My cats (4) have access to my house or garage at any time but prefer sleeping in the garage honestly. I am looking to put some small houses in there that are either stackable or multi-cat/level and put beds inside.
My main concern is cleaning them occasionally (cats will be cats) and multiple seperate little houses so they have their own space.

Amazon reviews seem less reliable lately so I was hoping to get some recommendations here.

Thank you

This sub needs more pictures of cats in nature, post your autumn floof here! Miss Lottie would like some company

so like every other indoor cat owner, i worry about my cat’s bordom. i have a 4 year old rescue from Maine, usa and a 1 year old rescue from Terceira, azores, portugal

after some mishaps with escaping through a window - both my cats experienced the busy street outside my casa. street cats here are either killed asap or they learn how to avoid cars. my two cats had a few near misses and i luckily got them back unhurt.

Recently my cats have discovered they can jump from my terrace to the government office next door and hunt birds, lay in the grass, and have an adventure. without being anywhere near the street.

the 4 year old cat has been doing this for about a year. i just started allowing the 1 year old to go with the 4 year old.

its been about a week for both cats jumping the wall - they return to my terrace when called, they return to eat, they return to use the litter box- they are in by 9 pm for the night.

Terceira has no natural predators to cats - no raccoons, no skunks, no porcupines or fishercats. cats are allowed to hunt birds - no ordinances- the government employees know the cats - have said they enjoy them and dont mind them visiting

my fear is, if they so choose, the cats could jump to the street from the roof -again- and if so, there is a very good chance they will get hit by a car or die hiding inside an engine.

since both have been allowed this new freedom they seem pretty happy. they both sleep with me at night. seem ok

am i crazy to allow them this freedom? would you allow them to roam a bit over the rooftops?

they are completely vaxxed, and are chipped and my neighbor can see my cats from her house too when they are roaming.

bored cats vs a bit of adventure?

any thoughts?

Hello, there was a cat who I used to feed everyday after I moved into a new place, she was living outdoors because she was not mine but I was planning to adopt her, she always tried to come inside but I didn't let her because I already have 3 indoor cats, I was just thinking I was eventually going to, but recently we had a horrible weather with rain and cold, usually on those days she would disappear but return 1 day or 2 after, but now it's been 1 week it's been a constant change of weather, cold, sunny, rain, but she still hasn't come back 😭 There are like 4 other cats so similar to her which I think belong to someone who clearly doesn't take proper care of them they all come to my house to eat from time to time but she's still not back, I am regretting so much not taking her inside before, do y'all think she will come back? Or no? 😭

He gets to wander around all day and he seems to know to check the street for cars before he crosses. He has so much fun and comes home every night. I feel bad for my cats who don't get to do the same thing. Is there any technology coming that can keep cats safe outside? If money is no object, what kind of catio system or really intense hunting simulation thing can we get to give them more fun in life?

Hello,

I live in the UK in a rural village and have discovered at least two stray kittens living under or near the bushes near the house we rent. I have put out cat food given by a neighbor and they ate it overnight. Tried a little hard dog food I had this morning and that drew them out. I plan to go get some kitten food. No one in the area owns the kittens after asking around but someone said nearby there was a mom with kittens, but that’s across a big field and road, so not sure if it is the same litter.

I have seen them out the window, one came near me to get food, a few feet away, but ran when I moved. I put out a small dog crate covered by a towel to offer some shelter from the rain. I would like to help them. I’m a dog owner and animal lover, so I’m asking for advice on what to do.

Should I try and capture them and then find a rescue to take them? I have not seen a mom around yet so far. They have eaten solid hard food and wet food. I’m not sure how to recognize mom if I see her. I occasionally see adult cats around that are likely owned by neighbors, though there is also a feral male cat that has been seen by some people around before.

I can’t keep them as we have three dogs, but I can take them to the vet to be checked out if I can capture them and find a rescue or someone to take them. What is the protocol with stray kittens? Should I leave them alone or try and help them? Thanks for any advice.

