Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Rescue cat won't go out

32 replies

Changes17 · 04/11/2021 23:01

Our rescue cat has been with us since September. She's pretty anxious and timid, but she's settled in with us quite well. She seems happy on the whole, but I worry that her life is quite boring (we work from home and spend a fair bit of the day working) - and it would be more interesting if she would only leave the house for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

She practically won't leave the house - but when she does, it's not very far and only when we open the door for her and leave it open. She'll sit by the door and look out for ages, but doesn't often actually go out. As it gets colder, that's going to be chilly. Should we just make her go out and close the door, or will that freak her out? I'm new to having a cat and really have no idea.

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 04/11/2021 23:04

Some cats are just home bodies. If she was bored she would go out. She is obviously happy where she is. Dont shut her out. Maybe get a cat flap.

Original poster
Changes17 · 04/11/2021 23:07

Thanks for the reassurance. We do have a cat flap - but she'll only use it if we hold it open for her. She seems very suspicious of it.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 04/11/2021 23:10

She sounds very happy in the house in her safe space.

My girl kind of goes out the back has a pee then comes straight back in. Only time she was ever very keen to go out was to defend her property by deafening any cats near our garden or when her brother was shut in for the night, she would escape out the locked cat flap and flick the V at him 🤷🏽‍♀️

freeandfierce · 04/11/2021 23:22

Please don't force her out. Cats are good at telling you want they want/need. It appears she has no desire to go out so don't force it. By forcing her you will cause massive stress and anxiety plus lose the trust that she has slowly built up with you. She obviously just enjoys feeling safe with you in the home so let her be. If she wants to go out she will tell you.

RandomMess · 04/11/2021 23:25

TBF she is sensible to be wary of a cat flap if she isn't used to them, never know when they will misbehave Wink

TippledPink · 04/11/2021 23:25

Sounds like my rescue cat- she doesn't go out at all, she will look out the door when it is open, will go in the back garden for a minute when it's summer but rushes back in. She loves it indoors!

Skysblue · 04/11/2021 23:27

Don’t force her. If you force a cat to do something they just dislike you for it.

She’ll go out when she’s ready.

MrsBertBibby · 04/11/2021 23:33

Our rescue girl took a fair few months to start enjoying going out, now she's a daredevil tree climber and a ninja huntress with a penchant for letting her prey loose at home. So be careful what you wish for!

MrsBertBibby · 04/11/2021 23:35

Anyway, if you are worried her life is boring, get her a laser pointer, a kong kickaroo and some ping pong balls.

Divebar2021 · 04/11/2021 23:39

Our rescue girl took a fair few months to start enjoying going out, now she's a daredevil tree climber and a ninja huntress with a penchant for letting her prey loose at home. So be careful what you wish for!

Yesssssssss. This morning we had a 03.00am wake up then 05.00am again by the rustling of a mouse in the bedroom. Let’s just say I can laugh about it now.

Brusca · 04/11/2021 23:40

I thought my latest rescue would be desperate to go out, as she'd been a stray for probably most of her life before, but, nope, it took her over 6 months before she even wanted to go out. For a further few months she'd only go in and out of a window overlooking the garden, then she started coming in the flap, but still going out via the window, and now she only uses the flap (thank fuck as it's been cold!).

Give her time, don't rush it.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 04/11/2021 23:42

She clearly doesn't want to go out, I've had cats like that before, happy to stay at home all day long despite a cat flap and a big garden.

Bialystockandbloom · 04/11/2021 23:48

She's probably just still settling in and enjoying the reassurance of inside. She'll go out when she's ready - or she'll decide she won't, which will of course be her choice. Welcome to cats Grin

violetbunny · 04/11/2021 23:48

I would let her go at her own pace. My mum's rescue cat took the better part of a year before she settled down, stopped hissing at all strangers, and started going outside.

greedygut · 04/11/2021 23:53

If you don't know her background she may have been dumped or lost ( I had 3 cats that found me after being dumped , it happens a lot) she may be happy with you and scared to go out
I also had a rescue stray dog that panicked if I took her collar off

NotMyCat · 04/11/2021 23:59

My rescue boy likes to sit with his bum on the windowsill over the warm radiator and his head hanging out the window. He's like neighbourhood watch Grin and most disappointed the "clapping for cats" has finished. He goes outside for about 5 mins and comes back in Confused

Make sure she has a place she can see out so a windowsill or cat tree, she might just want to watch the outside and not well, be in it!

Original poster
Changes17 · 05/11/2021 09:17

Thanks all, that seems pretty clear that we shouldn't force her to go out. Understood, and we won't. It just seems a shame to miss out on all that outside and limit her horizons so much. Reassured by those of you whose cats have taken a long time to go out but eventually did.

She does spend a lot of time looking out of the window, probably guarding her space from next door's cats! The only time she voluntarily went out of the (at the time taped open) cat flap was to chase off our neighbour's cat, and then she came straight back in. Is a shame, I think they could be friends, but clearly I'm new to cats (and thinking about it all in child terms!)

OP posts:
freshcarnation · 05/11/2021 09:20

We had a cat who would only go in the garden when we were out there with him. He liked to sit on the patio in the sunshine with us but that was it.

RandomMess · 05/11/2021 09:23

Cats rarely have friends, sometimes if they were kittens at the same time but even that is unusual.

Couchpotato3 · 05/11/2021 09:44

With a rescue animal, you never know what trauma they have been through. To you, their life might seem quite boring or restricted, but to them it feels safe and comforting. I have a rescue dog who is a real home body and hates the car. She is "missing out" on all the lovely places I could take her, but she has a happy and safe life with me that is a million times better than where she came from. Take your cue from your pet and try not to put your human interpretation on their behaviour! If your cat was unhappy, she would let you know about it very clearly!

Leftbutcameback · 05/11/2021 09:49

If you’re in the garden (sitting, hanging up washing etc) does she spend time out there with you? Our two love that! One of ours is a real outdoor cat who roams quite a bit, but the other doesn’t go much further than our garden and the immediate surrounds. Both seem happy!

NotMyCat · 05/11/2021 09:53

@RandomMess

Cats rarely have friends, sometimes if they were kittens at the same time but even that is unusual.
Mine is just a weirdo who brings friends home
Original poster
Changes17 · 05/11/2021 10:03

Well, she's outside now, but she's gone through the door, which I've left open so she can get back in – but it's freezing!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 05/11/2021 10:08

@NotMyCat 🥰

NotMyCat · 05/11/2021 10:12

Before anyone asks. The black cat is mine, the other one isn't but thinks he lives here
My cat just randomly invited him in one day about 3 years ago

Rescue cat won't go out
Swipe left for the next trending thread