Can Outdoor Rescues Ever be Content Indoors

[tarasgirl06]

Of my current cats have one former feral and one former stray and neither want to go back outside really. I have others that were rescued from outside but were either not out long or too young to really remember living outside so they don't really count. I have a catio we built and both cats that use to live outside are excited when I open it to them in the spring and summer (it's closed from late fall to late spring because it's too cold here in northern Canada), but don't have any interest in actually going outside past that. I also have one cat that use to be and indoor/outdoor cat and go outside daily (except most of the winter), and it did take awhile, like several months, for her to calm down once I stopped allowing her out. She would cry at the door to go out, but eventually she learned that it wasn't happening anymore. It only really gets worse over time if you give in and allow them out, then they will learn that they just need to whine and meow long enough and they get to go out.

The ones I have that currently try to (and occasional do) escape out the front door are the ones that have grown up inside. I do take a few out on a harness and lead, and one for actual walks. The one that goes for walks is a very outgoing high energy cat, she was never an outside cat so she has never free roamed only been outside on lead in a harness so she seems to understand she has to have the harness on if she wants to go out. If you do decide you want to lead train to take them for walks I do suggest starting young so they are use to it, I have a cheap small kitten harness I use until they get bigger. You should start the harness training inside anyway so if they do wiggle loose they are still inside anyway.

My catio is built on the ground, so they do get to step and paw in the dirt, rocks, and even have a bit of grass, catnip, and random other plants that sprout up in there during the summer. Since you said you have a screen porch what you could try is growing a large container of cat grass for them (an old litter box or the ones they sell at dollar stores work well if you want something smaller and movable) a lot of cats enjoy being able to just lay in the grass and nibble on it. I have catnip that grows around the catio so I also regularly snip leaves and, once it's grown taller the stems, for them to chew up and play with.

You are definitely giving your cats the best life!
Our catio in the Mojave was open year round except during snow flurries and sandstorms. Our beloved cats spent a lot of time out there and loved being able to observe all the wild creatures, sniff the breeze, and lounge around, play, eat and relax in it!

 

[NY cat man]

All of our five current cats were street ferals that we socialized, then brought inside. One of them was, by the vet's estimation, about 4 years old when she made the transition; the rest were between 4 and 6 months old. None have been outside since, and in the case of the oldest, that is 12 years ago, while the youngest- she who ran the streets for four years- that is 6 years. None have ever shown any desire to go out; in fact, when I go to open the door, they disappear from sight. Stretch, the only male in the group, will sometimes puff out his cheeks at the sight of a bird or squirrel, but that's about it.
There is one other cat- a feral male- that has hung around for years, defying all attempts at trapping. How old is he? My best guess is around 9 or 10. He shows up for breakfast every morning, and a late snack every evening, and naps during the day in our flower beds. If I'm a little late with his breakfast, Grumpy will meow at me, but won't let me get too close. He just chooses to go his own way.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

All of our five current cats were street ferals that we socialized, then brought inside. One of them was, by the vet's estimation, about 4 years old when she made the transition; the rest were between 4 and 6 months old. None have been outside since, and in the case of the oldest, that is 12 years ago, while the youngest- she who ran the streets for four years- that is 6 years. None have ever shown any desire to go out; in fact, when I go to open the door, they disappear from sight. Stretch, the only male in the group, will sometimes puff out his cheeks at the sight of a bird or squirrel, but that's about it.
There is one other cat- a feral male- that has hung around for years, defying all attempts at trapping. How old is he? My best guess is around 9 or 10. He shows up for breakfast every morning, and a late snack every evening, and naps during the day in our flower beds. If I'm a little late with his breakfast, Grumpy will meow at me, but won't let me get too close. He just chooses to go his own way.

Awesome! If everyone keeps it up we might actually get some kind of tiny in roads on this important issue. Anyhow, cats that were going to be euthanized because of overcrowding and many many ferals have made some of the best cats you could ever hope to be owned by. They know what it was like on the other side of the fence. No guessing necessary.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Awesome! If everyone keeps it up we might actually get some kind of tiny in roads on this important issue. Anyhow, cats that were going to be euthanized because of overcrowding and many many ferals have made some of the best cats you could ever hope to be owned by. They know what it was like on the other side of the fence. No guessing necessary.

Wonderful thoughts, IzzysfureverMom and so, so true.

 

[GranolaLouise]

Of my current cats have one former feral and one former stray and neither want to go back outside really. I have others that were rescued from outside but were either not out long or too young to really remember living outside so they don't really count. I have a catio we built and both cats that use to live outside are excited when I open it to them in the spring and summer (it's closed from late fall to late spring because it's too cold here in northern Canada), but don't have any interest in actually going outside past that. I also have one cat that use to be and indoor/outdoor cat and go outside daily (except most of the winter), and it did take awhile, like several months, for her to calm down once I stopped allowing her out. She would cry at the door to go out, but eventually she learned that it wasn't happening anymore. It only really gets worse over time if you give in and allow them out, then they will learn that they just need to whine and meow long enough and they get to go out.

The ones I have that currently try to (and occasional do) escape out the front door are the ones that have grown up inside. I do take a few out on a harness and lead, and one for actual walks. The one that goes for walks is a very outgoing high energy cat, she was never an outside cat so she has never free roamed only been outside on lead in a harness so she seems to understand she has to have the harness on if she wants to go out. If you do decide you want to lead train to take them for walks I do suggest starting young so they are use to it, I have a cheap small kitten harness I use until they get bigger. You should start the harness training inside anyway so if they do wiggle loose they are still inside anyway.

My catio is built on the ground, so they do get to step and paw in the dirt, rocks, and even have a bit of grass, catnip, and random other plants that sprout up in there during the summer. Since you said you have a screen porch what you could try is growing a large container of cat grass for them (an old litter box or the ones they sell at dollar stores work well if you want something smaller and movable) a lot of cats enjoy being able to just lay in the grass and nibble on it. I have catnip that grows around the catio so I also regularly snip leaves and, once it's grown taller the stems, for them to chew up and play with.

I had a dog when I was younger. She used to eat the grass outdoors and then puke her guts up. Does nibbling cat grass have the same emitting effect?

 

[NY cat man]

I had a dog when I was younger. She used to eat the grass outdoors and then puke her guts up. Does nibbling cat grass have the same emitting effect?

Sometimes it does; depending on how much they eat.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Definitely, GranolaLouise ! If you give your cats cat grass, prepare to find slimy green "presents" shortly after they eat this treat.

 

[GranolaLouise]

Definitely, GranolaLouise ! If you give your cats cat grass, prepare to find slimy green "presents" shortly after they eat this treat.

More like a medicine than a treat to me, it seems..reminds me of my days with the dog. I'll pass on that treat.

 

[amethyst]

I had a dog when I was younger. She used to eat the grass outdoors and then puke her guts up. Does nibbling cat grass have the same emitting effect?

As others have said it depends on how much they eat, as well as it depends on the type of grass they are eating. I grow cat grass (young grain grass like wheat, barley, and/or oat) for my cats and rarely have them throw up after eating it, like they do if they eat actual grass from the lawn or hay (like for livestock), which is not the same. Young grain grass can actually help with digestion/pooping for some (acts as a laxative) and help with passing hairballs (either by helping them poop them out or throw them up), but can upset the stomach of others. It also depends on how long you let it grow, the soft young grass (when it's a few inches tall and still light green) are easier on their stomach then older grass since it gets tougher as it matures. It's still a plant though and cats are carnivores, so if your cat chows down on it all in one sitting vs just nibbling on a few strands at a time or if your cat has a more sensitive stomach it may not be a good option.

Just to be clear I suggested a tray of cat grass because it can give the cat the feeling of laying on grass like they would outside, and if they do chew and nibble on it it's less likely to cause gut issues then if you planted a tray of regular lawn grass. Obviously each cat is different, but if your cat just lays on the grass and occasionally nibbles on it here and there it might be an option to give them a little taste of the outside world on occasion (it only lasts about a week or so after spouting) while safely inside.

 

[NY cat man]

Michele grows cat grass- she uses oat grass- in a pot, then when it gets tall enough, she'll clip some off and give some to each of the cats. She only lets it get 3-4" tall, then after so many clippings, she'll dump the pot and start over with new seed and soil. The cats seem to like it that way.

 

[Tigger's Mum]

We rescued a senior street cat. Our vet thought she was 12/13 years old. She'd lived on the streets in a nearby Council estate and had been fed by people there. One got concerned that she would not survive another winter so I got called to help. She was in a sorry state when we got her. She was so stiff with arthritis she couldn't hold her tail up and it dragged on the floor in a C shape. We put her on Denes Green Lip Mussel and within a couple of weeks she was holding her tail up and wasn't so stiff in her back end. She never wanted to go out again. We had a heavy rainstorm one night a few weeks after we got her. She was sitting on the windowsill, heard the rain, jumped down and took "shelter" under my piano. I will never forget the quizzical look on her face. She could hear the rain but couldn't work out why she was not getting wet. We had her for 5 years until she passed suddenly from a saddle thrombosis. She was a beautiful long-haired black cat.

Our other street cat is Oscar who we've had coming up for 2 years. He can be a bit of a naughty boy and has escaped a few times, the last time a couple of weeks ago. We had to trap him. Most of the time he's happy indoors but is an opportunist. My son was taking the milk in and didn't notice Oscar was behind him. We have a dark red carpet and black cats blend in well to a red carpet. We've now started harness and lead training him so he can get some safe outdoor time.

It depends on the individual cat but there are ways of keeping an outdoor cat happy indoors with toys. Oscar loves wand toys and also our Catit Super Circuit. He, Otto and Fluffy play with that a lot. I want to build a catio so the cats can get outdoor time in safety which also means where it would be that I could fully open the window in the warm weather which I can't do just now. We're scheduled to get re-roofed sometime this year so waiting for that to be done first.

At least living in the UK we don't have bears or coyotes. We do have foxes but they don't bother with cats.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Phoebe and Daisy seem content indoors, though Phoebe does try shoving her nose out the door when I have to go into the courtyard. They were both street rescues. Daisy got scared the few times I tried taking her into the courtyard on a harness. When we lived in Queensland Phoebe never wanted to venture further than the deck (on a leash), unlike Maddie, who liked going for walks and bashing up my sister's dogs if they got too close.