Moving with a cat? How long to keep them inside & when to let out?

I would start out slowly so they can get used to the outside and learn where your home is located. I would bring them out supervised in the yard starting at 10-15 minutes at a time, monitoring them the entire time. Gradually increase the amount of time they are outside until you feel they know their area and how to come home. At that point, I would let them outside unsupervised. I would only let them out during the day, and make sure they are inside at night. I hope this helps!

Start now with closing the cat door at night and keeping Kitter in with a litter box available. After a few days or a week keep him inside only. That way he will adjust before the stress of moving. Most cats naturally use the litter box but you may want to confine him to a smaller area with the box at night when he's in. Use plain litter without fragrance and clean it daily and fully empty it and scrub it with mild dish washing soap weekly. Cats are fussy and if the box is dirty they can start going out of the box. Also pick up bath mats and laundry so he doesn't start urinating on those. He should be fine, most cats adjust well. Make sure you play with him a lot and he may enjoy a cat tree since he is probably used to more exercise when he's outside. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kitter.

Congrats on your new cat! I would wait another couple of days, then take Pus out in the garden supervised. Let him sniff around and check out the sights and smells of his new home, but don't leave him alone. After about 15 minutes outside, I would bring him back in. You can do that a couple of times a day for a week or two so he gets used to his new home, and has familiar scents that will help him find his way back home. After that, you can let him outside unsupervised :-)

Hi Varsha! What a great question! Moving can be stressful for cats, and if Chuny and Muny are allowed outside, I would keep them indoors for a few weeks after you first move to your new home. This allows them to get used to their new house. Then you can let them out in the garden supervised during the day so they can smell around their new area, but don't allow them to leave the garden or leave them unsupervised. You can do this for a few weeks, and after that, you can let them out unsupervised because they will be familiar with the sights and smells of their new home. I hope this helps!

Hi there! Let me see if I can give you some advice about Graham. Cats can be very sensitive to new environments, and Graham seems to be no exception. I would really let him settle in for a while, maybe about a month or two, especially if he is going to go outside. Since he is an indoor/outdoor cat, he will probably let you know when he is ready to start going outside again, by going to the windows or doors. I also recommend Rescue Remedy for cats that have anxiety in general. It seems to really help alleviate their stress. You can purchase the Rescue Remedy on line. It is a supplement you can add to the water or to the canned food. I think it works really well. The supplement may help Graham get comfortable in his new home, and if it seems to help, since he is sensitive in general to people and sounds, he may benefit from being on it lifelong. Another supplement you can try too is, Feliway. Feliway comes in a spray form as well as in diffusers you can plug in around the home. This supplement can also be purchased on line. It is important to keep cats from being too stressed, as it can cause health issues for them like urinary bladder inflammation, for example. I would definitely give the supplements a try, and as I mentioned, give Graham a month or two, or as long as he seems to need to get settled into his new environment. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

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.

The main reason for letting your kitty out only during the day is that cats tend to be run over in the early hours of the morning when people rush to work, and coyotes tend to eat cats at night (other predators too. Feed your cat in the morning and at night, associate a call with the feed ("come Eat" or something similar) and that way she will come in when it is time.