Raising a cat indoors

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Leonard
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Raising a cat indoors

Post by Leonard »

Hi anyone who is on this forum. I’ve always been around dogs my parents had and now I got my girlfriend a kitten when we moved in together. We live on a second floor in a flat at the moment but was planning to get a house before the world ended. So now my car is around 6 months old and has really grown! I got him at about 9 weeks and with the rest of the litter and his mum he did go outside only a few times but with us he’s always been inside. Lately he has started chasing flies and things and twice has climbed properly onto the ledge of open windows so now we keep them nearly shut. I tried to take him down stairs once when my mum dropped shopping off but he clung to me and meowed like crazy like really scared. The last few weeks he’s started running onto our landing when we open the door and we’ve sat a couple of times with him on the main stairs and let him explore but when we tried to take him outside to have a look around he again got really scared. I’ve tried a lead on him a couple of times just to try and get him to walk so I can at least take him outside but he just flops over. I know walking a cat would make me look insane but I just feel really bad that he’s couped up all the time. Even when we get a house with a garden I will be very scared to let him out of my site but I at least want him to have more to explore. Should I keep trying him with the lead or will he be ok? The jumping on the windowcill as if he’s going to jump out has scared me because I don’t know if he’s just trying to have a better look or if he doesn’t know it’s quite a drop. Thank you anyone. Joey
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Mollycat
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Re: Raising a cat indoors

Post by Mollycat »

Hi Joey,

I'm kind of in a similar position except there is no house and garden in my future. I took on adult cats who were already indoor only for whatever reason because that's all I have to offer but I must admit the indoor only cat thing really grates with me.

First, cats need time to get used to a harness, or they will either flop over on their side, lie down like the Sphynx or turn into a tornado trying to get it off. I've never succeeded but there are online tutorial videos etc to help explain the process.

Second, no, stop trying to "take" him outside immediately. As you've seen he will explore and he is keen to do that on his own four feet, knowing the way back to the safety of his home and trusting himself to get there. If he's in your arms, he doesn't know if you will keep him safe if danger appears - sorry it's a harsh thing to say but cats are loners not pack animals and they trust themselves before anyone else. As long as he doesn't get spooked by someone opening a door between him and safety, let him explore in his own time at his own pace.

And yes do keep windows secure, falling is not the introduction to outside any cat would benefit from.
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fjm
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Re: Raising a cat indoors

Post by fjm »

Absolutely agree with Molly - I would wait to introduce him to the great outdoors when you have a garden of your own. Cats are not like dogs - they don't need to be walked in the same way and can live a very satisfying life indoors if you make sure all their needs are met.

I would look into cat-safe screens for your windows so that you can open them wider - better for all of you. A few cat trees (easy to buy or DIY) , tunnels and boxes and places to climb and hide, fishing pole toys to hunt, flies to make hunting more satisfying, a tray of cat grass - there are lots of things you can do to make life indoors interesting and stimulating, without risking him panicking outdoors. If and when you do move you will probably find he enjoys brief forays into the garden, but time enough for that when it is safe.
hellokittyxxx
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Re: Raising a cat indoors

Post by hellokittyxxx »

I too have just got a little kitten and live in a top floor flat with a shared balcony.

She has a lot of energy and I play with her a lot but yesterday when my boyfriend came home from shopping she tried to run out of the door! She had a lot of energy today so I took her out on to the balcony on her harness. She had been out there before and is always scared but we only go out there for a couple of minutes to get her used to it. I think she likes to have a look to see what's out there and that is enough and she's then happy to come back inside.

Good luck!
Miss Tee
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Re: Raising a cat indoors

Post by Miss Tee »

I had an older cat that took to a leash very quickly, sadly she passed on in 2019, and I have a 2 and a half year old cat and a 11 week old kitten, who are indoor cats, I live in a 1st floor flat, and both get nervous when I carry them downstairs, yet will chase each other up and down them. As long as the cats getting exercise and is stimulated, there's no reason to take it out, if you do get them used to a leash, you have to watch everywhere you go, because someone walking a dog could startle your cat, and they can wriggle out, with the one I took on a leash, nothing fazed her, not even a fox walking down the road, but I wouldn't try it with any of the 2 I have now, as the eldest is so nervous, a knock at the door and she's under the sofa, and the kittens too young, my other half lives in the flat below mine and the front doors are next to each other, and I can't even carry them out my door and in his without them trying to climb over my shoulder and I always end up being scratched on my face, neck, scgest and arms, so it's always the box for them to go visit him.

Think seriously if your cat will be OK on a leash if a dog or some kids around.

Good luck
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