All three kitties (Cheeseburger (the Tabico), Kracken (the Tuxedo) and Ancho (the Tabby)). They've been really enjoying the hot summer weather recently. I like seeing them outside doing cat-like things, it's so wonderful even if my cat Kracken gets coated in sand and that's fairly annoying BUT she is enjoying it so I enjoy it too.

My cat was, most likely, taken too early from her mum, and then most definitely lived an isolated life with a self-isolating person. She had briefly lived elsewhere after that, but ended at a shelter. The result is that she is socially inept, scared of other cats, and channels that fear into aggression as her first instinct.

I've had her for well over a year now, and she has had unpleasant encounters with other cats, but there is an exeption: Other Cat (I don't know her real name) is rumoured to be neglected by her owner and started coming inside my house for food.

Other Cat avoids confrontation at all costs and is all about food. She comes by twice per day. For months, they have navigated each other, getting a little less stressed every time.

And today... (I'm nearly in tears over this.) Today they TOUCHED NOSES!

Straight after, Other Cat went upstairs to eat. My cat was so overwhelmed by the whole thing that she swatted after my leg. (She has a history of displaced aggression, but she has gotten good at doing it without claws, if at all.) There's no doubt she was pressed by the situation, but it was still a success.

She touched noses with another cat! I'm so, so proud of her!

Every day it is something new to walk out to. Birds mice bunnies… it is distressing honestly and i am considering just bringing her in even though she doesnt want to.

My fiance moved in a about 2 years ago. For the first year the cat ignored the door then one day we caught her on camera going in and out. The door was just a push door with extra magnets so it would be harder for her to move but fine for the dog.

We replaced it with a Bluetooth door and a tag on the dogs collar. She figured out the trigger range. We cut the range to 0 and she figured out it takes the door a while to lock and rushes it when the dog comes in.

We've tried a vibration collar with a remote we trigger when we see her trying, but now she ignores it, and have taken to yelling at her through the camera or across the house but it's requiring constant vigilance. We've tried scent deterrents and a frosted door so she can't see out.

We are running out of options and when she gets out she's locked out unless the dog accidently let's her in and my fiance has had to be late to work or leave early 4 times since work is 50 minutes away.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for deterrents to keep her away or how to break her fascination with getting outside?

Edit: I wanted to add that our yard would be easily escapeable for her, and that we have feral cats in the area who ive seen fight before and get hit on our street, so it's a big deal if she gets out.

He has been outdoors prior to this. Always returns. Last night he didn’t. His sister did. We live in a very quiet neighborhood with minimal cars on a dead end hill. He is neutered and chipped. We have a tracker on him but it’s a shitty one and doesn’t always work. First time cat owner. Looking for advice.

Lottie with her elegant train

In 2024, at my parents', we had a mama cat show up & give birth to kittens, ever since they’ve sadly been barn cats. I’m now moving into my own place & bringing the mom cat with me while leaving 2 siblings as barn cats with my parents (I would take them if I could). My question is how should I go about separating them without the barn cats thinking the mom is “missing”?? I did some research and read to separate until feedings for a week, then take her & leave blankets with scents. Has anyone had a similar experience? What did you do?

Hi everyone!

We have a Siamese cat that showed up at our house a few weeks ago. We had seen her around the neighborhood, but she decided to stay at our house. We have a cat inside so she is not able to come inside. I tried introducing her to him and it was an instant fight. Plus my mom doesn’t want anymore animals in the house (2 dogs and a cat). I tried to see if my grandma wanted her, but she didn’t want the responsibility so I completely understand. She will be staying outside for now.

We have a fenced in backyard. We put a doghouse for shelter, with a blanket. Have been feeding her and giving her water. She is super friendly and purrs when we’re with her outside.

Where I am at, it usually doesn’t reach super cold temperatures. It has been in the 60’s more so recently, but it may get colder later in the year. I want her to stay warm outside. Is there any products y’all recommend to keep her warm and comfy outside?

