How do we make our cat content with being indoors and how do we keep her from crying constantly to go out?

We've had our 1-year-old fully declawed Siamese for about three months. (We received Min free from a family who could no longer keep her.) She has been intensely interested in the great outdoors, trying to get out whenever the door opens. So I bought a harness and leash and we have taken her around the yard this weekend. The problem is that now she has a deep fascination with our yard and spends hours! yes, I'm not exaggerating! crying to go outside. She has lots of toys and my 13-year-old son who is devoted to her and who she loves, but that's not enough. Everybody in the household is at wit's end. Do I try to stake her when I'm working in the yard, or would it be better to restrict her outdoor time (or eliminate it all together)? Do I buy a Kittywalk lawn enclosure? I can almost predict that she will not be happy in a 10-foot long run. I'm fearing that spring and summer, when my son and I are out a lot will be hell. My husband, who adores Min as much as I do, shocked me today by saying maybe we should consider finding her another home. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks much. Marilyn P.S. Our yard is unfenced and borders a creek.

RESPONSE:

Marilyn:

What a beautiful little girl! You are so lucky to have been blessed with such a wonderful companion! Since she has been declawed, we are assuming she has also been spayed. If not, get it done ASAP or her sexual urges will insure that her current behavior continues.
That being said, we couldn't help but laugh when we first read your issue with Min because we have been there - are there! and had just made the comment the other day that at least our "cryer" isn't a Siamese! You CAN get her past this but it will take some effort and patience on everyone's part!
Siamese are very social cats which makes them wonderful companions. However, they can also be very stubborn and are notorious about being very vocal too! And, they are quite intelligent. Like most cats, they are also persistent when it comes to something they want! All of these traits make Siamese cats both a joy and a trial to have around! With a bit of effort and some behavior modification techniques on your part, you can return her back to being on the more joyful side again!

Don't let her go out! She has had a taste of the freedom and excitement of the outdoors and immediately became fixated on going out again. The more she goes out, the more she will be dissatisfied with staying indoors.
The other side of this coin is that she will also want to go outdoors just because you won't let her! For a while anyway, she will be like an obstinate child looking to defy your authority over her!

Additionally, she may be missing her old family and her desire to go out is really a desire to return to them. It can be next to impossible sometimes to understand a cat's true motivation behind a specific behavior, but the modification techniques we suggest should help regardless.

We recommend using Bach Flower Essences to help with any type of behavior modification with cats. Rescue Remedy drops and spray would probably work best with Min in this situation. Honeysuckle Essence may also be beneficial and it won't hurt to use both.

Put some in her water dish, add some to her food, spray some around the door she wants to go out of, and rub some on her head at least 4 times a day if possible. (Click the link on the left to read more about using Bach Flower Essences with cats.) When she starts crying incessantly to go out, pick her up, move away from the door while talking nicely to her, and rub some Rescue Remedy drops on her. You can use it repeatedly without harming her. (Don't use the cream or pastilles on pets!)

Keep a squirt bottle filled with water by the door. When you are going out and she is trying to go out too, give her a little squirt and a sharp "NO". Don't squirt her in the face. The goal is to make it uncomfortable for her to try to dash out. Everyone will need to pay attention and prevent her from bolting out the door.

When coming in, crack the door, stick your foot through and stomp the floor saying "NO" repeatedly while slowly opening the door and coming through. If necessary, grab the water bottle and squirt her away from the door. Don't greet her until the door is closed and you are fully in the room. In other words, no friendly, positive attention (which she craves) near the door. If you need to leave the door open for any reason, lock her in another room. An open door is just an invitation for her to go out!

You may also, on occasion, need to say "NO!" and squirt her when she get really persistent about crying at the door. Once she moves away from the door and stops crying to go out, lavish some positive love and attention on her. Again, the goal is to make being inside more enjoyable than crying to go outside.

Be sure she gets enough interactive play time. Play with her for several minutes frequently throughout the day, especially before bed. Hide some treat balls around the house (no where near the door!) for her to hunt and find. Siamese are very active cats and she needs to be able to burn off all that energy in a more positive way than crying at the door all day.

If you can, you may want to consider getting a kitten companion for her. (We can just see your husband rolling his eyes going "Oh no! Not another one!", while your son is jumping up and down going "Can we mom! Can we!".) Because Siamese are such active, social cats, they often do better when they have a companion cat to play with.

She will be unhappy and may even pout for awhile as she realizes she is not going to be allowed to go outside. It may take a few weeks but she will get better about it. She will probably always feel a desire to go outside. It is important that you don't get angry with her. She won't understand why you are so upset. After all, from her point of view, there is lots of exciting stuff to explore out there. She doesn't recognize the danger.

Be patient with her and consistent with using the behavior modification techniques. It is vital you don't let her wear you down and get her way. Because she can be a lot more persistent than we mere humans could ever hope to be, Min will be counting on you to just give up, give in, and let her have her way. If you remain steadfast, she will eventually realize she is not going outdoors.

Just give Min some time. At a year old, she is still an adolescent with lots of curiosity and unbounded energy. Be strong and don't give up - it WILL get better!

Let us know how it goes!

Donna
The House Full Cats Mom