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Original poster

Changing my outdoor cat to an indoor cat

21 replies

Amylouise9090 · 17/12/2022 12:06

We adopted a stray 18 months ago. He’s been allowed outdoors for the last year, he doesn’t wander far and only seems to go out to find food. He’s very greedy! He has a bell so can’t catch mice or birds anymore and a collar saying do not feed me so the neighbours know not too but he’s started eating rubbish, rotten food and mealworms and then throwing it up at home. I’m really worried he’s going to get seriously sick one day by eating something bad. Would it be cruel to stop letting him out for his own safety? We have a big house and plenty of room for him to wander

OP posts:

LindaEllen · 17/12/2022 12:27

I think it's cruel to stop a cat going outside once they're used to it. I'd get your cat to a vet if they're unwell often. You should see what our cat eats while she's out - but she's never sick.

DuchessDandelion · 17/12/2022 12:29

Vets first. If he's routinely eating nasty things I'd want to make sure he's not deficient in something. Also thyroid.

OrganTransplant123 · 17/12/2022 12:32

How much are you giving him to eat? Increase his food and see if that helps. Leaving biscuits out for him to graze on might help reassure him that he isn’t going to go hungry.

Mortimermay · 17/12/2022 12:34

It depends on the cat of course but our cat would be a nightmare to live with if we decided to keep him inside now. We've had to keep him inside due to an injury before and he hasn't been going out as often due to the weather recently but he is very annoyed about it. He gets very stressed and depressed if he can't get outside when he wants to.

GloomyDarkness · 17/12/2022 12:40

I think only option would be to fence the garden with cat fencing - and lot of play time to tire out.

A vet visit and more good food might be easier initial option.

MidnightMeltdown · 17/12/2022 12:43

I definitely wouldn't keep him in. It's highly unusual for a cat to eat rotten food, you need to get to the bottom of that.

Are you feeding him enough? Does he always have food available to graze on?

Floralnomad · 17/12/2022 12:48

We have Siamese and they have a large catio and the house is basically a cat playhouse , they’ve also been bought up with this arrangement so have never been allowed to roam . I do think if you are going to have indoor cats you need to be at home a lot , prepared to play and prepared to make your home interesting . Ours have cat trees , floor to ceiling poles for wardrobe access and wall walkways plus the usual cat toys .

Original poster

Amylouise9090 · 17/12/2022 13:14

We did take him to the vet and he had a blood test - he's fine the vet just said he's greedy and suggested he goes on a diet as he is overweight! We can't leave him dry food out for a snack - he literally eats it all in 30 seconds! I don't want to keep him in but he literally eat anything he can find outside - keeps eating all the neighbours mealworm they leave out for the birds and threw that up this morning

OP posts:

asparalite · 17/12/2022 13:25

Are you feeding him good quality food with a high protein content eg Canagan Lily's Kitchen dried food which have 70% protein, as that does make a difference.
Some cats are happy to be indoors but obviously need masses of toys trees etc.

CremeEggThief · 17/12/2022 13:28

I think you can only have an indoor cat if that's what you have done from when you first got that cat. So yes it would be cruel and disruptive to your cat to do this now.

BadgerLovesMash · 17/12/2022 13:39

Our cats have gone from being outdoors to indoor cats. We moved house and our new house is in a very built up area, near a busy main road, trainlines and alot of foxes so for their safety we decided to keep them in.

It has been hard work, they weren't happy at first but we made sure we have plenty of toys, lots of attention, scratch posts. Our cats are older though (8 and 7) and they are lazier as they have got older!

It was hell in the summer as we couldn't open the windows, we are looking into the covers for next year so we can open them safely.

DuchessDandelion · 17/12/2022 13:57

Have you looked at timed feeders?

If you set one to dispense a portion of dry food at regular intervals through the day he might be more inclined to stay by it then go out and find gross rubbish to eat - and you can still control how much he has.

GloomyDarkness · 17/12/2022 15:13

Floralnomad · 17/12/2022 12:48

We've done this as well - cat shelves all round one room plenty of cat trees barrels hiding place, catio as for last 4 years a lot of people at home and it's all they've known - they were born in a flat so stairs we're a surprise when they got here.

However situations do change and people do mange to go from free roaming cats to indoor in response.

Amylouise9090 have you tried puzzled feeders or slow eating bowls - my cats hate them but they work for some.

Cat fencing your garden might help - cat fencing - DIY ideas its not possible with our garden currently so we built a catio which they love - ideally I'd get more poles in there like these but currently with three teens out of my price range.

Floralnomad · 17/12/2022 15:18

We didn’t go for cat proofing the garden as it’s huge and has trees and things that would be difficult to cat proof and also we live near a very busy road and are too nervous of them being able to get out / over the fence as nothing is completely foolproof and they are extremely agile .

IToldYouAmillionTimesAlready · 17/12/2022 15:40

Cats that have been used to going out don't adjust well to being kept indoors.

GloomyDarkness · 17/12/2022 15:51

There are US sites that give advice about changing cats from outdoor to indoor -

www.humanesociety.org/resources/home-sweet-home-how-bring-outside-cat-indoors

catbehaviorassociates.com/making-an-outdoor-cat-into-an-indoor-cat/

They have more indoor cats anyway due to their more dangerous wildlife so it's a very different cat culture but there will be more advice from there.

I would try other things first TBH but people do manage it.

HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 17/12/2022 15:54

I think the cat wouldn’t be happy as an inside cat if it had previously been a stray.

Beanbagtrap · 17/12/2022 16:05

Ask the neighbour to put the bird food out of reach. I'd treats for worms with a vet quality wormer if he's being sick all the time.

helpfulperson · 17/12/2022 16:26

It sounds like he isn't convinced food will always be available. I agree a timed feeder so he can see the food and will learn it will open eventually. I have two rescue cats who had to scavage for food and was initially firm about not giving random treats but two good meals a day and crunchies filled up at lunchtime. And they seemed to learn what to expect.

purser25 · 17/12/2022 16:30

We have had a rescue cat for 5 years he is still very greedy I know for a fact he steals other cats food. Think it is rescue cat syndrome they had to find their food so still worry when the meal will come. Ours pesters for about an hour before he is fed. He is a fat contented lap cat.

GeneratedRandomly · 17/12/2022 16:31

IToldYouAmillionTimesAlready · 17/12/2022 15:40

Cats that have been used to going out don't adjust well to being kept indoors.

Some do.
I have had plenty of cats over the years, some are happy to be indoors. I also have a catio so they have a choice, a couple have refused to use it and wanted to go out, both older males, the others were happy to be gradually transitioned to indoors.

Strays can tend to continue scavenging for food as they need a while to get used to knowing there will be something to eat.

My current rescue cat will only go into the catio if I am also there, and isn't bothered about going out but was advertised as 'would like access to outdoors'. The door to the catio is open, she goes out to swear at other cats but that's all.

Some are happy to be indoors with company, regular food and attention. Some are outdoorsy cats that like to wander. Spend a lot of time with him and see if he really wants to go out or if he is just used to being shut out and hungry. He will be safer...

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