How do I transition outdoor stray cats to live indoors before winter?

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!

It may take some times before the cats become comfortable. Cats have been on their ownfor a while may develop a healthy fear of humans and it will take some time to gain their trust. I recommend to try to associate yourself with food. Get something that is very tasty and high value to the cats and sit quietly nearby while they eat. Gradually work your way up to hand feeding them or touching them while they eat. Most cats instinctually want to play so try to entice them with toys. If they will play with you, they will usually bond with you as well. I’m not sure if you have veterinary access but the one who is not eating could be ill. Make sure to deworm both cats as well. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for your questions about Patio Cat. Certainly providing a warm bed and a place to get out of the wind/weather will help. Many people will use a styrofoam cooler with a hole cut out to hold in the heat. Provide fresh food and water. Make the food a high quality such as Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan or Iams. Certainly you can have this cat vaccinated, treated for parasites and even spay/neutered. Outdoor cats can produce many kittens, they can also act as a source of fleas and intestinal worms, cats who are not fixed can also be more prone to fighting and getting injured. Many cities offer programs to help spay, neuter and vaccinate homeless cats and I recommend to look into one of these. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

Many thanks for adopting a stray! If you haven't yet, before you introduce Pumpkin to the rest of your household, I strongly recommend you take him in to see your vet for a check up as well as vaccinations. In addition, he should be checked for the feline viral diseases including feline leukemia and feline AIDS, since he could transmit these to your cats. If all checks out well, start by bringing him into the house (making sure the other cats can't see him) and getting him comfortable in his own room with food, water, toys, a litter box, etc. Spend plenty of time with him there every day, making sure that you also give plenty of attention to your other cats. After a couple of weeks, when everyone had gotten used to everyone's scent, you can try a controlled introduction, perhaps with Pumpkin in a carrier. If all goes well there, allow them to share space but make sure they are monitored and make sure there is a way for everyone to get their own space - a cat tree is perfect for this - until they are comfortable together.

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,

Most cats will adapt to a new home if kept indoors for 4-6weeks then allowed out supervised for 2-3weeks and can be quite an undertaking for a new owner once cats have been acclimatized to fending for themselves and you should check to see if the new home is in a position to take this on