Bringing The Rudi Cat indoors

Hi All - think it's about time I tried to get Rudi to try out indoor life and I have a perfect window coming up. I'll have the house to myself for a couple of weeks starting next Wednesday and my plan is as follows:

* at the moment I try to feed both Rudi and Paddy in the utility room. Depending on how hungry he is, how nice the food is (Rudi in particular loves a v. expensive brand called Encore - 75% meat) and his general demeanour, Rudi shows varying levels of skittishness during this exercise. At best (like this morning) he'll come a few steps in, chow down alongside his sister and then toddle off outside once he's finished. At worst, he'll be ultra-skittish: one or two mouthfuls, then outside and I basically have to take his bowl to him. The general rule of thumb is that he doesn't like anyone to be door-side of him - if they are, he scampers out and sits about 3-4 feet from the house.

* over the next few days, I'm going to tidy up the utility room - basically get rid of all the bits and bobs that utility rooms accumulate (in our case, shoes, boots, recycling etc)

* I'll also prepare two litter trays and hide them craftily in the utility room annexe (where Paddy lived for a couple of weeks)

* hopefully I'll manage to get Rudi on his own for his morning meal or, more likely, supper. I'll set up the food bowl about 5-6 feet inside the door

* whilst he's chowing down on his favourite Encore tin (chicken/ chicken and cheese/ chicken and ham), I will ever so gently push the door closed ... and open up the annexe so his litter tray is available

and then, I suspect, all hell will break loose as he hates being cooped up (he makes unearthly wailing noises on the couple of times I've taken him to the vet). But I'm planning to just leave him be for a few hours at least. Longer term, I want to be at the stage where, as with Mr Jinx in the fabulous thread on this site, I can let him roam around a few rooms, particularly after dark. But in the early days he'll be utility room only. What I'll have to do is make sure that I change my habits: at the moment the utility room is the main thoroughfare to the house so I'll need to prepare Paddy and Cow's food in there but then go out through another door. I'll also have to come in a different door when I come home from work.

It'll certainly be interesting! I don't think he's been himself this past few months: whilst his wanderlust has stopped for the moment (or just been transferred to his sister!) he seems a bit glum. I try and make a few minutes every day for him and he's wonderfully affectionate with me as long as Paddy isn't around. It would be lovely if he could settle down indoors - there would be nothing better than coming home from work to see my big buddy curled up on the couch, safe and warm. There's obviously a long way to go before that happens - need to see how he is with a little tray!

Any and all tips and tricks appreciated. I'm going to see if I can source some Feliway somewhere, as I've read many good things about it. I'm also going to try and make the room as friendly as possible for him....ideally he'd have gone in the upstairs room where Paddy was very initially, but that would involve physical trapping of him and I don't think that's going to be feasible.

wish me luck!

As ever, thanks for the reply. The earth on top of the litter is a genius idea - thank you. You mention play things - you know, I don't think I've ever really seen him 'do' play. I'll wave a string toy in front of him and, after one or two half-hearted swats he's had enough. Both the girls love their toys; it's funny, really. It's at times like this that I wish I knew more about his background; he's been around the farm for 18 or more months and, at the time we first took him to the vet in March last year, was estimated to be 4-5. Given that he was spayed he was clearly once owned but I can't help wondering if he had been straying for many, many moons before he ever came to us.

I had a bit of a shopping spree this afternoon. Conscious that all the cat beds are outside and have been marked/ bagsied by one or more of my cats (and, I'm guessing, other passers by), while I was buying a couple of new litter trays for the big guy I also chanced upon a chair/ scratching post in the sale. Basically it's about 2.5 feet high and the bed is a big round cushion - I don't think Rudi will do igloos, that would be further 'I am trapped' torture. It looks really comfy. He may not do play, but, by crikey, he 'does' sleep and I reckon this will be a happy spot for him.

