How to teach a cat to go outside and is it really necessary?

How to teach a cat to go outside without scaring it, so that the cat does not fall into stress shock and return home?

Rasma Sauja, a cat expert and translator of several books on cat psychology, advises.

Do you really need to do this?

Before letting a pet explore the world, the main thing for the owner is to find out what the pros and cons of taking a cat outside will be in this particular case. And thus solve: Are you sure Does your cat need to experience life outside of a warm, safe home?

pros

• The cat will have the opportunity to live the full life of a small predator, enjoying all the delights that unlimited freedom gives.
• If the cat gets used to doing its little and big things in the field, the owner will not need to spend money on cat litter.
• The cat will be able to develop its hunting talents, as well as provide itself with natural food.

Minuses

• It should be expected that the cat will catch not only small rodents, but also birds.
• The cat will have to be sterilized.
• The owner can never be sure that the pet will return safe and sound from its next walk every time.

Going outside is dangerous for a cat if:

• you live in the city, in a microdistrict of multi-storey residential buildings;
• there is a transport highway nearby (in fact, a cat is in danger even on a small street if cars are moving along it);
• aggressive dogs live in the neighborhood;
• there is a forest nearby - for example, foxes can be dangerous for cats;
• hunting in a grain field is often dangerous to the health and even life of a pet, since it is often treated with chemicals against pests and rodents;

It should also be remembered that, unfortunately, there is no shortage of evil people in the world.

Attention!

Cats with agoraphobia are usually afraid to cross large open spaces and are also afraid to go outside. They usually hide in fear in a corner and cannot be persuaded to come out of hiding. However, you should not force your cat to overcome its fear, because “throwing into the water does not always teach you to swim, sometimes it causes drowning”... The owner’s task in this case is to stop the cat’s attempts to avoid the problem, but everything should happen gradually and with patience.

Where to begin

First, the cat must completely get used to its new home - this usually takes two weeks.

1. In shy cats, this process is more difficult, so a nervous cat should first be placed in a new home in a cage (best designed for the birth of kittens), on the floor in the noisiest room. The cage can be covered - this will make the cat feel protected, and you can also give the animal calming homeopathic herbs. Every day the cats are introduced to one new room. Once your cat is no longer bothered by what's going on around you, you can start letting him roam around the room until he's completely familiar with the entire house.
   After that, if you've weighed the pros and cons and decide to let your cat outside, don't just throw the cat into the backyard, leaving him there to face his fate for an unknown period of time! A similar principle of gradualism should be observed in this process.
2. To prevent your cat from getting scared, first put her in a cage (you can also use a large travel container) and for the first time take her outside to observe the outside world through a protective net. Rasma Sauja recommends feeding your cat something tasty in the cage so that it enjoys pleasant emotions, gets used to different situations and does not feel like it is in prison there.
3. Over time (after a few days), the cat in the cage can be moved to various other places in the garden - this way the cat will first become familiar with its next territory with its eyes.
4. When your cat begins to poke her nose into the bars of the cage and shows curiosity, you can place the cage near the front door of the house and open the door. When the cat feels brave, she will show the desire to go out. At first, you can take your nervous friend for a walk on a leash.
5. Once the kitten has begun to wander around the area, make sure that he always has a clear path to return to the safety of his home and, as far as possible, that he is not frightened by an unfamiliar dog or cat.

Expert advice

Release the kitten into the world and call it home with a treat. It is better to let cats outside not after a hearty breakfast or lunch, but on an empty stomach - the feeling of hunger will make him think more about returning. If initially a cat in the field hides behind the beds more often than responds to the owner’s call to return, you can try to attract the cat with the smell of valerian or catnip (but this will only work if the cat smells this smell). smell nearby). In such cases, for the safety of both the cat and the birds, you can put a special strap with a bell on the animal’s neck (elastic ones are also sold in pet stores - they will protect the cat from suffocation if it gets caught). on a tree branch).

Note!

A completely frightened cat hides in the most unimaginable places - it becomes completely or completely invisible and, until it has experienced the shock caused by fear, can remain in its hiding place for several days and even weeks!