Question:
We have two outdoor cats who play and sleep around the house, but also wander into a couple of neighboring properties on either side, and one semi-indoor cat; they're all 3 to 4 years old.We will be moving in one month's time, and wondered if there was a good method to get the cats to adjust to their new area and house. Is it possible that they will try to find their way back to the old house?.
A.S., Miami, FL Jan 25, 2004
Answer:
If you don't make the cats indoor cats or build an outdoor cat enclosure, one or more of the cats may well disappear from your new home and try to get back to their previous home and territory.There is increasing opposition in Florida and other states to people not making their cats indoor pets, and allowing them to come and go as they wish. This is because free-roaming cats kill many wildlife species, some of which are threatened with extinction. Outdoor cats can also spread diseases like rabies, ringworm and plague, and contract often-fatal diseases like feline immunodeficiency disease and feline leukemia.So I urge you to practice "tough love" with your three cats. Ideally, you should have a screened-in porch with a thick tree branch and other items to make a cat habitat, in which they can enjoy themselves but never leave the house. The other option is to have a fenced-in yard from which they cannot escape.
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