How to Make an Outdoor Cat an Indoor Cat - Yahoo Voices

Cats are safer, healthier and live longer when they are kept indoors. Unfortunately, cats prefer beingoutdoors, there's so much more for them to see and do outdoors. That's where the challenge comesin at when you are attempting to make an outdoor cat and indoor cat.

Many are facing this outdoor/indoor catchallenge, with combined householdsand pet shelter adoptions, many of usfind ourselves dealing with new petsthat have old habits that we wish tochange.

Making an outdoor cat an indoor cat will take a little patience, diligence and creativity, but it iscertainly a doable undertaking.

To make an outdoor cat an indoor cat, you will have to make the cat give up her outdoor lifestylecold turkey. Any lee-way like allowing the cat to go outdoors to relieve herself or if the cat makes arun for it and escapes temporarily into the great outdoors will cause a setback in making an indoorcat.

The cat will protest initially by constantly meowing, howling, refusing to use the litter box or evenacting aggressive. This is where patience comes in. This cat behavior will pass if you exercise patientdiligence and not give in to the cat's demand to go outdoors.

Placing the cat in a room that has no exterior door, along with her food and water bowls and litterbox can help make the transition from outdoors to indoors go more smoothly. It will prevent the catfrom escaping and also prevent the cat from shredding furniture in every room of the house if she isacting out aggressively.

It is essential that you spend time with the cat in her newindoor space, especially if you have her separated fromthe rest of the family. You want to become her focal pointinstead of the outdoor life.

Outdoors offers cats many adventures, replicate that asmuch as possible indoors. Provide tall scratching posts forclimbing. Place bags and boxes for exploring and hidingthroughout your house, and partially hide a variety ofsmall toys and realistic looking stuffed animals for the catto pounce on. Change and re-arrange the scratching posts

and toys often so the cat won't get bored. Grow some grass and catnip indoors in a planter for thecat to chew on and wallow in.

Keep the cat as active as possible with indoor play. Show the cat plenty of affection during thetransition period from outdoors to indoors. Reinforce and reward positive behavior with treats or aspecial belly rub.

Patience, diligence and creativity is what you'll need to make an outdoor cat an indoor cat.