Going To Keep Indoor/outdoor Inside

[sprinkle]

My cat runs away for months at a time. This started happening when I adopted a 4 mo. old stray.

I've kept her in once before for a prolonged period of time when my neighbor was going to tent his home & gave us the heads up for her. It was from about the evening to the next day maybe around 11 am. (They ended up only spraying)

During this time she basically didn't turn away from the window or door. She loves the outdoors. Before, she would come in around 8 pm & be out the next morning.

I've read other posts saying to keep her entertained. I have catnip, Feliway, Cat music (musicforcats.com) so I'm prepared.

That time keeping her inside was very stressful & I don't know how long she will keep it up. Jackson Galaxy said to just keep the cat inside, but I'm just concerned w/ the stubbornness of my cat in particular. She's a tortoiseshell & people have said that 'tortitude' is real.

I've considered cat fencing but don't want to make the investment incase they are mad & just want to escape.

So how long has your cat kept this up while transitioning?
Anyone with a tortie?

 

[Norachan]

Hi sprinkle

It can be a long hard struggle, but it's definitely worth trying to keep cats indoors for their safety and your peace of mind. Some cats make the transition to indoor only much easy than others. I have 22 cats at the moment, most of them are former feral cats that I rescued. They have an outdoor enclosure and most of them are happy with that. There are one or two though that spend every moment trying to escape.

If you have a very determined escape artist you need to think about an enclosure with a roof as well as cat-proof fences.

Do you think your cat would be happy walking on a harness and leash?

I have 4 torbies. I know people talk about tortitude, but all four of mine have quite different personalities so I can't say it's really a thing.

Only one of the torbie girls shows any interest in going outside of the enclosure. She managed to get out once. I think if she really put her mind to it she could get out again, but apart from running to the front door when she sees me coming she doesn't try that hard.

 

[sprinkle]

Thanks for your help.

I've tried a leash & collar with her but she just lays down. Is a harness better for cats? I'd like to try that with her if it is...

That's interesting about your torbies. Jackson's one of them I've heard it's true from (saw him do a talk). I can't remember if it was him who said there was a study about cat colors and personality.

How did you get your torbie back?

One more thing: Would the 'Thunder shirt' help? At what point should I put it on her?

 

[maggiedemi]

My cat sat in the windows and cried day and night for two weeks. If you can put up with the crying and howling for two weeks, it should work. It also helps that he has a sister cat to play with and lots of window perches to look outside, and a bird feeder by the window.

 

[Norachan]

Yes, a harness is much safer. Get one that fits her properly, so she can't wriggle out of it herself. It's better if she gets used to wearing it before you try taking her outside. Just let her wear it around the house first of all. When she starts acting as if the harness isn't even there you'll know it's almost time to let her out on the leash.

Harness And Leash Training For Cats

I've never tried a Thunder shirt, maybe someone else can give you advice about that. I think IndyJones posted about using one on a nervous cat.

My torbie eventually came back when she was hungry. She hadn't gone far. I went out armed with treats and she followed me home.

 

[sprinkle]

Ok, I'm considering adopting a cat to help my girl Sprinkle. I can't keep Carrot w/ her because she hates him.

I've seen her w/ a black cat a few times. One time just sitting in the backyard together

I came home one day and found my two kitties sitting/laying together. So I figure she likes cats. Also, I was thinking she didn't like Carrot because he was a kitten.

Well later they clashed & Carrot was standing up to her more.

The house I'm going to keep her in is a cabin/studio type thing. Not very big. I'm going to stay w/ her but would that be an issue w/ getting another cat?

 

[maggiedemi]

Did you do the introductions between Sprinkle and Carrot with some type of gate or door between them? I would try to see if you can get them to get along before adding another cat.

 

[sprinkle]

Never mind about adding another cat, I think I have enough pets.

Yeah I tried feeding them w/ a door between them. When Sprinkle realized he was there, she just stared at the door.

I have dogs in the main house that aren't really used to her yet with so I can't take her in there. Do you think she would be really mad knowing that Carrot is outside (free roaming)? I don't think it'd be a good idea to feed them w/ him outside of the door.

What about getting her used to the dogs? She is semi-comfortable around 2 of them, but another 2 she's only seen through a fence. I don't even know if I should do this. She's the type I think she can tolerate dogs but just wouldn't want them too near her. Even though she was nose to nose w/ one of them before. I have one more dog she's very used to. Before I got the others. They wouldn't get close though.

Would it be a good idea to bring the dogs in one at a time, after she's settled in?

 

[IndyJones]

What temperament are your dogs? Are they high energy? Possessive? If they are then you may want to bring them out on a leash.

If they are calm then put the cat in a carrier and place it on the ground and let the dogs sniff around. If they are calm and not aggressive towards the newcomer give them praise and a treat.

 

[IndyJones]

If they show aggressive behaviour separate them again.

You may also want to do scent swapping before introducing them. Take a dog blanket and put in the cat's enclosure and a cat blanket and put it where the dogs are.

 

[Norachan]

I don't have much experience with dogs, maybe this article will help?

