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/
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.
I’m just gonna leave this here
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.
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.
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
ITT - tons of evidence that letting cats outside is harmful in many ways.
OP - shrug
Literally 90% of cats in Norway live and enjoy being outdoors. If it had been a major problem the government would have said something about it. In fact, it’s looked bad upon keeping cats indoors here.
Your government knows it’s a problem but doesn’t care.
"A report by the Norwegian Ornithological Association (NOF) from 2018 states that there were about 770,000 cats in Norway in 2016, and that these together kill circa 7 million birds each year. "
So you would rather they cull the cats i take it? The cats have been around since 1000AD per the Wiki article. Sounds to me like at this point they are a native species.
Id understand if you were advocating for laws similar to how wolves/deer are treated. Yes keeping populations in check is important… Though it sounds like you would rather kill all the now “Native” cats.
You better stay in your house, too. Use a home trainer for exercise. Consume media for distraction.
Maybe you can crack a window once in a while when the weather is nice.
It’s dangerous out there.
Maybe you do, but I don’t personally go on bird, rodent, and reptile murder sprees when I leave my house so I should be okay.
So you’re vegan and don’t drive a car? Cause otherwise you’re killing a hell of a lot more animals just for your pleasure and convenience.
They’re going to shit in your neighbors vegetable garden.
Source: neighbors cats shit all over my yard
Please don’t do this. You are seriously endangering them by letting them outside. I see too many that have been hit by cars.
In my experience, cats that can go outside will stop using the litterbox pretty quickly by themselves.
Just keep it around somewhere out of the way, as an emergency option.
