Keeping a cat indoors can have extremely positive effects on her health and happiness throughout her life. Specimens that remain indoors are much less exposed to the risks that come from outdoor activities, such as diseases, fleas, ticks, exposure to harmful substances, fights with other animals and more. However, keeping him indoors takes some effort on your part to keep him physically active and keep him from getting bored. By learning how to keep him at home properly, you offer him a long, happy and safe life.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prevent It From Going Out
Step 1. Close all doors and windows
Look around before opening any doors, to make sure that the cat is not around or that he is at least engaged in some game; if you need to open a window, check that it is protected by the mosquito net.
Step 2. Restrict access to exits
If possible, prevent the cat from accessing the spaces where the doors to exit are located. For example, if the entrance has a front door, with one internal door leading into the house and another external one leading out into the open, close the internal one and make sure the cat is not in the hallway with you when you open the external one. to exit. If you open the windows that are not equipped with mosquito nets, first check the room for the cat and close the door to the room where you want to open the window.
If you don't have a front door, put the cat in another room before you leave
Step 3. Install an electronic cat flap
If you have a regular cat flap in your home and are concerned that the cat might use it to escape, replace it with an electronic one. This model is equipped with a timer that activates its opening at certain times and prevents it at others. Some cat flaps even have a chip to connect to the cat's collar that opens them when the cat approaches; you can apply it to the animal that is allowed to go outdoors, but not to the one you want to keep indoors.
Check with an experienced pet shop clerk for more details on this option
Step 4. Use a safe pet repellent spray
This is a motion sensor device that sprays an irritating but harmless liquid on the pet when it approaches the door you don't want it to come out of.
- The exact way to use this device depends on the model; read the manufacturer's instructions before activating it.
- Usually, installation is very simple and most of the time it simply involves inserting a few batteries and turning on the accessory.
Step 5. Train your cat to stay indoors by placing a pet-safe sound barrier
It is a spray-like device, but instead of spraying a harmless liquid, it emits an intense and alarming "beep". Install it near doors and windows from which you fear the cat may escape; apply the collar supplied to the cat, so that the sensor inside it can perceive it when it approaches the door. Eventually, the cat learns to avoid the areas where it hears the "beep".
Part 2 of 3: Making Interior Spaces More Interesting
Step 1. Give your cat plenty of toys to play around with
To compensate for the lack of outdoor activity that involves exploration and adventures, cats that stay indoors need toys to focus their attention on and provide them with physical activity and stimulation. The most suitable for entertaining your feline friend are generally small and inexpensive items, such as cloth mice or plastic balls, which he can play with even when you are not around. Other devices, such as those consisting of a stick at the end of which a feather or piece of cloth is attached to swing in front of the cat, require your direct participation.
Using toys that involve your involvement allows you to build a better bond and relationship with your furry friend
Step 2. Make sure the cat can see out the window
Cats that stay indoors are less bored and feel much less anxious if they have the opportunity to observe the world outside the home. The ideal is to allow him to stand in front of a window that is exposed to direct sunlight, because he finds it more interesting, in addition to the fact that it improves his mood.
Step 3. Give the cat some space for itself
If you have a window with a fairly wide sill, buy a padded perch and put it in front of the window; alternatively, buy a specific structure, which consists of a support similar to a window air conditioner on which the cat can sit, perch and observe the outside world. Other cats may feel safer in their carrier, so leave it constantly open.
Step 4. Provide an enclosed porch with a mosquito net
If your cat can breathe fresh air and guard its territory from a fenced area, it's a win-win for both of you. If you don't have a porch of this type, you can consider purchasing a "catio", an accessory similar to a large cage with many surfaces for the animal to climb on. The cat should be able to access it directly from the house (through a side door or at the back) or you can put it in the backyard; you can find this facility at major pet stores.
Step 5. Install a scratching post
It is a vertical device that, like cat houses, offers the cat the opportunity to climb, hide and jump. Kittens love this type of element; place one in an open space where the animal can move freely and walk it from top to bottom. You can easily get it from pet stores.
Step 6. Place the litter box in a quiet, uncrowded area
If your cat is uncomfortable using it for any reason, it may be tempting to go outside to meet their physiological needs. Make sure that wherever you decide to place its "toilet", the cat can have a view of the whole room. A good place in the house could be the living room, bedroom, kitchen, or other room that the family frequent.
However, avoid placing it near a noisy boiler or washing machine; if you place it in a corner, the cat may decide not to use it
Step 7. Clean the cassette every day
If the cat is dirty and / or smelly, the cat may be tempted to do its business outside. To prevent this from happening, collect feces every day. Whenever you see any lumps or moisture in the litter, discard the substrate and put it back on; in general, you should have this change twice a week.
- Do not keep the litter box in a piece of furniture or in a corner of the room, as the cat may feel trapped when using it.
- Also, don't put it near the food bowl either; after all, imagine how you would feel eating right next to the bathroom.
Part 3 of 3: Making Changes in Your Cat's Habits
Step 1. Sterilize or castrate the cat
This is one of the simplest ways to keep it indoors, especially if you have multiple specimens. With this procedure, the cat becomes less territorial and is less prone to wandering around. Animals that are not neutered do not adapt very well to domestic life, particularly if they have always been used to going out.
Additionally, those who undergo the procedure are more sociable and enjoy better health
Step 2. Train your cat to stay away from exit doors
Take it to a place away from doors or windows that it could escape through. Activate the clicker with one hand and at the same time offer him a treat with the other; politely tell him that he is a good cat, reassuring him and stroking him. Repeat these steps three or four times at each training session and schedule several daily "lessons".
- After a week or so, the cat should be able to associate the clicker sound with being in a certain area of the house; at this point, you can continue with one or two daily training sessions for another week.
- After another seven days, the cat should have learned to be in the right place when entering and leaving the house; from now on, activate the clicker and give him two or three treats to keep him busy when you are about to leave the house.
- Keep the clicker with you or leave it near the front door; activate it when you come home and attract the cat's attention with many positive displays of affection.
Step 3. Take him for a walk
Sometimes he just wants to satisfy his curiosity about the immense outside world; put him a harness, a leash and take him for a walk around the block or in a park to help him reconnect with his wilderness. Hopefully, this way his desire to go out will subside a bit, at least for a few days.
Advice
- If you are trying to get used to staying indoors with a cat that has always been allowed out until now, the adaptation process will take a long time. Try to keep him busy by spending more time with him playing as he slowly agrees to stay indoors.
- Put a collar and a tag on him in case he has to go out; if you are really worried, you can also apply a microchip.
