Newly Adopted Outdoor Cat, How To Keep Him Entertained Indoors For Now?

[reepee]

Hello, this is my first post! I just recently adopted a 1 yr 5 mth male tabby from my local shelter. He has been through 2 previous owners that had just let him wander off and never reclaimed. I've been researching on what to do with him as he is my first cat, and sites suggest that new cats stay inside for at least 2 weeks. Unfortunately he's been very persistent in being let outside and has become less and less interested in playtime. The shelter said that he's an energetic cat, so this worries me. Should I stick with my initial plan of keeping him in for 2 weeks and try to engage him in play time meanwhile? It's almost been a week at the time I'm writing this. I want to gradually introduce the outdoors to him, and I've been slowly letting him get used to a cat harness since I'm worried that he will wander off again. Thank you for any help!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome to you both!!

I would suggest to keep him in, and also try some MusicForCats . com or the app Relax My Cat.

Along with walks (be sure he can't get out of the harness, including backwards) do you have your own yard? If so could you build a catio?
Can you hang a bird feeder so he can watch them through a window?

These may be of help also

First-time Cat Owner's Guide

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

20 Best Interactive Cat Toys: The Ultimate List (2018) | Heavy.com

Home - the Ripple Rug

Food Puzzles for Cats

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

 

[abyeb]

Hi there! Furballsmom already linked to some of the articles I was thinking of, and those are excellent resources, so I would recommend giving those a read-through.

Some other things I would suggest:

Be sure he has plenty of cat trees and vertical space (window ledges, shelves, etc). Cats LOVE climbing and jumping, and this will allow him to burn off some of that excess energy. You could also try a cat wheel, if you would like, but those can be fairly expensive, and not all cats are fans.

Additionally, there are several ways that you can allow him to explore the outdoors safely. Consider leash training, or building him an outdoor enclosure (a "catio", as some like to call it). That way, he will get to experience the excitement of the scents and sounds of nature, without having to worry about him getting into an accident.

I'll leave you with these helpful articles:

Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips)

Cat Trees: 12 Designs That Will Make You Go "wow!"

How To Keep Your Cat Safe Outdoors

Cat Enclosures

Harness And Leash Training For Cats

 

[reepee]

12

Hi! Welcome to you both!!

I would suggest to keep him in, and also try some MusicForCats . com or the app Relax My Cat.

Along with walks (be sure he can't get out of the harness, including backwards) do you have your own yard? If so could you build a catio?
Can you hang a bird feeder so he can watch them through a window?

These may be of help also

First-time Cat Owner's Guide

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside

20 Best Interactive Cat Toys: The Ultimate List (2018) | Heavy.com

Home - the Ripple Rug

Food Puzzles for Cats

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

Hello and thank you for the welcome! We do own a yard, but there is a pool so I was thinking about having his outdoors supervised. Unfortunately at this time I can't afford building a catio, but a bird feeder is a wonderful idea! The harness seems to keep him secured, but the hole where his head goes through seems a little bit too big for him so I'm planning on getting a smaller one for him.

And thank you for the music idea. I did initially test out some cat music from Youtube and he seems to respond quite well to them (he would lay down and sleep for an hour or 2).

I also just want to mention that he is eating properly and using the litter box that's been provided. I'm just worried about him getting bored.

But once again thank you for all the links, I will be reading up on things to keep my baby entertained.

 

[reepee]

Hi there! Furballsmom already linked to some of the articles I was thinking of, and those are excellent resources, so I would recommend giving those a read-through.

Some other things I would suggest:

Be sure he has plenty of cat trees and vertical space (window ledges, shelves, etc). Cats LOVE climbing and jumping, and this will allow him to burn off some of that excess energy. You could also try a cat wheel, if you would like, but those can be fairly expensive, and not all cats are fans.

Additionally, there are several ways that you can allow him to explore the outdoors safely. Consider leash training, or building him an outdoor enclosure (a "catio", as some like to call it). That way, he will get to experience the excitement of the scents and sounds of nature, without having to worry about him getting into an accident.

I'll leave you with these helpful articles:

Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips)

Cat Trees: 12 Designs That Will Make You Go "wow!"

How To Keep Your Cat Safe Outdoors

Cat Enclosures

Harness And Leash Training For Cats

Thank you for all the links! I've gotten him a cat hammock that I've installed to a window that he seems to like a lot. I've also gotten him a cat tree but he seems unresponsive to it.

I'm definitely considering leash training for him. He's a very calm and patient kitty, and he hasn't been putting up a huge fuss when I've put a harness on him. Thank you again for the link on leash training!

 

[Furballsmom]

I am very glad you two have found each other

 

[abyeb]

Thank you for all the links! I've gotten him a cat hammock that I've installed to a window that he seems to like a lot. I've also gotten him a cat tree but he seems unresponsive to it.

I'm definitely considering leash training for him. He's a very calm and patient kitty, and he hasn't been putting up a huge fuss when I've put a harness on him. Thank you again for the link on leash training!

Not all cats are huge fans of cat trees, but I’m glad to hear that you still have one for him! Maybe try playing with a fishing pole-type toy around the tree, making the toy go up to the higher ledges for him to follow. You can also try leaving some treats on the tree for him to discover.