# Cat desperately wants to go outdoors



## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Before I start I know that many people on this forum are, quite rightly, in favour of indoor cats for many reasons. And truth be told I'd love to keep my beautiful boy indoors and safe. By way of background I've been fostering him for a rescue centre for almost 3 months and have just adopted him. During the foster period I wasn't allowed to let him outside; now he's mine I have the choice.

Indoors he has plenty of stimulation - multi-level trees, scratch pads, I work from home so play with, fuss and groom him regularly etc. And yet he really, really wants to go outside. He paws the windows and chatters at the birds. He leads me to the conservatory door and paws at the door. He is very very vocal and if he's not saying "Feed me!" he's pleading with me to let him outside. He has apparently been an outdoor cat before so I can understand why he's acting the way he does. 

The house is in a quiet close with minimal traffic and distant from any main roads, and near to fields etc, so relatively safe in that regard. There have been no local issues with neighbours and cats that I am aware of (until recently a family with 3 cats lived over the road and those cats roamed freely around the area with no issues, when they moved away a new family with one cat moved in who also seems to roam around quite happily, so no neighbour concerns about cats).

Ordinarily I would cat-proof the garden or install a catio or similar, but the complicating factor is that I am currently separated from my husband and living in our jointly owned house so I'm not keen to lay out the money to cat-proof the garden in case the situation changes.

I guess I'm interested in a) what would you do in similar situations? and b) if I do decide to let him outdoors, what can I do to ensure he is as safe as possible? He is microchipped, I have a collar with a tag on with my number etc (which he wears happily around the house), and I've also been looking into tracking like Pawtrack which looks quite good.

All opinions welcome, many thanks.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Allowing a cat out of doors is as you know never entirely "risk free" so it is a matter of minimising risks.

It sounds as though you have done a careful risk assessment of the area where you live, and feel that it will be relatively safe for him.  As well as that he has apparently been an outdoor cat in the past and he evidently got a lot of enjoyment from it judging by his yearning to get out doors again.

All my cats go outdoors and they all get a huge amount of enjoyment from it. My older 3 cats (rescues) came to me as outdoor cats and so I continued with this arrangement. Like you I live in a quiet area. I have a 70 ft woodland area on a slope below my house, which belongs to my property, and my cats spend a lot of time there watching for mice etc.

My other 2 cats are also rescues but were only 4 mths old when I adopted them and had never been outdoors. I therefore decided to cat proof my garden for them and they began going outside every day since around the age of 1 yr old. They absolutely love being outdoors and spend hours out there in all weathers. I bring them in at dusk every evening. I have a 30 ft holly tree in the garden and one of the girls likes to sit up there for ages at a time, surveying all the surrounding gardens. 

The main thing before allowing your cat out is to ensure you have him very well-trained in recall. Train him indoors by calling him to you from different rooms in the house and reward him when he comes.

My older cats have their own microchip cat flap which is unlocked from 9.30 am to 10 pm every day, so they can come and go as they please. They are always shut indoors at night. It is usual for my cats to come back of their own accord after an hour (a slightly longer gap in very warm weather), so if they don't return within that time I call and whistle for them and they always come back within 5 minutes or so. As I am retired I am at home a lot to keep an eye on them and their comings and goings. Not so easy if one is out at work all day.


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## Jackie C (Feb 16, 2016)

Hi Sandy,

The forum has many debates on indoor/outdoor cats, and I can see both sides. My Holly loves to go out, and was an outdoor cat before we rescued her, so I didn't want to change things for her that could potentially upset her. I obviously kept her indoors for a month, but then, even after a month, she still insisted on going outside. I let her out, and she loves it! I don't have a cat flap, and I don't allow her out at night past a certain time. At this time of year, she loves the cooler, lighter evenings, and enjoys going out hunting small insects. She's only young, so it does blow off some steam. 
It sounds like you've thought this through, and if I was in your situation, I would be happy letting my cat out.


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Thank you both. He's quite a happy cat already, but I think he'd be even happier if he could go outside. 

I wouldn't want him to go out at night so I do want to be able to get him back in before nightfall...which could be the challenge. Chillminx you mention recall - the problem I have is that he follows me all around the house all day, so I never seem to get the chance to actually call him anywhere....he's already there! So I'm not sure how that will translate into outdoor access - as I say, he only tries to lead me anywhere when he's either hungry or wants to go outdoors (usually after he's seen a tasty-looking wood pigeon - aspirational cat!). Otherwise he stays pretty much wherever I am (or somewhere he can see me). 

I think I'll try him outside when he's hungry first so that he will come back for food, and see how he goes. I'm waiting for a few days because he's been having a flare-up of his allergies (he was back in the rescue cattery for a week before I adopted him which could be the cause) so once that's calmed down I will start letting him out (with collar) and see how he gets on. 

