Outdoor cats seem to be living the dream – they get to be out in nature and eat anything they catch. However, outdoor cats have a significantly shorter lifespan than indoor cats. Here are 10 tips for bringing an outdoor cat inside.
Believe You Can Bring Them Inside
The first step to bringing a cat inside is to make sure you believe you can do just that. If you don’t believe it is possible, then it probably won’t be. Just know that plenty of outdoor cats have been brought indoors before and it is something that can be done. Make sure you have patience with your cat throughout this process.
Move Your Cat Inside Slowly
Taking things slowly will help your cat gain more trust in you and in turn want to go inside. First start with bringing things like the litter box outside so they can get used to them. Also, if you can already get your cat inside for a little while, make sure you feed them inside. This will help them associate inside with good things.
Use Animal Traps
When trying to catch a cat that is outside, it is better to use a trap than try to grab them. Grabbing them might result in stress and unwanted pain for you and the cat. Getting them to come into a trap makes it extremely easy to bring them inside. You will thank me later for the suggestion.
Spay or Neuter Your Cat
If a cat isn’t spayed or neutered, they are more likely to want to go outside to, uh, find another cat to mate with. Once you have brought the cat inside, it is best to take them to the vet to get spayed or neutered. This will curb their instinct to want to go outside and find a friend and will prevent you from having unwanted kittens.
Give Your Cat a Fun Place Inside
Cats don’t need the outside brought in for them to want to stay inside. If you give your cat enough toys to play with and maybe add in a cat tower, they will have fun inside and be less likely to try to dart out the door. Play into their hunting instincts with toys and they will be so happy to be indoors, outside won’t matter anymore!
Once Inside, Give Them Time
It takes time to get used to a new environment, so have patience and give your cat some time. They might want to go outdoors a lot, but you can get them used to being inside. Sometimes it takes longer for some cats than others, but one day they will become an indoor cat.
Give Them a Closed-in Patio
Give your cat the best of both worlds by letting them go on your patio. Your cat will get the outdoor air but be inside and away from any potential dangers from outside. It also gives them a nice place to take their cat naps!
Use Pheromones
Pheromones are the natural chemicals that humans and animals release through bodily secretions. That sounds kind of gross but bear with me. Maybe your cat needs to smell something familiar or calming? Using pheromones can help relax your cat and get them more comfortable in their environment.
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Ready to Give Up? Use a Strategy
Is your cat destroying your furniture and scratching up your door? Instead of just giving up, it’s better to have a strategy. Maybe you need to change your tactic. Talk to your vet about how you can change these behaviors without just giving in to your cat. Take a deep breath, you can do this!
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Be Patient
This has been said a lot throughout this list, but patience is extremely important. If you don’t have patience, then the whole experience could be stressful. If you have patience then your cat will sense your good vibes and eventually want to come inside.
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