We’ve got one cat 6months and the other 3months old, currently both using the litterbox. However we’re going to move to a new house soon, and eventually try to transition them to getting used to doing their business outdoors instead of the litterbox. Does anyone have any tips or best practices for this transition?
Edit: I dont live in the US, I live in Scandinavia - huge garden and away from traffic. The cats are fine being outside - most cats here are in fact outside. We have norwegian forest cats and they’re meant to be both indoors and outdoors - even during winter!
Pet cats that are allowed to roam outdoors are extremely destructive to local wildlife and live shorter lives. Cat should only be kept as indoor pets.
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats/
Shorter lives? My first cat became 17 years old before she passed away. Of course cats can live outdoors, especially here in Scandiavia, the majority of cats cats live outdoors.
Okay, if not for your own cat’s safety then do it for the good of the environment.
House cats are non-native species who are subsidized by humans feeding them. Thus they can kill purely for pleasure and often do. Every year, house cats kill billions of birds (and rodents) and it’s an ecological nightmare that is putting massive pressure on wildlife.
Please, just don’t do it. It’s unnecessary. You can create a stimulating environment inside and if you cannot then you shouldn’t get a cat.
You have to be a human to ruin biodiversity, it’s a known fact.
Norwegian forest cats are meant to be outdoors throughout the year even. Forcing these cats to stay indoors is considered animal abuse here. I’m not going to do that. While they do hunt sometimes, they also help get rid of rats and other pesty things… So they’re not all that bad…
Even the people we got these cats from refused to give them away to people who would keep them indoors only. It’s much like people who get Huskies while only keeping them in as pets in cities. They’re not meant for that. These cats are outdoor animals like many other, wether you like it or not.
Just because it’s cultural doesn’t mean it’s not problematic. Ignore the issues if you want, it doesn’t make them go away.
I believe it to be different for us, Norway is extremely rich on wildlife. These cats are meant to be outdoors, and have for a long time, and is likely to stay that way for generations. It’s fraud upon keeping cats indoors here.
If they’re meant to be outdoors then don’t feed and shelter them. That’s giving them an unfair competitive advantage against both their prey and other predators. Every rodent a house cat kills is a rodent that another predator doesn’t get. It leads to overpopulation and the eradication of their natural prey. In nature, if a predator’s prey is over-hunted without human intervention, then predators die off and the populations correct themselves (predators die off or move until the equilibrium is reached again). This cannot happen if you feed the animals when food becomes scarce and heal them (veterinarian) when they are injured. You are interceding in natural processes.
If it’s animal abuse then it’s very simple: don’t get the animal. No one is forcing you to get a cat (or Husky). If you can’t care for an animal responsibly then don’t get one at all. If you find one in the wild don’t interact with it, and let it be wild - don’t further damage the environment (more than we already have) so you can pet a cat once in a while.
I realize you aren’t going to change your mind, you seem pretty dug in. So I implore you to at least ensure the animal is spayed or neutered, and to consider not getting a new cat once the current one has passed on. Please, it’s just better for everyone involved.
Wow… How thoughtful…
Norwegian Forest cat is the most normal cat breed there is here. If this had been as big of a problem you mention it would have been in our news already. These cats came here in the Vikings era, it would have been a noticeable problem by now…
Yes all my cats are neutered at the age of 6months or so.
And again, this cat breed is a very normal breed here. Even if I were to not get another doesn’t mean the rest of Norway isn’t.
Okay, so your arguments are:
(1) Is, hopefully, very obviously subjective. Just because you haven’t seen a news article about it does not mean it’s a problem. And unfortunately, being a couple thousand years old does not come close to the massive amount of time it took the ecosystems to get this way. By Earth’s history standards, these cats have been there for a blink of an eye.
(2) Is never a good excuse to do anything. It’s group think and it’s a massive problem in society. I may as well justify owning slaves because “other people aren’t going to stop”. You surely see how nothing will change if everyone thinks that way.
I’m very glad to gear you neuter the cat at least. It’s at least helping combat the issue a bit.
I just want to make the world a better place, that’s all. I’m not trying to attack or shame you, I just want to save the birds (and cats) :(
I didnt mean to come across cross… but my main point is that these cats are meant to be outdoors, as well as indoors. They love the mixture between being active outside and resting inside. I can’t keep these cats indoors only - thats not what they want nor what the vet recommends. I do see the problem of them ruining other wildlife, however, I can’t limit them to being indoors either. I love birds and wildlife myself, and at the cabin we have loooads of bird feeders and bird boxes setup, which is a very enjoyable sight all-year round. While I do, and will continue to let my cats outdoors, I try do my part for a better wildlife other places. Not perfect, but something.
I appreciate you being aware of the impact at least, it’s all I can really ask. I hope you can find some way to limit the cat’s impact on the environment, like perhaps a bell on their collar
And I’m glad you put food out for the birds. I do the same and I find such joy in watching them, they’re truly beautiful :)
People too. Lemmeenym should be kept inside at all times. That way they can’t destroy their environment and will live a longer life. I’m sure confinement will have no deleterious mental effects.
Classic case of US defaultism. OP, your cats will naturally adjust to doing it outdoors, but best to keep a litter box inside too.
https://academic.oup.com/jel/article/32/3/391/5640440
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.13745
Roaming domestic cats are a global problem.
Then keep your cat indoors and don’t shove your opinions down others throats? Especially when it’s completely irrelevant to what OP is asking
You don’t think information about the effects of free roaming cats is relevant to a question about transitioning cats to outdoor roaming?
They asked for tips or best practices, not on subsequent effects.
"What’s the best way to take heroin. " “Don’t do heroin” “They asked for tips or best practices, not on subsequent effects”
With clean needles, test shots, and not sharing any of your gear.
Make sure you always do a small sniff or shot of a new bag, know your sources but don’t trust them.
The y to have someone around with Narcan just in case.
It’s called harm reduction
All my homies love harm reduction
Right, other countries don’t have cars. Actually with your intellect it’s probably still horse and cart by you.
I’m just gonna leave this here
https://piped.video/watch?v=b93IBwJ_Yow
I agree that cats should probably be inside for environmental reasons, but I don’t care if cats live somewhat shorter lives if they are outside, because they are obviously very happy when they can go outside.
Our cat is pretty depressed during the winter months because she can’t go outside (well, she can if she wants but she rarely is because it’s very cold and often snowy), so she just goes around meowing at shit because she is bored. During summer she is outside a lot and is noticeably happier.
The same applies to humans.
And it’s not like we live next to a highway like seemingly all Americans are, we have lots of outside cats in the neighborhood and they have been doing absolutely fine for many many years.