We moved house a couple of months ago and have two male cats, one is 6 and the other 4. At our previous house they were outside 80%of the day only came inside for food and would sit with us for a bit at night time for fuss. We backed onto fields where they would both catch 'presents' for us and at the front of our house was a very busy carriageway but they never ventured further than our driveway and mainly stuck to the field area and gardens out back.
We have now moved into a house on a quieter road, we have a garden around the same size with lots of plants/bushes to hide in and gravel that they could see as there outdoor cat litter, we no longer have a large open space but instead back onto other houses and lots of other gardens to explore.
Our cats sometimes sit at the back door to go outside but when we let them out they sit on the windowsill crying to come back in, other times I will come home from work and they just look so bored from being shut in all day that I take them outside and they may stay out and play for half an hour but then they are back at the door crying or scratching. They seem so bored when they are in and just want to war more and more food (they're getting fat!) And they are playing up with their cat litter sometimes pooing on the floor instead or emptying the tray all over the floor (driving me mad) From what we can tell there are no dogs in nearby gardens and haven't seen other cats in our garden. We have a dog which they have lived with for over 3 years and they play and cuddle with him.
I just want to know how to get them to enjoy outside again or any hints to get them back out again bit by bit even going to the toilet outside. I'm not against indoor cats but while I'm at work they only have run of the kitchen due to a security alarm being set and at night the only advance is the living room with us, it's just not enough exercise, space or stimulation for them.
Please give me any hints or tips I've you've been though this...
We have now moved into a house on a quieter road, we have a garden around the same size with lots of plants/bushes to hide in and gravel that they could see as there outdoor cat litter, we no longer have a large open space but instead back onto other houses and lots of other gardens to explore.
Our cats sometimes sit at the back door to go outside but when we let them out they sit on the windowsill crying to come back in, other times I will come home from work and they just look so bored from being shut in all day that I take them outside and they may stay out and play for half an hour but then they are back at the door crying or scratching. They seem so bored when they are in and just want to war more and more food (they're getting fat!) And they are playing up with their cat litter sometimes pooing on the floor instead or emptying the tray all over the floor (driving me mad) From what we can tell there are no dogs in nearby gardens and haven't seen other cats in our garden. We have a dog which they have lived with for over 3 years and they play and cuddle with him.
I just want to know how to get them to enjoy outside again or any hints to get them back out again bit by bit even going to the toilet outside. I'm not against indoor cats but while I'm at work they only have run of the kitchen due to a security alarm being set and at night the only advance is the living room with us, it's just not enough exercise, space or stimulation for them.
Please give me any hints or tips I've you've been though this...
