How to keep my wandering kitten safely indoors without depression?

How lovely of you to take in this kitten! Personally I believe in keeping cats indoors. They are safer indoors, they aren't at risk of being attacked by other cats and dogs, they can't get attacked by wild animals, and they won't be hit by cars. In addition, cats who live indoors typically live longer than cats who go outside. If you want Scruff to have time outside, I recommend building or buying an outdoor enclosure for her. That way she can enjoy the sunshine outside, but won't wander away and won't have any contact with wild animals and other pets. If you provide enrichment inside (plenty of toys, cat trees to climb, a window seat for her to look outside), then she won't feel cooped up. Good luck, I hope this help!

Unfortunately now she has been out it is very difficult to blunt this natural behavior. Providing climbing toys and other distractions can help but it may be easier to keep her 100% indoor or regular free access outdoors. Many people build secure, aviary type pens to provide safe, outdoor exercise areas

It can be very difficult to convince a cat that wants to go outdoors that it’s best to stay inside. You could look into an enclosure like a catio, or you could look into using a stroller or training Bookie to a leash and harness. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-furniture-and-scratchers/outdoor-cat-house/trixie-wooden-outdoor-cat-run

Hello, a cat tree will certainly add more enrichment to her environment and may reduce the her hiding behavior. However, it will likely not prevent it completely. You may start off by partitioning a part of the house for her to get used to. As you get more comfortable with her being outside of the cage, then you may allow her more space within the house. You may also ensure that the doors are closed so that she does not attempt to get out. Finally, you should also spay her before her first cycle so that she is not more likely to get out. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Unfortunately if you are planning on keeping him indoor / outdoor, it is very difficult to keep him away from other stray cats. I would recommend ensuring his vaccinations (Feline Leukemia, Rabies and FVRCP) are all up to date to prevent transmission of these diseases. There are motion activated sprinklers you can get that will startle cats and keep them away from your property and you can find these online quite easily. Really, keeping him indoors is the only 100% way to keep him away from stray cats. 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.

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,

I am so sorry for the loss of your other kitty. It is completely reasonable to feel this way and it is preferred to keep Bleu indoors for his safety. Most cats that are trained to stay indoors will adjust and be perfectly fine with it. It is hard to keep a pet indoors when they have always had access to the outside, so you want to instill this standard in Bleu now when he is young. Here is a website link on how you can enrich your home to make it cat friendly and suitable for indoor living. Best of luck with your kitty Bleu. indoorpet.osu.edu jacksongalaxy.com