My indoor cat is obsessed with going outside, what should I do?
Many cat owners wonder, why does my cat want to go outside so bad? For many reasons, some indoor cats feel trapped at home and appear unhappy with their current living situation.
Common reasons indoor kittens show interest in exploring the outdoor life include their instincts (hunting), depression, stress, boredom, mental stimulation, frustration, lack of care, anxiety, and neglect.
If you take good care of your cat indoors, but they still seem to try to run through the door, don’t let down your guard because you feel like your cat is missing out on life.
Trust me; cats indoors aren’t missing out much.
Letting your cat outside comes with various dangers, especially if you let your feline roam free without your supervision.
I will discuss why many cats want to go outside below. I will also share the crucial benefits and disadvantages of letting indoor cats out, so let’s dive right in.
Is It Normal For Cats To Want To Run Outside?
It’s completely normal for felines to want to explore the outdoors. Unfortunately, you can’t change this instinct and keep your cat inside forever.
Some cats want to go outside all of a sudden for various reasons, including mating, too much noise indoors, abuse or neglect, a death threat from your household, hunting instincts, too much stress, boredom, depression, and curiosity.
Now, let’s learn the benefits and downsides of allowing your indoor cat outside and decide whether it’s a good idea.
Benefits of Letting Your Cat Go Outside
You can’t deny that cats, like other animals on this planet, weren’t made for indoor lifestyles. However, many cats nowadays don’t have the survival skills as wild animals. So, they need the help of their pet parents.
Still, they could benefit from exploring the outside once or twice a week. Here’s how.
Minimizing Undesirable Habits
Some felines have bad habits like urinating outside their litter box and clawing. And I’m pleased to inform you that you can significantly reduce these negative habits by letting your cat outside.
Walking your cat outside can alleviate about 40% of unwanted habits such as these, claim most cat parents and animal behaviorists.
Remember that some behavioral issues come from loneliness, boredom, separation anxiety, and depression; exploring the outside can help these conditions.
Encouraging Your Cat’s Sociability
Walking your cat outside weekly strengthens your bond and helps with fear-related problems. Your cat will develop social skills by interacting with other animals in your neighborhood.
Moreover, if your cat becomes more socialized, they will connect with other animals and become less aggressive.
Simplifying Vet or Grooming Visits
Strolling your feline outside in your free time can make your cat less scared of other people, including vets and groomers.
Helping Your Cat Stay Active
Cats aren’t lazy creatures. On the contrary, they’re vibrant, active, and friendly pets that need regular mental and physical stimulation.
And letting your cat outside counts as both mental and physical exercise. Moreover, cats that explore the outdoors have a lower risk of becoming obese.
So, I strongly suggest you walk your cat for about 10-25 minutes a day, so they can get some exercise that they wouldn’t get indoors.
Boosting Your Cat’s Self-Esteem
Walking your cat outside can help increase their self-confidence, as they’re usually shy and avoid other pets and humans.
Therefore, socializing your feline with other felines, dogs, or humans can help them feel more confident. Simply put, they will feel more comfortable with other animals if they spend more time exploring outdoors.
Remember that cats that aren’t socialized can act aggressively toward other felines, dogs, or even humans, but you can fix this issue by providing frequent walks.
Reducing Depression and Anxiety
Cats get bored easily, which can cause behavioral problems, so keep your cat busy and entertained with interactive toys, playtime, and outdoor walks.
Outdoor walks can help reduce loneliness, depression, and anxiety in most cats, so find the time to play with your kitty as much as possible and prevent these common issues. Otherwise, they might run away forever.
Supporting Your Cat Exhibit Natural Instincts
Letting felines outside allows them to follow their instincts, scratching trees, hunting smaller animals, and patrolling their territory. And this comes in handy in rural areas with a high rodent population.
In short, walking your pet outside can help decrease the main causes of indoor cat emigration, so spend some time with your feline outdoors.
Downsides of Having Your Cat Trying to Escape
It would be best if you never let your cat walk outdoors without your supervision, as they can experience some of the following dangers.
Death by Predators
If you let your kitty outside without your supervision, they can get killed by predators in the forest or stray dogs.
Remember that some regions have more predators than others, so if your area has known predators, never let your cat walk outside unsupervised.
If your area doesn’t have many predators, your kitty has better chances of survival. Still, you should never allow your animal outside on their own if you don’t have time for walks. Otherwise, your kitty can easily wander off into the woods.
Animals that can kill your feline include foxes, hawks, coyotes, raccoons, snakes, or cougars, so don’t put your cat’s life in danger by allowing unsupervised walks.
Catching Illness or Parasites
Your cat can catch different illnesses or parasites if you live in a contaminated environment or area with many outdoor cats. So, ensure you don’t let your cat walk too far from your home.
Also, protect your kitten by providing deworming tablets every three months and flea protection once a month or every three months.
Lastly, ensure your kitty has the necessary shots against common illnesses in cats, especially if you live in a region with other cats roaming the streets.
Death by Poison
If you let your cat roam free within your neighborhood, someone can intentionally or unintentionally poison them.
