Training a cat to stay close to home?
Jenni B asked:
I’m considering getting a cat. Most of my friends have indoor/outdoor cats — cats that like to go outside but come back in to eat / sleep. This might sound like a silly question but how do you “train” the cat to come back home? How old do they have to be before they can go outside and not get lost?
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I’m considering getting a cat. Most of my friends have indoor/outdoor cats — cats that like to go outside but come back in to eat / sleep. This might sound like a silly question but how do you “train” the cat to come back home? How old do they have to be before they can go outside and not get lost?
January 26th, 2009 at 1:15 am
sometimes cats have natural instincts to stay close to home. We didnt even have to train my cat. He never left the yard
January 28th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Do you really want to expose your cat to FIV, feline leukemia, cars, dogs, kids looking to hit anything they can reach, people looking to grab any pet they can get their hands on to sell to dog fighting rings as training fodder, or weridoes who like to kill animals? A call to your police department will let you know if there’s dogfighting in your city. There sure is in ours…they did a 10 minute news story on pet dogs and cats stolen out of fenced yards to use as kill prey for pit bulls. We also have a coyote population in the city too, and they look at any cat as easy meat.
Indoors will guarantee a longer lifespan for the cat,and let him have the safety he deserves.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:41 am
when i grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere i let my cats out all the time and they always came back.. just instinct i guess. but i live in the city now and i just adopted a kitten and she’s only allowed out in the yard on a leash. sounds weird but she really likes it. we even take her camping with us… although she kinda thinks shes a dog, as she was raised by my dog.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I don’t think it is silly. We waited till they were about 6months I believe. We would let them out for a little at a time. We made sure they knew how to use the cat door and that they were old enough to climb a tree fast. I still worry about them but once they get the taste of outside I could never go back.
February 1st, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Cats always come home unless they
1) get eaten by wild animals
2) are injured and end up dying from it
3) get hit by cars
4) get stolen
5) get savagely killed by psychos (don’t think it doesn’t happen every day cuz it sure does!)
Also when people move away, sometimes their cats run away back to their old home. Some cats travel miles and miles, across provinces/states/countries
February 1st, 2009 at 10:48 pm
An older adopted cat should be kept indoors for at least a month to establish a bond with you and adjust to his new home.
A kitten should not go outside at all. Remember we are closing in on shorter rainy, snowy and cold days right now. Kittens have no idea how to find their way home and you don’t want to be looking for a lost kitten in the cold, wet and dark. After neutering and when we have daylight saving time again - next year at the earliest.
Please listen to the people who say they should not be allowed out AT ALL. I have cat fence-in for my back garden and though my cats go out they cannot leave my property nor can anything enter there to harm them.
You may very well regret ever letting a cat out and you will never regret keeping it in the house (it really won’t matter to the cat either).
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 am
this might sound crazy but put butter on its nose it works
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:20 am
Once the cat gets used to his new home, they usually will stay pretty close by. Especially when they get hungry. If you would like to train your cat in other ways too, I’ve included a website for cat training. Check it out I hope it helps! Good luck!
February 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
You don’t mention your location, but in the UK it’s common practice for cats to be allowed outside because the environment is a safe one. Obviously if you live in an area that has predators, rabies or other dangers then you may consider it safer to keep you cat indoors.
The following advice is taken from the Blue Cross animal charity web site. Cats Protection, the UK’s largest cat only rescue offer similar advice.
“Your kitten should not be allowed outside until at least a week after finishing the first course of vaccinations (at 13 to 14 weeks old, depending on the vaccine). Choose a dry day (if possible) and a quiet time and accompany your kitten outside, allowing your pet to explore their new environment. Continue to accompany your kitten until they are used to your garden and can find their way back to the house without difficulty. Do not leave your kitten alone outside until after neutering at about five or six months old.
Cats like to come and go as they please, and a cat flap allows them to do this. You can teach your kitten to use a cat flap by propping it open initially and enticing your kitten through with food. Gradually close it so that the kitten learns to push the flap. If you already own a cat which is using the flap, be aware that the kitten may watch and learn to let itself out before you are ready. Kittens learn quickly by watching other cats.
To prevent neighbourhood cats from coming into your house, you can buy a cat flap that is operated by magnetic or electronic keys on your cat’s collar and will only open for your cat.”
Letting them outside on an empty stomach, also helps ensure that they won’t roam too far, as they won’t want to miss out on their next meal. Be sure to keep them in over-night, as that’s when road traffic accidents are most likely to occur. Have them microchipped or wear collars for identification purposes as an extra precaution.
I recently moved from an apartment to a house and now allow my two 3 year old cats to go outside when I am at home. Neither of them wander very far. Our female cat spends her time guarding the patio area, whereas our male cat likes playing in the garden or on a patch of waste ground next door.
Having a territory (home) of their own and all of it’s resources means everything to a cat. Without it they cannot survive, and they will not abandon it without a good reason.
Hope this helps.