Relocating two outdoor kittys..help!

Hi all! I am new to this forum but not a new cat lover! I grew up with cats in the home all of my life..i got married coming up on two years and my husband hates cats and is allergic to them. but just recently he decided to let me adopt two himalayan cats. some friends of ours were moving and had two outdoor himys and the new people moving in did not want to take care of them and had three mean huge dogs..so..my question is, i have taken them in..i live in the country which they are used to..i have them in my garage right now..and i have been told to keep them there for several days until they get familiar to the scent..i have never had outdoor cats and dont know anything about it..i am just worried sick that they will become unhappy. the other thing is i have two dogs. they are not mean at all and we have cats all around our house..how do i introduce them to the dogs and when will it be time? i have a chain link fence so the cats do not have to be around the dogs. thanks for any advice! i have been so worried...

Mandy in OK

Hello and welcome.........how exciting about your adoptions and I can understand your worries about getting them accustomed to their new home

So you are gonna keep them in the garage to start off with, well - thats ok, you need to start letting them explore outside while you are there. Cats will naturally smell the area and they will soon recognise the area that they live You might notice that they will do this sort of circle of exploration, they smell a small area then back-track - this will expand more and more as they get confident and can find their way home

If you let them explore before you feed them - then let them know you are gonna feed them, rattle the kibble box or rap the cat-tin with a fork - they´ll soon get the idea its food time They´ll rush back into the garage where they know the food will be When they are back in the garage you can keep them in - if you are clever you can work this around your own routine, so things dont clash
Another way to get them back into the garage is with a toy - play with them outside, they either drag the toy if it is on string, into the garage and they will follow, or just throw it into the garage and they will chase it - great fun for the kits and gets the solution you want !

Hope that helps to start with

Thanks so much for your help..what about the dogs? how should i introduce them? and does anyone else have an opinion??

Originally Posted by Hemismom

Hi all! I am new to this forum but not a new cat lover! I grew up with cats in the home all of my life..i got married coming up on two years and my husband hates cats and is allergic to them. but just recently he decided to let me adopt two himalayan cats. some friends of ours were moving and had two outdoor himys and the new people moving in did not want to take care of them and had three mean huge dogs..so..my question is, i have taken them in..i live in the country which they are used to..i have them in my garage right now..and i have been told to keep them there for several days until they get familiar to the scent..i have never had outdoor cats and dont know anything about it..i am just worried sick that they will become unhappy. the other thing is i have two dogs. they are not mean at all and we have cats all around our house..how do i introduce them to the dogs and when will it be time? i have a chain link fence so the cats do not have to be around the dogs. thanks for any advice! i have been so worried...

Mandy in OK

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mandy, since these are purebred cats is it possible you can let them live indoors with yours? Do you have a small room inside the house where they can stay until the resident cats accept them?

actually..i dont have any indoor cats..just a dog..and my husband is very allergic..i know this for a fact..thats why i was saying its a big deal that i get to have outdoor cats..they are six years old and have never been indoor..they love the outside..i would have them inside in a heart beat..but A. they have always been outdoors and B. they have extremly long hair...so i dont think that would work with him...

I am sure your cats will settle to being outdoor kitties in time as you say they are already used to being outdoors, so its just matter of them getting used to your new home. I am sorry you arent getting many replies, most of our members are indoor kitty owners only and do not have the relevant experience.

what type of dogs do you have and how big are they ?

Intros are best as small steps each time. Have your dogs on their leads one with you and one with your husband, let them approach each other and sniff each other. Monitor the situation if you think it is too much then take the dogs away.
As each introduction goes by, you will be able to tell when you can let your dogs off the lead - at all times you must be ready to remove your dogs.

When your cats are used to the outside, you will be able to take your dogs for short walks and the cats will come. Our cats did that all the time in the UK, it was great fun, a dog and three cats coming for a morning walk

Cheers !

I would seriously rethink keeping Himalayan cats outdoors. They just are not the type of cat that belongs outside. They need constant grooming, their coats are more likely to get stuck on things and get tangled and matted faster if they are left outside. Their temperments are just not that of an outdoor only cat either. Plus the likelihood of them being stolen is so very high, not only because they are purebred but they are unique looking.

