleyes:

Just wondering if they will eventually decide to go out in the garden more often when the weather gets better or maybe they won't really change their ways?

Scruffles

purplepanda wrote: »

This thread is the opposite of what my situation is, we've took in 2 10 year old neutered female tabby cats which lived indoors all their lives until their owner couldn't care for them any longer.

They have been here for 5 weeks now, the last two weeks I have let them go out through the cat flap (closed at night & when we are out) to the garden.

They don't seem to be that bothered & won't leave the garden path & don't really want to explore any further, maybe it's the rain & bad weather putting them off. 5 minutes outside & they're back indoors :rolleyes:

Just wondering if they will eventually decide to go out in the garden more often when the weather gets better or maybe they won't really change their ways?

as they had always been indoor cats,they will stay close to home as that is where their food and attention givers are.
usualy its the warmer summer months when cats like to get out and sun themselves,but as the pair has never had to contend with territory guarding or used full hunting instincts they havent got any other reason or routine for going out.
they also tend to get energy challenged in their senior years so it will be very difficult getting them to become balanced indoor/outdoor cats.


perhaps for the summer,coud look into non toxic cat friendly plants-ones that attract their senses,like catnip and plant them around the garden to encourage them to explore more.

some cats are perfectly fine with living indoors only,look at FIV cats,a lot of pedigrees are kept indoors only because of the percieved [and sometimes real] threat of kidnap.

there are alternatives that others use such as 'cat leads',some use special cat buggies/prams,and some use outdoor cat pens/ enclosures -with a kennel type house inside it for cover so their indoor cat can have outdoor time in a safer environment-an example of that one is here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15x9x6-Chicken-Animal-Enclosure-Walk-Run-Aviary-/130609006504?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Cats&hash=item1e68e747a8 -someone good at DIY can build that themselves for a lot cheaper;with the coop/house included probably.

its like with human kids,everyone has their own views of what is right and not right for them but just dont worry about it-let the kittehs decide if they want the extra freedom,if theyre anything like all senior cats we have ever had though they will want to be the closest to the food bowls when dindins is ready.:D

goat2

soupdrinker wrote: »

Guys sorry if this has been posted before......

We found a stray cat (about 3-4 years old) a couple of months ago.... he has been neutered.

Since we have had him he sleeps in every night but in the warmer weather we used to leave him outside for the day, now in the colder weather we keep him all day......we only let me out maybe at the weekends for an hour or so each day.

The thing is I hate letting him out as I'm afraid something will happen him (get knocked down, hide under someones car and get run over) but the OH thinks its cruel to keep him in all the time

Sometimes he sits at the front door, whimpering and pawing at the door as he really wants to go out.

I'm torn between letting him out (which he loves) to have a roam around and keeping him in all the time cos I'm afraid something will happen to him. Would be devastated if something happened to him.

Is it possible to turn him into an indoor cat or is it really cruel to keep him in all the time when he really wants to go out????

one thing i can tell you is, that you cannot make an outdoor cat out of an indoor cat, my old cat is right now under the christmas tree, she loves the spot, every christmas she spends christmas under the tree on one of those three blankets that cover the base of the tree, she used to try to climb the tree, but does nto climb it anymore, she is not too old for that, she refuses to go out, i have to pick her up to put her out after feeding, but if the cat is a pet already, it will be easy,
i know your fear, i have lost four cats in the past few yrs, as they yoused to go into the car engine during winter, they all died doing that,

purplepanda

Many thanks for the advice Scruffles.

Over Xmas they seem to have been out a bit more, milder weather plus less noise from traffic probably helped, maybe another cold snap on the way & I expect them to stay encamped under their favourite radiator!!:D

I'll get them some catnip for when spring arrives, got to keep the old ones on their toes;)

soupdrinker

Hi Guys

I'm still torn

That purrfect fence things looks good but its very expensive - bit out of our price range at the moment

As I said, when I let him out, I worry about him, in case he goes wandering and gets lost, in case he is hit by a car, attacked by a dog, picks up a disease etc etc but it breaks my heart when he sits at the door miaowing pitifully to get outside......

The OH says its cruel to keep him in when he really wants to go out.

I reckon he will eventually get used to being inside and won't want to go outside - he has lots of toys to play with, has loads of comfy places where he loves to sleep etc..

It would break my heart if anything happened to him when we let him outside....

purplepanda

My old cats are hilarious when they see heavy rain, they really want to go outside for a look but soon change their minds when their heads get soaked.:D

They do stay outside now sometimes for half an hour or so, I'll only let them out when someone's there, they always come back through the catflap when called at night, then the catflap gets shut.

The old cats always have a crazy half hour play fighting every day, so they still have some energy left, once in a while in gets serious with hissing & claws out, then I have to wave the stick at them

soupdrinker

In the summer we used to let him out for the whole day but since the winter and dark evenings we currently only let him out for about an hour each day at the weekend.

OH says he will always come back cos he knows where he gets food, toys, cuddles etc but I say he won't come back if he's knocked down or injured:( but apparently I'm being too overprotective

Lawliet

soupdrinker wrote: »

As I said, when I let him out, I worry about him, in case he goes wandering and gets lost, in case he is hit by a car, attacked by a dog, picks up a disease etc etc but it breaks my heart when he sits at the door miaowing pitifully to get outside......

I wouldn't worry about him getting lost, cats have an amazing homing instinct - we once had a Tom escape from the vets seven miles away, several days later he was sitting outside our door scowling at us like nothing had happened. And vaccination will keep most diseases away.

I think you are being a bit over protective, a fully grown cat who is use to being outside doesn't need to be fussed over quite so much. For a cat that's use to freedom I'm not surprised being stuck inside all the time is making him miserable. At the end of the day it's your decision but I personally think you should at least let him out a bit more often, two hours a week is nothing.

soupdrinker

He's not miserable all the time - when he sits at the front door we try and distract him with toys and play with him for ages and he soon forgets he wants to go out. He's not sitting at the front door 24 hours a day crying!!!

We do let him out at weekends but he usually only stays out about an hour or so and then is back at the front door wanting to get back in.

Lawliet

Well if only wants to go out for a short while, why not let him? It's not like he's taking off for ages and by the sounds of it you're around to let him back in, so I don't really see what the problem is

purplepanda

Here's an eventual update just in case anyone needs some infomation on moving indoor cats to an outdoor home.

Almost a year later & the old cats have, over the summer & autumn finally adapted to their new home.

They. after six months or so started mostly using the outside to go toilet, I used to keep them in at night & close the cat flap & left a tray in case they got caught short.

A few months back I removed the indoor cat tray & left the cat flap open for the night. They have been guarding their house at night ever since in the same way as daytime hours..

A few local cats on night patrol have arrived at the catflap to be greeted with much hissing & spitting & attempted clawing through the catlap. So they are now defending their home from intruders

The former dominant cat of the pair doesn't seem that bothered about outside & stays indoors most of the time. The other cat came out of her shell & is now the boss, she is very aggressive if another cat appears in her garden where she spends most of her waking hours.

She also has become more muscular & put on weight & is trying to boss her sibling. A cat style power struggle :pac:

Thanks for the help earlier in this thread.