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

Columbine has cats and dogs that all get along well together too.

 

[Columbine]

As IndyJones asked, what sort of dogs do you have, and what are their tempraments/characters like sprinkle ? Dog training and temperament is key when it comes to happy cat and dog households, far more so than breed in my experience. Your girl's reaction to the dogs is important too - introductions will be MUCH easier if she has the confidence to stand her ground or walk away rather than running at the sight of them. That's not to say that more nervy cats can't live with dogs, but it will take a while longer to get everyone happy and safe together.

I absolutely do NOT advocate introducing your girl to the dog by having her in a carrier. This is a recipe for disaster, and could easily make your girl scared of the dogs - even if she wasn't before. I always work on the principle of controlling or confining the dogs and letting the cat move freely. I frequently use dog crates when cat-training a dog, especially in the early days, at any time when I'm not able to supervise them. This just helps keep everybody safe, and gives me peace of mind.

There are a few dog training prerequisites that I believe are essential for happy cat-dog households and introductions. Each dog must have a rock solid sit-stay or down-stay, 'leave (it)' or 'no' (or both), recall ('come' or 'here') and have a proper respect for the leash. Additionally, I find 'watch (me)' really helpful too, as it's invaluable in redirecting a dog's attention before things have a chance escalate. It also helps in teaching a dog to ignore a cat, as sometimes peaceful ignoring is the best you can hope for. The aim isn't to have cat and dogs to become the best of friends (though that's a nice bonus), but to have them peacefully coexisting.

When you start introductions, pick a room that gives the cat plenty of options to go up, so she can observe the dogs in safety if she so chooses. Have the dogs on leashes (ideally one dog per person, though I appreciate that this isn't always viable - I would definitely want at least one person for the dogs and one person for the cat though, so each species has someone focused entirely on them) or crated. Walking the dogs first is a good idea, as tired dogs are more likely to be calm than hyper ones who are desperate to let off steam! Definitely crate any dog you have doubts about controlling on the leash. Accidents can and do happen, and your priority has to be the cat's safety. A dog could severely injure or even kill a cat without meaning to, but a cat couldn't cause anything like the same kind of accidental damage to a dog Keep the session short, with lots of praise and treats all round.

Repeat the process until the cat is relaxed around the dogs, and is no longer showing any fight or flight responses, and until the dogs are relaxed and ignoring the cat. This may take a little while, but cat-to-dog introductions are often quicker than cat-to-cat introductions. Once everybody is calm and confident together, you can try supervised off leash interactions. Continue in this way until you are confident that everybody will stay safe unsupervised. It's always better to err on the side of caution here - if in doubt, crate the dogs (or otherwise separate them) when you're not around.

Dogs and cats can and do live very happily together, provided you put the work in at the start

As far as your girl and Carrot go, don't give up on them. Keep working on introductions with them, give both plenty of daily interactive playtime, and stay patient. I personally don't think that it works very well to have one indoor/outdoor cat and one indoor-only cat living together. There are just too many variables. If it were me, I'd be looking at having both cats indoor only, and integrating them both with the dogs so that everybody has the run of the whole house.
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
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How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

 

[sprinkle]

Very helpful

My dogs, 6 of them are:

1st one I think is a Red Heeler mix w/ Beagle & I don't know what else. She's a sweet dog. The thing is she has a high prey drive (which is probably from the Dingo ancestry). But she's good enough w/ both cats already.

My 2 boy/2 girl chi-mixes are affectionate/playful. (The girls have some Jack Russel I think). They don't want to do tricks though (haha). The boys play fight w/ Carrot but they're not neutered yet & I plan on doing so asap before moving on w/ Sprinkle. They're pretty good though w/ her.

The girls on the other hand would chase Carrot but I think I made a slight improvement w/ them. They've only seen Sprinkle through the fence. One was barking and Sprinkle jumped at her & scared her. Also, the girls bicker sometimes & one especially gets jealous.

The last is a pup, from my dogs, & she has Hydrocephalus. It means 'Water on the brain' & is a fluid build up in the brain. It can cause neurological problems & she can't walk. (Her wheelchair is coming in the mail)

I introduced her to Carrot when she was young, idk if I waited too long (don't think so) but she knows him. She gets a little scared I guess when I hold her towards him. She's a sweetie w/ some feistiness.

How should I go about getting Carrot in here? I think I saw Jackson use like a curtain between 2 cats during feeding.

PS: Sprinkle is doing great. She's only gone to the door a few times.

 

[Columbine]

Your dogs sound absolutely adorable I wouldn't be too worried about your red heeler mix, despite her high prey drive. It sounds like she knows already that the cats are off-limits, and that's all that matters. I had a greyhound until the beginning of this year , and he was never a problem with the cats once he'd learned...and you know what greyhound prey drives are like! I think the key with all dogs is for them to learn that the cats are part of their pack. Once that's firmly in place, they can easily make the distinction between prey and 'family'.

I'm guessing your chi-mixes are all pretty small. That's helpful when working with cats, as they're at least closer to cat-sized, so potentially less intimidating. I'd keep a very close eye on the boys' play fights with Carrot though - whilst it can work, there's always this risk of blurring the lines between family and prey. It all depends on the individuals concerned.

