Barn Cat To House Cat?

hilgenep

hilgenep

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Hey all,

My aunt has a small hobby farm with a couple of barn cats. A woman who helps out around the farm recently brought a cat with her who was apparently in a bad situation or left homeless (that is the only information I have about his past), knowing that my aunt would provide him a safe home. He has been fully vetted and neutered and will be allowed to come into the house whenever he pleases. Of course, I would prefer he be an indoor cat, but it's not my choice.

He is an absolute DREAM. Outgoing, affectionate, loves to be held and snuggled. I would love to take him. However, I will not be moving into a pet friendly apartment until July. Do you think he will be too acclimated to outdoor living to transition to apartment life? I am familiar with the process and introducing scratching post, etc. (he is litter trained already) but I do not want him to be miserable.

If anyone has experience transitioning friendly cats to indoor only, I would love to hear about your experiences!

P.S. He is crated per recommendation of my aunt's vet to help introduce him to the other cats
 

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hilgenep

hilgenep

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Side note, I'm also confused about the fact that he has been ear tipped because I know that he was intact when he came into my aunt's care. Either way, he is fixed now :)
 
Primula

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Yes, usually the ear tipping means he was neutered by someone.

Hard to answer your question. Someone will come along who knows more I am sure.

In my experience some cats adjust very well to living inside & never want to return to the outdoors. There are lots of stories here though about the opposite. I don't think July is too far off for the transition. Two things you could do if he became unhappy inside is to harness him & take him for walks or put him in a cat stroller for walks. If you do take him, this site advocates for keeping cats indoors as it's so easy for a cat to get injured or killed outside.
 
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hilgenep

hilgenep

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primula said:
Yes, usually the ear tipping means he was neutered by someone.

Hard to answer your question. Someone will come along who knows more I am sure.

In my experience some cats adjust very well to living inside & never want to return to the outdoors. There are lots of stories here though about the opposite. I don't think July is too far off for the transition. Two things you could do if he became unhappy inside is to harness him & take him for walks or put him in a cat stroller for walks. If you do take him, this site advocates for keeping cats indoors as it's so easy for a cat to get injured or killed outside.
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I was planning on leash training. He will definitely be an indoor only cat (except for leashed/well-supervised outside time). I could never live with the anxiety of not knowing where my kitty was! But I'm glad to hear that leashed or stroller walks can help ease the transition.
 
astrael

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Sometimes ferals, usually weaker males, lose the tips of their ears in fights, or to ear mites. It can look exactly like an ear tip.

That said, the handsome boy in my profile pic, Scutch, grew up outside. (He's a year old now, though he clearly thinks he's still a kitten. lol) He decided he wanted in late last fall. We didn't argue. He's now a happy and spoiled indoor kitty. He misses his buddies sometimes, but he's got us trained. lol I may harness train him soon.

Honestly, my family always took in any cat that showed up, stray or feral. Most prefered being indoors most of the time. Some never went outside again. He's young enough I don't think he'd have a hard time adjusting, especially with windows and walks.

But, if you are able/willing, could you get a friend to foster him till you move? That might help. He'll get more socialization with people, learn more about living inside, and he'll be safe from outdoor threats. If not, he should be ok. Cats are very adaptable. And those that want to live inside often find a way in. (I still remember Scutch diving between my legs to get into the house, and me just standing there stunned. lol)
 
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hilgenep

hilgenep

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astrael said:
Sometimes ferals, usually weaker males, lose the tips of their ears in fights, or to ear mites. It can look exactly like an ear tip.

That said, the handsome boy in my profile pic, Scutch, grew up outside. (He's a year old now, though he clearly thinks he's still a kitten. lol) He decided he wanted in late last fall. We didn't argue. He's now a happy and spoiled indoor kitty. He misses his buddies sometimes, but he's got us trained. lol I may harness train him soon.

Honestly, my family always took in any cat that showed up, stray or feral. Most prefered being indoors most of the time. Some never went outside again. He's young enough I don't think he'd have a hard time adjusting, especially with windows and walks.

But, if you are able/willing, could you get a friend to foster him till you move? That might help. He'll get more socialization with people, learn more about living inside, and he'll be safe from outdoor threats. If not, he should be ok. Cats are very adaptable. And those that want to live inside often find a way in. (I still remember Scutch diving between my legs to get into the house, and me just standing there stunned. lol)
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Your Scutch is quite the handsome house panther! So happy he found you!

I was really hoping to find a foster but almost everyone I would trust has allergic family members.

I think I will just have to wait and see how he does after his adjustment period in the crate ends and he's allowed to have free range. Like I mentioned, if he truly wants to spend most of his days in the house, my aunt would gladly let him - the other "barn cats" spend plenty of time on the couch . Given his temperament, I would not be surprised if he chose to stay where the people are.

My father is really handy, so I'm thinking of asking him to build some sort of "catio" for the balcony of my new place. Any recommendations, experiences, threads, etc. on that front would be greatly appreciated!
 
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