When you're going to let the dogs out, can you put her in a bedroom or the bathroom and close the door so that she can't make a dash for outside? Hopefully once she's been with you for a while, she'll settle down and forget about going out.

Another option might be a screened in outdoor kitty enclosure. She'd be able to get her outdoor fix, yet you'd have the peace of mind of knowing she couldn't escape.

Good luck!

How wonderful that you're giving her a safe home! I agree with simply containing her when dogs come in and out.

That's what we have been doing, but when I am working and my husband is in charge of the doggie 'outs' he just is not as diligent. We have a couple of big dog crates in the attic, maybe I will try that so that she can get the fresh air that she is obviously craving.

I agree with Dawns and Oly’s advice. Google catio, or outdoor cat enclosure, as Dawn suggested, to let her have some outdoor time, and to have a place to put her conveniently. In order to help her get accustomed to not bolting out the door, it might be worth a shot to put a leash on her, and give her teeny bits of tuna as a reward when the door opens, but only when she doesn’t make a move towards the door.

it might take a long time to train her reliably that way, but it’s worth a try.

Sounds like you need to train the husband. I had to put one cat in a closed room for the twenty years of his life before opening the back door. It got to be habit. I would never, ever want him to escape so was 100% diligent about it.

We adopted Peeka @ 7 years old. Originally found as a declawed stray. I tried to keep him indoors. He ate house plants, yowled like an air raid siren, pawed at the doors & windows, seemed genuinely unhappy....he cried.

1) I purchased Rye grass for him to eat(he pukes it & barfs hairballs), put him in a cat carrier out doors, he mewed...

2) In the end...we tied 3 leashes together & put a harness on him. We walk him on a leash like a dog around the yard, then we tie the leash next to a tree or bush or woodpile.....where he hunts voles. He can hide under the bush or tree or sun himself. He stays outdoors about 3 hours every evening, then we bring him indoors. He wears a neon light if it's dark.

He's a pretty "normal" cat.....now. He was attached @ 2 weeks, didn't want to be apart from us @ 4 weeks. He still might wander off and get lost hunting too far from home...we just don't give him that option. He's not too bright....the yard is fenced. We live against the woods. Coyotes, mnt. lion, bear, bob cat, owls, eagles....he's 11 years old now.

Dog person here. But, I find it interesting that she seems to be going back to the same neighbor. Why do you think this is.

No advice, but I commend you for taking this on. All animals deserve a loving home.

We have bought a harness and have a long lead for the dogs in the yard. I've been tying her there and staying with her.

Hubby does need training, easier said than done. He thinks that we could put her on the lead and come back inside. I'm pretty sure that she could get out of the harness if she tried. She does walk pretty well on the leash, I just follow where she leads me.

The neighbor has two little girls that just smother Sox with cuddles, I don't know if the previous owners had children, but I believe that is the attraction. Either that or her dogs ( one of which is the boxer that I mentioned earlier), she loves our dogs but not the other cat :-) We do spend a lot of time petting and cuddling her, I sure hope that she doesn't feel unloved.

I love the idea of the screened catio.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

Do you have somewhere high up in the house for kitty to go? If not, consider buying a tall cat tree that kitty can use to look out the window. This was helpful when we were trying to reform a cat we adopted that had previously been indoor/outdoor. And then in the winter, I put a K&H heating pad in the top level of the tree, cover it with a small towel or blanket, and she sleeps up there when she's not using it to look outside. And be sure to play with her a lot!

Heating Pad

My Monkey constantly tried to escape. I just had to be super careful and kept my purse towards the ground when entering the house to block him. If people were coming over, he was put in a bedroom. I feel for you! We finally installed a gate in our front walkway to stop him if he did escape.