I'm very hopeful he'll settle quickly. Before we adopted Little Plops (as Paddy is nicknamed this week - I'm sure others are similar in tinkering with their pet names!) in August, he was coming into the house a lot, and much further than the utility room. At one time, I remember him being in for a whole hour, sitting by the dining room table grooming himself while I did some work. His rule seemed to be that, as long as he knew the back door in the utility room was open and there weren't any sudden movements, he was happy to wander around. His favourite room was the downstairs study (where he would sit next to me on the couch and demand fuss) and, a week or so in, I'm going to open that up to him, all being well on the pooping, peeing and general happiness front.

More as and when it happens! We're looking at Wed-Thurs, I reckon.

best to all  

I'm ready. The room's ready. Just now need to get him in a paddy-free moment! As he trotted up to the house for his evening meal I thought 'here we go'. And then his little sis made a dash from the kennel.

Hopefully tomorrow ... I will post

still no luck, but for a different reason. I haven't seen Rudi since this morning. Off on one of his excursions, I suspect. I do sometimes wonder if he has an alternative food source that he takes occasional visits to. I shall, of course, persevere.

On a side note part 1, today I got a reminder of how sad Paddy's tale really is. I was pootling around in the utility room doing a spot of cleaning (readying even more for the big lad, all being well) and was on the floor for a short while. Within seconds, Paddy had not only joined me in the room (I'd left the back door ajar), but had decided to explore my lap. I'd forgotten just how affectionate she is - she's not a head butter or rubber like Rudi, but she clearly adores a lap. So I've made a new policy to make sure she gets some laptime every day. I did it a few times when she was in the house, but ever since the degree of her pee problem became evident I've just not got round to it, though she gets plenty of petting, don't worry!. I'll put a towel on my lap just in case of leakage and, of course, to counteract her need to knead! At some point I will investigate further her medical issues - at the moment she's a really happy little girl and, with the farm being safe from development for at least another 12 months, there are no chances of my home/ her territory being diminished. 

On a side note part 2, one of the cats left an enormous rat in the courtyard overnight. I've seen Paddy do mice a-plenty but I'm not sure she's upgraded to rats. My money is on Little Cow - it had the same 'untouched but yet expired' look to it that some of the stoats and moles had last year. I do wish they'd sign their work ....

best to all

Things have moved forward ....

YESTERDAY/ FRIDAY: no success for a combo of the reasons cited earlier on in the week

TODAY: at breakfast I noticed that Rudi had clearly been in a bit of a scrap - one of his eyes looks a bit closed. This hardened my resolve to get him in.

But I decided on a slight change of tack. Given that the weather forecast was for minus temperatures tonight (Europe -3 or 4, US mid 20s I guess?), I wondered if it might make sense to get Paddy in for a night too. So I set up a third litter tray tonight on coming back from travels.

Neither cat was around originally when I got back. After about 30 minutes Paddy showed and seemed quite happy that I was letting her stay indoors (my theory was that, even if Rudi didn't show up, she'd appreciate a night indoors)

So I let her chill for a bit in her 'old room' with a bowl of tasty food. After about 20 minutes I wandered back in and she was happily climbing and exploring on the boiler, on the fridge .... everywhere, basically. I opened the back door to see if Rudi was there and she sniffed at the air as if to say 'ooh, can i stay in here, it's parky out there'.

And then Rudi turned up.

I put him down a sachet of tasty food and he wandered in.

I girded my loins and closed the door behind him and locked it. He seemed rather non-plussed but there was no physical reaction. I said my farewells.

So they are both in there and have been for about 40 minutes now, I guess.

Just before I started this post, I wandered into the kitchen which is next to the utility room and and the closed door. There were some plaintive cries from Rudi from the other side. I told him to calm down and that I'd be back later and he was my big friend and wouldn't hurt him.

I haven't left any food or water out for them over and above what they were eating. My plan is to go in in 3-4 hours (once I've watched the first NFL playoff!) and check on therm and put out some water and biscuits for a midnight feast. For the moment I've left the light on in there - should I turn it off?

With Paddy (and her leaky bladder) being in there, I obviously can't leave them in too long. I suspect I'll have to let them out after breakfast tomorrow. Moreover I found out yesterday that I have to go away on business for 2 days at the end of this week, so any longish term projects have to be on hold. So I 'm just hoping that he settles down enough tonight to realise that it's ok in here and that he can come in when he wants. And, of course, so can his little sister.

