Cat won't go outside

[Emmajane88]

Hi all

You will have seen some posts of mine from earlier this year about a nervous cat we adopted.

All generally fine now but she doesn't really go outside... we thought she'd do a runner the first time but she stays out in the garden for 5 or 10 mins then comes back in and that's it for the day! Generally she likes to be sure that she's being watched by us when she's out there.

She was born on a farm so all very weird.. any advice... anyone else had similar?

Thanks

i have five cats. Three born from a feral mum. Of those, one lives to go out and is fearless, one lives to go out and is frightened of her own shadow, one refuse to go within 3 foot of an open door and doesn’t like the others going out. The remains to elderly cats like to go out only if it is warm and dry.
Cats are all unique - and that’s ok.

My cat (male age 2) is really jumpy. I think he seems to get spooked by something and won't then go outside for weeks on end ( or like yours only 10 mins with me). He then changes his mind and dissappears for 24 hours. He's odd and I can't work him out at all!

Do other cats use your garden at all? If the territory has already been claimed by another cat she may be tentative about using the garden initially until she's feeling more secure. Nervous cats can take a long time to settle into a new place, a lot longer than you might expect. If she likes exploring when you're with her then I'd just keep doing that for now. You'll probably find she will go out more eventually but if she prefers to be an indoor cat there's probably not much you can do about it, some cats just aren't that bothered about going out much.

My 11 month old kitten is very similar - she hovers by the door when I'm in the garden, but doesn't seem very interested in exploring. Part of me hopes that during the summer when the door is open more she'll get braver and spend more time outside. Part of me, however, thinks that she's a bit of an idiot and is probably a lot safer indoors!

Not exactly the same but we have an ex stray tomcat who lived on the streets for at least 2 years before he moved in with us. He is not an overly nervous cat but does respond far more reactively than my other cats to noises and new experiences (he’s terrified of the swiffer for example). Although he does still go out, he spends most of his time inside or on the patio because he feels safe and secure there. Your cat is just doing what she feels comfortable with and she might become more adventurous as time goes on - or not.

The Ballet Cats are Indoor Cats° by choice. They think Outside is a terrifying Hellscape & the only reason to venture into it is to prevent my being eaten by demons. Their vet advised me to stop trying to persuade them into going out as kittens because they so disliked it - and, crucially, there’s nothing wrong with cats being indoor pets. You need to make sure they get plenty of exercise (including chasing/hunting type-play with “dangler” toys); that they have opportunities to climb,; & to stretch-&-scratch. They need less food than outdoor cats do, too - some foods give guidelines for indoor vs outdoor cats; some brands do foods designed for indoor cats; & you can always use the guidelines to work out what average % difference is & apply to food[s] of choice

Having come from a farm she might actually be enjoying life inside & be cautious about engaging with the outdoors.

Basically, don’t worry about a healthy cat wanting to stay indoors as long as you can provide them with the stuff they need to stay physically & mentally healthy. She might change her mind with more time & decide that she’s happy being outdoors for longer periods [without her humans] or she might decide that this is quite enough outside thank you very much.

°As you can see from attached image, they are very very committed to the indoor life 😉

Even though indoor-only cats are unpopular on MN, many cats will actually choose an indoor life out of choice. The fact she was born on a farm may actually explain it even more - it could be something scary happened "outdoors" and now she just doesn't feel safe out there for long.

I really wouldn't worry about it :) we have three indoor cats and they're perfectly happy. They have the choice to go in the garden in summer but rarely bother and would rather sunbathe in the living room instead