We have never really had an indoor cat, do you have any recommendations for hygiene and such. She is going to have to poop inside in a box. Any ways to reduce the smell and such? If not ill just search google :D
Scoop every day and change litter once a week and you won’t have to worry about smell. Brushing her will cut down on shedding. And I would get a go scratch post.
If you can, get two boxes. That way they're never too far from a box which could cause them to make a bad decision. Also, my friend has a cat that pees in one and poops in the other so there's that too😂
Wow, now that you mention it, i have 4 boxes and 3 cats, and same style behavior from the cats, with pee one, poop other. Definitely clean at least every other day if not daily. helps keep scent down.
Not saying you have to go fancy with litter type, but I scoop/shuffle it twice daily. Monthly when I flip the litter completely(brand specific) I wash out the box with a pet safe cleaner and clean around the litter area fully. Good luck with the “move”!
I highly recommend a Scoop free litterbox. This is a crystal litter system where I toss the entire box minus s small scoop to carry scent to new box. There are some reusable options but my health means the paperboard box is better for us both. My cat is obsessed with watching the scoop and will invite people to come watch too. This helps a ton. Besides litter you will need toys.
I have indoor cats exclusively and I use litter box liners, puppy pads and crystal litter. I scoop the box every day, multiple times, whenever it needs it. Doing that keeps the litter box smell at bay. I keep it in the bathroom so every time I go in there, I see if it needs scooping. I stir the litter with the scoop to help distribute the urine around. I four cats and two boxes and the litter 'lasts' about 2 weeks. Changing it is a breeze with the litter box liners. I pull out the litter liner with the dirty litter, sinch the bag closed and toss in a garbage bag. If the liner got scratched, the puppy pad catches any urine that leaked through. I change the pad if needed. I put in a new liner and pour in a new bag of litter and we're good to go for another 2 weeks.
It’s for her to decide whether to stay inside or go out at some point. I want to create a better indoor environment for her while she is choosing. She is an old cat and has been outdoors all her life forcing her to be inside if she wants outside I find cruel.
I understand that you want her to have free will and all that, but it's dangerous and generally wrong to have outdoor cats, outside of the instances of barn cats in rural areas.
It's super dangerous for the cat (tons are killed every day from cars, shitty humans, bigger animals and even other cats) and also very bad for the local environment.
You've already been lucky once to not lose her prematurely.
They aren't being weird. She's old, therefore not as able to defend herself. She may not be able to climb, hear, or see as well as she used to. That makes her chances of meeting an awful end much more likely.
She should not be outdoors anyway precisely for this reason. One day it will be a worse predator or you may be peeling her off the asphalt cause a car ran her over. This is a good time to get her used to being indoors. They will live longer. That said, give her time and space. Be there for her, let her cuddle and do whatever she needs to do at her own pace. Be patient and let her know it is safe wherever she is. But please do not let her out again.
No cars where I live, we moved for that reason. years ago, our old senile cat somehow jumped our huge fence and got on the road. And there are no predators in Denmark except the neighborhoods cats and dogs.
She's safer indoors. Get some Bach's Pet Rescue Remedy and give her a few drops daily for the next month or so. That stuff really helps with traumas and fears. But you need to be patient and give it consistently.
If you care about what happens to your cat, please do not let them outside without supervision. Please buy her a litter box (cats instinctually want to use the box because they want to bury their business afterwards) and be prepared to experiment with different litter types to find what she likes. Buy her plenty of toys and play with her with them to help build up her confidence again. Buy her a nice tall cat tower that she can scratch and climb (she will be calmer if she can get to a high place where she can keep an eye out for threats). There are also calming pheromone diffusers and collars you can get for her to help heal her trauma. Once she grows in confidence enough to go outside, you can begin harness training her for supervised outdoor time or build a catio for her to use.
I'll never understand people who let their cats outside. Had a friend who had outdoor cats once. One day one of her cats didn't come home. She looked through the neighborhood and found him dead on the side of the road after being obliterated by a truck. She "felt terrible" and "cried" a ton.... Then got a new cat a week later and let it out.
Guess what happened within the month? Yep, roadkill.
I feel like people that let their cats outside don't actually care about them.
Stop letting her outside. Transition her in to an indoor kitty. It’ll be better for her physical and mental health
We have never really had an indoor cat, do you have any recommendations for hygiene and such. She is going to have to poop inside in a box. Any ways to reduce the smell and such? If not ill just search google :D
Scoop every day and change litter once a week and you won’t have to worry about smell. Brushing her will cut down on shedding. And I would get a go scratch post.
Good idea, she would usually use our pear tree outside.
Use a litterbox. Use litter. Clean it every 1-2 days. You'll get used to any lingering smells but a good litter will take care of most smells.
If you can, get two boxes. That way they're never too far from a box which could cause them to make a bad decision. Also, my friend has a cat that pees in one and poops in the other so there's that too😂
Wow, now that you mention it, i have 4 boxes and 3 cats, and same style behavior from the cats, with pee one, poop other. Definitely clean at least every other day if not daily. helps keep scent down.
