How would someone "retire" a cat? (And should they?)

I've had cats over the years and all of them either came from shelters or rescued directly from the street as kittens. Basically, all my cats have been "indoor cats."

That changed about two years ago when a small black and white cat started to follow my dog while we were outside (great story for another thread). She basically chose us as her family. I brought her to one of the shelters in my area that provide free "catch-fix-return" services.

She loves being outside (because she had always been outside). She comes inside to eat, when there is bad weather and sometimes just to take a nice, long nap. While I'm not thrilled about her being outside, I just don't have the heart to keep her trapped inside. It's not who she is.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, we will be moving soon (knock on wood) and of course she is coming with us. I'm not too keen on the idea of her being out on her own in a brand new place where she is unfamiliar with the area, hazards, wildlife, etc.

So my questions are:

1) Has anyone had any experiences "retiring" an indoor/outdoor cat into becoming an indoor only cat? If so, any advice would be appreciated because I can see it now.... her crying on and on and on, wanting to go kill a bird or something.

2) Am I wrong to want to "retire" her? I've contemplated taking her out in a harness with a long retractable leash, but that's really not the same.

Side Note: Even if we weren't moving, I always planned on eventually retiring her (when she gets a little older and starts to slow down).

Thanks for reading.

a reply to: eluryh22

If you have the ability and means, you can basically take a dog run and put a top on it. Then you can attach it by means of a pet flap. That will let her go in and out but keep her in a defined area. You can set up the inside of the run so that she has places to hide and climb and just hang out.

We've talked over and over about building one for our cats especially as our big male Ragdoll would love to go out and explore, but as he has no sense of danger and is declawed on all four by a previous owner, it just wouldn't be healthy for him.

a reply to: eluryh22

Another idea .. if where you are moving has a fenced in backyard, they have special fence netting that you can install that will prevent kitty from jumping over the fence. Then she can have the whole garden to roam but still stay safe. You will have to watch out for trees she can use to climb over, or gaps in the bottom of the fence for her to squeeze under.

Like this ...

catfencein.com...

I have an older cat which is happy to stay in his yard on his side of the fence, and a younger one which wants to jump the fence and explore the neighbors yards. I've thought about trying the fence netting. Luckily tapping a can of cat food with a fork brings the wanderer home quickly and he never strays far.

a reply to: eluryh22

One thing we do for my maincoon is give her the dead feeder mice you buy from reptiles every few weeks.

She loves them and will play with them for hours treating it like real prey and it will tire her out.

I also have enclousre built for her she goes out in for a few hours a day.

a reply to: eluryh22
I am glad that I read your OP before commenting.
I had a totally different take when I read the title.

a reply to: eluryh22 I like Ketsuko's idea if the cat is still young.
My sister's cat was quite an adventurer in his youth and now at about 19 or so, he willingly stays in.

It takes a cat about two to three weeks to acclimate inside a home, getting a feel of the Earths ley lines and magnetics... or so I have read.
Be sure to have cat scratchers around, catnip and toys while you keep it indoors... try one room with no doors to the outside and secure windows that it can't get through a screen or something and a window perch (cats love to look outside as you are most likely aware) first for a week, then slowly let it around the house.

If you do decide to let it out, I have used a leash and harness... but then they know how to get out and will want this..at various times like 2 in the morning.

It is hard work having an indoor/outdoor cat and you might want to say its name a lot so it gets used to you calling for her... might sound crazy, but I have always hollered for my cats by name and they do know.

Also while keeping it indoors, spoil it a bit with treats and as I mentioned... catnip and toys for it to expend it's energy.

Have a good move into your new place!

a reply to: eluryh22

Not from experience exactly, but I would think it's best to let the cat decide what she's comfortable with. My guess is she'll be more likely to want to retreat to the house when she realizes she's in unfamiliar surroundings, and would likely do the same as she gets older and feels less comfortable/confident in her environment. I could be wrong, but just a thought. You'll probably know a lot more about how she's going to react (at least in the near-term) very soon.

Good luck with your move, new place, and feline friend's adapting process!

I have 4 rescue cats right now. I have had cats all my life; dogs, too. When I lived in MN for 20 years; I had about 6 at any time and they had a cat door. They went out everyday (had flea and tick meds) and we locked the cats door every nite when everyone came home or we would call them and they would come.