It sounds like the girls will need the most work and prep when it comes to the cats. The jealously needs working on if possible, as that's potentially the most dangerous behaviour you mention as far as the cats are concerned. I'm not a dog trainer (though I've done a lot of work with one with my own dogs), and in any case it's not easy to suggest a course of action without seeing the behaviours and meeting the dogs. The following is simply my personal experience and approach (learned from my own trainer and from watching shows with people like Ceasar Milan and Victoria Stillwell). I had jealously/possessive issues with my greyhound in his younger days. In his case, he was very possessive of me when I was in bed - no one was allowed anywhere near me! I dealt with it by calmly, quietly and firmly putting him off the bed the second he started up, and by reclaiming the bed as mine that he was allowed to share (rather than his that I was allowed to share). I did that by standing up and blocking the bed when he entered the room, and only allowing him up when he had waited calmly for a few seconds. The basic concept is the same no matter what form the jealousy takes - quiet, firm, calm removal of the desired person/object until the dog calms down. It can be really tedious and frustrating, especially in the beginning, but consistency is key. Once they learn that there are NO exceptions, they usually settle quite well, and are happier for it. Jealousy generally comes out of anxiety, and clear, calmly enforced boundaries really helps reduce canine anxiety too.

Your disabled pup is unlikely to cause the cats any problems, but you may have to watch that the cats don't go after her. Neurological problems that affect motor function can cause unpredictable movements, something that the cats may take a while to get used to. I'd definitely keep a close eye out there, and if possible keep the cats' claws clipped to reduce any damage they're able to do. They may need a bit of extra training and desensitising to her wheelchair too, as that could well be a scary 'monster' to them

On to the cats

Fantastic that Sprinkle isn't fussing to go out much That bodes very well for the future. The best way to introduce her to Carrot is to have them in separate rooms (even if one room is small) and feed them either side of the door. Once they're chilled about that, switch to a screen door (or stacked baby gates). Start out with all but the tiniest gap at the bottom covered (you can use a blanket or towel, or cut some sturdy cardboard to size and fix it securely to the gate). Continue feedings as before. Once both cats are relaxed again, raise the sight blocker a little. Keep working like this until they're calmly eating in full view of each other with just the screen/baby gates between them. Then you're ready to start with face to face introductions. It's a lengthy process, but is tried and tested, and is the least stressful approach for the cats. The articles in my last post explain the process more fully Remember, you know your cats best. Pay close attention to their body language at every stage - they'll tell you when they're ready to move forward. Don't neglect interactive playtime either - a play session before each meeting/feeding session will allow them to burn off any excess energy and increase the chances of calm and peaceful interactions. Stay patient. It takes as long as it takes, but it will be so worth it to have all your furkids happily sharing the same space

 

[sprinkle]

Ok, I did a door feeding w/ them & I could hear Sprinkle eating but Carrot was being hesitant.

Also, he's been meowing outside, this was before the feeding though...

Heres some pics of my dogs:

Li'i (Hawaiian for small)



Romeo & Atreyu (brothers)



Bunny & Squirrel (sisters & Romeos pups)



Bunny & Romeo had an accidental litter but I researched about it & found that sometimes breeders do inbreeding on purpose for better traits. (Only 1st generation though)

& I think Sugar & the brown one are Atreyus.



Sugar

 

[Elfilou]

I second the leashed walks. Or as I like to call it, supervised parole!

Mines a calico and definitely has the "tortitude". Even though I didn't start leash-training her until she was 1/half years old, she took to it very quickly and has been very demanding about her outside time ever since, so much so that walking her for 30mins has become part of her daily routine. She would first meow at the door all day, but once she figured out that it would only happen once a day at a specific time she stopped meowing. In a country where most cats are allowed to roam, I look crazy standing outside with her every day. Elfie doesn't care though, because every day at 8pm she will stand at the door to remind me that it's time to go out. She has even reminded me it's time to go back inside and will meow to go back in! (I tend to watch YouTube videos or listen to podcasts when I stand outside with her and sometimes forget it's been more than 30 mins!)

Anyway, what I'm saying is be consistent. Cats thrive on routine and when they know what to expect. Consistency pays off, and makes both humans and cats happy. Good luck and I love reading progress!

In a perfect world all our cats would be allowed outside, but for now a luxurious prison with supervised parole will have to do. They're tiny predators/murderous psychopaths after all! LOL

 

[sprinkle]

I know! One time I saved a finch from Sprinkle. It was on the floor breathing heavily for a second then flew away.

In the future I'd like to put up cat fencing, but supervising. Because I don't want them to run away.

 

[Columbine]

Your dogs are just gorgeous

How's everybody getting on now?

 

[sprinkle]

Thank you

Sprinkle & Carrot are doing good. I'm going to let them have some visual soon...

I haven't done anything w/ the dogs yet but plan on asap.

 

[sprinkle]

Does anyone know if I can do a leashed introduction w/ both Bunny & Squirrel @ the same time?

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog