Indoor cat goin wild????
By nelly5
@nelly5 (1424)
United States
April 29, 2007 8:22pm CST
I have an eleven month old, male, house cat. He has always lived inside, I got him when he was just a baby. The only times that he has seen the outside was when we moved to our new place and during the trip to the vets office. Well one day last week, my youngest son accidently left the door ajar and my cat got out. He was outside for at least an hour (who knows what he was doing, since he has never been outside on his own before). Anyhow, now he stands at the door constantly meowing very loud, because he wants outside. He has, tried digging at the door, jumped up into the screen on the door (I guess he didn't notice there was a screen there), and he has tried clawing at the screen. It has gotten so bad that we have shut him in the bathroom while we are gone (of course with his food and water and liter box in there) because when we get home, and open the door he is standing there waiting to run out. Help!! What is going on with my cat. He has been fixed, I thought I wouldn't have that much of a problem with him wanting out since he is fixed, but obviously that doesn't help. I have even been spraying him with a water bottle when he stands by the door meowing and digging at it. He will run off and come right back. What am I to do??? Please help!! I am afraid to let him out because I don't want him to run off and not come back, or maybe he would fight with other cats, get diseases from other cats, or possibly get hit in the road. Could someone please give me any help with this situation. Did any of you ever have this happen with your indoor cat???
8 people like this
17 responses
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I would continue to discourage him from wanting to go outside. I have 2 cats. The male used to be an outdooor cat for a few years and then I decided to keep him inside. He has adjusted fairly well but still likes to sneak out if I am not paying attention. The female has always been an indoor cat and she will also want to sneak out. Niether cat goes very far if they happen to get outside.. I think cats adjust differently to this. Your cat probably got into exploring while it was outside and now it wants to do more exploring. Cats are naturally curious, as you probably know. I would keep him from going outside and over time he will likely give up the urge to want to go out. You have to keep an eye on him becasue they will be sneaky at times. I keep my cats in for those very reasons you mention in your last few sentences. I would think that in a week or two he will not be so anxious to get outside.
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Yes, you are right. Cats can be very, very sneaky. I will certainly continue to discourage him from wanting to go outside. I also hope you are correct about the urge of him wanting out so badly passing with time...his loud meowing drives me crazy, I feel like he is crying..lol Thanks for the post. Have a great day/night.
1 person likes this
@mummymo (23706)
•
30 Apr 07
Honey I'm sorry but would you like to live inside the house all the time? Chances are your cat has discovered that the world doesn't end at the door and he want's to go explore! I have a cat that only got on our balcony as we lived in a really bad area but when we moved we started letting her out and yes she has needed an emergency trip to the vets once in 7 years but I know you love your cat and want him to be happy so my advice would be to let him out! Good Luck either way! xx
2 people like this
@CritterKeeper (519)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Nooooo! Cats adjust perfectly fine to being indoors only and it is so much safer for them!
3 people like this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Well I have had cats before who were strictly just indoor cats and I have never had this problem. We had a cat for 14 years when I was growing up and never had a problem like this with her. I would rather keep him inside, b/c of all the reasons I put at the end of my discussion..but thanks for your response. Have a great day/night.
2 people like this
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
10 May 07
Nelly,
My cat Rain was an outdoor cat for the first three months of her life and then we adopted her and she's been an side cat ever since...she's actually terrified of being outdoors (probably bad memories from before her adoption) but still loves to be near the screen doors and climbs the screen all the time. I think it's that they like the smell and sounds of the outdoors. But I know better than she does that all that stuff is bad for her, so I let her view it through a locked screen door.
And when she occasionally tries to get out ('cause I think they all do sometimes), I grab her by the scruff of the next and give a her a good "NO!" I don't know if she actually understands or if it's the tone of voice, but it makes her back away from the door. You're earlier post said you'd dealt with kids...well, think of your cat as a stubborn three-year-old...and let him enjoy the best parts of the outside while staying indoors and safe.
1 person likes this
@RenaeT (681)
• United States
30 Apr 07
well, Nelly, I'm afraid your cat got a taste of the wonderful outdoors and obviously loved it! I don't know what you're going to do. I know that I could never turn my cat into an indoor cat. She is indoor/outdoor. We never leave her outside if we are going to be gone very long. She's pretty spoiled, but if she wants out, she will drive us crazy till we put her out. We've had her 8 years and up until a year ago, when we moved here, she woke us up every night at abou 4 am to go outside. If we didn't let her out, we didn't sleep, she made sure of it! It was like having a newborn baby that never slept all night. I am not sure what made her stop it, but I'm glad she did because her insistant meowing in the middle of the night was not fun! I did the squirt bottle thing too, but she got smart and started standing around the corner of the door to meow! She's a smart one!
Do you have a garage? I've put her in the garage before, but I can still hear her meow.
We have a colar on her, so if anything ever happens to her, someone can call me if they find her. I am very lucky though, she rarely leaves the yard.
Good luck with him! I hope you find a remedy.
@RenaeT (681)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I have a harness and a leash for my cat.
When we travel, we take her with us and since we've moved so often, we've spent our share of time on the road and in hotels. And, when we get settled in a new place, I keep her leashed for about the first 2 or 3 weeks so she can get familiar and get her own scent on things.
I think that is your best bet. . .
I feel for you because I know how annoying it is to have a cat meowing constantly to get its way! Worse that an kid!
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I hope I find a remedy too. I have gotten a few other tips so I am going to try to follow some. If they don't help I told my husband I am about to see if they sell a harness for a cat, I will put him outside on a long, long rope so that he can run around and just stay in our yard..lol Does that sound crazy, but if I have to eventually let him out, it won't be unless he is hooked up to a line somehow. I would be so very devestated if something happened to my baby. Thanks for the post. Have a great day/night.
1 person likes this
@sapphiresage (431)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I'd let the poor -animal- out to explore. He's not a child, he's an animal with natural instincts who can take care of himself outside, and he obviously knows what he wants.
If cats were meant to be inside houses all the time, they'd have evolved the ability to build them themselves. Or, for those of a religious bent, the deity of your choice would have enabled them to build their own homes.
He was out for an hour (being a cat!) and came back, so he obviously knows where home (and his food dish) is. I'd relax and let him out - if you're that nervous about it, stand outside and watch him for a while.
I adore my four-year-old cat (had him since he was 4 weeks old) and I couldn't bear to make him so miserable just to assuage MY fears. Yes, he gets in a few fights (it's a guy thing), but his shots are up-to-date. And yes, he -could- get hit by a car...but so could I. It's life.
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Well he isn't a poor animal, trust me he is spoiled rotten, gets the best of cat food, have went through many different types and brands just to please him. He has so many toys, that my husband and kids joke and say that I spend more money on him then I do the rest of the family. Yes, we could get hit in the road, just as a cat could, but I don't know about you but I have almost had the mishap of hitting a cat a greater amount of times then person. I have also seen a number of cats who will just sit in the road and not move or will charge across the road thinking they can beat the car, just to get it. I don't want to take the chance of that happening to my baby.
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
critterkeeper, you are very right. I like they way you think when it comes to cats. They are mucher safer inside and they are far from deprived of many things when living inside, well if they have an owner who truely loves them. My cat is very spoiled. I like the fact that you make potential owners sign a contract saying that the cat will never be allowed to go outside. That is great. Thanks for your support here.=)
@CritterKeeper (519)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I disagree with this line of thinking. Their instincts don't tell them about the dangers of our human environment and can't prevent accidents like being attacked by a dog or other animal. They can be hit by a car, catch an illness or disease despite vaccinations, lick up antifreeze, get entangled in wires or lines of all sorts, etc. Plus there's the annoyance to other people that loose cats can cause like digging up their gardens, pulling their trash out all over the ground, etc.
Cats aren't miserable living their lives indoors. What can the outdoors offer that a creative owner can't inside? I've never owned a cat that was allowed outdoors and have three right now. They are all perfectly spoiled and happy and SAFE. It's our responsibility to look out for their best interests when they don't know any better.
I also ran my own rescue for more than 10 yrs where I took in more cats than I can comfortably count! They all stayed indoors and their new owners are required under my adoption contract to never let these cats go outdoors.
1 person likes this
@Mustang80 (52)
• Canada
9 May 07
This is normal for any cat that had a taste of being outdoors. What I suggest is if you have a back yard free from obstructions, get him a collar that goes around his neck and belly. He will not like it at first but this is the safest collar for a cat that goes out on a leash. What I would suggest is letting your cat out on a leash, like you would a dog. He will let you know when he wants in. This should calm him down a bit. Just make sure you check on him occationally to make sure he is not all tangled up or anything. Hope this helps.
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
10 May 07
Yes, that is what I told my husband we need to do, I am going to be purchasing a harness for him soon, so that he can spend some time outside. We are going to be moving at the start of june, and we actually will have yard there, not a big one but big enough where we can have him on a long leash and he can run around and play. Thanks for the post. Have a great day/night.
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
30 Apr 07
We had that problem with our big cat but once we got him fixed he could care less about the outdoors now. He also stopped talking when we got him fixed.
I would ask your vet for some advise. You might want to get some of that spray that deters cats from going to certain places and see if that works (you can get it at petstores).
Other than that I don't know what to tell you since he is already fixed. Good Luck.
1 person likes this
@Marie2473 (8512)
• Sweden
30 Apr 07
I had this happen to my cat and I am sorry to say that the only thing that solved the problem was to let him out. He also got out for 2 hours by mistake and afte´r that there was no turning back. He was not happy by just staying in anymore - and I wanted him to be happy so he was allowed outside. He came home every night though =)
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
Do you live in the country where your cat is able to run free. I just ask this because I don't live in the country, I am right on the edge of town and I have lots of close neighbors. We don't have much of a yard and the town I live in has a cat ordinance. They pick up cats that are running wild. Thanks for the post. Have a good day/night.
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
1 May 07
What about trying to put something cats dont like to smell around the door, i made a discussion once about keeping and outside cat from spraying on my window and someone suggested putting mothballs, but i gyes if you have a small child you dont want those laying around.. what about washing around teh door with some bleach or something with a STRONG cleaning smell. I used amonia outside and it worked! Maybe that will help keep him away from the door and windows.
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
Well I have never thought about that idea. I do have children but they are old enough to not mess with the moth balls laying around. The idea of washing around the door/windows with bleach or something that smells strongly, sounds like a good idea, but I am wondering how effective that would be. Plus, my sinuses are bad all the time, so bad that sometimes the smell of strong cleaners give me a major headache, so not sure I want to take that risk, but I may try it once if he doesn't get over the urge of wanting to go outside soon. Thanks for the post, have a good day/night.
@Irishflame1 (57)
• Japan
30 Apr 07
He's a male cat and it's Spring.Have a heart...
Let him out! He's uhmmm...frisky ...LOL!
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
LOL, well I was hoping that since he was fixed he wouldn't be feeling too frisky..lol I even told my husband that maybe we should get him a girlfriend..lol I may think of getting another cat, a female for him. Thanks for the post. Have a great day/night.
@DarlingGirl (745)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Yes, I have three indoor males who often want to go outside.
One of them runs to the bottom of my apartment stairs and cries like a banshee.
The reason? There is a strange cat outside.
He wants to go chase him off!
I have successfully trained my newest cat to stay on the fifth stair from the top and not to move when I go in and out of the door.
How did I do it?
I kept chucking him back up the stairs and yelled and stomped my feet until he got the message. I had to do it about five times, and I have to re-enforce it every few months, but he's fairly well trained. Use the word "Stay" in a deep commanding voice like you would a dog. And growl at him if he moves from the right spot.
Don't be afraid to pick up the cat and yell and chuck him away from the door a few times! When they act like petulant children, sometimes you have to really let them know that it's the wrong thing to do.
They do get the message if you put your foot down, eventually.
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Yes, the crying like a banshee sounds all too familiar, that is what I have been dealing with. But I do have a problem with "chucking" him away from the door. I can't throw my cat, I don't want to hurt him, I love him to much. Yes, they are like a child sometimes and will beg to see what they can get, but I wouldn't "chuck" my child when they keep whining, just as I won't with my cat. Thanks for the post and glad you were able to get the one cat drained to stay on the 5th step, hopefully I can figure something out. Have a great day/night.
@kitkat1 (1227)
• Canada
1 May 07
WEll seems your kitty is like my kitty lol. I have four indoor cats and my siamese is fixed and he like yours had never been outside. Someone left a window open with no screen on it and he was off on a big adventure only he was gone all day i thought he was gone forever. But he did come back but he sure must have liked what he was doing when he got out cause he is always trying ot escape on me the little bugger. This happened over a year ago and he still is trying to get outside. So you may always have this problem with your kitty i believe i will have it with mine. so sorry i wasnt much help lol but it is true.
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
Aww, well I am glad your cat came back after being out for so long. I really hope that I don't have this problem for too long. If it goes on that long I will most certainly have to get him a harness and let him out on a leash. Thanks for your post. Have a great day/night.
@brand4less (1061)
• Indonesia
30 Apr 07
i also keep my cat indoor. in my country,indonesia, a persian cat is an expensive cat so definetely someone will steal my cat if i let him out.also my cat is very friendly to a stranger,if he sees someone he doesn't know, instead of run away he will come and make an approach to that stranger. can u imagine how he will be easily get kidnapped if i let him out..so the solution i often bring him to my parent's home or my internet cafe. he also enjoy the ride from my apartment to those places i've mentioned :)
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Yes, Persian cats are expensive and I have known of others to have persian cats which they don't allow outside. That is good that he enjoys the ride from your apartment to the places you take him. My cat freaks out when he is in the car. He does not like it at all. Thanks for the post, have a great day/night.
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
1 May 07
Yes, I even told my husband that I thought about getting him a harness and taking him for walks so that he could enjoy the outdoors some. But I am afraid if I do that, he will want outside even more on his own, and I don't want that. Thanks for your post. Have a great day/night.
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
30 Apr 07
Cats like to be outdoors to explore & now that he's had a taste of it, he wants more. Fixing a male cat will stop them from wandering, not from wanting to go in & out. I have a few thoughts for you that you can try :-
Don't use just water in your squirter bottle - it doesn't phase them, try adding some vinegar or lemon juice in there, they don't like the taste & will associate their bad behaviour with the squirting & a bad taste!
You could just allow him to go out but only during the day time when you're home & have him in at night.
You could also try a cat run, although it might be costly - you just buy some wire fencing stuff & some metal poles - then make a long run, in which he can be outside but cant leave the run coz it's like a big cage which allows him to go in & out of the house as he pleases (it's easier to attach it to an open, screen free window) but he cant go anywhere, other cats cant get to him either. This could also be done by buying a large bird aviary - they make a perfect cat enclosure.
You are always better with a desexed (fixed) female cat, rather than a male, they're much more placid, less territorial & so on.
I wish you well with your cat but it's in a cats nature to want to be out in the open spaces, chasing bugs, attacking flowers & so on! Good Luck!
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
I know my husband wouldn't go for the cat run being attached to our home because of where we live right now. We are hopefully going to be moving soon and that may just be a perfect idea for the place we are going to be moving into. As for the vinegar or lemon juice idea, that is great, I am certainly going to try that right away because it seems like he is pretty much starting to get to where the squirting doesn't bother him as much as it use to..so maybe the other will bother him b/c of the taste. Thank you so much for you comment. Have a great day/night.
@kathleen10i (3)
• Philippines
30 Apr 07
I also have my pet cats during my childhood days and it was fun. At first there were lots of problems i have encounter when my first cat got preggy. My neighbors don't like pets because she was somewhat allergic on cat. Then, the problem with my cat was that she always wanted to go on their house . My cat going wild after she explore herself going on different houses not just on our neighbors but also to different far places. After thinking why does she need to do that, I have realized that even though I have given him space or her to live, she wanted to find place that she felt warm. She scratches everything that touches her spouse, digging places that seems to be dark and warm. until she got scratc on her side that I can't take!!!! A big scratch came from other cats. she's going wild..............
1 person likes this
@CritterKeeper (519)
• United States
30 Apr 07
It's very good that you're determined to keep him indoors because outside is indeed very dangerous for cats!!! I hate to say it but you'll probably have to just wait it out. Eventually he WILL stop this behavior when he sees that it just isn't going to work. The best thing you can do is totally ignore him when he's doing this and make VERY VERY SURE that he doesn't get out again. If he does get out again accidently it'll only take that much longer for him to give up this annoying behavior!
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
30 Apr 07
Yes, I agree with you. I told my kids tonight that we need to ignore him when he is standing at the door meowing so loudly. They were getting annoyed with it..lol But guess what, he just got out again a little while ago. I told the kids that if they are coming and going, they have to make sure someone gets him away from the door first. When he goes out, it is as if he is frightened, he goes directly under the shed...so I don't know why he wants out there..geesh, these next couple of weeks are going to be fun!! lol Thanks for the post and have a great day/night.
