Pet Lovers

[lovescats]

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wrote:

@lovescats  I think you are correct... and this will probably have to be a "trial by fire" situation.  No way of knowing until We try to introduce all cats in person (ha,ha) meaning directly with caution 

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@MsCatLuver

I would get advice from your vet or someone.   Have you ever heard cats howl or yell at each other.  Is Charlie fixed?

[MsCatLuver]

@StylishLady.  Thank you for your reply. Are you ever fearful for the cats safety outdoors? Also,  do you ever have a issue with the cat bringing in critters such as dead birds or snakes from outside? I am deathly afraid of snakes and couldn't handle it if the cat brought a snake 🐍 into the house

[StylishLady]

I would be more concerned if she picked up fleas. We've had cats that had outdoor access for many years and never had a real problem. 

[newagain888888]

We took in a calico cat that had run away from her home after she had been neglected and mistreated by her owners. She was surviving on wild birds and living under the cover of our back patio table when we discovered her there, all skin and bones. Trini had been an outdoor cat when she arrived, about 3-4 years old. While we have tried to make her a fully indoor cat, she has never completely adjusted. Being shut inside full-time seems to make her very anxious. Surveying her outdoor domain on a frequent basis and keeping other cats away is very important to her. 

She’s loves wandering, exploring, and sleeping in her favorite sunny spots. She especially loves the thrill of stalking birds, insects, and lizards. After an hour or two outdoors she returns a calmer, happier cat. Kept inside too long, she will claw at the blinds and scratch at the back door, demanding to be let out. It’s always a struggle trying to balance her safety with her happiness. We have worked out a compromise. She comes and goes during the day since we are usually home. Evenings she is kept inside away from the coyotes. She doesn’t like it though and it has never gotten easier. Once in a while my son will allow her into his room (on a  clean towel of course), while he works on his computer. It’s one of the few times she is super content.😺

[BonjourHola]

Dear MsCatLuver,

    First, thank you for taking in Charlie. You did a terrific thing by helping an animal in need. Bless you!! We have rescued Ritz, named for the cracker whose same color he is, Midnight, also named for his coat, Shadow, who appeared on our porch three winters ago and still will not let us pick her up but is a sweet girl, and, last year, two kittens (now actually adults) whose father was a Maine Coon cat (Felix and Daisy). In my experience with these and at least five other cats I have mothered over the course of my adult life (to say nothing of those my family had while I was growing up), Charlie will probably be fine as a totally indoor cat. As others have pointed out, bringing in a pet is always a crapshoot.

    When we brought in Ritz, we still had Otto and Princess (bro-sis duo) and they were about 11. Otto (who was my sweet babboo) asked to go out onto the porch (he never left the porch). He took off and went in the neighbor's barn and it took us half the night to get him back in. Hissing between the two males ensued for months but they never "went at it" in terms of a fight that left either scratched open or bleeding, etc. Ritz was our "indoor/outdoor" cat for a while until he kept going into a neighbor's barn and trekking through some substance (I think agricultural lime) that probably reacted with moisture on his pads to give him a burning sensation in his paws. After that, it was all indoors for the Ritzy Man. He would still like to go out, but I can't trust him to stay on our property and I feel that he is definitely safer indoors. There are a lot of critters where we live (coon, possum, squirrels, skunks, etc. ... and we are not in the boonies). 

   When we rescued Midnight, who had always been feral and was camping outside a friend's house about 3 mi away from our house, he attached himself to by-then a rather aged Princess (Otto had passed away by then). Midnight adored Princess. Ritz wasn't so thrilled about Midnight, but, again, we never separated the boys except at night and they never ripped one another up. 

   Whatever cats we've had have always managed to get along. Part of that, IMO, is that my husband and I pay attention to all the cats every day. We make a point to pet, kiss and address each member of the current clowder several times a day so that no one feels un- or under-appreciated. We tend to put the most junior or most recently-received in the basement for the night. This is because kittens and ferals still tend more toward nocturnal tendencies. As a schoolteacher, my sleep is precious to me. I don't have kids partly because I don't react well to sleep deprivation. The basement is not a hardship. They have ample space, each have a La-z-boy rocker, and there is a bathroom w/ litter and food and water dishes. 

