Advice on moving cats permanently outside

[therock7507]

Hi - I have 2 15-year old cats who I've had since 5 weeks old.

My 10 month old daughter has been diagnosed with a severe cat allergy and is becoming increasingly unwell. We've tried antihistamines, cat allergy sprays and lotions, none of these work and the cats, unfortunately, can't be around her for her own health.

Because of their age no rehoming facility will take them, particularly as they are in good health.

My solution is to purchase a medium sized cat run / cat house (plenty of choice out there) like they'd get at a private cattery and put them in the garden.

But I don't know how they will cope. They are indoor cats and have never been outside.

What are your views on how the cats will cope?

Will they manage the cold, lack of freedom, lack of safe indoor environment, threats from wandering cats, at their age?

What about keeping their house warm? Never done this before so don't know how

What about keeping their food safe from cold/frost?

What about their litter etc?

In general - help!

[Crewella]

Wow, what a tough situation, and a tough call. Is there an option to confine them to one room in the house?

Whilst it's a very long way from ideal, I can see that you're trying to do the best you can, and I guess it could work. As cats get older they do tend to sleep more and don't need the range and excercise that a younger cat might. They won't like being turfed out of their nice warm home, and it will be hugely traumatic for them, but if you make sure it's properly heated (that's absolutely vital - cats, like people, get arthritic in old age and suffer in the cold) and has nice comfy beds in it, and that they still get some fuss and attention, I suppose it could work. Make sure there is a heated indoor section where they can feel safe and secure, and that the outdoor section is sheltered from wind and rain and has plenty of different levels to sit on (but ramps, ideally, because of their age). Just do the best you can for them.

There are heaters supplied for cat runs, or you could use something like an oil-filled radiator.

[Kay]

would it be possible to set up an outdoor enclosure next to a room in the house with a connecting cat flap so that they can access the room at night? even a hallway would do - that could solve the major worry about keeping them warm enough at night, although some heating outside would still be required during the day

if your daughter is so allergic she cannot be in a room the cats have occupied overnight, and if you don't have a room she needn't go into, then an enclosure attached to a shed or garage might be a compromise - having easy access to electricity would help enormously in the set up you are proposing, and they would not be so vulnerable if still attached to the house to some degree