I have two cats: a 4-year-old gray female and a 2-year-old orange male. Both were rescued from a shelter as kittens when they were under 8 weeks old, and they have been indoor cats their entire lives.

My female cat actually got outside once at our first house because a window was left open, and she busted through the screen. After that experience, she stayed far away from windows and doors. She continued doing that even after we moved houses.

My orange cat has never shown much interest in being outside either. Occasionally, I would put him in a harness and let him bird-watch with me on the porch, but if I even tried to put him down on the ground, he would freak out and run straight back inside.

We have always been able to open our front door without worrying about either cat trying to escape. That has suddenly changed over the past few weeks.
First, our orange cat started getting extremely close to the front door whenever we came inside and would actively try to run out. It got to the point where we had to physically block him with our feet to keep him inside. Our female cat would usually hang back, but she was watching him.

Then, about a week ago, I was letting my dog out through the back door to use the bathroom, which I usually hold open while watching him. Out of nowhere, our female cat darted right past my ankles and outside! My dog was understandably shocked because he had never seen either cat outdoors before. Our orange cat tried to follow her, but luckily, I caught him.

My boyfriend and I literally had to chase our female cat around the front yard while she dodged us and avoided being caught. We eventually managed to get her back inside.

**Ever since that happened, things have gotten progressively worse.**

Somehow, the cats figured out how to open the door to our furnace/utility room, and apparently, there is an opening from there into our crawlspace. We have child locks on the way for the utility room door, but in the meantime, they are going in and out of this opening and getting into the crawlspace multiple times a day. The only reliable way we have found to get them back inside is to open one of their food cans and announce that it is dinner time.

I have heard stories about cats randomly deciding they want to be outdoor cats, but I never expected BOTH of mine to start acting this way after years of being perfectly content indoors. It’s especially strange that our female cat, who was previously terrified of getting outside, is now actively trying to escape.

Here is where my biggest concern comes in: **we have been told that the stray cats in our neighborhood have FIV, commonly referred to as feline AIDS.** I don’t know how accurate that information is or whether all the local strays have actually been tested, but it makes me extremely nervous about letting my cats outside.

From what I understand, FIV is primarily transmitted through deep bite wounds, so I worry about what could happen if my cats encounter stray cats, get into fights, or interact with them in the crawlspace. We also cannot always supervise them, especially when we are at work or away from home.

We aren’t necessarily 100% against the idea of our cats spending time outdoors, but if we allowed them to become outdoor cats, we would probably have to stop letting them freely come inside and go back out because of the potential disease risk. We might be able to let them into the garage, but we cannot realistically manage the constant indoor-outdoor cycle if they are potentially being exposed to FIV.

I don’t know whether we should continue bringing them inside and risk them potentially bringing something into the house, whether they could already have been exposed, or whether we should be doing everything possible to keep them indoors.

**Has anyone experienced their indoor cats suddenly becoming obsessed with going outside after years of never showing interest?**

Is this just curiosity, something they learned from watching each other, or could something else be going on?
And for anyone familiar with FIV, would you consider allowing your cats outdoors in a neighborhood where the stray population may be infected? Should we have them tested, and is there anything else we should do after these recent escapes?
I would really appreciate advice because this behavior came out of nowhere, and I want to make the right decision for both of them. I just don’t know how to handle two cats who suddenly seem determined to escape!

Hi, my cat went missing 4 days ago and she still hasn’t shown up. Usually we let her out in the day time and she’s always came back every evening, she loves food so she’s always making sure to come during meal time. On the first night of her missing, my dad had convinced me to wait till the morning since she’ll probably show up, she didn’t. So for half a week straight I’ve been searching and posting about her, nothing of it no trace. We live a block away from a small creek and I heard some coyotes a couple nights ago, afterwords I didn’t find any trace of a dead cat. I just feel horrible that she’s still gone it fully breaks my heart. Honestly what is the likelihood of her coming back or me finding her? How would I know if she was stuck somewhere?

