Can outdoor cats adapt to being indoor-only without getting upset?

The only way to do this is to try! Some outdoor cats are naturals at living indoors. Others, you will battle behavioral issues from their desire to continue roaming. Spaying and neutering may limit the roaming desire to some degree. There really isn't a set way for this to happen, though.

Once cats have gotten a taste of the outdoors, it can sometimes be difficult to get them to want to stay inside. I would recommend getting a cat tree where she has a view of the outside and can lay in the sun. If possible, put a bird feeder just outside the window so she can watch the birds. Place a Feliway diffuser in that area. This is meant to decrease stress and is available here: This is also an excellent resource for information on how to make life for indoor cats less stressful: https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats

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.

Most cats will eventually settle down and adapt to life indoors. Her set up sounds wonderful and I'm glad you have taken the time to get everything in order for her. Here are a few things you can do which may also help. Try enriching his environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm (when Mimi is 1 year old) . You may also try feeding her from a food puzzle and/or hiding food around the house for her to find. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with behavior if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

The main factors to think about are risk of injury (by cars and by other cats), risk of picking up disease (from other cats, intestinal parasites), and risk to wildlife (more of a concern if your cats like to catch songbirds) VS risk of increased stress due to being indoor only and risk of aggression between the two cats because they are stressed inside. From a behavioral perspective, being outside is much better. There is way more stimulation and it's a natural life for them. From a health perceptive, being inside is probably better, but we don't fully know the effects of the stress of being kept indoors. There are definitely ways to mitigate the risks of going outside, namely vaccination for Feline Leukemia and use of flea/tick preventatives, along with yearly fecal to check for intestinal worms. FIP, which is basically feline AIDS is not one that we vaccinate for and is transferred during cats fights, so they'd be open to that if outside. I hope that helps you think through your options! There's no perfect answer.

Hello, cats are hardy pets and very loving. You may start by making sure they are all vaccinated, dewormed, and tested for FIV/FeLV. You may then bring them inside small amounts at a time to get them acquainted to your home. If they are doing ok while inside, you may extend the time spent inside so that they get can experience the indoors. While inside you should feed them wet food and give them love so that they know that it is ok to be inside. This usually gets them liking their new home and makes for a smoother transition. Hope this helps

I would probably start by confining them to one room of the house while they may still be becoming accustomed to being indoors and litter box use. Be sure they have plenty of places to hide and also areas to climb like a cat tree or shelf. Also I would recommend a Feliway diffuser in the room which can be calming to many cats!