Thank you both again


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## Jackie C (Feb 16, 2016)

If I ever have trouble getting her in, I rattle a bag of Dreamie biscuits, and she's bolts from out of nowhere and comes in!!


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Jackie I'm trying to get Sandy to respond to the sound of a rattling tube of Thrive/Cosma goodies in the same way


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Hi all, 

So Sandy escaped today! I was taking out the rubbish and thought I'd shut the back door - but a gust of wind blew it open and he was out like a shot! Thankfully he did come back when I called and rattled treats for him. Now he's desperate to go out again. I was waiting for his current allergy flare to calm down, which it has done, and am tentatively planning his first "proper" outing tomorrow while I'm at home. Of course he doesn't quite understand this and is desperate to get out again 

Will keep you posted on how things go!


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

First proper day outside! He's been very exploratory but also quite good, returning to the garden frequently, seeking me out to check I'm still here. Kept his collar and tag on thankfully too, and he even made friends with the other neighbourhood cat (who is female I think) - they approached each other looking away from each other (i.e. non confrontational) then started sniffing each other and ended up following each other around for a bit. All seemed amazingly amicable - never seen anything like it! There was a bit of miaowing but no bushy tails, no aggression - all just curiosity I think. (Note: Sandy is neutered! Not sure about the cat but imagine she's been done too.)

He also got some lovely compliments from neighbours - I was keeping an eye on the two cats when they walked past and they thought he was ever so handsome and possibly has a bit of Bengal or something in him. Which I do suspect because he's so vocal and full of energy!

I've decided to bring him in at dinner time (which is around 4pm) and shut the doors then - hoping to get him into a routine. Currently he'd like to go back out again because it's light, but I think it might make it easier when it gets darker earlier - as he will come in for food at around the same time! I don't want him to be out at night because of the higher risk.

Gimmicky it may be but I have pre-ordered this which should arrive in a few weeks: https://pawtrack.com/ - partly so I can find him if he gets lost/stuck, and partly because I'm so curious to see where he goes to and what his favourite spots become!


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## Talig (Nov 1, 2015)

Really pleased for him to be enjoying the outdoors again. If it's safe then I feel it gives them an extra dimension to their life.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Talig said:


> If it's safe then I feel it gives them an extra dimension to their life.


Totally agree with you - no question about it AFAIC.


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

Are you sure he wants out and isn't just curious about what's behind the door. He knows that you go through the door but he isn't allowed and maybe he's become obsessed with it. Cats are curious creatures and they see themselves as lord of the Manor and we are merely cat slaves. He isnt going to accept a slave having access to areas that he doesn't .

Just think about that before you let him out because once you do let him out it will be very difficult to keep him in.


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

I'm in twor minds about the whole indoor v outdoor thing. I'm taking each day as it comes with my kitten. So far she hasn't expressed a desire to go out but she's still only 8 months and summer isn't here yet. We'll see.


Jackie C said:


> Hi Sandy,
> 
> The forum has many debates on indoor/outdoor cats, and I can see both sides. My Holly loves to go out, and was an outdoor cat before we rescued her, so I didn't want to change things for her that could potentially upset her. I obviously kept her indoors for a month, but then, even after a month, she still insisted on going outside. I let her out, and she loves it! I don't have a cat flap, and I don't allow her out at night past a certain time. At this time of year, she loves the cooler, lighter evenings, and enjoys going out hunting small insects. She's only young, so it does blow off some steam.
> It sounds like you've thought this through, and if I was in your situation, I would be happy letting my cat out.


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Hi MissMiloKitty, I was certain before I decided to let him out that he wanted to be outside - primarily because the Blue Cross told me he was an outdoor cat before and because he did make a successful escape attempt! He is so much happier in himself now that he has outdoor access - much less bored, pestering for food less and generally seems really happy. So for him I think it was the right decision. I'm still nervous for him when he does go out though!


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

I didn't realise that he had already been an outdoor cat. Oh he definitely will be happier and will probably be just fine. My previous cat lived until nearly 16 and he went outdoors all the time.


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## sandy-cat (Feb 24, 2018)

Yep he's doing OK so far! I was away overnight at the weekend so kept him in and had a friend come in a couple of times a day to check in on him, feed & water him etc. He was fine but in a bit of a huff with me when I got back! Much happier now he's been free to wander. I will always keep him in at night though!


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## 5r6ubertbe6y (Dec 5, 2017)

H


sandy-cat said:


> Yep he's doing OK so far! I was away overnight at the weekend so kept him in and had a friend come in a couple of times a day to check in on him, feed & water him etc. He was fine but in a bit of a huff with me when I got back! Much happier now he's been free to wander. I will always keep him in at night though!


He may not go far. Some cats prefer to stay within the vicinity of the house


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