Just because you love cats doesn’t mean other people also love cats and won’t hurt them if they step foot on their property.
Remember that the world is full of crazies who scatter poisons meant for animals on their property. They usually use rat poison, and if your feline walks on their property, they might accidentally get poisoned.
Getting Hit by a Vehicle
Cats rarely stay in one location when outside because they’re curious creatures that love to explore and hunt smaller animals.
And if they have access to minor and major roads, they can easily get hit by a car or other vehicles when crossing over.
Therefore, if you reside in a busy area, don’t let your cat walk freely outside, as they can easily lose their life at the hands of a reckless driver.
Your Cat Can Stray Off and Get Lost
Cats can jump over fences and other barriers, so nothing stops them from exploring their surroundings.
While exploring, they can easily stray off and get lost forever, especially if you leave them unsupervised. For instance, when cats see a mouse, they typically chase their prey and eventually get lost.
So, ensure your feline has a tracker implanted before hitting the streets so that you can track their steps or a microchip that will help other people identify your kitty and arrange their safe return.
Another Cat Lover Can Snatch Your Cat
If your cat strays off and gets lost, someone else can make them their pet and never put an effort to identify who’s their real owner.
Animal Control Officials Can Take Your Cat
Lastly, someone can report your pet to animal control if you let them outside without supervision. Then, the officials will probably remove your feline from the streets, and getting them back can cost you time and money.
How Do I Stop My Cat From Wanting To Explore the Outside World?
Some cats love the indoor life, while others prefer the outdoors for various reasons. If your cat falls in the second category, you can’t affect their wishes, but you can try some things to improve your cat’s life and decrease their desire to escape.
Follow Your Cat’s Routine
If your escaping cat has a consistent daily schedule, they will prefer the outside less.
So, establish a consistent routine, play with your feline friend daily, provide high-quality food, and let your cat relax near a window or play with toys while you’re out.
Keep Your Cat’s Litter Box Clean
Cats hate dirty litter boxes. Therefore, you must clean their litter box regularly and ensure it’s comfortable and private.
Otherwise, they might look for a location outdoors where they can do their business in peace.
Get Your Kitty Sprayed or Neutered
One of the reasons why most cats, especially females, try to escape their home is to look for mating partners.
So, spay or neuter your cat while they’re still young. That way, you can prevent this from happening in the future and extend your pet’s life.
Remember that female cats that aren’t spayed or neutered will enter heat regularly and look for ways to escape your home to find a partner and mate.
And if you don’t lock or cat-proof your home, your feline can escape and be gone for a few days, which is a nightmare for owners who’re protective over their pets.
Male cats can also escape the home when they sense female cats in heat, so make sure to spay or neuter your male cats if you own any.
Provide Interactive and Interesting Toys
If your cat seems bored or lonely, you can keep them busy with interactive toys and tunnels. Luckily, toys can keep cats entertained for hours and encourage them to stay indoors.
Every cat owner has a few cat toys around the home, but they’re usually not moving toys. So, try moving toys if your cat doesn’t play with ordinary toys.
Cats aren’t lazy pets. Quite the opposite, they’re very curious by nature, so anything moving will hopefully keep them busy for hours until they get tired and take a nap.
Toys can make a good distraction for cats always crying for walks. For instance, you can buy your cat a moving rat toy they will chase around while you’re at work.
Also, place different toys near their favorite areas, like their bed, near the exit door, or next to the big window where they always lay and observe birds and outdoor cats.
I suggest buying a cat tree and shelves because they will keep your cat entertained while home alone.
As you already know, outdoor and indoor cats love climbing and exploring new things in the home. So, these two additions keep your indoor cat busy for a long time.
Remember that your cat’s nails get old and wear out over time, so most cats look for ways to go outside and scratch them off so that new ones can grow in their place.
If you install a cat tree or scratching post, you can eliminate this reason for your cat going outside and
How to keep a cat from running out the door
In a nutshell, we suggest that you keep your cat indoors most of the time. Otherwise, your furry friend can catch diseases and parasites, get hit by a car, get killed by poison, fight with another outdoor cat, or get lost and never return home.
If you decide to take your cat outdoors, make sure you’re nearby. Or use a leash. You can also take your cat for walks in a cat stroller.
Moreover, protect your feline from illnesses by ensuring they have their vaccinations and flea and worm treatments before they go outside.
Microchip Your Cat and Track Their Steps
Make sure your cat is microchipped, so if they get lost, someone can identify you as the owner with the help of their microchip.
Additionally, check for construction being done in your neighborhood because kitties get easily scared by loud noises and run away. And if your cat runs away, have their tracker turned on, so you can track their steps.
Lastly, check your streets for poisons and sharp objects to ensure your cat’s safety before you take a walk around the neighborhood.
Warn Your Neighbors That You’re Taking Your Cat Out
If possible, notify your neighbors that you will be taking a walk with your kitty around the neighborhood, just in case they have their dog out. Also, cover up nearby bodies of water, like ponds or fountains, where your cat can fall in.
*image by Tuchong-Microstock4/depositphotos