Pet Lovers

[texassunflower]

I have a 8 year old cat that I inherited from neighbors at 4 years old. He has always been outdoor/ indoor cat. The last year my neighbors had him he was strictly outdoor cat and slept in their garage. They moved and I asked to keep him. They willingly gave him to me. Fastward, 4 years and I have spent a small fortune this week trying to get him to eat without vomiting. 4 vet visits in less than a week. He needs to an indoor only cat. He has been inside since last Wednesday at noon. So far it's been okay because he doesn't feel well. Once he is better, I know there will be big problems with hissing, biting, and aggressive behavior. He is a 14 pound irritable, grumpy cat!!! Any suggestions to help with transitioning would be appreciated.

[FancyPhillyshopper]

Make sure you have some windows he can sit on to watch outside.

A screened in porch is another nice alternative.

Finally, who wants to go outside when there are lots of tasty treats and fun toys in the house?

P.S.  Maybe he would like a buddy to play with...

[NickNack]

My cat enjoys sitting on his cat tree and looking at the bird feeder outside the window.  Another window he can look out has a table he can sit on.  He also has lots of toys to play with.

I got my cat as a kitten though.  I did adopt an older cat at one time.  I just never let her outside, and she seemed content to be indoors.  She wasn't eight years old though.  I hope it won't be as difficult as you think it will be.

[newtoallthis]

@texassunflower 

Maybe he will be like my friend’s cat. He belonged to the neighbor and it wasn’t the best of homes. He was strictly an outside cat.  My friend fed him, paid attention to him etc when he’d come over. One day he just walked in and never went back out! If they opened the door he’d run the opposite direction! He never set his foot back outside again! The neighbor never once inquired about him. They never told them he was now their house cat. I always called him the Imaginary Cat. When anyone came in, he was gone! It was several years before I saw him. He took no chances on having to go back out.

I took in a stray cat last year. It’s a long story....but this Spring he became an indoor cat only. He adjusted great and doesn’t mind it at all. He may have went to the door a few times but I’d just tell him no and distract him with a treat or toy. He’s really adjusted well.

I made sure he had access to windows to look out. He’s settled right in. 

I wish you luck!

[blackhole99]

I guess it's going to depend on the cat and how much he loves being outside and catching and eating his prey. My cat Moe was a feral cat who came onto our property as a kitten and stayed. We have a lot of property to roam, but Moe was never a wanderer and never got into trouble and came home every night. Moe is 15 and still goes out every day, still catches and eats prey. Good luck.

[Mz iMac]

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@texassunflower wrote:

I know there will be big problems with hissing, biting, and aggressive behavior. He is a 14 pound irritable, grumpy cat!!! Any suggestions to help with transitioning would be appreciated.

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[kittyloo]

@texassunflower    what a sweetie you are for taking in this cat. 

IMO, first of all as someone suggested, he would NOT like a buddy. if he has been a outdoor cat, and he is 8, another cat is the enemy.  

  if he is a nice friendly cat he may accept being indoors without a tussle.  i've had cats before, that started as a strictly indoors cat, but fought me tooth and nail to go out. guess who won.  

i think i read somewhere that a outside cat's life is 40% shorter than a inside cat. 

when we relocated to a new town last year, my beloved tubs got snatched by a predator (we believe) sad. 

[ScenicMaine]

@FancyPhillyshopper 

You gave all good suggestions.  

I'll add a few later.

[texassunflower]

@newtoallthis  This was the situation with my cat. I have know him all his life. He lived next door and one day a cute kitten came trotting up and I feed him. I asked around the neighborhood and he belonged next door. He met me everyday after school at the door so I fed him. He used to be awful to fight and woke me up nightly. I started keeping him in at night and letting him out early morning even though he belonged next door. In the summer, I would get him inside during the heat of the day and let him nap. He is much more inside than outside cat for me. He has had to get use to a litterbox this week. He has access to a perch with a window. I also pull up a chair to my back door and he can look outside. I open my gate so he can see the alley. He was the king of the alley!! I hope it comes smoother than I anticipate. I am home alot since I substitute teach only half a day. I will have to invest in some toys.

[NickNack]

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@NickNack wrote:

My cat enjoys sitting on his cat tree and looking at the bird feeder outside the window.  Another window he can look out has a table he can sit on.  He also has lots of toys to play with.

I got my cat as a kitten though.  I did adopt an older cat at one time.  I just never let her outside, and she seemed content to be indoors.  She wasn't eight years old though.  I hope it won't be as difficult as you think it will be.

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I just wanted to add to my post to make sure you have a couple of nice large scratching posts.  I have a vertical one and a horizontal one.  My cat prefers the vertical one, but he uses the horizontal one sometimes, too.