Cat Lovers: Turning indoor/outdoor cats into indoor-only cats :(

[Voice for Peace]

(I posted this in the lounge but someone suggested cross-posting here.)

Please, I don't want a debate about indoor vs outdoor. I was firmly committed, until yesterday, to letting my cats outdoors during daylight hours. Even though I worried about them when they were outdoors, I know they never went far; there are few cars in my neighborhood and they drive very slowly; there are woods out back and around us.

I will welcome supportive words from DUers. I've recently decided that my 3 cats have to stay inside from now on, free to roam no more. This makes me sad, for them.

Ultimately it's a nobrainer. Even though they've got all their outdoor shots & vaccinations, and flea/tick protection, they've been bringing deer ticks into the house and I'm getting bitten, maybe have contracted Lyme. I've been going insane for a couple of weeks, finding ticks in the house and on me, seeing ticks in every speck in the house, imagining things crawling on me, on-and-on. So it's finally a choice between my own health and sanity, or letting them be outside in nature.

Because there are also coyotes in our area I'm breathing a sigh of relief overall. I feel like I can cuddle the cats again without fear that ticks are crawling onto me. The deer ticks are so tiny, even though I was checking the cats and myself carefully, it's so easy to miss them. I've been bitten at least four times, and likely more.

But: and I hope some can understand this, I'm feeling some grief for them. So I'm posting just to ask for supportive encouragement. Reassurance that the cats will be fine psychologically & emotionally (I know they'll be fine physically.)

I know I'll have to deal with some pitiful crying, cold shoulders and occasional evil eye. The old female (about 12) was once an indoor/outdoor; then indoor only for a few years before I got her. The two young ones (both under a year) have only been going outdoors since March.

Thanks for reading and your input will be most welcome.
Again, please.. I'm not interested in being lectured or having debates.

[Why Syzygy]

1. My cat

was indoor only while he was at his foster home until the age of six months. When I got him, he always was allowed outside. I lived in a safe place. Since January we have been in a new location which is not safe for him outside. It's a little different because he hasn't roamed around here. He is afraid of outdoors because there are three very loud big dogs next door. He acts interested when I take the dogs out, but still too cautious to try getting out. I am surprised there have been few issues. He likes the window open where he can sit and smell and breathe the fresh air (I do too). I don't think I would have been able to pull this off at the old location since he was so familiar with how go get outside. Since all of your cats have been confined in the past, they should eventually do fine.

[Voice for Peace]

2. thank you

it really helps to hear others' stories.

[ginnyinWI]

3. #1 gave me an idea:

Find some way to make them afraid to go outside any more. Might help. Don't know what it would take--maybe a sudden loud noise?

Good for you for keeping them in. I also have a quiet street and a woods in back, but I want peace of mind and I also don't want ticks, fleas, and what have you to come in. We are in the process of screening in our front porch, partly for us and partly for them so they can enjoy the weather. We do also have coyotes and foxes and some mean kitties who would probably pick a fight.

Rule of thumb: you should ideally have 550 sq. ft of indoor space for each cat you own. If they have that much room, you need feel no guilt about keeping them in--it's enough. For example, our house has 2200 sq. ft, which means our maximum would be four cats. We have three and they are totally fine--have lots of places to sleep, etc.

[japple]

4. I thought the rule of thumb was that you had to have one lap

for every cat and dog, but I might be wrong! I live alone and have 3 cats and 1 dog, so there's lots of competition. Some nights the bed gets so crowded that I have to put everyone out of the bedroom in order to get some sleep.

Back to the topic of this discussion: Last year I had a screened-in porch built on the front of my house and my cats are happy to spend most of their time out there. Well, that is, except for Lola, and Lola isn't happy with anything. I am trying to think of something that will curb her restlessness and keep her content.

[Voice for Peace]

6. I've also got only one lap.

The older female doesn't like the other two. She's gotten very possessive of me and she keeps them in their place. Growls and hisses at them. They look at her like wtf? I'm thinking of trying to find her some natural chill-pills. Letting her outside was giving her the space from them she wanted (even though they completely leave her alone). If she doesn't get her way she goes off into a closet and sulks, or throws up on my bed. :)

[Voice for Peace]

5. LOL.. I thought about borrowing the neighbor's dog to sit outside the door.

I don't have that much living space, but this house has a big basement where their kittylitter is, and the two young ones at least like to hang out down there and hunt for mice. I may have to move however, to a smaller place. But I'm trying not to worry about the future, who knows what will come.

[MagickMuffin]

7. Cat owner, Cat Lover

Almost ALL my cats have found me 13 cats in all. Two of those were adopted, one of those were from my best friend who passed away, the other from my next door neighbor who was going to have the cat put to sleep if we didn't take her in.

The other kitties were rescued and we brought them home.

One of our first rescued cats Astra Luna was an indoor outdoor kitty. She got ran over and it was really hard coping with her death. We decided that we would never let our future cats out. Astra Luna 2 never went outside, we use to lay on the bed (next to the window) and watch bird TV going on outside. She loved birds. Simba was rescued late at night, he was found in the middle of the street and he could move, we brought him home with us. Electra was rescued from my work, she would have probably been run over because it was on a busy highway.

After we installed a wooden fence in the back yard we did let them out back, but Electra discovered how to scale the fence. Astra didn't care about going outside, she was scared. Simba liked it and he would mostly just hang out, he was very laid back kitty. We then decided not to let them out when they found ways to escape.