Even in GA we would let all our cats come and go as they pleased. We had backyard wood fence but for the most part just sat on the fence.

However, living in Florida, where it was congested the cats were only allowed on the huge screened back porch. That is, except one stray kitten we raised who cried all night til we finally let her out. She would hide for days but come home.
I was extremely distressed when she didn't show up at night even the cat door we left open.

In conclusion, it depends on the cat. Of the four I have now that one still cries sometimes at night for her freedom but there are many enemies of cats, especially in the woods. So we try to pacify her; she has a big screened back
porch but still wants outside. I try to play with her and that sometimes helps.




My next house I will build an outside screened in cat play area. Truly, though, it is half and half with some preferring inside and some preferring outside. I do have several feral cat colonies I take care of-they can be friendly but have no intentions of letting you get near them.

Cats are amazing. Best wishes.

I would recommend leaving the cat in its familiar territory when you move.

When you move keep the cat indoors for a week and when it is time to let her out rub her paws in butter.
I'm not sure if it it's needed of not but I got told to do it by a friend when I moved.

All the cats I have had have been pretty good at retiring themselves when they got old enough.

From everything I've ever read, cats have fantastic homing instincts, and she has come to accept where you are now as home. So if you move with her, she may end up rehoming herself back to where you were. This may or may not work well for her.

If you are genuinely attached to her and consider her yours by now and want to move her, you need to convince her that the new space is now her home territory. So before letting her out, you need to attach her to either you or the new area as best you can. You do that be establishing yourself as her best food source and the place of safety and security.

If she is not comfortable being inside, this may take time and effort for you. Hence the need to work on making sure she is completely at ease in the new area before you let her on her own or at liberty. Otherwise, the first thing she may do is leave and rehome back to where you were or try to. She may not make it.

Once in a new place the cat will soon become an indoor car, and be happy as such.

Our cats never worked a day in their life. They don't need to retire..

originally posted by: rickymouse
Our cats never worked a day in their life. They don't need to retire..

Yup mine has human slaves to tend to her every whim.

a reply to: eluryh22

Define success. Whitey is a big old Tom who was abandoned by his military family when they relocated. He always wandered the neighborhood when they were here and he knew where the handouts were. (My house wink wink)

When his family left he continued his rounds but came more frequently. We had another kitty back then 2007 so we always had cat food. That December it got really really cold and I brought him in. I let him out the next day and after that our relationship was much like your situation. Feed, come in go out and our cat was an indoor cat.

Then he disappeared for a few days and in asking around we found out the animal control had picked him up as a stray. (How a fifteen pound cat can look like a stray is beyond me) sooo we drove down and paid his bail lol and said no more outdoors.
He's inside only because we catch him escaping. He has several tricks like standing behind the chair next to the door or going down the cellar and out an old coal shoot or darting out the kitchen door while you struggle with groceries but he's alive still and it was early 2008 when we brought him in for good. He's a baby but he growls at me when I pull him out from under a bush. So you can try but you'll probably have a serial escape artist on you hands.
Good luck.

a reply to: rickymouse

What a dog thinks***They feed me, they scratch my back, they play with me. They must be gods.

What a cat thinks***They feed me, they scratch my back, they play with me. I must be a god.

a reply to: watchitburn

Without a food and clean water source? If they could find another family or better yet the family that moves into their old house. Tell them it comes with wall to wall carpet and a cat lol. 🐈

I have never successfully turned an outdoor cat into a fully indoor cat. If a cat truly wants to go outside, it will determine a way to get there. That said, I'd think part of what the cat is looking for outside could be brought inside to make the indoors more enjoyable for it. Maybe a tray of grass planted inside the house, a climbing structure, some extra rambunctious play, a couple of boxes set up like cat exploration caves, etc.

originally posted by: watchitburn
I would recommend leaving the cat in its familiar territory when you move.

No offense, but this is an awful and cruel idea.

a reply to: eluryh22
This isn't exactly on topic but you mentioned moving. My brother was adopted by a cat and later moved across town. The cat took off not long after. A week later, somebody who lived in the house my brother moved from called and said the cat was back there. She'd walked across town to her "home" territory. Make sure you keep an eye on your cat after you move.

Super tough; cats that have tasted the great outdoors will always want more. Maybe invest in some pheromone collars to relax her while she settles into an indoor life. They tend to make cats go googly eyed and reminisce about their childhood or something.