Wish me luck!

Thank you!

An update, about 3.5 hours in:

* went in the room to put some food and water down

* couldn't see Rudi - but boy could I hear him!

* he's hunkered down behind the washing machine, moaning away

* his little sister, bless her, seemed her normal self though I could tell that she could sense he was upset

I am guessing that this is to be expected: the big guy is petrified. Let's see how he is in the morning (if he poops and pees behind the machine, life could be interesting).

At some point down the line, my big guy has been indoors, owned and loved. But it's buried deep.....

An update on the inmate ... and it's all good news.

When I went down this morning and stepped in the utility room, Rudi was still moaning a bit but was out from behind the washing machine. He was cowered quite low to the floor - a defensive posture, I thought. I decided not to go in for petting!

The best news is that his eye looked back to normal. He's a resilient lad - always getting into scrapes but he seems to heal very quickly.He has the most gorgeous green eyes.

Anyway, I unlocked the back door, opened it and set about making their breakfast. Neither Rudi nor Paddy bolted out of the back door but, instead, walked out as normal.

When I sat down their bowls outside both chowed down with gusto and, indeed, Rudi followed me into LC's barn for a quick headbump and I quizzical look at what I was giving his least favoured sister.

Within half an hour I saw him wander back into the courtyard and so I opened up the utility room door. He ran over and, after stopping a little gingerly at the threshold, came in and headbutted me loads while I sat on the floor.

So I think we've made giant strides. Given the temperature last night - which I've read dipped to minus 5C (23F) - I think he may have sussed that my intentions were good. I'm going to keep the utility room set up in place in case he wants to come back over the next few nights.

Judging by the (lack of) smell in the room, not sure either he or Paddy pooped or peed. Which is a bonus!

BTW, talking of Paddy, a quick question on shape/ size. We got her in August and she'd been spayed in June/ July (you could see where the fur had been shaved). Anyway, almost six months down the line she's becoming a little porker! A bit of this is, understandably, her winter coat but I've noticed she's getting a bit of a belly on her which seems odd for an outdoor cat who takes plenty of exercise (even of I do maybe indulge her treats a little). I'm sure I've read somewhere that, after spaying, females tend to get a bit chunkier - is this right? I've just seen her in the courtyard and, if I didn't know she'd been done, I#d think she was in the early stages of pregnancy!

best to all from a happy and relieved Englishman - and thanks again for all the advice

Thanks for the feedback.

I did a bit of washing this afternoon - very hopeful that, in a couple of hours, I can get the big guy and his adoptive sister in again. Paddy will be a piece of cake! It's set to be another chilly night in rural England.

He has been such a lovebug all day today. Mid-afternoon, he actually came in the front door for a bit and sat with me in the hall. Actually more like sat on me .... not laps, but curled up near my feet.

Rather drizzly day here in England, so when a rather bedraggled Rudi came for breakfast this morning, I thought I'd try again to get him some 'inside time'. He actualy ventured a good way into the kitchen to eat his breakfast, which is something he hasn't been doing for the last few days. It's almost as if he was saying - 'hey, you know, maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world...'

So both R & P currently in the utility room having a morning out of the rain. When I go back this lunchtime I'll see how they are (am sure P will be fine - she's been almost impossible to keep out, but these are the sacrifices we make). Before I let them out again, the plan is to spend a bit of time in the room with them - and get the treats out.

He'll never be an indoor cat (and I don't want him to be exclsuviely indoors) - but I do want him to be at that stage where he can come in whenever he fancies.

More good progress.

When I went back this lunchtime, I spied in through the window and could see him sat out in the middle of the utility room floor facing the door that leads in to the rest of the house.

I let myself in throught the front door and wandered into the utility room. He was a bit moany, but when I sat down on the floor he popped over, sniffed my foot and allowed a little petting. I gave them both some treats.

When I opened the back door (onto the outside world) he bounded for freedom - but hung around the courtyard while I washed up plates etc. And I then bumped into him about 20 mins later round the back of the farm and we had a good quality belly-rubbing session.

So the fear is diminishing!