Cat Question

Teddy917 · January 2015

When we got our cat, I wanted him to be purely indoor. My BIL convinced H to make him indoor/outdoor.

We are hopefully moving into an apartment within the next year. My husband thought that our cat could still be indoor/outdoor. I had to explain to him that unless we moved into an apartment where our door opened straight outside, letting him in and out would be hard. We would have to walk him all the way to the door to go out of the building. And to come in, right now he just meows, but we wouldn't hear him in our apartment. Plus I don't think most apartments will let a cat just wander around.

So we will try to transition him to pure inside. But we don't know how to do it. He spends most of his time inside already. He sleeps in our bed, has a litter box inside, food and water inside, and he doesn't like the cold. So hopefully it shouldn't be too hard. H also wants to start walking him so that he can go outside occasionally.

So does anyone have any ideas on how to make the transition and how to teach a cat to walk on a leash?

huskypuppy14 · January 2015

Teddy917 said:

When we got our cat, I wanted him to be purely indoor. My BIL convinced H to make him indoor/outdoor. We are hopefully moving into an apartment within the next year. My husband thought that our cat could still be indoor/outdoor. I had to explain to him that unless we moved into an apartment where our door opened straight outside, letting him in and out would be hard. We would have to walk him all the way to the door to go out of the building. And to come in, right now he just meows, but we wouldn't hear him in our apartment. Plus I don't think most apartments will let a cat just wander around. So we will try to transition him to pure inside. But we don't know how to do it. He spends most of his time inside already. He sleeps in our bed, has a litter box inside, food and water inside, and he doesn't like the cold. So hopefully it shouldn't be too hard. H also wants to start walking him so that he can go outside occasionally. So does anyone have any ideas on how to make the transition and how to teach a cat to walk on a leash?

My parents had a cat that was indoor/outdoor. Something happened with the neighbors (supposedly our cat attacked her granddaughter) and my parents decided to keep him inside after that. He whined to go outside, and my sister tried to walk him on a leash, but he would just sit down and not move with it on.

They just kept him inside, and he was fine. Every cat is different though.

esstee33 · January 2015

I'm not sure how there would be any possible way to gradually transition. Taking him on walks would be a good idea -- you may have better luck getting a harness & leash combo rather than just a collar & leash -- most cat collars are breakaway, so if he pulls on the leash hard enough, it'll come off.

I definitely wouldn't try to have an indoor/outdoor cat in an apartment.

Teddy917 · January 2015

esstee33 said:
I'm not sure how there would be any possible way to gradually transition. Taking him on walks would be a good idea -- you may have better luck getting a harness & leash combo rather than just a collar & leash -- most cat collars are breakaway, so if he pulls on the leash hard enough, it'll come off.

I definitely wouldn't try to have an indoor/outdoor cat in an apartment.

We were definitely thinking of a harness instead of a collar. Any recommendations?

CMGragain · January 2015

We can't have outdoor cats here - for very long. Too many coyotes. Think about the traffic in the neighborhood to which you will be moving. Is that something you want to risk?

A cat usually has to be harness trained from kittenhood. Every adult cat I have ever tried has simply plopped down on the sidewalk and refused to move. Good luck with this.

esstee33 · January 2015

Teddy917 said:

I'm not sure how there would be any possible way to gradually transition. Taking him on walks would be a good idea -- you may have better luck getting a harness & leash combo rather than just a collar & leash -- most cat collars are breakaway, so if he pulls on the leash hard enough, it'll come off.

I definitely wouldn't try to have an indoor/outdoor cat in an apartment.
We were definitely thinking of a harness instead of a collar. Any recommendations?

Not really. We just got one yesterday to try out, since our girls like to try to dart out the door every time it's open. We figured maybe taking them for walks would help satiate their desire to escape. So far, Gretchen is too fat for it, and Stella throws herself dramatically to the floor and cries like she's dying. We haven't tried the leash yet -- we figured we'd just let them wear the harness around the house until they get a little more used to it.

Teddy917 · January 2015

CMGragain said:
We can't have outdoor cats here - for very long. Too many coyotes. Think about the traffic in the neighborhood to which you will be moving. Is that something you want to risk?

A cat usually has to be harness trained from kittenhood. Every adult cat I have ever tried has simply plopped down on the sidewalk and refused to move. Good luck with this.

He's not really a kitten but he is a year old. Maybe we'll start as soon as we can find a harness.

