Converting Outdoor Cats to Indoor Cats

Today I was driving through the city I go to school in, and all of a sudden the car in front of me stopped short. What is this person doing, I thought to myself. And then I saw a light orange kitty running in the middle of traffic to the other side of the road. It was probably still under a year old judging by his or her size. My heart stopped for a second. I have never hit an animal while driving, or even seen an animal get hit. I wouldn't be able to stand it. My immediate reaction is always to slam on the brakes if an animal darts into the road.

This made me think how happy I am that my cat, Duncan, is an indoor cat. I especially hate seeing outdoor cats in a city, but there are dangerous things out there even for kitties in suburbia. One of our neighbors spotted a coyote walking down our quiet, suburban street recently. More and more people have spotted coyotes in residential areas, and many cats go missing all the time. My neighbors have had two of their cats never come home, so now their third cat is an indoor cat.

I think it's more difficult to convert an already outdoor cat into an indoor cat than it is to just keep your cat inside in the first place. Their cat, Flik, got used to going outside and knows all he is missing. He spent nine years running around outside and enjoying the fresh air. He's been an indoor cat for a few months now and seems depressed. But then again, there could be other factors contributing to why Flik doesn't seem as happy. My neighbor's brought home a one year old Siamese cat named Judah a few months ago, and Flik is not eager to share the attention with him. Also, Flik is getting older, so he's going to slow down whether or not he's an outdoor cat. In the long run, he's healthier staying inside.

On the other hand, my boyfriend's brother took in his neighbor's cat who was being neglected. Munkey was just under two years old when he started living with Ricky's family and up until that point had been an outdoor cat. Unlike Flik, Munkey has adjusted well. He seems to have no problem staying indoors. Maybe since he is younger and hadn't spent as much time outdoors as Flik, the change wasn't as traumatic for him.

Although I feel bad for Flik that he can't go outside carousing, it is ultimately better for them. We form such strong attachments to our animals, how could we stand to lose them in such a way? I don't know what I would do if Duncan was an outdoor cat and just never came home one day. They are safer indoors, but we need to make sure we play with them often so they work off their energy.


On another note, this cat's name is Cheezits. How cute! What are some of your favorite kitty names?

He is one and a half years old and currently available for adoption at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA. For more information on Cheezits, you can click here.

The Best and Worst of Friends

I've been thinking lately about having more than one cat versus only having one. I understand people's rationale for not wanting to adopt multiple cats--they do require a lot of work and demand your time. As much as we love our cats, we are not always going to be there to spend every second of every day with them. It seems to me that cats get lonely easily though, begging for our attention when we come home from a long day of work. Duncan goes nuts when we get home, even if we were only gone for a few hours.

I'm taking care of my neighbors' cats for the next few days. They've had one of their cats, Flik, for about nine years and recently brought home a young cat named Judah. At first the two of them didn't get along that well, but now they tolerate each other. It seems like most cats eventually can learn to get along, and ultimately, at least they will never have to be alone. My neighbors are gone but they won't feel so lonely with each other around.


Here are some of my thoughts on why it might be good for your kitty to have a friend:

1. Compatibility--You already have one cat and want to bring another one into the family, but what if they don't get along? Chances are, they will learn to get along, especially if they've been around other cats in the past or spent time with their siblings. At the very least, they will probably learn to tolerate one another. This is not the case 100% of the time, I realize, but cats adjust fairly quickly. They might even become close kitty friends.

2. Nobody Wants to be Lonely...--I'm a sucker for my kitty and let him make me feel bad every time I walk out the door. No two cats are exactly the same; maybe there are some cats that don't seem to mind being alone. But my cat loves to be around people. He's sitting on the rocking chair next to me as I write, just watching. He likes company, so I feel bad every time I leave because my baby will be all by himself.

3. Leaving Siblings--I think it's a shame that kitty siblings cannot find a forever home together more often. It's so sad that we separate them. With siblings, you already know they get along and often times they are sharing a cage together in the shelter, especially if they are kittens. Duncan was born in a home and him and his sister were the only kittens in the litter that didn't get adopted. The family they were with dropped them off at the Northeast Animal Shelter. Duncan had been there for a month when we adopted him, and his sister, Gina, had already been adopted.

I keep thinking about her though. I wonder how much time Duncan and her spent together at the shelter and if they got along. I wish I could have given her a forever home too so they'd have each other. Duncan was in isolation due to a kitty cold for a week, so maybe Gina got adopted when he was gone. The family that adopted her might not have even realized her brother was there too. Also, my rationale is that if he got used to being with his sister and they got along well, maybe he'd like to have a new brother or sister.

4. What's an Indoor Cat to do?--I want Duncan to be safe, and there's too much outside nowadays that I'd be worried sick if he ever got out for a second. But I can understand his constant build up of energy; he's cooped up in the house all day long, every day. He jumped on my legs all night tonight because he wanted to play. Having someone to play with would spice up their indoor life. Two cats would be able to entertain each other, even after you are completely worn out from running laps around the house and wiggling the feather toy in front of them.


Here's a super cute girl kitty named Trixie currently available for adoption at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA where we adopted Duncan. Click here to read information about her on their website.




Do you have any stories about kitties that became great friends or maybe never learned to get along?

Treat Your Kitty to Cat Grass

As I sit writing, I have the perfect view of the kitchen counter where the cat grass resides, and he is up there chomping away. His mouth opens wide before he chews down vigorously on the grass strand, tearing off as much as he can for a little snack.

The one and only cat I had before Duncan was an outdoor cat, so growing cat grass never crossed my mind. But these days, it seems even more dangerous for a cat to be roaming the streets. My neighbors had three cats--the only one left has been converted to an indoor cat since the other two went outside and never came home. There are too many bad things out there--other animals can hurt them, and they also pick up diseases and health problems that they'd never otherwise encounter. That said, we're keeping Duncan inside. Although it is tempting to see how he does on a lease, so he could accompany me on a walk on a beautiful summer day. For now he's staying indoors.

So, I purchased a little container of grow your own kitty grass that comes with dirt and seeds that you plant yourself. It only cost about $3.50, so I figured what the hey. I was kitty shopping with my boyfriend's brother who told me he had success growing it before. The package boasted that the seeds will sprout within days, though I was still skeptical. But they do not lie--the seeds sprouted in days and merely a week later there is a container of flourishing kitty grass residing on the counter that my cat cannot get enough of.

The package says to place the container in a place accessible to your cat as soon as the grass is 4 inches tall. I decided to put it on the counter--not that I want him up there, but he is constantly venturing up there anyways. I'll be cooking, and he conveniently decides to walk all over the kitchen counter, distracting me and trying to get a lick of whatever food happens to be lying around. I thought maybe if I put his grass on the counter, he will be distracted by it and leave my food alone.

This actually works. He knew immediately that the grass was meant for him, and now when he jumps on the counter he goes straight for the grass and then jumps down when he's done snacking. He loves his grass--it seems like a treat to him, too.

You can get cat grass at any specialty pet store, or even stores like Walmart or Target. It's a worthwhile investment and though it might not last for more than a few weeks, it's cheap enough to replace it when need be. The only maintenance the grass involves is watering it every day just enough so the soil is moist. Plus, it contains nutrients, adds variety into your cat's life, and brings a little of the outdoors inside.