We had a cat enclosure for my first two cats. They were never outdoor cats from day one, but I felt bad and had my husband make an enclosure. It was made from chain link fencing. It was about 10 feet wide by two feet high and two feet across. It attached to the house at a basement window. We took the glass out of the outside window and replaced it with plexiglass that had an opening large enough to fit the cat. The window stayed locked and if it got too cold outside, we could slide the inside window closed so they couldn't go out at all. They spent almost every summer night outside sleeping. We have a new cat now (had him for 2 months), and don't have that cat enclosure anymore. I won't put it back as it makes the basement cold and I like to sit down there to colour. So far, he hasn't tried to make a run for the door when we open it. When we leave the house, however, we lock him in the stairwell. We put a door at the bottom of the stairs and have one at the top. He tends to attack my house plants and there's no way I'll allow that. Some are 38 years old and he dug one right out of the pot. Once he learns to be a good cat, he can stay free when we're not in the house. ;)

PK, I also find it interesting she goes back to neighbor. Have you asked neighbor ifcat hung around her property prior to being abandoned?

My granddaughter has three Somali cats and one of them started sneaking out if the opportunity arose but she always came back. Two weeks ago, she didn't. She was searched for all day and night but then granddaughter went to bed, got up to start searching and opened the door and a cardboard box was there, she looked inside and there was her very bloody dead cat. A neighbor took her off the road and left it with a note telling my grand. My grand called me hysterical and I went over. Seems Ms Maggie was going to a house and sitting in a yellow metal bucket staring at a window with three cats in it. Wish we knew that. Now she has a gate on the kitchen and closes it when she goes out the back door. Hindsight is 20/20.

My commentary is completely from my experience, so I am no expert, but I have had some success that I thought I would share. I have had many cats over the years, several of them rescues who were outside when I found them.

My experience is that once they think they are "outside" cats the call of the wild is difficult to break. When my rescues would cry to go out I found that making the effort to play with them with an action toy such as "Da Bird", diverts their attention and gives them exercise. Most times that is enough to divert their attention for awhile and, often times, the exercise results in a quite nap. Cats can be aloof creatures, but they do deserve as much individual attention as our much more interactive dogs. Providing them with that attention also helps to build more of a bond.

I make sure they have some superivised outside time everyday, if possible. I too use a harness and multiple leashes so even as I hold on to the leash, they think they have some independence. I have found that a harness that buckles both around the neck and the body works best. The odds of wiggling out are significantly lessened.

Treating them like a dog that needs its daily exercise makes for a much happier kitty. They look forward to it and when they know it is coming around the same time every day, they settle down. A short walk just before dinner is very useful. They learn that dinner follows the walk. Sometimes they even cut their own walk short because food becomes more important. However, that can become an issue if they start gaining too much weight.

To understand your kitty better, I highly recommend the book "The Lion in the LIving Room" by Abigail Tucker. It was a New York bestseller and is both amuzing and informative. (I do disagree with her segment on rodent control because she uses an example from a Baltimore study. I happen to know first hand that Baltimore rats can be much bigger than cats, which can be intimidating.)

I have had 15 cats over my lifetime. All were rescues who spent some time in their youth outdoors. I had only one, orange cat Louie who bolted when the door was opened but stayed in the yard. My dear cat Nellie who was pregnant and starving when I rescued her and her three kittens 15 years ago. Never ever did she try to escape up to her death two years ago at 20. Once my main door to the side street was left open by husband (and I certainly agree they are the hardest by far to train) and all the cats were just sitting at the open door when we got home and they all could have left. The Maine Coon I rescued last October was dumped three months before and was fed by neighbors till I got him. NEVER once has he tried to escape. The cats who know it's not much fun out there remember where their bread is buttered so to speak.

I agree that once the cat thinks it's an outdoor cat...there's maybe 1 in 100 like THAT...he/she is going to eat house plants and scream bloody murder all day until he/she goes out. I don't know "if" your kitty is that "1". Mine has to hunt real prey and dig up shoots of tender grass before he feels "normal". He also poops/pees outside to mark territory. If the weather is bad, say a snow storm or high winds, he declines to go out. We have a fenced area under our 750sq' deck w/ a river rock base, we store ladders under there. Tried putting him in there, like a catio....he mews to get out.

Yes...he's slipped out of his halter, years ago. If he were in danger, I'd want him to wiggle out and run. His collar w/ tags, is break away also.

Your cat/kitten is young enough so I think she'll adapt to being indoors full time.

