# In or out?



## Splatter777 (Aug 7, 2021)

Hi there, I need some advice on what to do with our feral cat while we’re away for 10 days. He’s used to coming indoors every day like clockwork and being let out at night. He has spent the night indoors before but rarely. In the past for shorter trips I’ve left food outside for him but it was obviously disturbed and tipped apart (gravity feeder) by another critter and hard to tell if he even got any. We’ve thought about trying to train him before we leave by not letting him out at night and building up the number of days/nights he’s inside, but I have a feeling this won’t be easy. We live in the country where there are predators spotted from time to time; however he managed to survive for at least a year before he warmed up to us and we began caring for him. I’m concerned that if we leave him inside that he will try to break out of an open window and I’d prefer to leave at least one open so that they (we also have an indoor cat) can sit by it and look out. I’m open to suggestions 😊


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## MistWolf (Mar 30, 2005)

Cats live longer, more comfortable lives indoors.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Hi Splatt. Even if you have the time before your trip to train your outdoor cat to stay indoors, which may be a good idea either permanently or in preparation for your trip, my concern is leaving both cats in the same space for 10 days when you don't know how they'd interact together without you there. Would it be possible to keep the cats in separate areas of your house while your gone with enough room for each of them? And do you have somebody to come over and feed, water, clean litter boxes, and play for a while each day?


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## Splatter777 (Aug 7, 2021)

Hi Mist, they get along well already. The feral (Trouble) is super chill and the house is big enough for them to have their own space. They have separate litter boxes and separate feeders water bowls.

We are making it available for friends to stay here while we’re gone but not sure if they’ll take us up on the offer yet. We also have neighbors who can check on them.

my only concern is that Trouble has never been inside that long before. We left him inside for a 3-day trip and he did fine—but never for 10 days.


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## Splatter777 (Aug 7, 2021)

Miscellaneous, thanks for what you said. My response was to you (not Mist). 

So far, our feral (Trouble) has stayed in one night at a time. But he actually seems to be settling down a little more now and staying in more through the day even when he stays in at night, whereas in the beginning, he wanted to go out during the day if he stayed in all night.


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