Need advice from cat people

[jaakkeli]

It's not someone's pet then. Yes, the animal is crying because it wants out. That doesn't mean it should be allowed to roam free. Regardless of people's opinions cats aren't outdoor pets.

Yes they are. If the cat has been free to roam for all his life it's going to take a lot to turn him into an indoor creature.

I grew up in a rural area and I've seen this a lot. Cats are very low effort pets when you can let them out but they're not low effort pets when you keep them indoors where they don't get the stimulation of hunting and it's a much worse difference if you try to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor cat. We never had a shortage of stray cats around because people would keep making this mistake: they'd take an effortless outdoor cat indoors and get surprised by how much effort it takes to entertain an outdoors cat turned indoor cat.

Anyone who tells you you should allow the animal to roam outside is giving you bad advice. Unless you can keep it on your property you're only making the lives of everyone else in the neighborhood worse.

Try caring about what's good for the animal instead of what's good for some cat haters. An outdoor cat does not instantly turn into an indoor cat unless very young. Some never do and then it's just cruelty to keep the animal inside meowing to go out.

It is perfectly normal for a cat to sleep all day. Cats are crepuscular which means they normally rest during the day and night and get active during the twilight hours of the evening and the morning. Pet cats often adjust to the routine of humans who give them food during the day but if they're following their instinctive rhythm they'll be asleep all day.

If you want to help this cat to adjust to indoor life you will need to substitute outdoor hunting with play time during the evening when he would want to go out and try to gently get him used to a different rhythm. If you always feed him during the day (instead of just keeping a full cup), for example, he'll get used to being active during the day and he's not going to want to be outside as much at midday.

[Deleted]

He'll get used it eventually then, just open some windows partially (not enough to let them get out though).

I only registered to make this reply:

If its a bottom hung window - don't(!) let it open.

Depending on which kind of window you have - it can be VERY dangerous for the cat. The cat will try to squeeze through where the opening is the biggest and then will slide down to the narrow part and will be squashed.

There are just some things you do not recommend cat owners - one is letting bottom hung windows open and second wearing a collar if its a outdoor cat. It happens time and time again that the collar gets cought somewhere and the cat strangles to death. There a special rubberband like collars which are less dangerous.

On topic: Your cat is bored. As some people said try to achieve a compromise, for example let your cat out at night, or try to play with her a lot with toys, so she isnt't totaly bored. I had a cat which was more or less a house cat, he stayed in the house for around 90% of the time. But still he wanted to get out from time to time.

[Hitei]

Doesn't automatically disqualify it as someone's pet.

It does, because anyone that's enough of an idiot to let a "pet" roam completely free and unchecked, especially in a setting that isn't completely rural, is an idiot and doesn't have any claim of ownership to that animal.

Uh, they're animals. There is no such thing as an "indoor" animal. If they were meant to live in houses, they could build one.

You seem to be confusing feral animals with domesticated animals. Many cats are domesticated and are more suited for living in houses and close proximity with humans instead of living in a forest.

Lol? People's lives are worse because of cats roaming around? I would rather have cats than rats, any day.

Just because rats are more of a hazard doesn't mean that having cats around is a good idea. They leave partially eaten kills around, defecate on people's property, destroy property, etc etc.

Vet estimated him at about 3-5 years old.

As for the noise, this video captures it pretty closely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE1e3SeP6Fs

That meowing is a little worrisome for me, but I honestly don't know what it means.

Don't bother trying to figure out what meowing means, because cats meow for a million different reasons or for no reason at all, and it's going to be impossible for you as a brand new cat owner, or even for people that have had cats their whole life to give you anything other than a general guess.

Instead, focus on its behavior.

If the cat thinks its an outdoor cat and is desperate to get back outside, it isn't going to just sit by the window/door and meow. It's going to scratch at the entryways and be visibly trying to find a way out. If the cat is distressed by being inside, it's going to be on edge, avoiding contact with you, and hiding under things/in closets, etc.

If he is generally acting mellow and friendly, then you have nothing to worry about. It could be that he just hasn't gotten completely used to the new environment yet and is confused how he got there and why he can't get to where he was before. It could be that there were other cats around when he was outdoors that he got along with, and now there aren't any and he's calling out because he isn't sure where they've gone and is trying to find them--I had a cat who passed away ~8 years ago, and one of my other cats started wandering around meowing afterwards until he got used to her not being there--It could just be that he sees a bird or something outside, I have a cat currently who has always been indoors and meows constantly if a bird lands on my patio to eat.

Bottom line: If the cat seems to be doing all right inside, is friendly, is not tearing up things/hiding/hissing/scratching at the bottom of your doors, etc: Then it is going to be fine inside. Give him time to get used to things. No cat likes being moved around in a carrier/going to brand new places/going to the vet. If you want to keep him, just let him adjust and he will be fine.

Source: had cats my entire 21 years of life

P.S. As others have pointed out, cats sleep a ton, they aren't like dogs, they are lazy--if you get really concerned about the cats fitness just keep an eye on how much you are feeding them and play with them... with whatever. A feather, string, a sock, low power laser pointer. Whatevs.

[Deleted]

...

If you're going to quote shit, with a picture, from an episode that only just aired, learn to use the spoiler tags. They're there for a reason.

Need advice from cat people

Thought you meant these guys:

[Randec]

I don't think it gives anything away bro.

[Deleted]

I don't think it gives anything away bro.

I don't think what you think it gives away is relevant, bro. You're not the one who decides what is a spoiler and what is not. Clearly you can't be trusted to shut your yap, so /ignore it is. Just to be on the sure side, time to leave this thread alone as well.

