I have a SERIOUS cat problem. Please help!
 

One of my barn cats has been following me back to my house from the barn for a couple months. He pretty much has taken residence on my front deck. I feed him every day and he's pretty spoiled.

However, for the past week or so he has been making an extra special attempt to come inside my house. He has always been an outdoors cat and I want to let him in but I'm scared that he'll shred my furniture. I don't want to get him de-clawed because if and when he goes outside he'll get his ass kicked by other cats.

He sits outside making noise and when I come out he rushes to me. He's a great cat and I would love to let him inside. Any suggestions other than removing his claws? Also, is it hard to train a cat that has lived his entire life (roughly 2 years) outside to use a litter box?

Don´t really know to much about cats, more of a dog person, but i guess you could get him some type of toy... :upsidedow

cat is a clean animal. You just have to be strict from the beginning. But you can also let him outside all day and let him in at nite. Not much litter box. Or make a box from him outside, like that he feel cozy and maybe don't need to get inside as much. Just to visit you, but no sleep inside.......

its easy to train them to use a litter box, just show the cat where it is and they will use it lol

EZ to teach a cat to use the litter box. they pick it up in a day or so. The simplest way to keep them from scratching the furnature is double sided tape. Put it where ever he wants to scratch, and he'll learn pretty quick. Plus get a couple scratching posts.

yes it is...........now let the poor putty tat inside already :thumbsup

Yeah cat will use the litter box no problem - your main trick is to teach it not to scratch at your furniture... my guess is he's so used to scratchin outside he will continue that behavior and leave your furniture alone - if not as soon as you see him try - move him to a scratch post - they catch on quick

Is it a male or female? Watch out if it is a female that it doesn't spray in your house if she isn't fixed. I wouldn't declaw the cat since it is primarily an outdoor cat and you are not sure is the cat will even like being indoors. My suggestion is to maybe clear out a room in your house and try the cat in the room. When you bring a cat in a house for the first time it frightens them since it is so big and different. Try the cat with some scratching posts. Both of my cats have claws and though it is kind of hard to get them to learn to stop scratching furniture, they eventually do. Declawing a cat is pretty inhumane. I declawed a cat I had years ago and it was sad when he was trying to adjust not having claws. Plus, if they don't have claws you have to make sure they don't slip out or they will get their ass kicked by another cat.

very simple to train a cat to use a litter box. Just set him down in it and rub his front and back paws in the litter. You might have to do this a couple times, but all three of my cats picked it up first go.

Re the clawing, if you get little scratching posts and sprinkle them with catnip they'd much prefer scratching that than your furniture.

Cats are the easiest animals in the world to take care of.

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...ratching+posts

chances are if he's an older car he wont scratch much.. get a scratching post or two & teach him/her that this is the place to scratch cats are awesome.. when they're old they get lazy & lay around all day

Yeah the double sided tape pisses them off. :1orglaugh

I would keep the cat as an indoor/outdoor cat. Let it out when it wants, keep the claws. Keep a litter box inside and keep the cat inside at night. If you can keep the cat indoors all the time that way you don't have to worry about other animals/cars/ticks and fleas.

Shouldn't be an issue, really. Provide him a couple of catnip-laced scratching posts and love him lots and he should be fine.

He'll spray, and once he starts, there's no stopping him. There's also no getting the smell out.

He is fixed and I'm sure that's a plus. Do cats still spray if they're fixed?

Don't think there is much you can do

No they don't spray if they're fixed.
Also I'm guessing if he's fixed he hasn't been an outdoor cat his entire life so housebreaking him might not be that big of a deal.

For the clawing issues we use soft paws. They're plastic covers that you glue onto their claws, so when they claw at things it doesn't do any damage.
However if you're going to let it back outside it will have some self-defense issues.

Best way to discipline a cat is with a spray bottle of water. If they start clawing at something they shouldn't you spray them a couple of times. Stay on them and be really strict about it at first and they'll learn and it won't be an issue.

I've always been told that when you fix cats, it prevents them from spraying.