My one year old ginger, Bubba has been an outdoor cat since he was aprox. 4 months old. We just moved from a quiet neighborhood with my apartment facing a big back yard to an apartment that is on a busy street.
I do not feel at all comfortable letting him roam outside. He clearly wants to continue going outside.
Will he adjust? And what can I do to make it easier on him?
I am going to get a cat tree/condo, and a window seat. He hasn't been to keen on toys but all he does is wander around and sleep. I know he is bored. I am home all day as I am disabled. I try to keep him entertained but can only do so much.
Thanks.
Outdoor cat is now indoor cat, need advice.
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Doriocookie
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Kay
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Re: Outdoor cat is now indoor cat, need advice.
He is a young cat, and will naturally miss his outdoor freedom, but being able to see out of the window will help a bit.Have you considered trying him with a harness and lead, so you or someone you trust could take him for walks? Not every cat takes to it, but it could be the answer if Bubba is one that does, and as you are at home all day you will have plenty of time to try getting him used to it indoors first.
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MarySkater
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Re: Outdoor cat is now indoor cat, need advice.
I'm sure he will adapt, but it will take some time; this is a big change. However, I absolutely agree with you about keeping him inside when you are in a high-traffic zone. You really don't want to have to pick his dead body off the road. Or have him vanish, never to be seen again.
What you are doing, with the cat tree and the window seat, is good. Give him something to look at, and something interesting in his environment. If it was possible to have a window open on an enclosure, he would like that, but I'm aware your building may not be suitable. Something like this:
They are often called catios (cat patios) and if you do a web search on that, you may find some ideas that could work for you.
One thing I do recommend: I have kept indoor cats in the past, and I always grew grass in pots for them, like this:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Flow ... htm#108464
My cats enjoyed chewing on it, and I'm sure it's good for them.
Also, you might get him a treat ball - a ball with holes in, that you put dry food into. He'll have to roll it around to get the food out. That should keep him occupied for a while.
Good luck, and be patient.
What you are doing, with the cat tree and the window seat, is good. Give him something to look at, and something interesting in his environment. If it was possible to have a window open on an enclosure, he would like that, but I'm aware your building may not be suitable. Something like this:
One thing I do recommend: I have kept indoor cats in the past, and I always grew grass in pots for them, like this:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Flow ... htm#108464
My cats enjoyed chewing on it, and I'm sure it's good for them.
Also, you might get him a treat ball - a ball with holes in, that you put dry food into. He'll have to roll it around to get the food out. That should keep him occupied for a while.
Good luck, and be patient.