Then we adopted Tasha from our friend, she had been declawed and we worried about her getting outside. Steeva is our other adopted cat, she occasionally acts as though she wants out but tough titty, she has escaped out the front door and I have to retrieve her. Rescued Kilala from my inlaws 2 acre ranch, she doesn't mind being indoors.

Two years ago I tamed 3 feral kitties (Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome) after about 9 months living outdoors we brought them inside (winter was coming) where my art studio/laundry room is located. Eventually we allowed them access to the rest of the house. They are the best kitties, they sleep with me and follow me everywhere. They do not like other human beings and Sango escaped one day when the cable guy was here, it was extremely hard to get her to come to me. Inuyasha is afraid of the door. They really don't seem to mind that they aren't allowed outside anymore. Kagome passed away last summer.

Then at the end of March we rescued another batch of feral kitties (Kagome 2, Kohaku, and Kikyo) they were only maybe 4 weeks old. They are adapting to indoor life as well even though right now they are confined to the bathroom and long hallway. They need to get bigger before they can gain access to the rest of the house, although they think they are ready now.


Bottom line I really don't think you should worry too much about it. They will adapt to their indoor environment. It might take some time but overall they will be just fine. Like others have suggested give them access to windows and play with them and they won't mind being cooped up. Your two younger kitties will adapt quicker perhaps since they haven't been going out but for a few months.

If you can afford to go to the doctor you should find out if you have Lyme disease.

Good Luck :grouphug: to you and your kitties.

[BrklynLiberal]

13. You are dong a wonderful, wonderful thing. Surrounded by loving kitties......

[glinda]

8. Cats learn to live indoors.

Some will cry and be pesty at first and may try to sneak out but all of my feral and outdoor cats now live inside only. We have an unsafe world for them and I think it best. I do take two of mine out on a leash and harness and sit with them on the porch deck but only occasionally. We have hungry eagles, foxes and other critters as well as cars.
Window sill perches on the inside work nicely so they can see what is going on outside and we have placed a bird feeder outside the windows for them to watch.

[Lorien]

9. I walk mine on a leash

Keeps her happy and gives me a little exercise every day. I've switched from the H-harness (seen above) to a cat walking jacket: http://cgi.ebay.com/Cat-Walking-Jacket-Harness-for-Leash-Training-Kitty_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQhashZitem209d7b4a4fQQitemZ140081056335QQptZLHQ5fDefaultDomainQ5f0QQsalenotsupported which is nearly impossible to escape from and seems more comfortable to the kitties. I keep them away from underbrush, so I've never had any ticks.

[Why Syzygy]

10. We had a disaster when

I tried a harness on Boogie. It was outside at an apartment, and he went crazy and wrapped it around a fence post... At that place, I finally resorted to removing a back screen and letting him out that way. He has never been around a lot of people and was intimidated by all the noise out front. When I first got him, I lived on a dead end street with a huge vacant field on both sides. No traffic and very quiet. I've always used diatomaceous earth and never had a flea or tick problem.

[Warpy]

11. My cats have all adapted well

but the one thing I've made sure they've had is a way to look outside. If they can sit in front of the window and watch the birds, they're happy.

Of course, cats confined to a small house should be limited to two. Any more stresses the cats. Big McMansions can have three or more, but cats need to be able to get completely away from each other from time to time. They need a lot of square footage.

Please check those bites for signs of a rash and yourself for any sign of a fever. I've had Lyme and it's no damn fun.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. I admire your determination to ensure your pets will have a longer and healthier life.

All five of my cats were found on the street...and have not set foot in the street since I have them They range in age from 14 years to three years. They are all all just doing fine. They do not seem to have an overwhelming need to go out side and hunt birds, get attacked by dogs are hit by cars. They all have access to windows where I have put birdfeeders, or where there are trees that they can watch all day.

[yellerpup]

14. They will get used to it and they will be happy.

We adopted two former indoor/outdoor cats who were picked up by animal control, kept as long as the law allows, then put on the euthanasia list. A rescue organization, Cat Assistance, picked them up and had their medical needs tended. Penny had been operated on to have her lower jaw wired back on. They think that she had been hit by a car, but I think she may have been tossed by a car because she can't stand the thought of being picked up. She sits on my lap, she sleeps cuddled to my tummy, loves pets and attention (her favorite project is training me to give her food on demand) and is an all around delight but will claw, growl and bite if I try to pick her up. She never wants to go outside. The male (about 2 years old) would like to hunt, I think, but he is grateful to be in our "shelter" now. We leave our shades open and windows open a bit (although one-year-olds might try a little harder to escape) and one of those climbing-scratching-multi-level habitats near the windows, too. We've converted several cats from indoor-outdoor to indoor only because we live in a very urban type of suburbia. The older they get the easier they are to deal with. I schedule several playtimes with them and they have tons of toys to divert them during the day. They can and will deal with their situation once they understand that outside is not an option.

[Upton]

15. I've got two females

7 and 10 years old, I believe it's irresponsible, for a multitude of reasons, to allow a cat outside. Anyway, both of mine have lived their entire lives inside and are perfectly happy...your cats will adjust.

[SoxFan]

16. They'll be pissy and sneaky for a while

Watch yourself when you open a door. They're going to try and zip out when you're not looking. When we converted Brianna and Pippy into indoor cats, they pulled this crap for about a year before fianlly getting the hint.