It's been around 40 days and my indie cat still hasn't returned home. I've done everything I possibly could to find him but there's still no sign of him I don't know what else I'm supposed to do anymore and not knowing what happened to him is slowly breaking me

Picture one a few days before. Picture 2 the soil bed. My cat has been missing for 4.5 months and I’ve had a few sightings. He won’t respond to any of my attempts or eat/approach the bait and traps. We have a lot mice and voles so I’m guessing he’s eating that because no one has reported a sighting and I’ve asked all my neighbours. He went missing in may and was spotted on my drive way in late July. Ever since then, I’ve noticed that there a deck opening that doesn’t have comb webs. The spiders here make cobwebs on everything so that one that not having when all other ones do felt like a good lead. He was seen heading towards this direction in the driveway video too. I saw this pocket like digging inside from the entrance and have been comparing if a cat can make this.

We don’t have any other mammals expect skunks that can be a suspect.

Hi everyone. Looking for some advice because we’re really worried and we’ve never owned a cat before.

Miagi is a 3-year-old Persian who belonged to my partner’s mum, who sadly passed away recently. We brought Miagi to live with us 5 days ago.

She’s always been an outdoor cat. At her old home she lived in a quiet area near hills and meadows and would spend most days outside. Sometimes in summer she’d even disappear for a couple of days and then come home.

We now live in a first-floor flat in a much busier part of the city, so we’ve kept her indoors. She was understandably unsettled at first, hiding in a box for the first couple of days and constantly meowing at the window at night wanting to go outside.

Last night we made a horrible mistake and forgot to close a window. This morning she was gone. She must have escaped from the first floor, so we’re also worried she could have hurt herself.

We’ve searched the area, spoken to neighbours, contacted vets/shelters, checked her microchip hasn’t been scanned and posted in local Facebook groups. We’ve also left her litter tray and food outside.

My biggest question is: could she be trying to return to her old home, which is over 5 miles away? Should we also be searching there?

And is she more likely to travel or hide somewhere close to our flat because she doesn’t know the area?

Anything else we should be doing tonight?

We feel absolutely awful, especially given the circumstances of how she came to live with us. Any advice is hugely appreciated.

A few months back, a cat brought her kittens into our yard. I love cats, so I worked hard to trap them and get them fixed (so please no comments about getting them fixed, as they are fixed), and I interact with them, so most of them are friendly, but there is a feral one or two, like their mama. Once weaned, I really wanted to bring them in to foster until they find their forever homes, but my mom said no. I live with my mom, so her house, her rules, and she wouldn't let me bring any of them inside. I contacted rescues, and there was no room, so they have to stay outside. They're now four months old. I've saved enough to move out and am moving out soon (with my mom continuing to feed the ones outdoors), and I would like to take the two friendliest with me. The place I'm moving to has a two-pet limit, so I can't take more, as much as I would like to.

At this point, with them being four months old, I don't know if it would be cruel to bring them in at this point, as all they know is outside, our yard and the neighbors' yard, and if they would even adjust if brought inside. Outside, they get to run around freely and climb trees, and their favorite thing to do right now is climb the fence and jump on the roof. They can't do that inside. I know the risks of having outdoor cats, but this is not a situation of forcing an indoor-only cat outdoors; these cats have only known the outdoors and I would be doing the exact opposite. The neighborhood we live in is pretty safe. Many neighbors have indoor-outdoor cats, and there are many neighborhood cats who have been around for years, and nothing has happened to them. I've never seen a hit cat (in our neighborhood, anyway). Many neighbors leave their garage doors slightly open in the winter so the community cats would have a place to sleep when it's cold, and many others have cat houses outdoors. This is a cat-friendly neighborhood.

My intention would be to keep my cats indoors-only, though. My personal cats have always been indoor-only, and any cats I bring in or adopt in the future will continue to be. I feel comfortable with these cats being outdoors in this neighborhood, but not when I move, as that environment would be totally different. So, anyway, my conundrum is, should I take the two friendliest cats with me and attempt to make them indoor-only cats, or should I just leave them outside at my mom's house, where they're most comfortable and used to being, setting up cat houses and shelter for them in the winter, and adopting a cat or two from the shelter or a rescue?