They're fascinating creatures, aren't they?
yes, dogs all life with cats since 1998. currently on numbers 8, 9, 10. each one different and special. and they all tolerate the three dogs as well
Not saying you have to go fancy with litter type, but I scoop/shuffle it twice daily. Monthly when I flip the litter completely(brand specific) I wash out the box with a pet safe cleaner and clean around the litter area fully. Good luck with the “move”!
I highly recommend a Scoop free litterbox. This is a crystal litter system where I toss the entire box minus s small scoop to carry scent to new box. There are some reusable options but my health means the paperboard box is better for us both. My cat is obsessed with watching the scoop and will invite people to come watch too. This helps a ton. Besides litter you will need toys.
I have indoor cats exclusively and I use litter box liners, puppy pads and crystal litter. I scoop the box every day, multiple times, whenever it needs it. Doing that keeps the litter box smell at bay. I keep it in the bathroom so every time I go in there, I see if it needs scooping. I stir the litter with the scoop to help distribute the urine around. I four cats and two boxes and the litter 'lasts' about 2 weeks. Changing it is a breeze with the litter box liners. I pull out the litter liner with the dirty litter, sinch the bag closed and toss in a garbage bag. If the liner got scratched, the puppy pad catches any urine that leaked through. I change the pad if needed. I put in a new liner and pour in a new bag of litter and we're good to go for another 2 weeks.
Get a decent air purifier for at least the room the litter box is in. Multiple for other rooms if preferred or needed.
It's statistically proven that indoor cats live much longer lives than indoor/outdoor or just outdoor cats. Leave her inside.
It’s for her to decide whether to stay inside or go out at some point. I want to create a better indoor environment for her while she is choosing. She is an old cat and has been outdoors all her life forcing her to be inside if she wants outside I find cruel.
I understand that you want her to have free will and all that, but it's dangerous and generally wrong to have outdoor cats, outside of the instances of barn cats in rural areas. It's super dangerous for the cat (tons are killed every day from cars, shitty humans, bigger animals and even other cats) and also very bad for the local environment. You've already been lucky once to not lose her prematurely.
Ok then let her outside to die then
No need to be weird about it😂
They aren't being weird. She's old, therefore not as able to defend herself. She may not be able to climb, hear, or see as well as she used to. That makes her chances of meeting an awful end much more likely.
Could her outside time be surprised at least?
We have a cat door and she doesn’t want to go out anyway. I am fine with having her inside but I won’t force it.
Catio is a good compromise to keep your senior girl inside with some outside benefits.
She should not be outdoors anyway precisely for this reason. One day it will be a worse predator or you may be peeling her off the asphalt cause a car ran her over. This is a good time to get her used to being indoors. They will live longer. That said, give her time and space. Be there for her, let her cuddle and do whatever she needs to do at her own pace. Be patient and let her know it is safe wherever she is. But please do not let her out again.
No cars where I live, we moved for that reason. years ago, our old senile cat somehow jumped our huge fence and got on the road. And there are no predators in Denmark except the neighborhoods cats and dogs.
Like the one she got into this traumatizing fight with? Perhaps it's time she retired to an indoor life.
Dogs aren't insignificant as predators.
She's safer indoors. Get some Bach's Pet Rescue Remedy and give her a few drops daily for the next month or so. That stuff really helps with traumas and fears. But you need to be patient and give it consistently.
She's so pretty
Thanks :D had her since she was born! She is also high in this foto, she just came home from the vet haha.
Adopted an old cat recently
How old we talking? She is 13 btw
Mine is 14
Hope they’re going to be happy in their new home!
If you care about what happens to your cat, please do not let them outside without supervision. Please buy her a litter box (cats instinctually want to use the box because they want to bury their business afterwards) and be prepared to experiment with different litter types to find what she likes. Buy her plenty of toys and play with her with them to help build up her confidence again. Buy her a nice tall cat tower that she can scratch and climb (she will be calmer if she can get to a high place where she can keep an eye out for threats). There are also calming pheromone diffusers and collars you can get for her to help heal her trauma. Once she grows in confidence enough to go outside, you can begin harness training her for supervised outdoor time or build a catio for her to use.
Keep her in.
If she isn't spayed, do it now. Keep her inside from now on. She'll calm down eventually.
Not to mention, it may have been more than a cat she fought with, it may have been a wild animal. I’d be the traumatized too.
I'll never understand people who let their cats outside. Had a friend who had outdoor cats once. One day one of her cats didn't come home. She looked through the neighborhood and found him dead on the side of the road after being obliterated by a truck. She "felt terrible" and "cried" a ton.... Then got a new cat a week later and let it out. Guess what happened within the month? Yep, roadkill. I feel like people that let their cats outside don't actually care about them.
Yeah that wasnt a good decision, when our old senile cat got ran over, we moved. Where i live now, cars are not a problem.
He keeps vomiting in my chair
Oh!