Advice needed: cat afraid of everything outside!

Burnside

Hi

I'm looking for a bit of advice from anyone who's successfully turned indoor cats to indoor/outdoor cats. We recently moved from a flat to a house with a big back garden. It's not ideal as there's a fairly busy road nearby and the garden needs a lot of work (broken glass in flower beds and rusty bits of wire sticking out of fences) and a fox has recently taken to patrolling the garden in broad daylight! We only take them out on harnesses just now due to the above reasons and also to allow them to get used to new sights and smells without bolting and getting lost.

The smaller cat, Thomas, has taken to it from the first time he got out - he loves beetling around smelling everything and chewing grass. However Bubbles, who indoors is head of the household, has to be carried outside and when you put him down on the grass he just stands there and bolts back inside at the slightest noise. I really do want to give Bub the chance to get used to outdoors but at the same time I don't want to be forcing him if he really doesn't like it. Does anyone have any tips or advice on how I can gently get him used to being outdoors and how long I should persevere before I give up and just let him be a house cat?

Many thanks.

tanith

You don't really need to do anything just give the cat access to the outside and he'll either use it or not.. once the weather warms up leave the outside doors open and he'll do it in his own time if he wants.. why classify him as inside or outside he might just be a cat that doesn't like to go out (my old lady doesn't like it in the wintertime)..that doesn't mean you have to 'keep' him inside..

Burnside

I re-read my question and I don't think I made it particularly clear what I was asking . I guess what I want to know is how long it might take an adult cat who hasn't been out before to get used to going outdoors. The indoor/outdoor classification is more a vet thing, as if they're going to have free access outdoors apparently they need more vaccinations. That's another question I have - the vet recommended a leukemia vaccination, I read up about it online and it's a nasty disease but the vaccination can have some pretty bad side effects. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether the potential side effects are worth it?

Thanks again

kazwookie

My rescue cat, (had him 3 years now) was a right scaredy cat when I got him, took 5 to 7 weeks to get him use to simple things indoors, such as closing the curtains (he would bolt upstairs) opening the fridge or a cupboard (he would bolt upstairs) sweeping the floor with a brush (he would bolt upstairs) and so it went on, it just took time.

Then I startd on out side, taking him out in my arms into the secure back garden, he struggled like mad to get down and raced inside, any way after about 2 weeks I could walk round the garden with him in my arms, then I sat down again with him in my arms, and he bolted back in doors, about 3 weeks later he would sit on the grass, eventually I moved away from him, over the next few weeks I would put him on the grass he would wander about and I would stand on the patio.

Over time I moved from patio to the doorway but he could still see me, then a break through I opened the door to go out and he went out ahead of me!, :j this time I went into the kitchen, he managed about 5 mins before he was back in, finally over several weeks he got to an hour or so, without any panic.

He is fine now, uses his cat flap and comes and goes as he pleases, he still runs away from cars and bin lorries which is good.

It will just take time, plenty of it, kind words and effort on your behalf.

Burnside

Thanks for that, funny thing is he's bold as brass indoors - nothing phases him, not loud music, diy or even visitors. When he's outside though it's as if there's just too much going on for him to process. Last time I took him out, hubby walked round on the gravel path and poor Bub nearly brained himself trying to bolt back indoors! I'll keep going with the carrying him out and bribing with tickles and treats and hopefully he'll grow to enjoy it. I hope he keeps his fear of passing traffic as well, it's a healthy fear to have!

tattyuk75

I don't know whether carrying him outside is helping to be honest. I think the other suggestions above, where the cat is left to make the decision to venture out under his/her own steam is better. If my experience is anything to go by, most cats don't like being told what to do! I would go with the method of leaving the door open and just being there for support. I'm thinking this may take longer for him to acclimatise (if he ever does...) but I imagine he would be a lot more comfortable if it was his own curiosity that lured him outside rather than being forced (albeit with the very best of intentions!) Also, getting the hazards sorted out will help matters and give your cats a chance to explore on their own without you having to worry about scratches and glass in paws. Good luck, but remember, being outside might just not be his thing

tizerbelle

Burnside wrote: »

if they're going to have free access outdoors apparently they need more vaccinations. That's another question I have - the vet recommended a leukemia vaccination, I read up about it online and it's a nasty disease but the vaccination can have some pretty bad side effects. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether the potential side effects are worth it?