[Randec]

I don't think what you think it gives away is relevant, bro. You're not the one who decides what is a spoiler and what is not. Clearly you can't be trusted to shut your yap, so /ignore it is. Just to be on the sure side, time to leave this thread alone as well.

Ok, I took it down. Thanks for being cool about this.

[Yunru]

Hm to me sounds like your cat is looking for a partner.
In domestic cats heat cycles run generally from January through August, depending on location and climate.

[Ayarea]

I have had cats all my life. And I can tell you. Once you have an outdoor cat you can not start and have an indoor cat. They stress the fuck out and do NOT handle it well. I have one indoor and outdoor cat. I never trusted one to go outside but the other was an outside cat before we got it. It was about 6 when I got it and it had always been outside. It started to stress out big time when I first got it because it could not go outside. After I let it out almost all the time she has been fine.

Not true there was a stray cat here that came to us a few years ago. (one of our other cats had run away and we put out a box with food/ water and some clothes so he would know where to go. Next morning she was sleeping in there. She had been following and staying in front of the house for 2 weeks. No chip, no missing cat reports and we took her in after she was rid of all the fleas/ ticks she had). She was already 2 years old as well. She jumped out of the window once and was in pure panic and wanted to come inside as soon as possible and never tried it again.

[Deleted]

If the cat is 3-5 years old and used to be out any time he wants, it´s better to put him down than to try to make him an indoor cat.. That´s bordering on animal cruelty imo.

[Incarnia]

If you aren't allowed to let him go outside on his own, train the cat to be comfortable wearing a harness. At least then you can take him outside in a leash, in that way he wouldn't be disturbing any neighbors or the landlord.

Also, activate him indoors a lot during the day. This you can do with play that simulates hunting and give him challenges regarding food, for example hide it inside bottles he need to push around to get the food out. Only your imagination sets the boundaries - buy cat furniture so he can climb, and jump around.

It is quite a drastic change for him, going from being used to all the stimuli he as a former outdoor cat was used to, and to now not having that stimuli when indoors. If you activate him a lot, fill the apartment with exciting opportunities to behave as natural as possible I'd say you do have a good chance at getting him used to and him being happy with living mainly indoors.

[Hitei]

If the cat is 3-5 years old and used to be out any time he wants, it´s better to put him down than to try to make him an indoor cat.. That´s bordering on animal cruelty imo.

It's really not. At all.

[FuxieDK]

Vet estimated him at about 3-5 years old.

As for the noise, this video captures it pretty closely:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE1e3SeP6Fs

That meowing is a little worrisome for me, but I honestly don't know what it means.

That sound, is the standard "Cats HATE driving in a car" sound...

[Pitkanen]

Give it more time and it'll adjust. For now it is experiencing something new and scary, not being able to hide in whatever hole it was living in, but that'll pass.

[Deleted]

As most people have said, it's likely the cat wants to go outside. I think it would be kinder to try to find it a home where it can be an outdoor pet. Otherwise, it's going to be a miserable co-existence for both of you.

I kept my two cats indoors for two years and, having known no better, they were fine with it. But once we let them out, the genie was out the bottle and it would have been very hard to keep them permanently indoors any more.

[Gheld]

The fact that he was neutered doesn't necessarily mean he is an owned cat. Some people get strays neutered, and some people, rather than rehoming a pet that they can no longer keep will just abandon it outside.

Cats emotional connections don't actually last very long. So all this bullshit people are spouting about converting an outdoor cat is just that: It's bullshit. It can be done. The only thing to watch out for is that former outdoor cats are a lot more brazen when it comes to trying to run out the door when you are leaving or running through doors that you are in the process of closing.

You just have to keep your cat entertained while it's indoors. Also get a cat tree. Nothing keeps a cat happier than being at the highest point in the most active room in your house.

If you're concerned about him having a previous home that you accidentally stole him from then just keep an eye in local newspapers and on telephone poles for a missing cat.

EDIT:

Give it more time and it'll adjust. For now it is experiencing something new and scary, not being able to hide in whatever hole it was living in, but that'll pass.

This too.

Cats are solo ambush predators that like to stake out favorite hunting grounds. While a dog will happily move wherever the pack does, it causes a cat emotional upheaval to have to change their hunting ground (or having their hunting ground changed by re-arranging furniture). So wherever your furniture is now, leave it, and let your poor kitty adjust.

[Deleted]

Your cat is just afraid, and cats sleep around 16 hours a day. Keep him/her inside for a month, make sure you feed him alot with cat food, prevent giving them bacon or any other sort of meat and if you have a balcony or backyard, let it go outside for a moment or open a window as others mentioned, make sure it drinks alot of water too.

[Dezerte]

It can be hard to make an outdoor cat into an indoor cat, but I suppose you could try being active & playing with the cat a lot. Maybe it'll distract the cat enough to be able to settle in as an indoor cat.

[MatadorMedia]

Cats learn how to socialize from other cats. So, if he's super young you better get him around some older cats that will put him in line or else you're going to have a seriously maladjusted kitty on your hands. Once he's six months or so it's fine for him to be alone. Cats sleep & chill like all the time. Also, lots of people have indoor/outdoor cats so you might consider letting him out some and just leaving food out so he comes back.

[Mnevis]

Try caring about what's good for the animal instead of what's good for some cat haters. An outdoor cat does not instantly turn into an indoor cat unless very young. Some never do and then it's just cruelty to keep the animal inside meowing to go out.

I like cats, but animal cruelty is one of the things cats themselves known for. The 'torturing small creatures purely for amusement' kind of cruelty, not the 'he's not letting me go outside' kind.

If it makes you feel better, it's better for every other animal in the area for that one cat to be unhappy.