How to Stop a Cat From Wanting to Go Outside

Most cat owners wonder how to stop a cat from wanting to go outside, and in this article, as an experienced cat owner, I will outline ways you can achieve this.

In this article you will also learn why your cat wants to go outside, and things you should be doing to control your cat from wanting to go outside.

It’s a big challenge to keep a cat indoors, this is because cats are great hunters and they love hunting adventures.

There are many reasons why cats may want to go outside, and if you can address these issues, you can stop your cat from wanting to go outside.

How to Stop a Cat from Wanting to Go Outside

Here are some of the common ways how to stop a cat from wanting to go outside:

Maintain a daily routine for your cat

Maintaining a consistent daily schedule might help your cat quit wanting to go outside by giving him something to do at all times.

Giving your cat high-quality food and time will divert his or her attention away from the need to go outdoors.

This will benefit you since you will be relieved that your cat is secure from the risks associated with going outside.

Allowing your cat outside may cause a slew of issues, so we’ll go through a few of them below.

Provide your cat with a variety of activities to keep him occupied

Cats are inquisitive pets who are always wondering about what’s going on in their surroundings, and you may take advantage of this tendency.

Providing your cat with nice cat TV shows or cat cartoon flicks is the greatest method to keep him entertained.

A cat can watch a cat on TV for several hours and stay entertained and happy.

Some cats may even try to imitate the behavior of the cat in the movie; in fact, most cats will jump up and down, believing the cat on TV is real.

This approach works best if you can sit with your cat and stroke your palm from the top of its head to the bottom of its tail, making them feel calm while they watch TV.

It’s also worth noting that educating your cat to sit and watch TV from the moment you get him can save you a lot of stress by keeping him occupied.

There are a plethora of cat videos and even talking cat cartoon movies available to keep your cat occupied and away from the outside world, assuming you can train your cat to sit and watch them.

Learn more about entertaining a bored cat.

Make time for playing with your cat

Providing quality playtime for you and your cat will lessen your cat’s desire to venture out into the world.

Cats are one of the pets that constantly want to play with their owners, and you may take advantage of this.

The thug of war or fetch game is a fantastic way to keep your cat occupied all day and keep them from trying to leave the property.

Playing mind games and concealing goodies in a secret area of the home are other effective ways to keep your cat inside.

Because your cat will be sitting and waiting for the treat to fall out all day, using an automated treat time dispenser will deter your cat from wanting to go outside.

You can immediately begin your cat’s favorite activity to divert him from wanting to go outdoors when you realize he wants to go outside.

Only reward your cat for desired behaviors

Cats enjoy being pampered, and rewarding them will strengthen your relationship with your cat.

Cats are intelligent pets that can tell when they’ve done something wrong and when they’ve done something good.

Make time to praise your cat whenever they accomplish anything well.

This will motivate them to stay on course in order to be rewarded.

If your cat wants to go outdoors and you call it, and it comes or answers the call, make sure you praise the cat for such behavior.

This will encourage them to come when you call them the next time.

As a result, you may use the incentive method to consistently stop your cat from going outside.

Keep your cat’s litter box clean

When properly taught, cats are among the cleanest pets one can have.

Cat doesn’t want to use a dirty litter box, and it might lead them to want to go where they believe it is better.

Since you chose to keep a cat as a pet, it is your job to care for them, feed them, clean up, care, and much more.

The litter box should be examined on a regular basis, and by doing so, you may predict when your cat is attempting to become ill and contact the veterinarian.

Regular clean water in the water, as well as high-quality food, may be used to care for the cat.

As a result, providing complete care for your cat decreases the likelihood of your cat wishing to go outside.

You should consider spaying or neutering your cat

This is the primary reason your cat wants to be outside.

As long as your cat is healthy, it is suggested that you spay or neuter them between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks.

When a female cat is not spayed or neutered, she will frequently go into the season, and no amount of effort to keep her from going outside will help unless you lock her up.

A cat in heat is restless and will move from one location to another in search of an escape route.

If you try to obstruct the cat’s path, it may attack you if you aren’t careful.

Every cat that hasn’t been spayed or neutered goes through this period, and some cat owners who don’t want to spay can obtain a male cat instead.

You must be willing to accept fresh kittens and eventually transform into a breeder who will constantly have kittens around if you buy a second cat.

Some cat owners will have one neutered and the other left alone, but history has shown that this will almost always result in a battle between the two cats.