Our boy cat was and sometimes still is a darter. We will do several things to deter him, one is to stick him temporarily in the basement. He’s food driven so treats work really well for that. Or another option is one of us will preoccupy him with a laser light which he really loves. And I have no idea why, but if I sit down, this cat is immediately all over me, so when it’s my husband that’s going out, I can just hold him. Still once in a while he will take off and then my DH has to get creative and will shake his arms and yell baahhhhhh! Super loud to scare him away, then quickly go out. It’s pretty funny.

We always use the exit to the garage, and the big garage door is always closed, so even when he does manage to get out, he’s still contained. Sometimes we end up just leaving him out there for a bit so he can explore and get it out of his system. After doing that a few times, he’s not as interested for a while.

Have you considered an enclosed space for it to use outside? Something like this pet gazebo, so it can be in the grass, get sun and other animals aren’t a threat? It’s actually not very expensive.

Like that pet gazebo!

Well, go on and start loading the ammunition in order to shoot me, but my cats and DD's cats have always been indoor/outdoor cats. They have always been brought in before dark (only a problem in the spring when nice weather arrives and cats can get "spring fever"). They love their garden, but do go around the neighborhood when they were younger. They hunt and leave "presents" on the kitchen doormat. I've just always thought that it was a shame to confine these free spirits unless one lives on a VERY busy street or in the city. But that is me.

As for training husbands, well that's sort of like herding cats. I love my beloved husband 12 years ago - took me at least 18 yrs to properly train him. I always say that I can't possibly marry again as I'm too old and won't live long enough to properly train a husband!

You won't get shot down by me Anglophilia. I no longer have cats but I have close friends that do. One I have known for almost 40 years. She has always had cats and they are indoor/outdoor like yours. All her cats are very social, happy and well adjusted. They as close to dogs as a cat can get. They accept visitors and greet me when I visit. They gets oodles of attention and are brought in at night. Happy, happy cats.

Ditto for a male friend who has cats. Cats psychological happiness is important to him. DS also has cats that go out in his yard to play and hunt and be cats. They stay there because they are happy there. No need to roam because his yard is very rustic even though it is just off "downtown".

Other friend has always lived in studios or rented a room. Her cats never see the light of day, even now while she lives on a quiet street with a back yard. They aren't social, are merely fixtures and hide every time someone comes over. and every single time I have helped her move their is cat damage. Sad, depressed cats. I care about my friend but will be glad when there are no more cats. She says no more when these are gone. I don't consider these cats pets or members of her family. They are merely institutionalized rescues so they can "live". Not much of a life. IMO.

I believe cats need to be outdoors and not tied out. Period. If you own an animal it is a person's responsibility to give that animal the best quality of life be it a goldfish, a turtle or a any warm blooded critter. I walk the walk, I can't even begin to tell you how much time, labor and dollars we have invested in 'found" pets of all species to make their environment suitable for them. If you can't bear the risk losing your cat to accident then build a cat aviary. Make a screened off area with grass and plants for the poor cat. To my way of thinking forcing an outdoor cat to be an indoor cat is no different than chaining a dog to a tree because one doesn't want to build a fence or a nice kennel.

Yayagal, I am so sorry to hear about your dear granddaughter's cat. That was horrible!

Oh, let me respond. We do have a tall run with carpeted stairs for the other cat and plans are in the works to build the new cat her own climbing pole with feeding and resting platforms and runways. We live in a strangely decorated home that accommodates the pets more than people. I LOVE that gazebo, Lukki!

Our older cat belonged to my FIL. When he and my MIL sold us the house so that they could move to assisted living, we begged for the cat but were denied because of the dogs. My in-laws couldn't believe that the cat would tolerate a dog, much less 2 dogs, so he was rehomed 10-12 miles away to a dog free home. On day 2 in his new home, he escaped and three weeks later returned to this house. It took us 2 weeks to coax him back inside because we weren't his 'people', even though he knew us. He is allowed out for a few hours each evening and we know that he stays in the yard. I step outside often (to smoke if you must know) and he's always out there wanting a petting. A few days ago he caught a big mouse during his out time, eww. He was having fun trying to get it to run again after he had killed it. Cats will be cats and at least he doesn't go out until the birds have all gone to roost.

