(Closed) ARGH! GET THESE CATS OUT OF MY HOUSE!

• NotTheDoctor
• 8 years ago

Sorry, no advice, just wanted to say that I thought I was a cat person until I actually owned one… Then I realized that I HATE cats! When my ex and I broke up I basically forced him to take the cat with him, because it had been his idea to get it. I am a dog person 100% now.

• Dogsbody92
• 8 years ago

You could take them outside on harnesses and leads every couple of days but they really need to be indoors to decrease the risk of them running away. Just make sure they have loads of toys and things to do inside so they use up all that energy.

ETA: my cat is indoors but we take him out every second day or so. He has loads of toys and plays games inside so he isn’t bored and bouncing off the walls constantly.

• wandering_gypsy
• 8 years ago

• Wedding: January 2012

Are your cats fixed?  That could be part of the issue with the restlessness if they aren’t.

Also, they really do need to stay inside until their internal GPS’s reset so they don’t run away.  My only tip is to get another litter box and stock up on toys.  It’s an adjustment for them to, they just need time to figure it all out.

• maplemag
• 8 years ago

• Wedding: June 2014

I completely sympathize! We have done a lot of moving this year. The apt we were in the longest amount of time had a balcony and a kitty door (we were in LA), so the kitty could go outside year round. Poor kitty now looks out the window longingly while plotting the death of those who keep her inside!

its definitely tough. can you play with them til exhaustion? Seems like they have a lot of energy tht goes unused now. 

• canarydiamond
• 8 years ago

• Wedding: December 2013

@Nellop:  I’d just give them some time. Cats are notoriously bad at moving. Think about it this way… if you had no choice in moving somewhere and you were suddenly stopped from going outside… how would you like it?

I totally get how this can be annoying, but I am sure they will adapt. My cat is happy in a one bedroom apartment. Yeah, he grew up there, but still. Have you designated a nice cat friendly zone with all their toys and bedding and stuff?

• Shina
• 8 years ago

I’m not sure how long it’s been since you moved into your new house, but I would recommend a few things:

• Put your cats into a separate bedroom (or private area that’s a bit secluded) and make that space THEIR space.  Cats notoriously have difficulty adjusting to new home environments, so the first thing you must establish for them is THEIR space that has boundaries (i.e. if you designate a room then the walls/door creates a natural boundary for them).  Put their litter boxes, food, water, bedding, toys, etc. in their room ans let them hang out in there with the door closed so that they can get comfortable, leave their scent, and get used to their new space.  After they get comfortable and now know that’s their private room, then you can let them out and explore the rest of the house.  But all cats need to feel they have their private space to call their own and no one will bother them there.  

• I’m not sure where you live, but here in the U.S. you can purchase this scent diffuser at Petsmart/Petco called “Feliway,” which is something I swear by as a cat owner!  It comes as a wall-plug-in (like the home air frshners) that contains pheromones that mimics the scent that cat’s leave when they scratch their cheeks on a surface, and it REALLY helps calm them down and not do certain unwanted behaviors like urinating oitside the litter box, scratching, and meowing/howling all the time.   I have two cats and my male cat CANNOT stand being cooped-up indoors (and we have a fairly decent size home with 5 bedrooms and plenty of room to roam around) and howls like crazy if he can’t go outside.  But he got a really nasty UTI recently and my vet said I had to keep him indoors and honestly, I thought I was going to go absolutely f*ing nuts with him urinating everywhere (from his UTI) and him howlimg constantly because he so miserable being indoors 24/7.   I called my vet begging her for some help because my cat & I couldn’t continue on the way we were, and she suggested going to the petsore for some “Feliway” and I immediately popped over there and picked one up.  Let me tell you, it SAVED me and my boy cat!

Just plugging the Feliway into the wall and waiting about 20 minutes, it’s like a magic wand appeared and transformed my howling cat into his sweet calm self!  Omg I would not have really believed that it could have such a huge affect on my cat, but it has done wonders to calm him down and he no longer meowed anymore and even with his UTI, he’s only went in the litter box too!   

Seriously, I would high recommend you check it out.  Here’s their website with more info (also I think you can buy it on Amazon):   http://www.feliway.us

Good-luck with your cats!  It might take them some time to get used to your new home (which is normal), but try out the tips above esp the Feliway, and hopefully that’ll help calm your cats so you can all get along again. 🙂

• MiJeS1104
• 8 years ago

• Wedding: November 2013

@Nellop:  Moving is very rough on cats. I moved last year and I read up on what’s the best way to make them the most comfortable. I read to leave them confined to one room with their litter and food both in it. Then you let them explore on their own. I partly listened to that. I set up everything in one room but left the door open for the ones that wanted to explore (I have 4 cats). A couple of them stayed under the bed all day while two of them were brave and wanted to check the place out. Being that you already moved, I’m not too sure what you should do. My cats are strictly indoor so that didn’t change. Your cats just went tthrough a huge change, give them some time. Best of luck!