Indoor cat tips?

[uka888]

Do you think indoor cats can be happy?
Any tips on how to ensure they are happy?

We live quite close to a road and I don’t want to risk him getting run over. We ve had him for 10 months and he’s now 15 months old. He hasn’t really been outside apart from going outside with me in the small back garden a few times to potter around.

I thought mine was, until she escaped out of a window. (Adopted at 9 months & had never been out) Since then she yelled to be able to go out. She used to be a cuddly lap cat, play fetch, happily slept most of the day but now I rarely see her (has been neutered) She’s out first thing, popping back to eat occasionally, I have to go out and physically carry her in so I can go to bed at night. It’s like she’s scared we will shut her in again and I feel sad about that. She obviously loves not being an indoor cat any more.

You can cat proof gardens, you can diy it or get the company to fit it.

They can be content as indoor only cats, and some cats have to be indoors only for various reasons usually health related.

The important things are company, mental stimulation, exercise, & plenty of places for them to go. Good scratching posts etc, decent tree, plenty of time spent playing especially if you only have the one cat.

@uka888 my cats are always indoor only (currently 2 in a flat) and they never complained. Safer for them, safer for the environment. I don't have to see my cat run over by some idiot driver, no man will pick him up to use as dog-fighting bait, no sicko will try to kill it for fun...cats can be happy indoors, and they are much safer there too.

Having said that, if I had a farm, with stables and fields with no roads and idiotic drivers, I'd let my cats roam around, after they'd be properly adjusted to this.

You can have a catio built in the garden. I'd not trust anything non-professionally built, the fear of losing a cat to some flimsy netting that I install wrongly would be too big.

Mine are indoor. I love the ideas from Jackson Galaxy (catification) he has a couple of great books on Amazon about making your house cat friendly.
I would say the most important things are having lots of scratchers about - occasionally I add catnip! And also spots for cat TV, where they can look outside at something interesting 🐦
To be fair, I know they want to go outside but it's not safe where I live.

Mine are indoor, they go into my enclosed garden. They are Persians which are ideally suited to that life style. Plus they just aren't bright enough or streetwise enough to be let loose. And cheddar is so friendly shed get stolen! In her occasional escapes out the front door Snorg has always decided that the big wife world isn't for her.

I have pedigree house cats, make sure you have grass growing in the house. They need access to this to help with digestion also it induces vomiting hair balls.

My cat has a large outdoor enclosure so he can go outside.
He had a bad accident last year and isn't strong enough for outdoor freedom. Building him an enclosure and making it exciting gave him that outdoor space he needed and he loves it.
He knows that if he gets into his travel basket, we'll zip him up and take him outside. He has toys, a waterproof house and an outdoor cat tree out there.