How to get cat to like being an indoor cat?

[SierraFerrara]

She's about 4 and we've had her about 2 years. We've always kept her in. Not sure about previous owners.

We want her to be an indoor cat. She's terrified of other cats (loads around us), has dodgy knees so can't jump well (she escaped once and got stuck on a 5ft fence!) and lots of cats go missing here.

We've sort of trained (bribed) her so she mostly stays away from the back door as long as we don't leave it open. But we have to booby trap open windows eg tinfoil/carriers on the ledge even upstairs windows. Ovcassionally when we come home she darts out through our legs into next doors garden and 9/10 drops on her belly in a corner when see shes one of their cats. We catch her and bring her back in straight away.

She occassionally meows to go out. Not much though.

I feel guilty but it's for her own good. How can we get her to realise and accept she's not going out?

[ocelot41]

Mine can't free roam for reasons I won't go into here. She loves walking on a harness. Might that be something you could try?

[EachandEveryone]

Cant you cat proof your garden? Catio?

[deepestdarkestperu]

Cat-proof garden?

In my experience, if cats want to be out, they’ll get out by any means necessary!

[WorkingItOutAsIGo]

You will never get her to like being an indoor cat so don't try as that way lies failure. Just accept you will always be keeping her in and need to beat her at her own game. She will try to get out.

[EachandEveryone]

Leaving the door open if shes not allowed out is too tempting. Someone on here had a fab diy catio built.

[Oops4]

Some cats just don't want to be in. We've had rescue cats and cats from kittens. Some are not fussed either way and others make it their life mission to get out. One wee boy we had from a kitten, who we planned on keeping in, used to hide in shoes at the door and as soon as the door was opened he would bolt. He wasn't happy indoors so he became an outdoor cat .

[maximus55]

Cat-proof garden?

Yes, the companies that do it, put wire up all around the garden so cats cant get out.

[SilverSpot]

He didn't like it at all.

I got the garden prison-fenced in.

[ToadTheVampireThreadKiller]

These for the windows, but you still need to keep an eye on them
www.flat-cats.co.uk/

[EachandEveryone]

Flat cats are the best thing ever. Expensive but worth it