Encouraging a new outdoor cat to stay home

[Gallinarium]

I'm getting a cat who is currently stray this Sunday. They think she was born in the fall. She's going to have an insulated cat house, but is going to be in the garage with said insulated cat house for the first few weeks. I'm going to immediately set up a feeding routine, and start letting her out a bit a little bit before mealtimes. Any other tips on encouraging her not to run off the moment she sees daylight?

 

[sourland]

Your plan should work; although, to some degree all animals have a homing instinct. Good luck with her.

 

[Mvan42]

I agree. If a couple week in doesn't help jeep her in a few more. She is young and once she learns that you are feeding her regularly she should stay. My in laws have been feeding a stray for years. He always comes back. But he is older and there is no way to tame him. He allows you to be with a few feet of him now. When at first he would run at the sight of anyone.

 

[SophiaSussex]

I have a stray barn cat that we took in. She started out living in the brush that borders our pasture. Every day i brought her food and water, slowly she started following me back to the barn where i kept her food. She now loves spending the night in the barn mousing and even comes to the house to get love and food during the day. Don't get alarmed if it flees for a day or 2. They will always come back for food and safety

 

[NatJ]

She's going to have an insulated cat house, but is going to be in the garage with said insulated cat house for the first few weeks. I'm going to immediately set up a feeding routine, and start letting her out a bit a little bit before mealtimes.

I don't quite understand the timing here.

Are you planning keep her in the garage all the time for a few weeks, and THEN start letting her out for short times?
That would probably work well.

Or do you plan to start letting her out on the first day?
That would not work well, because she would probably run away the first day and stay gone. (She would be thinking of the garage as a scary cage, not yet home.)

 

[Gallinarium]

I don't quite understand the timing here.

Are you planning keep her in the garage all the time for a few weeks, and THEN start letting her out for short times?
That would probably work well.

Or do you plan to start letting her out on the first day?
That would not work well, because she would probably run away the first day and stay gone. (She would be thinking of the garage as a scary cage, not yet home.)

Yes, it would NOT be a good idea to immediately just release her outside. She will be a garage cat full-time for two-three weeks. Then after the initial period I'll start letting her out a bit.
I was thinking maybe I could also ring a bell or something just before feeding too? So if she hears it when outside she knows it's mealtime?

 

[RiverOtter]

Keep her in for at least 3 weeks. Feed a bit before sunset, and YES, use a bell or a call or shake some kibble in a plastic cup before you feed her.

If you feed before sunset, she'll start looking to come home when it's getting dark, and keeping her locked in at night not only keeps her safe, but if you keep her in until 2 hours after sunrise, she'll not even bother to hunt birds. Unless someone has a really low bird bath or feeder, cats can only really get the jump on birds when it's early and they're still sluggish and chilled.
Source; I have umpteen cats and the only bird kills I've had in over 10 years was the pair of starlings who were fool enough to nest in a knothole in the barn, one foot above where the nice, fat wood fence attached to it. Kitty didn't even have to jump, they basically flew right into her mouth.

Let her out the first time a half hour before dinner. Then an hour, then 2, etc.
Also, it sounds weird, but 12th century wisdom was that before you let a new cat out for the first time, butter it's paws.
Which sounds silly and witchy, but actually works great, because then they sit in the doorway and clean a lovely, tasty treat off their paws, and so their first step outside is to relax, look around and wash instead of taking off.

 

[Gallinarium]

Keep her in for at least 3 weeks. Feed a bit before sunset, and YES, use a bell or a call or shake some kibble in a plastic cup before you feed her.

If you feed before sunset, she'll start looking to come home when it's getting dark, and keeping her locked in at night not only keeps her safe, but if you keep her in until 2 hours after sunrise, she'll not even bother to hunt birds. Unless someone has a really low bird bath or feeder, cats can only really get the jump on birds when it's early and they're still sluggish and chilled.
Source; I have umpteen cats and the only bird kills I've had in over 10 years was the pair of starlings who were fool enough to nest in a knothole in the barn, one foot above where the nice, fat wood fence attached to it. Kitty didn't even have to jump, they basically flew right into her mouth.

Let her out the first time a half hour before dinner. Then an hour, then 2, etc.
Also, it sounds weird, but 12th century wisdom was that before you let a new cat out for the first time, butter it's paws.
Which sounds silly and witchy, but actually works great, because then they sit in the doorway and clean a lovely, tasty treat off their paws, and so their first step outside is to relax, look around and wash instead of taking off.

That last piece of advice is... interesting. But I'm definitely going to try it!
Thanks for the thorough answer.

 

[RiverOtter]

That last piece of advice is... interesting. But I'm definitely going to try it!
Thanks for the thorough answer.

It's a bit of trivia that I heard and loved, and tried as soon as I had the chance. LOL, and it worked a charm, that cat never wandered!

 

[Gallinarium]

Just an update to those who want it: I now have a cat. She's ridiculously friendly, as the people I got her from have been playing with her since kittenhood. She loves tummy rubs, and is settling in great.