How to keep my cat safe at home and prevent her from getting lost?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Mr. Sassy is not microchipped, I would recommend having this done. You can find all sorts of GPS tracking collars as well for cats. Findster and TabCat are two examples of GPS collars that I have seen. Once you have moved and are in your new place, it will take some time for your cat to get used to the new surroundings. I would recommend keeping him indoors for at least 6-8 weeks before letting him outside. You might even consider walking him on a leash around the property so that he is used to the outside. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Remember that every pet is an individual and they will all react differently. Squeak may be more adventurous than your older cat and thus more likely to roam and get into trouble. You may try again when she is older (kittens tend to be more active than adults) so maybe wait til she is a year old (or older). It's also possible she will never be a cat who can be left alone outside. Cats can be trained to walk on a leash and they do make underground fences for cats. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The possible things that he could be exposed to outside include cat fights, cars, dogs, and possible infectious diseases that can be transmitted to him. I recommend that you have him completely vaccinated, neutered if he not yet and dewormed so that he is less likely to get infected and affected by anything. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Great pictures! She does look every comfortable out there. But this is a huge risk, she may not be as lucky next time she falls. You can consider putting a harness and leash on her and only allowing her on the balcony when you are able to be with her and hold the leash. It you are allowed to, you could install a safety fence or guard on the balcony. I would caution you to allow this to continue. I wish you and Moca the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so glad you chose to send him to your gramma. Statistically, a 5YO cat doesn’t have great odds of adoption at a shelter. So that right there should make you feel good that you gave him the best chance possible. While you can never say for sure what will happen outside, many cats transition great to being indoor/outdoor. The fact that he comes in at night will help keep him a bit safer than if he were out all the time. Of course, if he is declawed, I STRONGLY encourage he be indoor only as he’s lost his main defense mechanism. I hope this helps you rest easier about your tough decision. Best of luck to you all.

Yes, this can potentially happen with indoor / outdoor cats. If they move to a new area and get lost outside, they may try and find their previous home. I typically recommend keeping cats indoors for several months before letting them outside so they familiarize themselves with the new area.

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. What a beautiful cat and creative name! This looks like a dilute tortoiseshell (tortie) and is most likely a female. I would provide a box outside near where you are feeding her so that she will be more likely to hang around. As she gets more comfortable with you and more used to human contact, you may eventually be able to keep her inside the garage and then eventually inside the house. Some cats who already have a taste of outside can be difficult to keep strictly indoors and might constantly try to escape.