Will my cat be able to live indoors?

Hi all

I've have a Himalayan kitten who is now 6months old. After doing alot of research into picking this breed, I choose this one as I wanted a indoor cat. As we live in a unit, she can only stay indoors. For the first couple of months she was very content staying indoors and peering outside through the window ledge. In the last month, she has consistently tried to escape through the door outside and constant meowing at the door to get out. At first I bought her tons of toys and a stratching pole to amuse her. None of this worked so I then thought that maybe she was doing all this as she was on heat. I then decided to desex her earlier than planned and desexing her still made no difference. I was told by many people this breed is very happy indoors but I can not understand why she keeps trying to get out. I have tried so many tactics for her to understand that outdoors is a "no" with the tone of my voice and trying to distract her everytime I walk outside. I bought a harness to enable her to go for short walk outdoors but I think this makes it worse as she see's what she is missing out on. Since this breed is very affectionate and always wants to be around me, I am still not sure why she would want to go out.

Does anyone have any other suggestions. I can handle this if it's only temporary but do you think she will finally understand she has to stay indoors? It is just not possible for me to let her out but I also don't want her driving us crazy with the meows.

Thanks all

Amanda

I feel bad that I cant give you any advice. I hear so many stories of parents and their kitties, stories that I cannot give any advice on. Im afraid I cnnot help you there, but i would suggest talking to your vet.

She is most likely hearing and seeing birds outside, that'll do it every time. If there's some way to keep her from hearing them (triple-pane windows? :-) you'd be better off, but other than that I don't know what to tell you.

First - NO more walks - Unfortunately she now got a taste and seems to like it.

Second - ignor her, just ignor her. Put plugs in your ears if it helps but Ignor her. Once she realizes her meowing will not get results she will get the hint and stop! This will take time and patience on your end.

You could cover the bottom of the windows so see is not able to see out? Maybe that would calm here down.

When you leave you could lock here in one room so there is no daring for the door when you leave.

Best wishes

I have the same problem as you, but I've had it so long I don't really think about it anymore.

First, though, toss your idea of what a breed is supposed to be like out the window and get to know your cat individually. Even the breeders on this site will tell you that a breed profile is no guarantee of any individual cat's real behavior.

Now. Yes, stop taking her on walks if you need the most immediate solution. If you want to. Keep in mind, however, that she is learning how to be harness trained, and in fact, her meowing at the door may really be her requesting to go out on the leash. Some cats don't get the idea of being on the leash = going outside, not being on a leash = not going outside quite as fast. It took mine a few months, but she gets it now. When she meows at the door, I say "Shut" and she leaves it alone. When I first started bringing her out, she did nothing but meow at the door all day long, now it happens once a week if that, and I walk her less often.

And as has been mentioned, ignore her when she's meowing. Don't even look at her, get up and leave the room.

As for a darting-out-the-door kitty, she will quickly train you how to deal with that! You will just have to learn how to live with an escape cat. Like, when you open the door, you stick one foot in first to block, then come in standing in front of the opening, shut it as quickly as possible, etc. When you have food delivered, you'll learn how to answer the door, cat in arms, accept the food and sign the receipt all at once! It's a familiar dance to many around TCS, I'm sure.

Good luck!

I have one persian and one himmi, and they never try to get out at all.
In fact they are scared of the outside.
They are just such a placid breed, and not the exploring kind. And mine don't even meow. They are so quiet. Maybe she is bored. Could you get her a friend?

Hi! I have a cat that did the same thing when I first got her. She was content in the house and then all of the sudden wanted outside. I did the same things that you did: toys, harness, spaying, the works. (She's not a Himmi but Abyssinian/Bengal). Anyway, the best advice I have is to ignore. I also sprayed some water at Aurora when she tried to bolt out the door. It's a pretty good deterant if your cat doesn't like water (too bad mine LOVES it.) Ignoring your cat is probably the best thing to do. I'm sure she still wants to be around you, but you should remember that she is a kitten and still very curious about things around her--the outdoors included.
I don't know how I feel about stopping the walks. I still take my kitten on walks and she loves going outside. She doesn't bolt out the door anymore though. I think it's going to be a combination of you ignoring her, being firm and consistent that she not go outdoors unless she's harnessed, and her just growing up a bit. Sorry I don't have a quick fix, but these are the 3 things I've found to work with my own kitten.

Thanks all.

I will try all of these things. I really haven't done the harness thing much at all but I think she got her real taste for the outside world when she escaped between our legs and just ran into the garden. I hope she will eventually get the message

Aww she is so cute!! My mom has one almost identical. My moms and my Himmie are the same as jenniferd's in that they are terrified of outside. My Himmie Eliott got outside once, I think he decided to be brave and went out the door when it wasn't latched but then as soon as he realized he couldn't get back in, he freaked and hid behind a brick wall and wouldn't come out. I finally found him and i could reach behind the wall to pet the top of his head but he refused to come out. I just had to sit and wait.
But anyways, just get your cat interested in things inside the house. A cat tree, or even just a number of carpeted shelf type of things on the walls for the cat to climb on. Maybe get another cat to keep this one company indoors. Hang a birdfeeder right outside the window and get a window seat so she can sit in the window and watch the birds. Persian cats do not belong outside. I think they are usually too docile to survive on their owns and their coats tangle way too easily.

Originally Posted by aschretzmeyer

Thanks all.

I will try all of these things. I really haven't done the harness thing much at all but I think she got her real taste for the outside world when she escaped between our legs and just ran into the garden. I hope she will eventually get the message

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OH MY GOSH!!! She is sooooo precious!!! Oh so adorable!