Having an indoor cat that wants to go outside is a common issue for many cat owners. As much as you want to make your cat happy, letting them outdoors comes with risks. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and find solutions to keep your cat stimulated indoors. Here are some quick answers to frequently asked questions about cats who want outside access, along with tips to keep them happy inside.
Quick Answers
Why does my indoor cat want to go outside?
There are several reasons an indoor cat may want to go outdoors, including:
- Boredom or lack of stimulation indoors
- Interest in exploring new spaces and scents
- Prey drive – desire to hunt birds or small mammals
- Seeing outdoor cats through windows and wanting to join
- Smelling fresh air from outside
Is it safe to let my cat outside?
There are many risks to letting an indoor cat outdoors unsupervised. Some of the dangers include:
- Injuries from cars, fights with other animals
- Exposure to diseases from other cats
- Poisoning from eating plants, chemicals
- Getting lost, stolen, or injured
- Harming local wildlife like birds and small mammals
Outdoor access should only be allowed under supervision and within an enclosed space like a catio.
What are some alternatives to letting my cat outside?
There are many enriching activities to provide mental and physical stimulation for an indoor cat instead of outdoor access. Some options include:
- Cat trees, tall cat shelves, and climbing structures
- Puzzle feeders and food dispensing toys
- Playtime with interactive cat toys each day
- Outdoor enclosure or catio for fresh air
- Harness training for supervised outdoor walks
- Cat grass and cat-safe houseplants
- Changing up toys to prevent boredom
Reasons Cats Want to go Outside
For cats that have always been indoor pets, wanting to go outdoors can seem like a sudden change in behavior. But in many cases, there are clear motivations behind this desire. Here are some of the most common reasons an indoor cat may be begging to go outside:
Boredom and Lack of Stimulation
Indoor cats can easily get bored of their toys and environment. After all, how exciting can the same rooms and sights be day after day? The outdoors offers an endless stream of new smells, sights, and sounds which naturally appeal to a curious cat. Without enough mental and physical enrichment, your indoor cat may look to the outdoors as a new adventure.
Opportunities to Explore and Hunt
Exploring new environments and hunting prey are strong natural instincts for cats. Your indoor kitty may sit longingly by the window watching birds and squirrels they’d love to chase. Even if they are well-fed, the urge to hunt and stalk is still present. With no appropriate outlets, these desires can build up and lead to door-dashing escape attempts.
Influence of Outdoor Cats
Seeing neighborhood cats basking on porches or patrolling for prey outside your home can also spark your cat’s interest. They see these outdoor cats coming and going as they please. Naturally they wonder, “Why can’t I have that too?” Your cat may beg to go out when they see cats outside, longing to join in on the fun.
Smelling the Great Outdoors
For inside cats with a window perch, the smells from outdoors can also be highly enticing. Birds, rodents and other wildlife all leave behind scents. Even the smell of fresh air from an open window can get your cat eager for time outside. With their powerful sense of smell, all of these outdoor scents bring the sensations of the outside world into your home where your cat is cooped up.
Risks of Letting Cats Outside
While it’s understandable why an indoor cat would find the great outdoors so appealing, the dangers cannot be ignored. Indoor cats allowed to roam outside face a range of hazards:
Injuries from Other Animals
Fights with outdoor cats, encounters with dogs, close calls with wildlife – all pose threats of injury. Your indoor cat likely has poor survival skills compared to seasoned outdoor cats. Even playful tussles can turn nasty and leave your cat with bites or scratches prone to infection.
Threats from Cars and Humans
Roads are extremely perilous, even for street-savvy cats. Outdoor cats also face risks like kids who mean well but play too rough, cruel humans, and pet thieves hoping to resell the animal. Your cat could also slip into open garages or sheds and get trapped.
Poisons from Plants, Pesticides, Medications
Outdoor landscapes contain many hazards for curious cats – toxic plants, chemicals, compost piles, medications dropped outside, and more. Something as pretty as a flowerbed can actually be perilous to your cat’s health. Eating the wrong plant or substance can cause gastrointestinal issues, central nervous system damage, and worse.
Diseases from Other Cats and Wildlife
Outdoor cats are at risk of catching illnesses that indoor cats are largely sheltered from. These include parasitic, viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. Feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus and rabies are just a few examples. Worms and fleas are also concerns.
Impact on Local Wildlife
While not a direct risk to the cat itself, allowing indoor cats to hunt has devastating consequences for local bird and small mammal populations. Even well-fed cats will kill prey out of instinct. Resist this pressure for the sake of species like songbirds already under threat from habitats lost to urbanization.
Risk of Getting Lost
If your indoor cat manages to slip out an open door, their chances of becoming lost are very high. They likely have no experience navigating the area and lack the skills to find their way home. Only identification via a collar and microchip offer any hope of reuniting with a lost indoor cat.
