I'm going to adopt an adult kitty this weekend bc her owner (a friend of a friend) is moving to a non-pet-friendly apartment, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on 1. How to help her feel comfortable and at home at my place 2. She's used to being an outdoor cat. Is there anything I should be concerned about/do in that regard?
Make sure she has a lot of things to do, which will help with keeping her from feeling stressed about being indoors! The problem with outdoor cats generally being stressed when indoors is they aren't getting enough mental stimulation. Setting up things to play with or do will help with that. Be aware that she might not react super nice at first either, give her time to settle in. Also congrats on adopting a new kitty!
I have heard that keeping a new cat in one room for a little bit to let them acclimate slowly can help them from feeling too overwhelmed? I don't know how that would go for an outdoor cat, though.
The single room acclimation is still good for outdoor cats; it lets them establish a space that is theirs, which makes them more comfortable, and it gives them a way to process their change in environment without having to deal with too much unfun stimulus.
From what I've gathered she's used to being let out a few hours every day, but she eats and sleeps inside. My area is safe enough that I think I can continue to let her do that once she's used to living here. Keeping her in one room seems like a good idea, but there isn't any rooms here that aren't occupied by humans most of the time. Is that a problem? Thank you for your advice :)
It shouldn't be! Keeping her around the humans will help her adjust to them anyhow. The biggest thing is giving her a room to set as Home Base before she goes exploring the vast unknown.
When I got my new cat we kept her in one room so that's good advice. It's also good to spend time with the cat/in the same room as the cat so they get acclimated to y'all. And most pet stores sell scents that help cats not feel anxious in new places. Cats are pretty social so as long as you spend some time with the new kitty it should be fine. Good luck!
catsindoors.tumblr.com has a lot of good information on acclimating outdoor cats to an indoor lifestyle under "bringing your cat inside" (and some info on why keeping them indoors is a good idea, but ultimately that bit's a personal choice)
She seems to be settling in ok, but she's not happy about being kept inside. I think these first couple weeks will be a bit difficult
She's beautiful! Hopefully she gets used to being indoor only. >: Idk if this is feasible, but my housemates have a big soft dog crate (about 3'x3'x4'ish?) that they let their cats be in outside when it's warm. She might like something like that?
Oh! Calico tabbies are so extra pretty. (I might be biased as the owner of one myself.) My cat likes to think she's an outdoor cat and will sneak out in the summer if we don't keep an eye on her when coming in/going out. We'll often sit outside with her in nicer weather so that she can roll around and sniff all the smells and pretend she's a jungle cat for a bit.
maybe get her a leash and harness? @Shingleback we live in the same state so I might be able to give you mine. the leash has glow in the dark skulls
sorry i only read part of this thread and thought you also had a cat and now i am embarrass. ignore me *backflips out of thread*
This seems to be a bit late, but if you have any trouble acclimating her try dling and watching Jackson Galaxy's My Cat from Hell. In what I have watched, he doesnt directly confront a problem like t his, but he does help a lot of cats that have a lot of energy that sometimes need to be addressed in different ways. Watching and seeing what might apply to your new kitty friend might give you some great ideas to help her and satisfy her without the danger of being an outdoor cat. Also, if she tries sneaking out of the door when u r leaving, try putting a shelf or perch near the door and encourage her to use it. It will give her a place to peak out, without the risk of her being under your feet and dashing out.
