Indoor cat - her choice

[bringonyourwreckingball]

Cat is just over 2, we rescued her as a kitten with her brother who very sadly subsequently died. She wasn’t able to go outside for quite a long time as she is a tiny cat and was too small to be spayed until she was over 5 months. However since she has been able to go outside she chooses mainly not to - we’ve been working from home throughout the pandemic so the back door into the (large, secure) back garden has been open throughout both summers and she has a cat flap but is very reluctant to go outside. She will however try to climb out of the windows in our loft extension if she has the chance.
Has anyone had this with their kitty? There’s no reason for her to be an indoor cat, we don’t live on a busy road and the back garden is fenced.

Some are just more timid than others. She may get more adventurous as she gets older. I wouldn't worry about it.

One of mine has full access to our garden all day and only goes out with a human. She's also a tiny cat. They must be afraid of being beaten up by bigger cats.

We have this with our newish rescue cat, she's been able to go outside for over a month but she doesn't really want to, she goes out maybe twice a day for about 2 minutes. My last rescue cat was desperate to go outside when we got her 10 years ago, so I was a bit surprised at the difference!

I phoned the rescue centre to ask their advice and they said some cats are too nervous to go outside much, especially if there are other visiting cats or strange smells in the garden. We also have foxes that walk through the garden at night, so I don't know if our cat can smell them?

It's worked out ok now we have got used to it. We have the cat flap unlocked during the day if she wants to use it (she doesn't!), and lock it at night. If we open the sitting room french doors she will sit inside looking out!

I’m here for no other reason but to ask for a pic.

I wish people would just automatically post pics of their cats and kittens.

Some cats prefer to stay close to home and close to their humans. My cat does go out but when he comes back he has to find each member of the family to check in with. He hates it if we go out.

Nervous cat + messy kitchen.

Sorry! I am a long time lurker of the litter tray and should know the rules. Here she is

Aw bless, she's gorgeous.
Our rescue cat doesn't go far from home either and mostly only goes out when one of her humans goes outside (Apart from one night when she disappeared and stayed out until 5am!!)
She's a small petite little thing and hadn't been outside at all before living with us, so it's all been a new experience for her.

She’s precious! Would a catio be an option?

Messrs Balanchine & Nijinsky think Outside is a terrifying hellscape & would much MUCH prefer it if NOBODY went outside, never mind just them. My being on the shielding list & my brother having to work from home made them EXCEPTIONALLY happy felines; especially as I’m now not really up to being out for long so am still mostly home with the moglings.

They were tiny wee scraps when I got them (only 8 weeks but couldn’t be kept longer) & they’d never seen outside until then. They liked - & still like - admiring Outside, but actually going into it led to panic attacks & stress grooming whenever experimented with to the point the vet said not to persevere. They were only going out because I was there; & even as older cats (they were 9 in April) the couple of times they’ve ventured out since has been to closely supervise me when I’ve been in the garden & they’ve been worried.

Our garden is SE London’s top fox nightspot though, so it must smell pretty full-on.

Quite a lot of cats are very happy as indoor cats, you just need to make sure you provide them with suitable enrichment activities (I’m sorry, I can’t think how not to sound like a school prospectus ) & make sure you don’t overfeed them.

@TheBalletCats that made me laugh! Beans also thinks Outside is Bad and Wrong and would only ever venture out to herd her brother (who was a little more adventurous) back inside. Outside is only acceptable when she’s trying to climb out of a third storey window and then I’m Bad and Wrong for stopping her.

@bringonyourwreckingball

Beans sounds excellent (& is A Very Pretty Kitty btw), though her ambitions in stunt artist line sound rather hair-raising. Impenetrable & incomprehensible to mere humans is The Way Of The Cat…

(I’m very sorry for the loss of your wee boycat btw.)

They aren't all roamers. My two are older (not old) ladies who have only a limited outside space (secured with netting from a window). They are very happy with that and don't try to get out. On the occasion Zara went under the net (being distracted by a bird) she panicked and wanted desperately to get back in. Just give her plenty of climbing places inside.

You’ll be able to get a flat cat window screen for the loft windows @bringonyourwreckingball. Or a solar control window film would stop a lot of heat coming in.

Gorgeous!

Not all cats are interested in going outside - there's nothing wrong with them choosing to be indoors if that's what they want.

Thanks all - I feel somewhat reassured. I’ve read so many things about it being cruel to keep a cat inside and every other cat I’ve ever had has been an explorer. She is proper tiny though so the world must seem like a very big and scary place. She does love to indoor mountaineer (my bannisters will never be the same again) so I think she’s getting enough exercise.

Did someone ask for cat pictures?

Ours are all indoor cats, but we have a lovely second-story deck that acts as a catio. We have coyotes in the area, so outdoors isn't a great option.

@MissConductUS too cute! Beans has mainly been asleep on my laptop today and glaring balefully at me if I dare to work too loudly

@bringonyourwreckingball

Excellent

Glad you’re feeling reassured. Lots of it is cultural - in the UK lots of people consider it unthinkable you’d keep cats indoors (& as you say, will assert it’s cruel) whereas in other places it’d be considered cruel & irresponsible to let them out as is the norm here.

Our bannisters have also suffered & the house being full of bookcases seems to be considered a plus by my feline indoor parkour team. Sitting atop doors is also quite popular; & the top of my wardrobe is a favoured napping spot. Mine like to play together, but it also gladdens their fluffy wee hearts when I play with them - Balanchine likes to play fetch, & will present me with one of their wee foil balls (or sometimes a suitable trophy from my recycling bin) when he wishes to play…

I’m sure she’ll let you know if she has a sudden change of heart on the subject, but shunting her outside just because it’s the norm is definitely unnecessary.