I'm at the end of my rope, /an/. Pic related is my cat, who my wife and I rescued about a year ago. He's playful, moderately affectionate and fairly well behaved. However, he absolutely refuses to be an indoor cat. If we try to keep him inside, he meows incessantly until we let him out.
Recently, the apartment complex we live at changed their rules to forbid outside cats. They've already called the local pound to round up some of the cats in the area. To make matters worse, we live next to a field where he is getting ticks on his fur and bringing them inside. Lastly, he is not a fighting cat, which has resulted in him getting beat up by other cats in the neighborhood.
All of these factors have left us with two options: Find him a new home, which I really, really don't want to do -OR- find a way to get him satisfied with indoor life. We have lots of toys, a cat tree and another cat, yet despite all of this he still seems to want out all the time.
Is there anything I can do to groom him into being an indoor cat? I'm very attached to him, we saved him from the brink of death and it's my pride and joy to see him recover and grow. I don't want to find him a new home, but it's rapidly becoming our only option.
What can I do?
Don't let him out. Ignore his cries.
It'll be hard at first, but he'll eventually stop.
>>2127091
How long can that be expected to take? Is there anything we can do to aid the process? We've tried it in the past and even after a week or more of ignoring it, he remains relentless about it.
I've read about the idea of disguising one of us outside and spraying him with water while scaring him as he stands near the door. It seems like that's nigh-abusive, any opinions?
>>2127095
You just need to stick with it and he'll forget the outdoors eventually. You can try some calming products like Feliway to see if that helps as well.
You should buy him a kitty leash and take him on walks whenever you can. The leash will probably be a failsafe if anything, as most cats refuse to walk and would rather be carried. You just need something to hold onto if the cat tries to flee
Harness train him (look up guides, DO NOT just throw a harness on him. They aren't dogs and they need different training and a different H shaped harness)
Play with him inside until he's panting and laying down
Look up catios (outside cages for cats, usually attached to a window)
>>2127095
My cat used to be terrified of the outside, then she went out for a bit and loved it, then we had to keep her inside and she eventually stopped caring about the outside. Cats can adapt just fine with enough time.