What should I do with my cat who keeps wanting to go outside?
I adopted a cat who is used to going outside and I let him go outside and he will come back in a couple of hours to eat. That is ok for me. However, I have a dog and another cat that stays inside and my outside cat brings in tons of fleas. The fleas affected all of my other animals and I don’t know what to do. I know how to get rid of the fleas, and I did put the nets on the windows back up. However now when I see my outside cat looking through the net, it breaks my heart because he looks so sad that he can’t go outside. He partially used to live outside and then come back and sleep in the house. I don’t know what to do. Should I let him go, or should I just teach him to stay at home? Is there a spray or something you can buy and put it on him so when he goes out the fleas’ aren’t attacking him and he doesn’t bring in fleas? I don’t think the cat leashes work? PLEASE HELP :(
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9 Answers
You can choose between applying Frontline to the outdoor cat once every thirty days or keeping him inside.
Use a flea meds like Advantage or Frontline.
You can also try stimulating your cats instincts with different types of play. Provide vertical space so that kitty can climb and survey it’s domain. Provide a window seat where kitty can sit in front of a an open window and get fresh air.
Cats have an instinct to go outside so it will be tough to keep him in (especially if he’s used to roaming). The recommended medications above are good. I would highly advise staying away from Hartz because it made my cat really sick and I think they’re a bad company in terms of animal testing. Don’t be cheap with proper medication / flea poison.
If you like having the cat, don’t get rid of him. You might also try to get a shoe lace and play with him when he wants to go outside. My cat often cries at the door and is just bored. So engaging him will benefit you both and solve your flea problem!
Indoor cats lead longer, safer lives. That having been said, I gave up trying to keep my cat from going out; he was just too persistent, so I buy Frontline+ from amazon.com. Better prices than 1–800-PetMeds.
You know something… I had cats that were outdoor cats for years, and when we moved, they weren’t able to be outside anymore. Sure they looked sad for a while, and they tried to escape, but after a very short couple of weeks, they were just fine being indoor cats.
Just remember that you know more than the cat does about the dangers of being outside, and you are the boss (sorry Milo).
They have cat outdoor playpens available now. They come in several shapes and sizes from different manufacturers. Maybe one of them would work for you. You cat(s) could enjoy being outside and you can treat the play area so there are no pests.
If you dont live around a ton of traffic and have a yard, think about going out with him.
I sat a deaf cat for months and gave her guided play time outside. She was a maniac til then.She then settled into a kinder, gentler animal.
My indoor-outdoor cat lived 18 years, I let her sniff flowers and sit in the sun. and catch things if she wanted. She never wandered far.
Both my cats are in & out at their leisure, I use front – line flea drops to keep them little critters off my cats, most pet stores will stock it & it’s easy to apply.
Personally I think it unfair to keep a cat inside but it’s your cat, I live in a busy residential area & there are many family owned cats that’s wonder about the area, mine take their chances outside just as the rest do..
Good luck with the fleas.. ;-)
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