Moving Home

[pickle01]

Hi and please bear with me if I sound a bit overdramatic

Unfortunately I have to move home soon and will no longer have direct access to a garden. My two cats are amazing and apart from my Son are the loves of my world. I simply adore them and treat them to be honest like my children. I can take them with me and cannot imagine being without them but it means that from being outside all day they wont have any access to the outside. I want to know if I am being so cruel that it could make them ill or if they will adapt. I love them so much but cant bear the fact that they could be unhappy and hate me for it.

Any suggestions or advice as to what I should do would be so gratefully appreciated.

Thank you

Amanda xx

[meriad]

Amanda, welcome to CC

How old are your cats? And how big is the flat you're moving to? I know you say there is no direct access to a garden; what is the new layout going to be - ie is it a higher up flat, is there a communal garden?

Cats can and do adapt from outdoors to indoors (personally I do prefer mine to have outdoor access but there are times when it's just not possible for various reasons) but you as their owner have to make it a nice and interesting place for them to keep them stimulated.

If you can give us a bit more information; then we can probably advise better

[pickle01]

We currently live in a ground floor maisonette with direct access to the garden and will be moving to a first floor, still with communal gardens but with a balcony and therefore not direct access.

Sherbert and Cinnamon are both four and I only let them out during the day as we have a lot of foxes around and also they are both rescue sisters so I keep them in when the weather is bad or when there are fireworks and do watch them proably too carefully.

Any advice would be very welcome

[meriad]

Depending on the layout of the flat and esp the balcony, could you maybe (if the neighbours don't mind that is) put a ramp from the grounds up to the balcony? Just a long piece of wood with some cross struts or rope to give them better grip.

If you to to google images and type in ladders for cats you'll get all sorts of ideas And if you or someone you know is fairly DIY savvy you could possibly even make one with hinges so you could lift it up when not in use and store it on the balcony.

[Hunnybunny]

I personally would never expect my cats to live an indoor life after having free access but where theres a will theres away

http://catladder.blogspot.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm certain that it would be possible to allow access with a bit of creativity.

This picture is what a chap whose son lived in the 3rd floor of the house (self contained) came up with to allow his cats in and out safely without encroaching on the territory of the cats in the main household..... I saw them the other day and they love their new ramp and it just shows what can be achieved when people want to do best for their cats even in not so normal circumstances.

photo-10.JPG (22.38 KiB) Viewed 2843 times

[Diana]

Cats I believe are the best adapters. You can try the suggestions laid out but that may not be viable.

You can only try the conversation and see how it works, but you do realise that it will take time and patience.

[pickle01]

I love the idea of the wood plank for them to walk up and down that's brilliant, thank you. However if this wasn't possible can I really convert them happily to house cats?

[Diana]

We cant make gaurantee's but its something that can be done, I mean your cats are 4yrs old so they aren't like 10+ where they are set in their ways. Plus there are two of them and being indoor if you have the company of another cat then its easier for each other. Its something you can certainly try with perhaps great results.

[meriad]

it's hard to say if you can 'happily' convert them. Some take to it, others don't at all - but you won't know until you try it.

You'd have to keep them in for a minimum of four weeks anyway when you move so you could see how they do in that time. Another thing is to maybe do if the plank isn't an option - see if you can securely enclose the balcony with netting / a screen and make that their place; ie nice high cat trees so they can still see out, jump up places etc...

And you'd need to provide a lot of stimulation inside the house as well

[pickle01]

Another brill idea, thanks. How do you feel about the great big scratching posts with tunnels nod things to hide in etc? I always play with them with strings and toys and stuff but never tried those bis posts.

[Hunnybunny]

I hope you can sort outside access as it takes a very hard person to be able to take a cats liberty away!!

At 4 years old it will be a very tough transition if they have to be confined and one has to ask the question as you have if it is even right.

The fact that you are asking the question to yourself in the first place I think means that you will do what is best for your cats and as I said before, where theres a will theres a way.

Good luck