One of the reasons a cat might leave the house for a few days is mating.

As a result, it is critical to spay or neuter your cat in order to avoid having to hunt for it.

A male cat can travel a long distance in quest of a female cat, according to experience.

As a result, spaying or neutering a cat will prevent it from desiring to go outside.

Make your house cat-proof

This is simply a method of preventing your cat from going outdoors, and it may or may not belong on this list, but I assure you that your cat wants to go outside because it sees a route out.

When you leave the house, do not try to linger at the door to say goodbye to your cat, since this will increase the likelihood that your cat will want to go outdoors.

Shut off all possible escape routes for a cat. When you detect your cat attempting to leave the house, lock the door quickly and begin distracting maneuvers.

When a cat sees a route outside, it will constantly want to get out.

Expose your cat to the outside world

This may sound strange, but most of the time in life, you enable individuals to obtain what they want in order to provide for checks and balances.

If your cat wants to go outside, regardless of the problems that come with permitting them to go outside, purchase a decent tracker and let them go, and walk them outside.

Cats are sensitive to their surroundings and make their own decisions, so once you’ve done everything you can for the cat, simply let it go.

The cat will now realize that remaining at home is preferable to going out on its own.

You may also take your cat to noisy locations because cats do not fare well in noisy environments.

This will alter your cat’s perception of the outside world and diminish their need to want to go outside

Create a cat-friendly environment

A cat environment is one in which the cat has all he or she requires to feel at ease.

As a result, the environment you provide for your cat is critical.

Cats are territorial animals who like to feel in charge of their surroundings at all times.

Creating a healthy cat habitat gives your cat a sense of control and lowers the need to go outside.

If you have a basement, you may use it as a cat territory while keeping it functional.

Cats like taking sleep in the afternoon in a calm, quiet place.

By offering cat trees or shelves for an afternoon sleep, you may transform a portion of your basement or garage into a cat domain that is entirely for your cat.

While it’s noisy or hot outside, or even when you’re not home, your cat will seek safety in your basement if you provide this cat tree or shelves.

Once your cat has been accustomed to your basement’s cat-friendly atmosphere, you have lowered the likelihood that your cat will desire to go outside.

Alternate entrances and exits should be made available

To discourage your cat from wanting to go outside, you might give another exit door. It’s the equivalent of having two escape doors in one structure.

If your cat is always hanging out the front door, waiting for someone to open it by accident, try a different exit.

Instead of entering and exiting through the front door, use the back door or the garage door.

Another fantastic alternative is to depart and enter through the lounge area’s doorway.

Close the first door securely behind you once you’ve passed through it, and make sure your cat doesn’t follow you.

You’ll observe and be able to bring your cat back inside when he passes through the first door before departing the second door, which truly leads out.

Move your cat to a different room until the celebration is done when visitors come.

This way, when people come in via the main entrance to jump, your cat won’t be there.

Get your cat some fun and interactive toys

Getting nice play toys may keep your cat occupied for several hours, which is an efficient strategy to deter your cat from wanting to go outside.

Every cat owner has toys, but the question is: what kind of toy do you have, and is your toy effective enough to keep your cat from wanting to go outside?

If you’re looking for a strategy to keep your cat from going outside, you should consider purchasing a moving toy or interactive toy.

Cats are inquisitive pets that may pursue a moving toy for hours until they become exhausted.

This will help to divert their attention away from the want to go outside.

While you are away, a dancing or moving rat toy might keep your cat occupied.

Some toys should be set aside for the sole aim of keeping your cat from going outside.

This collection of toys should not be put near an exit door, but rather near your cat’s bed, so that when they’re tired, they can easily sleep it off.

Installing a cat tree and cat shelves is an excellent method to keep a cat from wanting to go outside.

Some cats are natural climbers and might spend hours going up and down a cat tree; however, most cats regard this as a form of exercise.

If you purchase a nice cat tree with multiple top parts, your cat will love to investigate all of them at once, which will surely divert the cat.

Cat nails get old and wear out, and as a result, most cats will want to go outside to scratch these dead nails off so that new ones may develop.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you want to stop your cat from wanting to go outside, there are several steps you can take.

From providing plenty of playtime and stimulation indoors to creating a cat-friendly outdoor space, there are ways to keep your feline friend happy and safe inside.

Remember, with patience and persistence, you can help your cat adjust to an indoor lifestyle and enjoy a long and healthy life together.

So, start taking the necessary steps today and see the difference in your cat’s behavior!