Help! Cat Constantly Crying To Go Outside!

[emilybritt123]

I have a 4 year old orange tabby that I adopted about 2 months ago. He’s always been active and a little tyrant, but we’ve gotten used to each other and worked that out. However, the past week or two, he has been constantly begging to go out on our screened in patio. I don’t mind having him out there because he’s easy to watch and he has had all his vaccinations, flea meds, etc, but I cannot take the constant begging. From the time I wake up at 6 am to the time I go to bed at 11 pm, he is begging to go out there. He has a cat condo inside, cat grass and catnip growing inside, we play multiple times a day, but nothing seems to give. I feel bad because I know our apartment is small and I want to let him out there, but I don’t want him to think the whining is okay, especially since he has resorted to knocking things over and howling. Even knocked over a floor lamp this morning that he has never touched before. I need some solutions.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. What a cutie pie. He's neutered, right?

I know you have no way of knowing if he was previously an indoor/outdoor cat, but here's a TCS article that might be helpful: The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

Also:
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)
Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi! First thing: Since you've had him for about 2 months, but he's only been bugging you to go outside in the last week or so - can you pinpoint anything in between that could have helped create this change? Or, is it just because it took that long to 'work everything out' between the two of you?

OK - don't shoot me but: Are you home most of the time? If so, maybe you should just let him hang out on the patio. Of course, that depends on what access you have between your home and the screened in patio. I am home most of the time, so Feeby spends a lot of her day on our screened in patio. I have a sliding glass door that I leave open just enough to let her go in and out as she pleases. If your weather wouldn't permit that, you could always have a cat/doggy door installed. This has been going on for me for years, and now she's trained to know to come in when I tell her to whenever I need to leave the home.

 

[BlueJay]

Those above suggestions sound good, but if those don't work, sticking to a schedule might help. Just let him out at the same time every day, twice a day, whatever, and try to stick with it. I think I read somewhere if you just give in to the whining, he will see that it's working and continue to do it or get worse.

 

[emilybritt123]

Hi everybody,

Yes, he is neutered. I think I will try letting him out there on a schedule. After all, I don’t mind him being out there, just can’t stand the whining and knocking things over when he doesn’t get his way.

 

[maggie101]

I used to have stray cats that would come by at night. Then my cats would paw at the door. If it's that keep your blinds closed.