HerSo, I was adopted by the apple of my eye this past fall and we’ve been pretty inseparable ever since. She was my neighbor’s cat and she was completely neglected to the point that we thought she was homeless until we brought her to the vet to be scanned. She was thin, face cut up, ears full of cuts and scabs, and her paws were licked bald. It didn’t take long until she moved from the front porch to the garage. I cleaned out the garage (which is facing the backyard with another driveway) and put a couch, tv, microwave and fridge, toys, beds, litter box, activity tree, scratching posts, etc. She then made her way upstairs (there’s a small staircase leading upstairs to a sitting/bonus room that leads to my dads bedroom) and sometimes goes into my dads room. So basically, she has plenty of room that’s is away from our dogs. She goes outside A LOT, which I’m assuming is because she was basically living out there at one point. She stays in our oversized backyard most of the time and plays with her tunnels and naps under our old van and explores one of our old boats that’s on a trailor in the back of the yard, but then she will also leave and venture out. She stays close for the most part and almost always when I ring her bell and call her name, she’ll come running home. My fear is other animals (she doesn’t get along with other animals at all), people or children who could accidentally or intentionally hurt her, cars that could hit her (I’ve had to jump in front of quite a few when she wouldn’t move) and most recently, there’s been hawks eyeing her and my dogs up.
So, I built her a Catio. It’s only the first section that is up against the garage door - 5 ft out, 12 ft long, and 7 ft high. It’s not large by any means but I’m not done yet. I’ve started a garden with a bunch of windmills and light up butterflies and statues and I have cat-friendly plants and flowers growing in small pots for now. I’m going to build onto the section I have now out to include the garden and grass area. I finally introduced her to the first section of Catio yesterday. She cried and cried and cried and cried. She tried going through the tunnel I had in there over and over hoping it would lead to a way out. After 45 minutes of meowing, i gave in and let her out. Late last night I let her out in it hoping she’d associate the Catio with being able to go out early in the morning and late at night when she’s not normally allowed out and learn to look at it as a positive. First, she refused to go inside and stared at me from her little couch with disgust. Then she gave in and sat in her tunnel staring out into the yard. Every morning she cries to go out and I’m half asleep so I don’t feel like going out to watch her so I opened the door and let her in the Catio. Crying crying crying crying. This lasted about an hour. My mom made me let her out and told me we need to make it bigger.
Is this normal? I read about other people making Catios much smaller and their kitties love it! I knew she wasn’t going to be thrilled about it but she’s acting like it’s the most horrible thing in the world to ever happen to her. I was hoping to slowly transition her in but I really don’t see that happening. I worry too much about her outside but I don’t want her to be completely miserable. Is she just being spoiled and knows if she cries, she’ll get her way or is she truly distraught over it. The only thing she does like about the Catio and being able to rub her face against it. Might I add, she is a very sensitive kitty prone to FIC so I worry about upsetting her too much. Any advice??? Please help!!!!
Her having dinner in the Catio
I know I know! I’m trying to slowly transition her to the Catio. I’ll let her outside and stay out with her while she hangs in my backyard or stay out there while she goes to 1 of 3 neighbors yards that are all within sight from my yard and rarely ventures out farther. I’m trying to have her use the Catio in the morning when she wouldn’t 
