Converting an Outdoor Cat to an Indoor Cat

[candy]

I''m the lucky owner of the cute cat seen in my avatar. I came to own her by accident, as she was a stray cat that roamed my neighborhood. One day I felt sorry for her and gave her a can of tuna fish, and the rest was history. As the winter days got colder, and I kept finding her on my doorstep, I started bringing her inside my house. She clearly had a home at one point, was spayed and litter trained, but no one seemed to be looking after her

Over time it started to sink in that she was my responsibility now. And I would do anything for that adorable little thing! But I was probably a bit naive about what it means to own an outdoor cat.

Fast forward to today. I had to bring her to the vet for the first time because she got a bite/scratch that swelled up with an infection. The vet assured me that it was a routine injury, and that she seemed very healthy overall, but he informed me that my cat is required to be quarantined inside my house for the next 5 months!! He said it is my township''s policy due to the fact that I don''t have proof of a current rabies vaccine. It sounds like serious business.

So, my happy little outdoor cat needs to learn to love the indoors. Does anyone have tips about how to make the transition smoother? I hate having to do this to her, but it''s non-negotiable, and probably better for her health in the long term.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[radiantquest]

I would make sure she has plenty of space and a good place to do the claw thing. You dont want her doing that on your furniture. I would also get some cat grass. They love the stuff. Lastly, show her love and affection.

Thats all I can think of. We have several cat lovers here so I am sure you will get plenty of information.

 

[movie zombie]

catnip both fresh and dried.
kitty treats.
organic wheat grass to chew on.
cardboard/catniped scratching pads.
lots of attention.
lots of cat toys.
perhaps even a cat video of the outdoors.
lots of fresh water.
lots of fresh food.
and while she is one cat, 2 or 3 cat boxes with a good quality kitty litter.


it can be done. she can learn to like it. she will have less vet visits due to injury. exposure to diseases will be less. she should remain an indoor cat for the rest of her life.

and she is a beautiful cat! congrats of providing her with a loving home.

mz

 

[HVVS]

She's very pretty.

Maybe get yer a cat tree to perch on, in front of a window. It will probably wind up being the favorite scratch post, too. Cats like the height, and looking out the window will make indoors less boring. With any luck, she won't want to go back out. My one cat that was an "alley cat" steadfastly refuses to go outside again. He loves to sit at the door, or in an open window, but he makes it clear that housecat life is better.

 

[ForteKitty]

we have a couple of ex-feral-now-indoor cats. They wouldn''t even let us touch them at first, but we got traps from organizations doing a trap and release programs and managed to get them fixed. While they were recovering, we decided to keep them indoors to keep an eye on them. After a few weeks, they just stayed indoors... but still didn''t let us touch. After a few months, they started getting a little more friendly because they saw our other cats were petted and they were still alive

. There was a lot of crying and pawing at the door, but we didn''t cave in. We just let them get used to being indoors, and now they wont even go outside.

They will cry and beg, and maybe pee on some of your stuff. Be firm, dont give in. She will thank you later.

Oh and if you have friends w/ big dogs, it might help to have them "stop by" once in a while when you know she will be begging. Mine do it in the afternoons. She might realize that the outside is a scary place and wont wanna go out anymore!

 

[movie zombie]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/17/garden/17catio.html?pagewanted=1&ref=homepage&src=me

have a patio or deck? convert part or all of it to a "catio".

we have done this and its wonderful.

mz

 

[LGK]

I had to convert a stray I adopted to indoor-only... same situation, he'd been somebody's pet once, but had been outside a long time- and I suspect he was never allowed inside a house before, even when he was a pet. We just brought him home and never let him outdoors again- I had way too many cats die young growing up- my parents were die-hard outdoor cat owners and I swore I'd never let any cat of mine out to roam after that.

He did have one moment with the litter box- he peed in the bathtub first, then when he saw me shower in there you could see the lightbulb switch on in his wee furry skull: "Oooooh! It's not a potty! It's some weird human-dampening contraption! Huh..." And then he saw the other cats using the box and figured it out. (He still loves to watch anyone shower who will let him, though- he thinks it's incredibly bizarre and interesting.)

He yowled at the door for about two weeks and then was content. He still darts out sometimes, but (unlike the guys who grew up as indoor only) isn't a total spaz once he gets out so he's easy to catch. After an escape he yowls at the door for another two weeks and then forgets about it again. You do have to watch the door like a hawk when it's open- the other cats won't go out even if the door is left wide, but I often have to lead inside with a foot to nudge him (gently!) away from the door if I'm carrying groceries or something. (And a few times a year he still manages to zip out somehow.)

The only real hitch was the clawing. He wouldn't use scratching posts no matter what. We tried a zillion different kinds of posts, tried a bunch of different things to keep him from clawing the furniture (futile), and he's not into catnip so there was no easy lure to use. Finally after going through one leather couch and many, many other objects (an easel, a papasan chair, etc.) I finally realized he wanted wood. So we have a 2x4 in the living room, and O.P. looooves it and has finally left the (new, unclawed) leather couch alone.

If you have a deck or something she'll love that. We have a huge one that's got super-high walls (a rooftop actually) and they get to sun and dirtify themselves up there. Goes a long way to making the ex-outdoor kitty happy.

That's so awesome you adopted her. Lucky kitty!

 

[candy]

Awww, thanks everyone! You all give me hope that it won''t be so bad. I was feeling cruel, but this is probably best for her in long run. It sounds like a lot of you have made successful transitions with cats far less domesticated than my girl. Hooray!

Thanks for all the great tips about easing the transition. So very helpful. I''ll be going to the pet store this evening to stock up on fun treats.

I wish I could build her a catio since she usually spent her time on my open front porch, but that is a no-no for now.

LGK, your story about the shower is too cute!

We''re on Day 2 and doing fine.... I actually cried on my way to work because I felt so bad keeping her locked up, alone. This may be harder for me than it is for her