My cat is two years old and has been an indoor cat since I got her. Recently I moved into a new apartment with a backyard and decided to take her out into the yard on a leash. I can tell she's enjoying it but now when we come back in she sits and meows by the door. Sometimes she'll cry right after we come in, other times she'll randomly go to the door and meow for 15 minutes at a time. When I come home she tries to run out. I can tell she's enjoying going outside on the leash but I'm not sure if I should keep doing it because of the meowing that comes after. Would love any advice anyone might have!
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Help, cat crying after I took her out on a leash
- Thread starter mar1na
- Start Date
How long is her time out in the backyard? You could read a book while she's exploring and when you see she's ready to take a nap, bring her in. Make her trips outside at a specific time of the day. After a while, she will adapt to the schedule and only meow when she knows it's time or when it's late for her "walk".
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Agreed with Yayi, and yourself, about a schedule/routine. Can you stay out for longer? It may be she will be satisfied with 35mins, or 40mins... We walk about 1 hour, and Kato will come in of his own accord. He is a pain in the bum about telling us it is time for his walk, but he is really happy once he's had it, although if it is a short time, he will often growl/grumble at us all the way home as we carry him. Our next project is to train him to be used to a shorter walk (it used to be 30mins until my husband got sick and hasnt been working - that's when the hour walks started!)
The other thing you might be able to do is find some sort of 'outdoors' inside. We have an enclosed courtyard, and would love to do the same to our balcony (but not allowed). Windows are also great - rig up a special perch so she can see outside, and when she meows to go outside after she's had her walk, you could redirect her there. You could also bring in some of the outdoors, via potplants of cat friendly stuff, including cat grass. We also have a garage, and that is fun for the cats to go explore too. And I saw one lady on Jackson Galaxy's My Cat From Hell, had a temparium - if I spelt that wrong, a fish tank thing, but for insects or butterflies. Basically, find a new special thing that is the 'outdoors' and redirect her there when she meows to go out after her walk - you'll get points for trying at the very least!
The other thing you might be able to do is find some sort of 'outdoors' inside. We have an enclosed courtyard, and would love to do the same to our balcony (but not allowed). Windows are also great - rig up a special perch so she can see outside, and when she meows to go outside after she's had her walk, you could redirect her there. You could also bring in some of the outdoors, via potplants of cat friendly stuff, including cat grass. We also have a garage, and that is fun for the cats to go explore too. And I saw one lady on Jackson Galaxy's My Cat From Hell, had a temparium - if I spelt that wrong, a fish tank thing, but for insects or butterflies. Basically, find a new special thing that is the 'outdoors' and redirect her there when she meows to go out after her walk - you'll get points for trying at the very least!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
What's your back yard like, and is it shared? Is there some way you could make a safe outdoor area she could stay out in for longer? Friends of mine made a little cat run that was accessed from a cat flap out to their garden.
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- #7
Unfortunately my backyard is shared and I am not allowed to make anything like that. I think the most I could do is put a pen out there that I bring back in each time but I'm not sure that she would like that due to the constriction of it.