The new cat came from a location 50+ miles away and I do not want her to try to return to that home. We have busy highways and coyotes as well as big cat hating dogs between here and there. I might allow her out after time has passed and she knows where home is, but that time is not now. I'm sorry Watchmelol that your friend's cats are treated as inmates or patients. That is not the case with our cat, we are seeking ways to keep her safe and make her happy.

We've been discussing what toys might distract and entertain her. She isn't as interested in the feather bird fishing pole thing as Sebastian is. We do plan to enrich her life with toys that she enjoys once we discover what they are.

Hubby tried taking her outside in a dog crate, a big dog crate that belongs to the 100-pound dog, but she was not happy and cried to get out. She does enjoy the leashed walks though and I need to look for a different halter. The one that we got is wide fabric around the neck and an adjustable strap at the waist. The collar, of course, is a breakaway. I never plan to leave her outside tied to a tree alone. I may tie her while I am there to supervise and intervene if she gets frustrated with the leash.

The book, "The Lion in the Living Room" by Abigail Tucker sounds like an interesting read Lynn!

Again, thank you all for your heartfelt suggestions :-)

If you own a cat, it's your responsibility to keep it safe. Indoor cats live three times as long as ones allowed outside. The dangers are cruel people who hate cats, cars and people who deliberately try to run over them, traps, poisons,antifreeze, fights with other cats, loose dogs, catnappers, diseases, fleas, ticks...Then there are all the dead songbirds squirrels, bunnies, and other wildlife they kill.

We have too many predators where we live to ever consider letting cats to roam free outdoors. Hawks, eagles, foxes, fisher cats, coyotes...I see posters for "missing cats" and put the blame on their humans for letting them out in the elements. It's a jungle out there. Cats have their desires but we have our responsibilities when we adopt them from the wild. If not, why??

I really appreciate how much you are trying to help the new kitty adjust to your home and feel comfortable. I see nothing wrong with using a harness and leash if the cat doesn’t fight it and it keeps it safe. Most people wouldn’t put so much thought and care into trying to find a reasonable solution; I wish they did.

We live on a busier road and in spring and fall, see road kill along the sides of the street more often than not. It’s not safe for cats or dogs to be able to run amuck but we have neighbors who just don’t seem to care. One of the cats thinks that the birds we like to put seed out for are there for him and I find him in the deck chairs sunbathing and waiting for them all the time. With the busy road and our other neighbors’ large dogs running around, it’s dangerous for him, but I also feel it’s rather intrusive to us. We really enjoy feeding the birds and seeing the wildlife run around in our yard, and the cat has ruined that. The dogs, well that’s a whole other issue...but it really drives me bonkers.

Would love to see a picture of your little kitty. BTW, my cats are strictly indoors. I made the mistake once of letting my late cat The Honey go out onto an outside back porch. Just that once was enough to always try and keep her from going out into the hallway. The Honey loved to watch birds, and I was afraid if I let her stay out on the back porch, I would end up with gifts of dead birds,

Nearly all of my innumerable cats (I don't have any now) lived to be between 14-19. I doubt if they had been indoor cats, they would have lived much longer. Yes, I have had two cats hit by cars - very, very sad. But these two would never have been happy as indoor-only cats.

I saw a show from the UK that tracked where the village cats roamed. Apparently, in the UK, the cat is actually PUT OUTSIDE for the night. It was fascinating to see their various routes, and the conclusions reached by the scientists doing this study (they had tracking devices and even small cameras on their collars). Cats definitely have their own "turf", it seems.

When DD and her husband live in a NYC apt with their two cats when they were first married, I gave them a video call "Kitty Safari". SIL would put it on for them everyday and they were mesmerized by that silly video. When they moved to KY, they very gradually introduced these cats to the outdoors. Both died at a very old age of various health issues common to elderly cats.

I know that there are inside and outside and inside / outside cat people and all are doing their best for their pet. I found it does depend on the cat. I had an amazing soul come to me in 2003.

