How to Train Cats to Stay Indoors

The best place for a house cat is in your house. Yes, litter boxes are a pain, but they're nothing compared to the pain of losing a beloved family pet when it is hit by a passing car or killed by a stray dog.

If you start training your cat as soon as you bring it home, and it has never been outdoors before, training is easy!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Invest in screens!
   
   A cat will learn to stay indoors, but not if doors and windows are frequently left open for more than a few minutes at a time.
   
   You will need to screen your windows and your doors if you want to leave them open for regular fresh air.

2. Reprimand the cat any time he goes near an open door.
   
   The best way to teach a cat to stay in the house is to teach him to stay away from open doors while you are unloading groceries or other similar "open door" times in life. A sharp "hissing" noise will be naturally unpleasant to the cat and he will streak away from the open door he is cautiously approaching.
   
   This caution is natural - the cat is in territory he knows and claims and sneaking up toward territory he does not know and does not claim.

3. Reward the cat for moving away from doors.
   
   A cat treat or petting are both good positive reinforcement when the door is standing open and the cat is choosing not to investigate it.

Tips & Warnings

• Any time the door is open for any reason, there should be one family member designated as "cat trainer" to keep an eye on the cat and reprimand or reward as necessary.
• Make sure all family members are on board and understand both the goal and the training methods you'll be using. Confusing the cat is bad!