Helping a Cat adjust to being Indoors after being an Outdoor cat: Re-Calibrating Vinny

Re-Calibrating Vinny

(or how to adjust your cat to being indoors from being an outdoor  cat-carouser)

Vinny was a stray, so maybe that made it harder to realign his outdoor yearnings but here is what helped get him settled indoors.  I hope this will be of some help but it is a real challenge and it took about 4 - 6 months to get him totally chill about it. Patience and determination for the "indoor cause" will see you through the worst, but be prepared to be driven a little crazy.  

- first thing we did really really fast was neuter him; be responsible cat parents and neuter or spay your cat, and get them seen by a vet as soon as possible to get their shots and checked over ... please!

- we used a pheromone spray, Natures Miracle, to help him settle and calm his agitation - pretty much sprayed it about every 5 metres around the house on the walls and against the cupboards at his level
- bought him a 3 tier cat tree (he loved climbing trees) and placed it at a prime vantage point looking out onto the garden to give him an "indoor/outdoor" feel.  It was a big hit.  Also put it in the living room where we all spend a lot of time, not in a remote area.  He "helped" build it, and just somehow knew he was going to love the crap out of it, right from when the box arrived.  I have pictures.

- make sure there are lots of windows where they can look outdoors and remember the good old days, they just feel less trapped
- catnip when he got the yowls to escape and called out for the help of his peoples ... and especially when he would not shut the heck up
- toys. lots of toys.  We spent a lot on toys and his freaking favourite toy is an ear bud.  Go figure.  I suggest not spending a lot until you figure out what your cat will prefer as his main squeeze toy
- built a fort from boxes.  We had fun, he had the best time watching and directing the project and flipping zero interest in the thing when we were done.  Apparently it works for some cats.  We tried.
- establish the new cats area early, what I mean is that we shut our bedroom door in the day, that is not his chillax place for when we are not there, so it's a BIG deal that we let him in and it gives him something else to think about other than obsessing on getting out, but rather get in The Bedroom Supadupa Prize Jackpot  

 I have no words for this cuteness

- hubby eventually caved and now takes him on a 10 minute walkies in the evening in front of the garden.  Buyer beware.  Once you do this - instant regret - as he does not rest until he has had his short "I'm freeeeee" walkies.  But it keeps both the DH and Vinny content, so what the heck do I know.

Walkies time.  Vinny and a new stray we adopted (we need help).  Her name is Felicity.  She is complicated and has issues with just about everything and everyone.

- we made his most restless time to get out around the time we fed him, until he got used to being indoors; now we have a feed hopper that takes the pain away from him associating us with food = bliss   

"You are under my hypnotic power of love and will obey me at all times"

- lots of love and extra attention ... and as we are both allergic to cats (we've both been tested) this shows our crazy love and how we have been implanted/infected with the fierce feline force obsession to have cats, gods help us

If I think of anything else I'll update this post, but this is what I can remember.  It's mostly about getting to know the cat and being smarter than them, ultimately.  Which will never happen, btw - or just maybe.

When they are not controlling your mind, that is.

Vincent Van Gogh