Is it safe for my cat to live in a barn or be an outdoor cat?

Yes, living outdoors would not be good for Luna. She would not be safe, and it would cause her a lot of trauma. It would be best she went to a one cat only household and lived indoors. I hope this helps.

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.

Indoor cats typically have a safer and longer lifespan than thier outdoor counterparts. If she is happy indoors I would not encourage her to go outside. If you are able to build her a secure small "catio" cat porch outside that might be a way she can safely enjoy the outside. But cats that go outdoors are more at risk from trauma from vehicles or other animals and disease, parasites and viruses. I'd be happy that she is content inside.

Possibly - especially if she is now pretty tame. If she is easily spooked or still not particularly attached to you it might not be a good idea. I recommend starting with short supervised trips outside. You should only feed your cat indoors and offer food during specific meal times to make sure you get her to come back in at night. You can also practice calling to her and giving a treat. Keep in mind that living indoors is much safer for cats and there are risks in going outdoors: infectious diseases, fights with other cats, and cars and dogs are a few of the threats. If she has not been vaccinated for the Feline Leukemia virus I would recommend completing that vaccine series before letting her outdoors where she could contact other cats.

Some cats are truly happier being outdoor cats as then enjoy roaming and hunting. It does have some safety issues but happiness may be more important. If you try to keep a safe box and food in a special place for her, she will likely return to come visit and eat and come and go

If he seems healthy now then the chance of survival is good. Although, there is always a chance he gets exposed to an infectious disease and/or trauma if he is outside, again. Make sure he is up to date on all vaccines, especially if he is going to be put outside again.

Making them completely indoor cats would actually be doing them and the local wildlife a favor. Cats get hurt by other animals, hit by cars, lost, and exposed to diseases when allowed to roam outdoors. They may not like it at first if they were especially fond of going out, but they will learn and adapt and some even come to prefer it. Make sure they have plenty of perches and places to climb and look out windows, if they can have access to a porch that is fully enclosed they would enjoy that as well,