I just adopted a new cat!

This past Monday evening I got him from a vet clinic in a nearby town that has some animals available for adoption. He's a neutered black cat with a small amount of white fur on his underside and is about three years old. The family who previously owned him named him "Sweetie" and since he knows this name and answers to it, I don't plan to rename him. They had to give Sweetie up due to a family illness and other serious problems.

Sweetie is just starting his fifth full day in my home, and so far he has been eating, drinking, playing, and using his litter box without any problems!

However, I do have a question. When Sweetie lived with his previous family they let him go outside. In spite of being kept indoors at the vet clinic since last December, I strongly suspect he still has a desire to go out. I live in a dangerous high-traffic area, and I have also heard that there are some coyoties (sp?) living only a short distance away so it's very vital that Sweetie stays indoors at all times. I know I'm not here much, but I would really appreciate some advice and suggestions on helping Sweetie make the transition into a housecat.

Thanks in advance, and I'm looking forward to reading your comments.

Congrats on the addition of Sweetie to your household!
I understand the frustration of having a cat who wants to go out all the time, but unfortunately don't have much advice. What we do wit our two is try to take them out often on walks. But we harness trained them as kittens, which I'm not sure you could do with Sweetie. It might be worth a try though if you have an appropriate place to walk him.

Congratulations! You could try him in a harness (get the "H" type, as the "8" type is too easy to slip out of). Just make sure to start with short "tries" inside, with lots of play and treats to distract him.

Awwww, congrats on the new addition to your family!

Congratulations on your new addition. Do you have pictures?

Just because a cat has been outdoors in the past does not mean that he always wants to go out. Give him plenty of vertical space indoors. A cat tree next to a window is great. If he does try to get outside, the harness and leash idea is a good place to start.

Congratulations Lorie!! Sweetie sounds like a, well, sweetie. I'm so glad you brought another cat into your heart and home.

Congrats, Lorie!!! Does his white look like underpants? Hades has white undies

I agree with Goldy in that even though a kitty used to be outdoors doesn't mean that he'll want to go back out. Most of my cats were former strays and most of them show absolutely no interest in returning to the big bad world of the streets. My only advice is to watch him very carefully when going in and out of doors to outside, some cats can be very very fast

Originally Posted by katiemae1277

Congrats, Lorie!!! :
My only advice is to watch him very carefully when going in and out of doors to outside, some cats can be very very fast

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That's what I've been doing. I have an attached garage, so I'm using that exit when I go to work in the mornings and I always make sure the outside garage door is shut so if he does happen to excape he can't go too far. Also, there is a foyer area by the front door and I have that area blocked off, so he doesn't even realize there's a door there that opens to the outside.

Sweetie was a stray and was very thin and cold when his former family found him and took him in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I hope he will turn out to be a cat that's perfectly happy inside and won't ever want to go outside again.

P.S. No, Sweetie's white patch doesn't look like underpants, It's actually quite small. LOL!

Cammy tries to go out all the time. I just bring her back inside. I tried to let her have some supervised outside playtime, but then when we went back in she'd cry and cry, so she doesn't get to go out anymore.

Congratulations I have a rescue kitty we named Sweetness

congrats on your new kitty kitty