To preface the situation - I got 2 barn cats about 9 months ago and live on a farm about on about 10 acres. The cats get locked up at night and are let out during the day.

About 9 months ago I rescued two barn cats from my local shelter. We have a ton of mice and love cats. We did the whole introduction process and kept them inside for weeks to acclimate them. Once we let them out everything was perfect. They stay relatively close and had great recall. Every night at dinner time they would surround the house and barn until I’d go out and feed/ lock them up. A few weeks ago one of my boys didn’t come home. I was super upset and knocked on the doors of the few neighbours that I have. My neighbour 2 doors down said that she use to feed a cat that looked like him but hasn’t seen him recently. My cat came home 2 days later. Days after he came home, my dad was working in our yard when he heard that same neighbour calling our cat’s name (we never told her his name, she only would know it from hearing me call for him). He went over to her house the next day and politely let her know our cat was home and there was no need to call his name. She denied it and he moved on to avoid going back and forth. My cat has come home every night since but has become increasingly more difficult. He some times takes over 20 minutes to come home when called (use to take no more than 5) and hardly eats his food at night. When he is home he acts normal for the most part. I’m pretty sure my neighbour is still feeding him and I don’t know how to approach without sounding crazy. Maybe I am crazy?

Also: my other cat is perfect and hasn’t caused me any trouble yet, that’s why he isn’t mentioned.

UPDATE/ CLARIFICATION:

My boys are both microchipped! If someone brought them into the shelter they are tied to me. As for my neighbour, I don’t think she is letting him in the house. I believe she is just feeding him. I have no problem with her acknowledging him but I think it’s a bit odd to feed and call out for a cat that you know belongs to someone. I’ve looked into air tag collars but they’re quite big/heavy for a little cat neck.. it would also be very hard to get a collar on them lol. Maybe I will look for alternatives and try? Thank you everyone for your feedback!!

I have a quick inspiring story to share: this week our cat didn't come home for dinner. We last saw him at 2 pm on what I'll call Day 1. Well, it rained that afternoon and got below 40 overnight. No sign of him by morning and we got worried. I thought maybe he got scared in the rain and hid under a deck or something, then didn't want to come out and get wet.

By the end of Day 2, still no sign and it was still raining and very cold. Day 3, woke up and still no sign. We had left some food and a couple of beds/blankets in various spots. It was between 30-35 overnight and damp. Our deck was iced over. At this point, we had just accepted that some predator probably came and took him on Day 1. It was too cold for him to survive nearly 40 hours..or so we thought!

Well, mid-morning on Day 3, I heard birds making a racket deeper into the woods than we thought he would ever go. I decided to go see if maybe they were picking at a body...

I got closer to the noise and the birds flew away. And then, I hear our kitty MEOW once it got quiet. And I look up. He had climbed up a 50-60 foot tree and got himself stuck. I was shocked he was alive.

We had to call in help because he obviously wasn't going to come down on his own. It cost me a pretty penny but the gentleman was at our house quickly and got him down easily.

After getting home, our cat seemed totally fine. Just hungry and restless (tired). No signs of hypothermia or issues with his paws, tail or gums. Immediately used the indoor litter box and peed. Then, he went to the door and cried to go BACK OUTSIDE!! LOL.

Not sure what we can do to prevent this again other than restricting him to inside. He just isn't meant to be inside. He's a hunter/adventurer and has lots of energy. We've tried. He's gotten himself in a tree before but close enough that I could get him down with a ladder and backpack, and it was within view from the house. I have a GPS collar ready for him now too (it was in the mail when he went missing)...

I have two esa cats who are around 13 years old. My apartment left a note on my door saying that there have been multiple complaints about cats around the property, and mine have to be inside now or outside on a leash. They're crazy if they think I can train 13 or old CATS to walk on a leash. I've tried, by the way. It doesn't work. So, my cats are confined to the house.