If you want outdoors cats, look into a shorthaired cat that is very low maintenence and just of the right temperment to outdoor life. My dad was severly allergic to cats, my mom read that Himalayans/Persians and Siberians I believe are less likely to cause allergic reactions in humans. So she bought a purebred Himalayan and my dad had absolutely no reaction to her. You might just want to see if they work in the house. Of course get your husband some allergy meds!

But honestly, I don't know what to say. I really don't beleive that this breed of cat belongs outdoors for it's own health and well being. They are just not an outdoor breed.

Are they spayed and neutered and vaccinated and everything?

Originally Posted by Jen

I would seriously rethink keeping Himalayan cats outdoors. They just are not the type of cat that belongs outside. They need constant grooming, their coats are more likely to get stuck on things and get tangled and matted faster if they are left outside. Their temperments are just not that of an outdoor only cat either. Plus the likelihood of them being stolen is so very high, not only because they are purebred but they are unique looking.

If you want outdoors cats, look into a shorthaired cat that is very low maintenence and just of the right temperment to outdoor life. My dad was severly allergic to cats, my mom read that Himalayans/Persians and Siberians I believe are less likely to cause allergic reactions in humans. So she bought a purebred Himalayan and my dad had absolutely no reaction to her. You might just want to see if they work in the house.

But honestly, I don't know what to say. I really don't beleive that this breed of cat belongs outdoors for it's own health and well being. They are just not an outdoor breed.

Are they spayed and neutered and vaccinated and everything?

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I agree!! If you knew they couldnt be indoors, why did you consider adopting them? I mean outdoor kittys are ok, but those types really should be kept indoors, but thats just my opinion.

ok I missed the line that they are 6 and have been outdoors their whole life... a shame really but what's done is done. the imporant thing is keeping them safe.
Is it possible to build an outdoor enclosure for them?

hair length doesn't really matter, it isn't the hair that people are allergic to. It is something in the dander. That is why allergies vary between different cats and coats.

Take the introduction with the dogs slowly. Let the cats be your guide. Your dogs are use to cats so they won't have a problem with the cats. The hemi's might not be use to the dogs. Once the figure out that the dog is in the fence yard you shouldn't have a problem.

Like Anne ( Mooficat) stated just go slow. I wish you the best with the transition.

Congratulations on your new additions!
I suggest you take any introductions very slowly, esp dogs to cats. Maybe you could start with supervised visits once a day, and make the visits longer and longer each time.
Are you going to let the cats roam free outside? If thats the case then, if they are not already, please get them neutered so that they dont reproduce.
If you are worried about their safety, you could always try keeping the cats indoors?
My cats are indoor only and they are very happy
Good luck with everything, I would love to see pics!

Since keeping them indoors doesn't sound like an option, you could build a cat enclosure to keep them confined but outdoors. Do you have a pet door in your garage? It might be nice to give them the option to come in out of the rain sometimes.

Himmys are quite beautiful cats and I think I would want to keep them in.
I think if you can manage to keep them indoors then that would be better and safer in the long run.

It sounds like there may be a problem with that since your husband is allergic, but often a simple allergy medicine can relieve the symptoms.

Also, with them being new to your house, they may want to go back to the house they used to live in and that is where you said they have quite visious dogs.

My cats are indoor/outdoor, but most of them started here as feral and know the area better than I and are quite skilled at avoiding trouble since that is how they lived for a long time. Even with that, I hope to build an enclosure this year so I don't have to worry about their safety when they are outdoors any longer.

I hope you are able to either keep them inside or build an enclosure to ensure their saftey too.

Thanks everyone..yes it is a shame that they have lived outdoors all of their lives..and the reason i adopted them knowing that they would be outdoor cats is because i wanted to give them a chance to live. if i left them where they were, their vicious dogs would have killed them. i thought i was doing a good thing...and i still feel like i am..they deserve another chance..and if it works out to be inside..then that would be great! but for now all i can do is adapt them to the outside..thanks...

Originally Posted by Hemismom

Thanks everyone..yes it is a shame that they have lived outdoors all of their lives..and the reason i adopted them knowing that they would be outdoor cats is because i wanted to give them a chance to live. if i left them where they were, their vicious dogs would have killed them. i thought i was doing a good thing...and i still feel like i am..they deserve another chance..and if it works out to be inside..then that would be great! but for now all i can do is adapt them to the outside..thanks...

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and what a great thing you are doing, they do deserve a chance and with your love and care they will be fine

Keep us posted on how things are working