Our current neighborhood is pretty safe for cats to wander. Several of our neighbors let their cats wander too. But even here I'm nervous to let him wander. Luckily it's too cold for him, so if he goes out, it's usually just to the garage.

southernbelle0915 · January 2015

I have no idea if this is the wrong way, but when my parents moved, their indoor/outdoor cat became an indoor cat. There wasn't really a transition, they just kept him inside. There's no way in hell he would go on walks, harness or not. He barely tolerated wearing a collar. They've lived this way for about 7 years now and the cat seems fine.

charlottesmom0626 · January 2015

Outdoor cats are a bad idea- they ruin ecosystems because they're introduced predators. Our cat accidentally got outside once. Then she meowed at the door for a week, and eventually gave up. I would say just make him an indoor cat by not taking him outside, he will adjust.

LadyMillil · January 2015

Our apartment has a balcony. In the summer we sometimes sit outside and let kitty come out. We can't let her on the balcony alone because she can get to the neighbouring balcony and eats their plants.

[Deleted User] · January 2015

arrippa · January 2015

Teddy917 said:

When we got our cat, I wanted him to be purely indoor. My BIL convinced H to make him indoor/outdoor. We are hopefully moving into an apartment within the next year. My husband thought that our cat could still be indoor/outdoor. I had to explain to him that unless we moved into an apartment where our door opened straight outside, letting him in and out would be hard. We would have to walk him all the way to the door to go out of the building. And to come in, right now he just meows, but we wouldn't hear him in our apartment. Plus I don't think most apartments will let a cat just wander around. So we will try to transition him to pure inside. But we don't know how to do it. He spends most of his time inside already. He sleeps in our bed, has a litter box inside, food and water inside, and he doesn't like the cold. So hopefully it shouldn't be too hard. H also wants to start walking him so that he can go outside occasionally. So does anyone have any ideas on how to make the transition and how to teach a cat to walk on a leash?

The same thing happened to my cat after I moved to my current apartment. It took awhile fofr him to get used to staying indoor (he would try to run out my front door whenever I opened it). I bought a cat perch for the windows. He loves to just lay down and look out the windows.

Maggie0829 · January 2015

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

But like others have said, there really is no way to transition a cat to be fully in doors. You just have to keep it in doors and the cat will eventually just get used to it or deal with it. Like a PP said, invest in some fun cat perches that allows the cat to climb and stay up high and also have views of the outdoors.

PrettyGirlLost · January 2015

charlottesmom0626 said:

Outdoor cats are a bad idea- they ruin ecosystems because they're introduced predators. Our cat accidentally got outside once. Then she meowed at the door for a week, and eventually gave up. I would say just make him an indoor cat by not taking him outside, he will adjust.

Actually humans beings have far more of an impact on songbird populations and the other critters cats prey on.

Outdoor cats are a bad idea because it's a dangerous lifestyle for the cats, especially in urban areas.

My current cat was an outdoor cat when he was rescued, and I don't think the rescue did anything to transition him to being an indoor cat. He's curious and would like to go back outside, but he doesn't meow at the door or anything.

princessleia22 · January 2015

My cat had been indoor/outdoor cat for 5 years before I moved. I moved into the city, so it was too dangerous for him to roam free. There wasn't really any transition time, but he adjusted well. He did like to sit on balcony or in windows, so that can help. We also started growing him some cat grass to eat. We also did eventually leash train him and would take him for walks with our dog. He tolerated just leash on collar a lot better than using a harness. I think taking him out with our dog helped a lot with the leash training, because he just followed along with what the dog did. I think the best thing to do is just start keeping him inside and eventually he will adjust. It also helps to start that change at a new home, so he isn't used to checking out certain spots or a certain routine. Oh, and if he's not fixed, get him fixed... they are less anxious to wander if they are fixed.

thisismynickname2 · January 2015

Maggie0829 said:

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

I think indoor/outdoor generally happens when a stray cat "adopts" you rather than the other way around. I grew up in a rural area and all our pet cats were either strays or kittens of strays. The cat I had for 14 years growing up was a "guard kitty"- kept everything else off our property, I swear. She'd get into occasional fights but you can tell she was winning from having scratches near her face rather than her rear end. Cats are predators and are totally fine in rural or suburban areas.

Anywho, I recommend just keeping the cat indoors and make sure it has access to windows. I cat-sat my parents' cat for a month and she normally has the run of a large farm house. She was totally fine, shockingly, in my little condo- didn't even want to look outside. I was surprised. Your cat will adjust just fine, I'm sure.