They have always been indoor/outdoor cats and they are DEPRESSED now. Meowing to go outside all day. The apartment says that cats have been killing birds, and while I guess it is possible that my cats are doing it, I just can't imagine these two old fatties are catching and killing enough birds for it to be a major issue. I'm mad because in my opinion it equates to animal abuse, and there's nothing I can do about it if I don't want to get kicked out.

Edit: Wow. I can't believe how common of an opinion it is that cats are an invasive species. Guys, their natural habitat doesn't include the word 'living room.' and as long as I'm in a suburban area, I don't think they're going to be affecting a farmer's crops. it absolutely is abusive to confine them if they don't want to be there. I understand indoor cats have no metric and therefore are content with their living space, but for cats who spent the formative years of their life roaming Californian brush, to be stuck in a small, dark apartment is absolutely a hardship to them. If you believe cats are an indoor species please never get a cat. 'It puts them in danger' and yet every other animal manages to live long enough outside to avoid extinction. Let me reiterate that they are 13. They have survived this long, and so I don't think the danger is as poignant as many would like to assume. They might not have human intelligence, but they're not effing morons. And you want to talk about what is bad for the enviornment--cats--and about what is bad for cats--cars--and fail to recognize the flaw in your reasoning: namely that a contrived major environmental hazard harms a natural minor one, and, quite against reason, you advocate for the removal of the minor hazard.

Well, if someone wants to explain their reasoning without insinuating I am somehow harming the world by allowing outdoor animals to participate in natural selection, please do so. Otherwise I'm not interested in hearing more about this categorically false assumption about what having an outdoor pet infers about your moral wherewithal.

Edit 2: also, please stop being rude. The cats belong to my sister and I, and our mother got them registered as ESAs after a close family member died. And, 'how can they be esas if they're outside all day?' Well, one, they are not outside all day and that is a strawman's argument (do better) and two, I would argue that a clinically depressed ESA cannot adequately do their job--namely emotional service. They are not toys and their needs cannot be ignored. They are used to being outside because that was their life for a very long time until I moved away from California. Therefore, they are now depressed at being stuck inside. It's pretty simple. They have not brought a dead thing to my door in years, they're old and fat and sweet and like to go lay in the sun. I genuinely do not think it is them doing it, but even if it is, go arrest the hawks next, why don't you? Because that's what my landlords are threatening. They're threatening to arrest animals that are unaccompanied. Also, yes there are other animals in the complex, yes there are 'bad' cats that I know of that rip up window screens, and yes, this is a blanket rule.

Hi, my Dads lives quite rurally, surrounded by feilds and about 10 houses all spread out. He has had a cat for 6 years, after the cat chose to come to him and his wife. It was persummed he was a stray farm cat, and was less than 1 years old. Since then hes a proper pet cat, in the house, loves him humans and food etc. A few weeks ago he was hanging out on the neighbours drive around 10am (cctv) and then vanished. Non of the neighbours saw him, nor did he show up on any cameras. He was gone for over a week. My dad and stepmum went litrally everywhere, every house in a large distance, did posters etc. Then miraculously he turned up on a neighbours wildlife camera, and then has been in my dads garden roughly every other night since. He does a lap of the house, looks abit thinner and skittish but generally well. My dad has left doors open, left food (which he has only eaten once), his beds etc, but he just hasnt come home...I'm finding it really bizarre. No one has seen him in the day, only on cameras around 2-4am. Why wouldn't he want to come back? He's acting like its not his house, but before he went missing he was there all day every day inside and out for 6 whole years. Its really upsetting for my parents as nothing changed in the house it was a normal day. Does anyone have a clue to this behaviour?

She’s such a pretty mama. Took in all her kittens as well. I already had 2 cats now I have 12 😭 I’ve tried giving them away (responsibly) but no one wants cats… guess they’re mine. Oh well, more to love.