indoor cat wants out all the time

[momothecat]

HI All
i am new here and thought i d ask for some much needed feedback. About a year ago i adopted a small calico female from the street ( she must have been 4 mnonths ) . i brought her from another country where my mom lives . was quite a journey but we made it . we live in a house with a fenced backyard. i take her out on a harness but it does not seem to be enough as she constantly asks to go out by being vocal near the door or window . I did let her out once but she jumped the fence and i had to retrive her from the neighbor . I dont want her to get lost . She has a very strong instinct and wants to hunt all the time. I feelbad letting her in the house and only taking her out suprervised but if i dont do that she will jump the fence again as she is quite adventurous and curious .My wooden fence is about 6 ft dont think i can make it higher . any ideas on how to make her a little happier ? thanks in advance

 

[KittyCat_chitchat]

Do you own the house? If so, could you build a catio?

 

[momothecat]

Do you own the house? If so, could you build a catio?

yes i own it -thanks for your suggestion , but i am not sure a catio would satisfy her thirst for being out and frolicking around - do you have experience with those ?

 

[KittyCat_chitchat]

Not personally, unfortunately. You could try making it more natural than an extension of the house per se, by putting in branches for her to climb and things like that, and by making it a wire cat run rather than a roofed room.

 

[Ella Spell]

Is she neutered?

 

[Kris107]

There are tethers that you could clip her to. One caveat is that you'd have to watch carefully for tangles and predators. She would be a sitting duck if even a large hawk was coming at her. Also, another thought is making an overhang on your fence that comes inward, but even that might be scalable by a determined and athletic cat. My cats are mostly indoors but get to pop out when I'm aware or out there with them. One has a penchant for escape but I chastise him when he heads towards the hole in the gate and if he continues, he immediately goes in the house. Loses privileges. To be fair though, neither of mine were outdoor rescues - I've had both since they were kittens. The catio is a good idea if you want her to be out there relatively unsupervised or want her to be able to come and go and she pleases.

 

[Alldara]

It's good to give only supervised time outdoors for her safety. Catios can help for sure! She might still like the leashed walks as well, as they satisfy different needs.

It takes time for cats to stop constantly asking to go out. But a schedule helps.

Lastly, if she's not spayed yet, she will be meowing to get out and go make babies. It's important to get her spayed to stop her frustrations.

 

[momothecat]

thanks to all i think a catio outdoor the way i saw it in some vids might just work very well for this naughty little hunter

 

[momothecat]

It's good to give only supervised time outdoors for her safety. Catios can help for sure! She might still like the leashed walks as well, as they satisfy different needs.

It takes time for cats to stop constantly asking to go out. But a schedule helps.

Lastly, if she's not spayed yet, she will be meowing to get out and go make babies. It's important to get her spayed to stop her frustrations.

she is neutered but she keeps meowing toget out . i try a schedule but she does not like the harness - she just wants to catch birds and others criters in my yards

 

[Alldara]

she is neutered but she keeps meowing toget out . i try a schedule but she does not like the harness - she just wants to catch birds and others criters in my yards

How long ago was she spayed? (Neutered is for male cats, spayed is for female cats.) it takes some time for hormones to leave the system. 6-8 weeks

She should get used to it, but it can take a long time.

 

[momothecat]

How long ago was she spayed? (Neutered is for male cats, spayed is for female cats.) it takes some time for hormones to leave the system. 6-8 weeks

She should get used to it, but it can take a long time.

a year ago -

 

[Alldara]

It'll just take time then. Try to keep her busy when she's inside and keep her outside time on a schedule (even if not by time, then by routine).
It helps to provide her food in an enrichment way (puzzles, treat ball, lick mats, etc) if she will est that way.
I also recommend some electronic toys to rotate. Lots of catnip. Maybe some birdwatching from your phone or through the window.