Maggie0829 · January 2015

thisismynickname said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

I think indoor/outdoor generally happens when a stray cat "adopts" you rather than the other way around. I grew up in a rural area and all our pet cats were either strays or kittens of strays. The cat I had for 14 years growing up was a "guard kitty"- kept everything else off our property, I swear. She'd get into occasional fights but you can tell she was winning from having scratches near her face rather than her rear end. Cats are predators and are totally fine in rural or suburban areas.

Anywho, I recommend just keeping the cat indoors and make sure it has access to windows. I cat-sat my parents' cat for a month and she normally has the run of a large farm house. She was totally fine, shockingly, in my little condo- didn't even want to look outside. I was surprised. Your cat will adjust just fine, I'm sure.

So are dogs but you don't hear anyone letting their dog run loose and come back whenever it wants to. In fact, if you do that then you would get a house call from animal control and most likely have your animal taken away from you.

And people only allow a cat to "adopt them" by feeding them. If you don't want to take care of a cat then don't feed it. Instead take it to a no kill shelter or find someone who wants a cat. Don't just half ass own a pet. Because if you feed it and call it your pet and it, say, attacks a child (scratch/bite) then you will be liable.

AlexaF2014 · January 2015

When we adopted our cats, the shelter asked if we planned on having them as outdoor, indoor, or outdoor/indoor cats. Apparently, keeping a cat indoors entirely adds about 3 years to it life (according to the shelter). Our cats got out on the balcony once (broken screen door) and we were super worried about fleas/ticks/ what have you. I really believe an indoor lifestyle is safest for house cats.

That said, a friend of our regularly takes their kitten out on walks with a harness. Try with a collar and a harnass to see what your cat prefers, and if he's up to date on shots and flea/tick preventative meds, he should be okay.

Ditto PPs with making the inside more engaging. Our cats love looking out the windows, especially if they can get higher up to do it.

thisismynickname2 · January 2015

Maggie0829 said:

thisismynickname said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

I think indoor/outdoor generally happens when a stray cat "adopts" you rather than the other way around. I grew up in a rural area and all our pet cats were either strays or kittens of strays. The cat I had for 14 years growing up was a "guard kitty"- kept everything else off our property, I swear. She'd get into occasional fights but you can tell she was winning from having scratches near her face rather than her rear end. Cats are predators and are totally fine in rural or suburban areas.

Anywho, I recommend just keeping the cat indoors and make sure it has access to windows. I cat-sat my parents' cat for a month and she normally has the run of a large farm house. She was totally fine, shockingly, in my little condo- didn't even want to look outside. I was surprised. Your cat will adjust just fine, I'm sure.

So are dogs but you don't hear anyone letting their dog run loose and come back whenever it wants to. In fact, if you do that then you would get a house call from animal control and most likely have your animal taken away from you.

And people only allow a cat to "adopt them" by feeding them. If you don't want to take care of a cat then don't feed it. Instead take it to a no kill shelter or find someone who wants a cat. Don't just half ass own a pet. Because if you feed it and call it your pet and it, say, attacks a child (scratch/bite) then you will be liable.

I respectfully disagree. No, people don't let their dogs run loose. Dogs don't behave the same way as cats. An outdoor or stray cat is more likely to avoid a human than run after a human and bite them. And yes, we fed a few stray cats over the years and they stayed, got to know us, and became lovable pets. We never half-assed owning a cat, ever. We got them spayed (before or after they had kittens depending on the timing), got them shots, and gave them a home. Again, I said I'm from a rural area and I said cats can certainly be indoor/outdoor in this type of area. They hunt birds, mice, and bunnies. It's what they do. Dogs are totally different.

kmmssg · January 2015

Maggie0829 said:

thisismynickname said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

I think indoor/outdoor generally happens when a stray cat "adopts" you rather than the other way around. I grew up in a rural area and all our pet cats were either strays or kittens of strays. The cat I had for 14 years growing up was a "guard kitty"- kept everything else off our property, I swear. She'd get into occasional fights but you can tell she was winning from having scratches near her face rather than her rear end. Cats are predators and are totally fine in rural or suburban areas.

Anywho, I recommend just keeping the cat indoors and make sure it has access to windows. I cat-sat my parents' cat for a month and she normally has the run of a large farm house. She was totally fine, shockingly, in my little condo- didn't even want to look outside. I was surprised. Your cat will adjust just fine, I'm sure.

So are dogs but you don't hear anyone letting their dog run loose and come back whenever it wants to. In fact, if you do that then you would get a house call from animal control and most likely have your animal taken away from you.

And people only allow a cat to "adopt them" by feeding them. If you don't want to take care of a cat then don't feed it. Instead take it to a no kill shelter or find someone who wants a cat. Don't just half ass own a pet. Because if you feed it and call it your pet and it, say, attacks a child (scratch/bite) then you will be liable

Sing it Maggie! WHY is it ok to let your cats run hither and yon but you get your dog called into animal control if it is running wild? My cats are ONLY indoor cats, have only ever had indoor cats ever since I was an adult. since I am allergic to dogs now you can bet I will always have at least one, but probably 2 cats. They don't cost as much as any of my kids ever did, I don't have to pay for their weddings, they have always given me love and I have given the same to them. They make room for me in my bed each night and I know my role in the world. Dogs have owners, cats have staffmembers.

Maggie0829 · January 2015

thisismynickname said:

Maggie0829 said:

thisismynickname said:

Maggie0829 said:

I am sorry but I don't understand having an indoor/outdoor cat. I would never be comfortable allowing my pet to wander around outside without supervision. Anything could happen to it. The cat could be hit by a car, attacked by a larger animal, get hurt and not be able to make its way back home. Why would you even want to risk that?

I think indoor/outdoor generally happens when a stray cat "adopts" you rather than the other way around. I grew up in a rural area and all our pet cats were either strays or kittens of strays. The cat I had for 14 years growing up was a "guard kitty"- kept everything else off our property, I swear. She'd get into occasional fights but you can tell she was winning from having scratches near her face rather than her rear end. Cats are predators and are totally fine in rural or suburban areas.

Anywho, I recommend just keeping the cat indoors and make sure it has access to windows. I cat-sat my parents' cat for a month and she normally has the run of a large farm house. She was totally fine, shockingly, in my little condo- didn't even want to look outside. I was surprised. Your cat will adjust just fine, I'm sure.

So are dogs but you don't hear anyone letting their dog run loose and come back whenever it wants to. In fact, if you do that then you would get a house call from animal control and most likely have your animal taken away from you.

And people only allow a cat to "adopt them" by feeding them. If you don't want to take care of a cat then don't feed it. Instead take it to a no kill shelter or find someone who wants a cat. Don't just half ass own a pet. Because if you feed it and call it your pet and it, say, attacks a child (scratch/bite) then you will be liable.

I respectfully disagree. No, people don't let their dogs run loose. Dogs don't behave the same way as cats. An outdoor or stray cat is more likely to avoid a human than run after a human and bite them. And yes, we fed a few stray cats over the years and they stayed, got to know us, and became lovable pets. We never half-assed owning a cat, ever. We got them spayed (before or after they had kittens depending on the timing), got them shots, and gave them a home. Again, I said I'm from a rural area and I said cats can certainly be indoor/outdoor in this type of area. They hunt birds, mice, and bunnies. It's what they do. Dogs are totally different.

Well I respectfully disagree that any pet should be allowed to roam outdoors unsupervised.

kmmssg · January 2015

I live in a rural area and see cats dead on the side of the road regularly. There is a reason for that.....

thisismynickname2 · January 2015

kmmssg said:

I live in a rural area and see cats dead on the side of the road regularly. There is a reason for that.....

This is true, crap happens.

Thanks for calling me irresponsible in letting my cats roam outside in a rural area. I'm sure I'm not the only one. And for the record, now that I live in a city, I see people let their dogs off leashes all the time when it's actually LAW that they stay on the leash. I love going for a run and feeling scared that someone's large dog is going to chase after me rather than its ball. A runner was actually attacked by some dogs here recently. Once I almost roller-bladed over someone's rat-dog because they let the yippy thing off its leash and it came dashing over to me, and I'm not that good at roller-blading and nearly fell over it. Oh, but because they're "supervised" that's totally ok, whereas letting a cat roam hundreds of acres of farm land where its biggest obstacle is a dairy cow is not.

Maggie0829 · January 2015

thisismynickname said:

kmmssg said:

I live in a rural area and see cats dead on the side of the road regularly. There is a reason for that.....

This is true, crap happens.

Thanks for calling me irresponsible in letting my cats roam outside in a rural area. I'm sure I'm not the only one. And for the record, now that I live in a city, I see people let their dogs off leashes all the time when it's actually LAW that they stay on the leash. I love going for a run and feeling scared that someone's large dog is going to chase after me rather than its ball. A runner was actually attacked by some dogs here recently. Once I almost roller-bladed over someone's rat-dog because they let the yippy thing off its leash and it came dashing over to me, and I'm not that good at roller-blading and nearly fell over it. Oh, but because they're "supervised" that's totally ok, whereas letting a cat roam hundreds of acres of farm land where its biggest obstacle is a dairy cow is not.

Stop being defensive. And no one said that letting a dog off the leash when not in a fenced yard or a dog park is okay. When I said supervised I meant on a leash if a dog and in the house if a cat. But to let any pet roam free is being an irresponsible pet owner (both for the pet and for other individuals around), whether you live in a rural area or not. And sorry, but just because a lot of people have "outdoor" cats doesn't make it right.

kmmssg · January 2015

thisismynickname said:

kmmssg said:

I live in a rural area and see cats dead on the side of the road regularly. There is a reason for that.....

This is true, crap happens.

Thanks for calling me irresponsible in letting my cats roam outside in a rural area. I'm sure I'm not the only one. And for the record, now that I live in a city, I see people let their dogs off leashes all the time when it's actually LAW that they stay on the leash. I love going for a run and feeling scared that someone's large dog is going to chase after me rather than its ball. A runner was actually attacked by some dogs here recently. Once I almost roller-bladed over someone's rat-dog because they let the yippy thing off its leash and it came dashing over to me, and I'm not that good at roller-blading and nearly fell over it. Oh, but because they're "supervised" that's totally ok, whereas letting a cat roam hundreds of acres of farm land where its biggest obstacle is a dairy cow is not.

I'm sorry but all of that dog stuff is just as irresponsible as letting cats roam freely. Like I said, I live in a rural area. Domestic cats are NOT the top of the food chain so they do have far more to worry about than a dairy cow. Coyotes and fox come to mind quite quickly.

southernbelle0915 · January 2015

We lived in a rural place for a while when I was growing up. Our cats were allowed to roam and explore outside. Right or wrong, most people did this or had barn cats.

My beef about roaming pet cats is if they aren't spayed or neutered and are spraying my shit. Otherwise, for the most part I give no fucks.

Teddy917 · January 2015

As I said the outside thing wasn't what I wanted. I'm gal to see that you can switch and have the cat not really mind. He's more of a momma's boy so since momma's inside that's usually where he is too. So he'll probably be okay. Maybe I'll find a table or chair just for him to sit by a window.

Another question; He's used to having several other cats around. He's the only one that's ours (others are our roommates') so he's the only one moving. So he's going from being a part of a four cat home to being an only cat. I know with dogs that transition can be hard. Are cats usually okay since they're not really pack animals?

maeday2 · January 2015

southernbelle0915 said:

We lived in a rural place for a while when I was growing up. Our cats were allowed to roam and explore outside. Right or wrong, most people did this or had barn cats.

My beef about roaming pet cats is if they aren't spayed or neutered and are spraying my shit. Otherwise, for the most part I give no fucks.

Exactly this.

My dog is crazy co-dependent and is my constant shadow.

I've never experienced that with a cat. My cat was indoor/outdoor. He went to the door in the morning after he ate to go hunt mice in the barn for the day. He came back to sleep at night inside.

[Deleted User] · January 2015

[Deleted User] · January 2015

Teddy917 · January 2015

pinkrevenge said:

Teddy917 said:

As I said the outside thing wasn't what I wanted. I'm gal to see that you can switch and have the cat not really mind. He's more of a momma's boy so since momma's inside that's usually where he is too. So he'll probably be okay. Maybe I'll find a table or chair just for him to sit by a window.

Another question; He's used to having several other cats around. He's the only one that's ours (others are our roommates') so he's the only one moving. So he's going from being a part of a four cat home to being an only cat. I know with dogs that transition can be hard. Are cats usually okay since they're not really pack animals?

Depends on the cat. Did you notice if he kept to himself or was always along side other cats? Both of my cats have never lived without other cats, but one of them would be okay while the other probably wouldn't do too well. My shy, clingy cat likes to have the other one in sight. The social, fat one can take it or leave it.

He does play with them (and WINS!) and he'll sometimes sleep next to the youngest. But mostly he's happy on the couch or bed watching tv with me or watch his daddy play video games. So do you think he might be okay?

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