To come in or not ?

Hi all,

To start off i have 5 female cats that i have brought inside. The mommie who is about 3-4 years old, her two older daughters who are about 2 years old, and her two younger daughters who are about a 1 1/2 years old. Everyone gets along great. Mommie and one of her oldest daughters were outside for at least a year, before i brought them inside. The others were brought inside as soon as they were born. We also have two dogs, who love the cats, everyone licks everyone.

Now there is a male who is the mommies son, he is about 2 years old. He is still outside. I hate that he is out there. He will come when i call him to eat, most of the time. He is very timid.

Does anyone see any problems with me bringing in a male who has been outside for 2 years ? Will this cause any problems with him being a male and the rest females ? My wife says that he will spray all over the place to mark his territory. She also says that he is happy outside and won't like being inside.

Help....

Some cats will be grateful to come inside, some will never adapt. it depends on the individual cat.

Is he neutered yet? Personally, (if he's not neutered yet) I'd have him neutered, let him live outside a few more months, then try to take him inside. Once the hormones leave his body fully, the chances of him spraying are much reduced.

I agree with Willowy.
After neutering it should go fine. Females usually do accept neutered males. Even sometimes in cases when they do not accept other females. And especielly as he is the timide type, not bossy in any way.
And your residents, cats and dogs, seems to be overall friendly.

So whatever you do, neuter him. Both for the risk of spraying and the risk of conflicts. I hope it wont be necessary to leave him out several months, several weeks should be more than enough - as he is timid. part of this time he can be in a quarantene, which you must have, shorter or longer.

How is it, are your cats allowed to go outside? If yes, you probably dont need to overdo this quarantene.
If they are strictly indoors - have it rather strickt.


Tx for helping them out!

Good luck!

I'll just add here that I'm hoping all the girls have been spayed. Even though they are related, they will mate.

Ditto the neutering for him. He will probably be more inclined to approach and/or come in once that's done. After two years outside, he'll probablly always be a litte shy though.

BTW is there a garage you can keep him in iafter the surgery while his testosterone levels go away?

Yes all the girls have been neutered.

I have a basement, that has been used for them to get use to being inside.
When mommie and skittie had babies, and i had gained their trust, i brought them inside to the basement. Once we found homes for all the babies, i would place doggie gates at the top of the steps. That way no one could get in or out, but everyone could see everyone. Then after they seemed settled i would remove the gates.

I will get him spayed, and probably keep him in the basement. I hate to have to trap him, then let him go, and have to trap him again.

Originally Posted by bszaronos

Yes all the girls have been neutered.

I have a basement, that has been used for them to get use to being inside. PERFECT PLACE TO ADJUST

i would place doggie gates at the top of the steps. That way no one could get in or out, but everyone could see everyone. Then after they seemed settled i would remove the gates. EXCELLENT

I will get him spayed, and probably keep him in the basement. I hate to have to trap him, then let him go, and have to trap him again.
YOU ARE RIGHT...TRAP HIM NOW, GET HIM NEUTERED, ADJUST IN BASEMENT

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With the cold weather, you are doing a wonderful thing for him. The worst scenario is IF he does not adjust to being inside then you can keep him in the basement for the cold months and let him out when it warms.

He may be very happy to be inside and glad to have the companionship of the other cats. And not all cats spray, even less likely after neutering.

Good luck to you.

My wife is going to kill me. We have two dogs, and five cats that i had brought inside. Now they are all only inside cats, they have no desire to go outside. When we let the dogs out the cats run the other way, as if to say never again will i go outside.

Here i have been feeding him for two years now. I call him when it's time to eat and i sit and talk to him when he lets me. Today i was closing up the pool and he was sitting on the cat house watching me. I just don't want to wait any longer before i bring him in. I would feel so bad if something happened to him.
So Sunday night i will pick up the dry food that i leave for him, and put wet food in the trap. Hopefully that night he will enter the trap and i can take him to the spca to get fixed and checked out.

My only fear is that what if the vet tells me he has something. I know the diseases are bad, but i can't see putting him to sleep as being a good thing.
When i had taken mommie to get fixed, I met a lady at the spca who brought a feral cat in to get fixed. When she came to pick the cat up they told her that it had a disease and they put it to sleep. She was a wreck.

Originally Posted by bszaronos

My only fear is that what if the vet tells me he has something. I know the diseases are bad, but i can't see putting him to sleep as being a good thing.
When i had taken mommie to get fixed, I met a lady at the spca who brought a feral cat in to get fixed. When she came to pick the cat up they told her that it had a disease and they put it to sleep. She was a wreck.

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Them being quick to taking away sick ferales, and also often sick or wounded home moggies, is not always a purely medical question. I suspect it is often to spare the moggies owner bad feelings and cost, as they know many moggie owners dont afford.
Thus, if you do want to fight on and do afford, it is best to tell it.


Tell them it is your shy outside kitty you are now preparing to bring in. So IF, they will not be as quick with that last shot...

Of course, it may cost you some. I suppose rescued ferales or rescued homeless gives a substantial price reduction, this is common with many vets. Im not sure this shy outside kitty counts as a rescued homeless...


You had seen him every day during two years. I presume you do see if he seems healthy or not.

So wait with worrying till you know more.

Good luck!

At the clinic I go to, you have the option to choose euthanasia for a cat who tests positive for FeLV/FIV. One of my ferals was euthed for testing positive last time I went. But that's because I checked the box. It's your cat (even if it's a feral, it's your feral), they can't euth it without your permission. Of course, it does come down to a hard decision when you already have pets to worry about transmitting the disease.

So do a lot of research and everything so that you'll know what you'll do if he tests positive.