Indoor/outdoor cat to indoor only?

[purplemunkey]

We have a five year old cat that we've had since she was a kitten. We currently rent a house with a small garden and she is free to go in and out via a cat flap in the kitchen door.

She's a fairly small and timid cat so she doesn't go far, mainly our own garden and a few gardens to either side and is regularly chased indoors by other neighbourhood cats. She spends a great deal of time indoors but does like to go out a few times a day and will sit with us if we are in the garden. We lock her in at night.

We are now faced with having to move as our landlord is selling. After looking at several properties today the only decent one is a very large flat which does not have a garden. Well, it does but it's up an alley away from the front door so not really viable for the cat to get to and from when she feels like it.

Can an indoor/outdoor cat happily become and indoor cat only? My fear is that it's a bit cruel to take the outdoors away but I'm not sure how bothered she'll be. I'd love other cat owners opinions/experiences.

FWIW we live in London suburbs so up til now she's had free reign of small suburban gardens rather than fields if that is at all relevant.

[purplemunkey]

Anyone?

[Tiptops]

I converted 5 of my cats from outdoors to indoors only (with access to cat runs) due to a house move. Also one other cat was outdoor pre-adoption and has remained inside since we had her.

My cats are/ were all perfectly happy. One of them would escape given the chance, but he is very high energy/ Houdini. They have lots of space indoors and take the opportunity to run and chase each other around.

They are all much more engaged with us since becoming indoor cats. You see a lot more of their personality and quirks when they aren't using up all their energy outdoors. Equally, you need to make time to play with them often to help burn off that energy, mentally and physically, but it's enjoyable and totally worth it.

My cats were largely not bothered by the transition. I don't think it's cruel - I wouldn't have done it if I thought it were.

[purplemunkey]

Thanks tiptops, that's nice to hear. There really is a lot of room in the flat so we could get a run/climber for her. We always make a real fuss of her too so making time to play with her wouldn't be a problem. Plus our 10m old DD loves chasing her around too

We don't actually know if the LL will accept pets yet but I wanted to get some advice on whether it's even a good idea before we enquired.

[purplemunkey]

Any other words of wisdom from other cat lovers?

[plonkie]

I took in a stray elderly cat and she's a thoroughly contented house cat now. We can't let her out as she's completely deaf and she just wouldn't hear a car coming. She wanted to go out at first and actually escaped once, but after a few weeks she settled down and is perfectly happy as an indoor cat :-).

I have three other cats and one of them loves roaming, so I would feel bad about keeping him in, especially as he gets picked on by the others. But your cat seems quite homely anyway and you'd be making the change at the same time as moving so it'd probably be fairly painless! :-)

[purplemunkey]

Thanks plonkie. Yes, she is quite homely.

It's been really great to hear your personal experiences. I think we'll see if the LL will accept a cat in the flat and go from there.

[Fruityb]

I have an indoor cat and he's absolutely fine and happy and healthy. He has snuck out a time or two but comes back soon enough. He used to go out where I used to live as it was safer but he ended up riddled with fleas and I couldn't cope with it. He's been full time indoors about 4 years, he's 6, and is fine. He has toys he has full run of the house and sleeps where he wants. He likes to be around us, he's currently laid on my bed next to me purring noisily with his paw on my arm, and is very chilled. Plus there's no chance he'll get run over inside!

[BuckBuckBuckBuckBuck]

We rehomed a 5 yo cat from a friend, was outdoor cat before. She proceeded to live under my bed for 5 months, then came out a little more. I'm reluctant for her to go out much as we've lost 3 cats to the road in the last 6 years. So j was happy she was staying in. Got to about May, back door open lots, and she started to go out a bit. But by late August, she moved back to indoors again. She seems happy with this. Still spends most of her life in my bedroom (other cat and dogs rule elsewhere!).

[purplemunkey]

Oh good, more positive stories! It is a very lovely flat but our cat is very important to us so I didn't want to go for the flat without properly considering the impact on her.

Buck, sorry about the cats that you've lost

[purplemunkey]

fruity, fleas are bloody horrible aren't they? We had them this summer for the first time. Made me so miserable.

[Fruityb]

It was hell on earth. I hoovered like a mad woman, but as soon as I stopped the little buggers would be everywhere. It was as if they waited! It was a full on infestation, that had to be dealt with when I moved out of the house. 4 years later and him being full time indoors I found two on him. Broadline and indorex and I've never seen another one thankfully.

When armageddon happens we'll be left with fleas and cock roaches the resilient little blighters.

[purplemunkey]

Ha, ha yes. The hoovering is relentless and I was the only one who was actually getting bitten. We managed to get rid of them over about two months - I think anyway, haven't been bitten in a while!

The LL wouldn't let us keep a cat in the end so we let the flat go. We got a house in the end a little further out with a nice garden and a cat flap. LL is happy for us to have a cat.

Now I'll be researching how to manage moving an indoor/outdoor cat from one house to another instead. Worried she'll wander off looking for our old house