Yes, they are worth it. Both cats will need Feline Leukeamia (FeLV)and Feline Immuno Deficiency (FIV) even if only one of them ends up being an outside cat.

FeLV can be transmitted to another cat by saliva or mucus - it doesn't need a bite wound to infect, can even be transmitted by over-enthusiastic grooming; FIV is transmitted by saliva into a bite wound / scratch.

So you have to consider not only how your cats behave but also how other cats will react to yours when they meet - you can't guarantee these other cats have been vaccinated; aren't positive for either of the above and won't fight your cat(s).

If your cats contract these diseases, then they would as a minimum become permanent indoor cats (assuming they would cope with the stress of no longer being outside once they get used to it) otherwise the only other option is to PTS. [It would be irresponsible of you to allow infected cats outside where they could put other cats at risk of infection]

You will need both done, even if one decides to stay an indoor cat in case the outdoor one gets infected and transmits this to the indoor one.

As for your scaredy cat, stop physically taking him outside - he is obviously scared of the big outdoors at present so you need to allow him to take it at his own speed. This means leaving the back door open when you are in the house so the cats can come and go as they please - evetually he will decide whether he wants to go out and how far he wants to go - don't force it on him.

tosker

can your timid cat see into the garden easily from a window? if not, can you make a space for him to do so?

he might need to be reassured that there is nothing out there to be frightened of

chez22

tizerbelle wrote: »

Yes, they are worth it. Both cats will need Feline Leukeamia (FeLV)and Feline Immuno Deficiency (FIV) even if only one of them ends up being an outside cat.

FeLV can be transmitted to another cat by saliva or mucus - it doesn't need a bite wound to infect, can even be transmitted by over-enthusiastic grooming; FIV is transmitted by saliva into a bite wound / scratch.

So you have to consider not only how your cats behave but also how other cats will react to yours when they meet - you can't guarantee these other cats have been vaccinated; aren't positive for either of the above and won't fight your cat(s).

If your cats contract these diseases, then they would as a minimum become permanent indoor cats (assuming they would cope with the stress of no longer being outside once they get used to it) otherwise the only other option is to PTS. [It would be irresponsible of you to allow infected cats outside where they could put other cats at risk of infection]

You will need both done, even if one decides to stay an indoor cat in case the outdoor one gets infected and transmits this to the indoor one.

As for your scaredy cat, stop physically taking him outside - he is obviously scared of the big outdoors at present so you need to allow him to take it at his own speed. This means leaving the back door open when you are in the house so the cats can come and go as they please - evetually he will decide whether he wants to go out and how far he wants to go - don't force it on him.

I would recommend getting the FeLV vaccine but there is currently no vaccine available for FIV in this country.

Burnside

We're working on making the garden safer but unfortunately we can't afford to do everything at once. Sounds like top priority should be shelling out to get them both vaccinated against leukemia though, sounds like the benefits outweigh the risks as I didn't realise just how easily it can be picked up.

Hopefully when the weather gets warmer I can leave the back door open and see if he wants to explore himself. He absolutely loves watching everything from various windowsills in the house, especially with the windows cracked open, which is why I'm so surprised that he doesn't much want to go out.

tizerbelle

chez22 wrote: »

I would recommend getting the FeLV vaccine but there is currently no vaccine available for FIV in this country.

Oops, sorry. Was thinking of the diagnostic tests we sell for FeLV and FiV rather than whether there is a vaccine for both.

But I still stand by everything I said about getting the vaccination for leukamia - it's a horrible disease and the benefits of the vaccination strongly outweigh the possible side effects for a condition that can be so easily transmitted.