He came to live in my barn and was an incredible personality, one that could never be contained. After much effort, he trusted enough to come inside and then eventually became and outside / inside cat. He live in my barn and outside all day and slept on my head at night. Those nights he didn't come when called I went to bed knowing I might never see him again.

Alas he did pass at about 8 years old (we never really knew how old he was) hit by a car. But, he was a independent scraper and would have been miserable as an inside cat. He lived a good life and the life he chose and allowed us to share with him.

Check out his picture. One tooth and a mangled ear. He also came with his tail cut off. He had lived a big and difficult life before he found us. He was always incredibly grateful for the food, love, and attention. His name was BC - barn cat, best cat, bad cat.....

Awe, BC looks tough :-) We had a cat like him in our neighborhood too, he cruised by my office window a couple of times each day. Haven't seen him in about 6 months and assume that he's gone to his next life.

Here is Sox, hanging out with hubby while he was working on the house where she was abandoned. This is the 'can I bring her home please?' picture. We are over our pet limit for the municipality, but the city animal shelter where we live allows us some grace since we've adopted two dogs :-) All of our pets are registered so they know what we have, two dogs and two cats rather than two pets total. Not yet animal hoarders, but we seriously have to stop now.

I would never in a million years have an indoor-outdoor again. The bacterial diseases and parasites that they bring inside can be very contagious to humans. At the very least....fleas, tapeworms, ringworm, and poison ivy and commonly brought inside with cats and shared happily.

I have had cases of CAT SCRATCH FEVER, ringworm, and raging poison ivy delivered to me by my own cats. I was always fighting fleas and worms. Never, ever again.

Someone upthread mentioned that cats can be aloof. Not any of mine, lol!

I agree with Rhizo. I don't have a cat but I've researched a lot as I considered one. And the dangers to cats allowed to roam outdoors are many. And who would have thought that cats die from antifreeze. There's a bit spilled in a driveway or street , cat cleans paws and ingests it. I am going to be shot for this but if someone has a **beloved cat** but lets it roam outdoors how beloved is the cat. Too many outdoor dangers to the cat and the human to allow them outdoors without protection.

Agree 100%, mama pinky.

What a cutie PK, I have never heard of a 2 pet limit before, wow. Even six or eight isn’t considered hoarding yet in our area. Funny how someone can have as many guns as they choose to hunt with but someone can’t give a home to more than two living animals.

Let me again recommend "Lion in the Living Room". It covers so many interesting facts, both worrisome and delightful concerning cats, including the whole inside / outside pros and cons. Some cats could actually (I'm still reading that chapter) give off a parasite than makes us want more cats. That means the creation of a crazy cat lady is physiological :).

Lukki, my city has a 3 pet limit on the books. No one enforces it that I've heard of.

Wow, Morz8, I’d be at the limit then! But that’s one reason we moved to the country. Our choices about those things are (supposedly) less intrusive on others I guess...

I hate hearing that people let their cats outside. I can't help but notice the people who let their cats outdoors have often lost one or more, but still continue to do so?

In my opinion, adopting a cat means taking responsibility for its safety. It might have urges to go outside but cats don't understand cars, antifreeze or the millions of other dangers. It's our job to protect them. If someone purposely lets their cats out and it's killed, I feel they are at fault.

Aside from cat safety, outdoor cats are also destroying the songbird population.

My nerves would be shot if I left my cats outside. If one didn't come home, I'd be worried to death and have to search the town till I found it. Of my 15 cats, only the first one was allowed out and that changed too. He was a Siamese and we lived in the country then for a brief time. Then we moved to the suburbs but lived on a dead end street. One day Simon went missing and was gone for two days. He finally returned and we figured he got locked in someone's garage. Then he got into a catfight and we didn't realize it until he got very sluggish. We parted his fur and saw a wound that had become infected. Off to the vet, antibiotics, and he was homebound the rest of his life which was 20 years. Loved that cat and so did my kids. My daughter has his twin (female though) and a larger lighter male, her brother. Of course, they are strictly inside too.

Lily, wow 15 cats? Do you mean over time or all at one time?

Lynn, over 50 years.I only have three now but have had as many as six at one time. They were all rescues but the first one.