   The "kittens'" mother was an all-black cat, as is Midnight. When we first brought two tiny puffballs into the house last June, they hissed at us and I thought Ritz might try to eat one of them. He got over it. He still got to sit on Dad's recliner w/ him and no one usurped his place (very Alpha). The kittens, esp Felix, seemed to take to Midnight even to the point of kneading his tummy, as if they could nurse from him (sorry to disappoint, but no....). Midnight's disposition is milder than Ritz's and he took sort of a nursemaid role vis-à-vis the kittens. His beloved Princess had to say farewell around New Year's two years ago, and he (I think) found purpose in sort of "minding" the kittens and mentoring them. Midnight and Shadow have never once tried to get out. Once I took Midnight outside (what was I thinking??) and he was terrified. Since he could not open the door himself to get back in, he tore around the property until finally I cornered him and managed to pick him up and carry him back to the door with me. 

     I wish you luck with Charlie. I'd bring him in and try not to let him back out. See how it goes. He might cry / meow to go out. Treat it like anything that's harmless if annoying. Ignore it the best you can. I would bet he will be fine being 100% indoors. I hope your other felines tolerate or even accept him. 

[Sushismom]

I also have a Charlie who was an outdoor kitty up until he was about 7-8 months old. I had him checked out at the vet's for FIV,FeLV, worms, fleas, etc. Once he was clean, inside he came, along with (at the time) four other kitties. He seems to be okay being an indoor-only cat. He will go to the door when I open it, but just to look. 

[Kitlynn]

• I don't know anything about cats personally as I am a dog person. However my cousin has two house cats and he had a black male feral cat start showing up. He just kept feeding him and moving the food closer to the door and then finally inside. The cat came in and at first kept his distance from my cousin and the other two cats. But after a few days he started coming closer and getting to know my cousin, his wife and the other two cats. One male and one female. They have both been neutered and spayed. Now three years later he is part of the pack. It just takes time and patience but he does not even act like he wants to go out at all. I think one thing that might have helped is he showed up in the cold Winter and was battling snow and frigid temperatures outside. The cat is very smart and knew a good thing when he got it. I would suggest you let him in and see how he does. Just feed him when you let him in and that will reinforce that it is a good thing. I of course got this information from my cousin.

[MsCatLuver]

@newagain888888 Your cat is beautiful! Thanks for posting her photo

[Jaspersmom]

I'd give it a try.  If he can have his own room for awhile so he can get acclimated to smells, sounds and environment, that would be helpful.  I've brought in ferals and one outdoor cat and it did take a little time for everyone to get comfortable.  My Jasper was found with ferals, but he was a gentle giant, so my belief is he had been someone's house cat and got lost.  He never wandered near the door that I can remember.  I took him outside once and he panicked, so that was the end of that. Penelope was a rescued feral and she always remained a scaredy cat, but was a sweetie at heart.  She'd sleep with me every night, first deferring to Jasper and then making her way closer to me. She NEVER was even curious about the outside.  My guess is she lived a rough life before I got her.  More recently, I brought home Lee Lee who lived outside for her first six months.  She took the longest to get comfortable with living indoors.  She spit and growled and hissed for a couple of weeks.  I gave her free run after about a week and she decided when she wanted to come out to eat or visit or explore.  Penelope looked at her with curiosity, but she wasn't thrilled she was there.  She never hurt her, but she'd swat her once in awhile.  Lee Lee is the only one left now since Jasper and Penelope have both crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  Lee Lee loves looking outside, but she has absolutely no desire to go outside.  She runs when the door is opened.  So to answer your question, it certainly is possible to make an outdoor cat an indoor cat.  

[MsCatLuver]

Thanks for all of the wonderful advice