Help with out cats please

Hippinski

Maybe I should post this on the pets board...please let me know if I should.

At the old house the most the cats ever did was try and get out the back door to go to the creepy basement. No big deal...they came back upstairs.

Now at the new house they think it's the best thing in the world to explore outside.  And man...they are FAST!!!  We are constantly chasing them back into the house and I would bet money that they think it's a sport. 

They are up to date on everything, fixed and all that jazz...but we don't want outdoor cats.  We want indoor cats.  Any ideas on what I can do?  Are we doomed?  How do we discipline them when they seem to think it's a game.  I swear if they could laugh at me they would.

purplepuggles

sell them and get a dog sorry - i don't know cats, but i hope they straighten out!

Hippinski

purplepuggles:

sell them and get a dog sorry - i don't know cats, but i hope they straighten out!

Dogs + chickens = nightmare so our landlords said no dogs.

Rosieoutlook

Maybe this is mean but I discipline my cat by spraying her with a spray bottle. I only have to shake it at her now after using it a couple times. I can also put it out in front of the baby's room when he is napping to discourage her from howling at the door to wake him up.

No flames please. She is kind of awful with her howling for no reason and she makes me pretty mad so shaking a bottle of water at her is much nicer than tossing her out the door like I sometimes want to. 

crackerjackprinter

Nothing works with our cats.  Not spraying with anything, etc.  They look at us an laugh (practically).  I don't feel like dealing with it with the kids right now so if they go out, they stay out until they want back in.  That's usually 2 minutes or less since they truly are indoor cats.  Much less stress and they are still indoor cats IMO.

GL!

His(1&only)wife

Definitely post on pets. I am a regular there and since you want the cats to stat indoors they will be very helpful!! Good luck

MrsGo4Hockeychick

super soaker. LOL 

Artsyk

Ours want to go out into the garage - and they are indoor cats too.  Not much seems to help, except yelling at them (which they seem to ignore) and shooing them back inside.

lytedark

no selling the kittys!!  lol.

i would try spraying them when they start crowding at the door.  sometimes loud noises startle enough to keep them from trying something - dont' they make like little horns or something.  i know it's really hard once an indoor kitty gets outside and LOVES it instead of being terrified because then they want out all the time.  :-(  but i applaud not wanting them to go out as it's not safe for them, even up to date on shots and stuff.

i wonder if it would help to try a harness/leash on said kitty.  maybe make it an activity where you take them out and they see the leash and get excited but they only go when they see you take out the leash???

keep at it though - i've seen people successfully turn cats that were totally outdoor loving kitties to indoor contentment so it definitely can be done.  just takes some extra careful outdoor trips for you and patience. 

*hugs*  i love my four leggers to pieces but totally understand how they can sometimes be insanely infuriating.

littleanomaly

Aww I'm sorry!! My cat is too much of a princess to be interested in the outdoors. We've tried putting her on a kitty harness and she spazzed out and started yowling and hyperventilating. If she doesn't get along with the baby (and realize that she's not Daddys little girl who can do no wrong) then she will probably have to suffer a 7 hour drive and live on a cow farm. I keep telling her she won't like it. There are no comfy beds or couches to sleep on, noone leaves a down throw out so she can snuggle up and she'd have to find her own food. And it won't be diet OR dry. She SCOWLS at me and gives me a mrow that sounds like "The h-ll I would live out with the cows. Eff you."

Cats. Certainly not boring, that's for sure.

Dobie_Mama

I'd try the spray bottle.  The more you can catch them in the act, the better.  So long as you don't have a really stupid cat like one of ours, who likes to hold his mouth open and "catch" the spray.

Hippinski

Dobie_Mama:

I'd try the spray bottle.  The more you can catch them in the act, the better.  So long as you don't have a really stupid cat like one of ours, who likes to hold his mouth open and "catch" the spray.

Our dumb cat loves water.  Gah.

Right now dh is using the nerf dart gun.  Not so sure what I think about that one.

superlurker

Spud gun (for cats who like water too much for a squirt gun).  I once saw this little gun that you jam in a potato, extract a little bit of potato, and shoot. Yes, you would get little bits of potato around your house, but it dries out quick and vacuums up easily.