# Outdoor cat being converted to indoor cat: possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963 "2009-12-12T04:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![King\_Bobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@King\_Bobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Bobo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/21 "2009-12-14T01:22:00Z")
Daylate, Quote; Hissy, evidently in hyperspace [[http://i47.tinypic.com/8z0jmo.jpg](http://i47.tinypic.com/8z0jmo.jpg)]( [![](https://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](https://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ),Quote. This beautiful cat could be a reincarnation of my late Tala. Even the same face. If kitties are indeed reincarnated, then I am glad you have him and he has a great home. At the risk of sounding demented, I do think that animals have souls. Sometimes, when I am low, I feel “something” jump onto my bed and snuggle down in the crook behind my knees. I always like to think it is Tala. Okay, enough sucky stuff. Seeing the picture of your Hissy rekindled so many warm thoughts of my lovely cat. He was 18 years old when he died - we shared a lot. Many thanks for the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/22 "2009-12-14T03:51:11Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > Nonsense. It’s a 10-lb cat, you can make it do whatever you want. As long as it’s fed and gets some stimulation a cat is perfectly content not going outside, given time to adjust of course. You can’t keep it quiet. Believe me. I gave him 14 months from the last time he was out. My _vet_ even said to let him out. (Interestingly, I think what he was really crying for is not space but height. In our old place, we could keep him indoors without complaint, but he’d climb onto the sill of the bathroom dormer window and sit there, ceiling height 3 stories off the ground and survey the neighborhood. Now I have a 1 story house. Now he’s always on the roof.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/23 "2009-12-14T14:48:08Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > It can be done, but it is a pain in the ass. Basically just be prepared to put up with weeks of howling to get out and don’t let him out: indoor cat. Sometimes they don’t even do that - Stokie seems to figure that outside sucked donkey balls and inside is way better. He’s our only tamed feral cat and the only one who never even _approaches_ the door. Dewey will try to sneak out (and once made it halfway up a tree) and Edison has considered it, but Stokie hides when the door opens. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/24 "2009-12-14T14:56:00Z")
Quite often outdoor cats are really just roamers that for whatever cat reason, decided to hit the road and check out their options. That doesn’t mean they’re unfamiliar with indoor living, or couldn’t readjust to it. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/25 "2009-12-14T15:31:40Z")
> [@Obsidian](#): > > You can’t keep it quiet. Believe me. > > I gave him 14 months from the last time he was out. My _vet_ even said to let him out. > > (Interestingly, I think what he was really crying for is not space but height. In our old place, we could keep him indoors without complaint, but he’d climb onto the sill of the bathroom dormer window and sit there, ceiling height 3 stories off the ground and survey the neighborhood. Now I have a 1 story house. Now he’s always on the roof.) Heh. I was replying to the OP, didn’t read through all the responses. You never know, and some cats sure are persistant. Although I have had great success with neurotic cats with Feliway, and failing that, force-feeding mild sedatives until they adjust. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963/26 "2009-12-15T00:43:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Daylate, > > Quote; Hissy, evidently in hyperspace > [http://i47.tinypic.com/8z0jmo.jpg,Quote](http://i47.tinypic.com/8z0jmo.jpg,Quote). > > This beautiful cat could be a reincarnation of my late Tala. Even the same face. Sorry about your Tala. One can sure get attached to these furballs. And it’s impossible to walk past Hissy without stopping for a petting - amazingly soft fur. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/outdoor-cat-being-converted-to-indoor-cat-possible/520963.md?page=1)