Moving an outdoor cat to an apartment?

supersheeps

My cat loves the outdoor life, she has a catflap and wanders in and out all day. I live on a lane in a suburb, so not much traffic and some space for her to explore. She was a stray who moved herself in shortly after I did, and seems to have set routines about how she spends her day (usually find her in the same locations) She hates being kept in, and will only use her litter tray as a last resort.
My problem is, I need to move quite soon. I have a chance of a room in an apartment, with friends, but I don't know how kitty would adapt to this. It's a few floors up, so I don't think leaving a window open is an option. Would it be fairer to re-home her in the area we currently live in? It would break my heart to do this, right now she's curled up beside me fast asleep, nuzzling me every now and then:( I could re-home her with my folks for a while, but it's in the country, and they have two dogs who hate cats, and she hates dogs (is quite nervous around anybody or anything else but me, really) I've been hoping to find somewhere with a garden, but nothing's happening and I REALLY need to get out of here asap!
Any advice? Can a pretty lazy outdoor cat become a pretty lazy indoor cat? Can they be trained to walk on a harness? Or is it a case of "if you love someone, set them free"?

the_syco

supersheeps wrote: »

Or is it a case of "if you love someone, set them free"?

Try to get her rehomed first, before you bring kitty with you, as otherwise kitty may adopt someone else when she escapes the apartment, and it'll wreck your head with worry not knowing what happened to her.

sambuka41

My male was a stray who LOVES being outside, he is an indoor cat for 1 year now. He is healthy and reasonably happy so it is possible. My guy does try and escape all the time though, I have moved to a ground floor flat with him and we have a small back garden and he is ALWAYS trying to escape.

The problem is though when you move in with other people you may not be able to insist that they keep windows and doors closed when you aren't there. If she gets out she won't be able to come back

Graces7

supersheeps wrote: »

My cat loves the outdoor life, she has a catflap and wanders in and out all day. I live on a lane in a suburb, so not much traffic and some space for her to explore. She was a stray who moved herself in shortly after I did, and seems to have set routines about how she spends her day (usually find her in the same locations) She hates being kept in, and will only use her litter tray as a last resort.
My problem is, I need to move quite soon. I have a chance of a room in an apartment, with friends, but I don't know how kitty would adapt to this. It's a few floors up, so I don't think leaving a window open is an option. Would it be fairer to re-home her in the area we currently live in? It would break my heart to do this, right now she's curled up beside me fast asleep, nuzzling me every now and then:( I could re-home her with my folks for a while, but it's in the country, and they have two dogs who hate cats, and she hates dogs (is quite nervous around anybody or anything else but me, really) I've been hoping to find somewhere with a garden, but nothing's happening and I REALLY need to get out of here asap!
Any advice? Can a pretty lazy outdoor cat become a pretty lazy indoor cat? Can they be trained to walk on a harness? Or is it a case of "if you love someone, set them free"?

Tough one; sympathy here. maybe she is so attached to you that it would work. It would with my two, but with these two I would not move where they could not go out. They have been with me for five moves now. Always attached to me before anything else.

Cats are good at avoiding dogs; ours have to be with collie here.