Converting outdoor or indoor-outdoor cats to full indoor living improves their safety and longevity but requires careful management to meet their behavioral needs.
The transition from outdoor to indoor living represents a significant welfare trade-off: reducing external mortality risks while risking indoor behavioral welfare problems from unmet needs. The key is substituting outdoor stimulation with indoor equivalents rather than simply removing opportunities. Cats that previously roamed need: multiple vertical platforms to reach high vantage points, window perches with bird feeders outside for visual stimulation, interactive play sessions of 15-20 minutes twice daily using wand toys that mimic prey movement, puzzle feeders that replace the cognitive engagement of hunting, and where possible, a catio — an enclosed outdoor space that provides fresh air and stimulation while preventing roaming. The transition is gradual: limiting outdoor time progressively while enriching indoors, rather than abrupt confinement.