My sick outdoor cat is unhappy indoors. How to make them happy?

Thank you for helping her out! Some cats do prefer the outdoors and can be a little depressed when kept indoors. I would recommend getting her some toys and a scratching post. You can get different surfaces for the scratching post and some come with cat nip to attract the cat even more. There are lots of different toys to choose from. Get a variety. There are also interactive toys that dispense treats as the cat plays. This may keep her busy and brighten her spirits. Good luck!

Hi there. I am sorry to hear about Tikvichko's troubles. I will try to address each part of your question one by one, to see if I can advise you accordingly. First, you mentioned that he is very thin. Taking into consideration that Tikvichko goes outdoors, I would try to rule out intestinal parasites first and foremost. He is also getting a little bit older if he's around 6 years old. Cats and dogs are considered senior patients at age 7. I would make sure to run some tests that can help check for the following conditions, as they can cause weight loss in adult/senior cats - hyperthryoidism (meaning he would have an overactive thyroid and a fast metabolism that will not allow him to keep weight on), diabetes (cats and dogs with diabetes can lose weight, or remain very thin), kidney disease (can also cause poor weight gain). Secondly, if Tikvichko is going outside, he may exposed to other cats. These cats can pass respiratory bacteria and viruses on to him. He can get upper respiratory infections, or even diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline leukemia virus. These viruses can weaken his immune system and make him more susceptible to upper respiratory bugs too. They can also make him unable to gain weight. Checking his teeth too, to make sure he doesn't have any mouth pain is a good idea too, and part of a routine vet exam. Sometimes cats, adults and older, will have bad teeth, and this can cause mouth pain, and in turn, they may eat less, and not gain an appropriate amount of weight. Lastly, it is difficult for sure to keep kitties inside once they learn how to live an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. You can try to make him more comfortable inside by giving him an extra litter box. If he is the only cat, you should have 2 for him. Try some different cat litters too. He may be picky about which litter he likes. Since he goes outside, try something that's more like a sand litter to see if likes that. Depending on what's available in your area, you can also try some supplements for him when he is indoors such as feline rescue remedy, or feliway products. They are natural products that are known to help lower stress levels in cats. You can also make him a cat hidey-box, so he has a private area to cuddle in. This can be fashioned out of something as simple as a cardboard box turned upside down with an opening cut into it to allow him to come and go. Place the box in a private area of the house (away from the litter box of course). You can put some treats and food inside as well. In the meantime, I would schedule a visit with Tikvicho's vet. He should be tested for feline immunodeficiency virus, and feline leukemia. He should also have some labwork evaluated to check his organs, and to check for diabetes and thyroid disease, and they can also test his stools to make sure he is parasite free. He should also always remain up to date on all of his vaccines. Once you take care of all of that, I would focus on making his indoor environment as appealing as possible to try to encourage him to stay inside more. There is definitely a chance that he will still want to go outside more often than not, but making sure he is up to date on all of his preventive care, and checking him for any diseases he can pick up outside is the best way to make sure he stays health. Best of luck!

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

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.

These symptoms are definitely of concern and most likely a sign of illness and not depression. It is not any fault of yours, but he does need to see a veterinarian to determine the cause of his illness. They may recommend running bloodwork to check for signs of systemic illness such as kidney disease or infection, and may want to test his for Feline Leukemia and Feline Aids since he was an outdoor cat before he came to you.

Fortunately, cats don't usually seem to mind having a smaller indoor space to live in - they spend the majority of their day resting or sleeping, with bouts of play or other activity in between, so normally they don't need a large living space. But, moving to a new home can definitely be stressful for them, since they are often easily upset by any changes to their environment or daily routine - so I would imagine that your kitty is simply adjusting to the move. You can spend some extra time petting or playing with him for the next couple of weeks to help him settle in. You may also want to try a Feliway pheromone diffuser to help encourage him to relax and feel like your new home is "his".

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sukkar. How lovely of you to take him in, what a lucky boy. I would set up a window seat for him next to a window that gets sun all day. A cat tree would work well too. He can lay on it, look outside, and enjoy the sun. You can also look into a catio, which is an outdoor enclosure for cats. He could go into every day for a few hours, enjoy the outside, but not escape and still be safe. This may help him and cheer him up a bit. Keep in mind as well that he's four, so the playing stage may be gone for him. I have a six year old Ragdoll who spends most of his time sleeping in the sun and eating. Probably why he's fat! He doesn't play at all, but he's happy. I hope this helps!