Tips to Keep Cats Happy Indoors
The safest way to grant your cat outdoor experiences is to bring the outdoors to them! You can enrich their indoor life and decrease the desire to roam using these strategies:
Give Them a Catio
Let your cat bask on an enclosed patio or catio – they can get fresh air and watch outdoor activity without the risks. Use window screening to enclose a small porch or build/buy a catio kit. Add ramps, shelves, scratching posts and toys for exercise and fun. Place their bed inside for sunny cat naps!
| Catio Benefits | Things to Include |
|---|---|
| Fresh air and nature views | Ramps and climbing shelves |
| Protection from hazards | Scratching posts and toys |
| Chance to bird/squirrel watch | multiple exit/entry points |
| Outdoor play and exercise | Litter box, food, water |
Harness Train for Outdoor Walks
With proper introduction and training, you can harness train your cat to enjoy walking on a leash and harness outdoors. Supervise them closely and keep walks short at first. Harness training provides stimulation while keeping risks low compared to free roaming.
Rotate Toys to Prevent Boredom
Rotate your cat’s toys every week or two so they stay novel and exciting. Try interactive toys that make noise or move randomly to stimulate their prey drive. Set up puzzles and treat dispensing toys to engage their brain and instincts to “hunt.”
| Cat Toys | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Feather wands and teasers | Interactive play and exercise |
| Tunnels and paper bags | Hiding and pouncing play |
| Puzzles like food mazes | Mental stimulation |
| Treat balls | Instinct to catch “prey” |
| Scratching posts | Clawing instinct outlet |
Plant Cat Grass and Catnip
Growing cat-safe plants gives them an indoor garden to nibble, roll in, and explore. Wheatgrass and catnip are favorites. Spider plants and cat palms are also easy indoor options. Use potted plants – make sure any houseplants are non-toxic to cats.
Set Up Elevated Resting Spots
Cats lovebird’s eye views from up high. Set up cat shelves on the walls, tall cat trees, and climbing structures so they can observe all the action. Place beds, toys, and treats in these spots to make them extra appealing.
How to Cat-Proof Your Home
Along with enrichment strategies, cat-proofing your home is key to keeping indoor cats from darting outside. Address any opportunities they could take to slip out the door and practice prevention:
Use Secured Screens
Install well-fitting screens on all windows and doors used for ventilation. Check for any tears where a paw could fit through. Only open windows when there is a secure, escape-proof screen installed.
Pay Attention Near Doors
Cats are the ultimate door dashers. When entering and leaving, sweep the area by any door to shoo your cat away before opening. Never let them dart outside in the process. Carry them or have them on a leash when answering the front door.
Invest in a Microchip
All indoor cats should have a registered microchip in case they do get lost. A collar with ID can become snagged but a microchip is there for life. The chip is implanted painlessly at the vet.
Check the Garage
Ensure your garage does not give cats access they are not supposed to have. Close it securely after use and never leave it propped open as cats may wander in and then be trapped when the garage closes. Keep all chemicals and rodent traps up high and out of reach.
Have a Backyard Fence
If your home has a yard, install secure, high fencing around the perimeter with a locked gate. This prevents darting cats from escaping and stray cats or predators from entering. Put mesh fencing underground to prevent digging under the fence line.
Use Deterrents
Scat mats, indoor citrus smells, and automated noisemakers can deter cats from going near doors or windows. Try them for extra reinforcement. But supervise their use – you want to redirect your cat, not scare them.
When to Reconsider Your Options
Despite your best efforts at cat-proofing and enrichment, some cats persistently try to sneak out or seem stressed confined indoors alone. In those cases, you may need to reconsider your options to improve their welfare. Some choices to think over:
Adopt a Second Cat
Some cats benefit from having a feline companion at home during the day for play, cuddles, and entertainment. Try slowly introducing your cat to a potential friend from a foster home or shelter.
Provide Outdoor Access Under Supervision
If your yard is fully enclosed, you can compromise by letting your cat out while you are home to directly supervise them. Harness train them for safe outdoor time when you’re home. Bring them in before dark.
Cat Sitters for Daytime Visits
When you’re not home, consider hiring a professional cat sitter or neighbor to come give your cat attention, playtime, and mealtime. Having someone visit can provide social interaction and mental stimulation.
Train for Successive Approximation
Work with a trainer to use techniques like successive approximation and positive reinforcement to teach your cat to stay back from doors. Reward calm behavior. Block rewards for door dashing and escaping.
Consult Your Veterinarian
For cats chronically distressed about being indoors, discuss medication options with your vet. Short-term anti-anxiety medication can help while you work on training and enrichment techniques.
Final Tips for Happy Indoor Cats
With attention and effort, most cats can live enriched, satisfied lives as indoor pets. Here are a final few tips for keeping your cat happy at home:
- Play with interactive toys at least twice daily
- Consider adopting a second cat for companionship
- Give them fresh catnip or wheatgrass 1-2 times weekly
- Groom and socialize with them daily if they enjoy it
- Give them visual access outdoors through cat shelves or perches by windows
- Reward calm, relaxed behaviors;
- Use calming pheromone plugins to ease stress
- Ask your vet about anti-anxiety medication if needed
- Try behavior modification training if attempts fail
The Bottom Line
Indoor cats begging to go outside is understandable but risky. With training, environmental enrichment, and prevention tactics, most indoor cats can live safely and contentedly. Consider supervised outdoor access like a catio. But overall, bringing elements of the outdoors in to your cat is the safest way to grant them access to fresh air and new sights without endangering them. With attention and effort, you can help satisfy your cat’s interests without the need for free outdoor roaming.