Have you tried different litter or litter boxes? Litter should have no added fragrance. Texture can matter too - some cats prefer the pine pellets, some like clumping. Also, litter box size/shape can matter too. Is he a big cat that maybe just needs a larger box? Corner box instead of rectangle? Or more privacy? You said he's territorial - do you have other cats that he has to share a box with?
I have no qualms about outdoor cats (I know some people are adamantly against it). I have one myself - she was a rescued kitten from a feral colony, and so prefers outdoors. She sleeps in the garage at night during winter, and on my screened in porch on summer nights. I had another outdoor cat and he up and disappeared one day in January and totally broke my heart. I have no idea what happened to him. Point being - know that outdoor cats are not safe, and you run the risk of losing them, so prepare yourself. But I do agree with you that an outdoor life of freedom, however risky, is better than being locked in a bedroom alone for most of his life.
The 6ft fence may help keep some danger away from the yard, but won't necessarily keep him in (and if he does go over the fence, he's looking at extra work to get back over the fence to safety if he's being chased). Hopefully he is not declawed?
An outdoor cat enclosure is a good option to give him some more interest to his day than in a bedroom. As far as chicken wire vs HWC, keep in mind he'll probably try to climb up the walls, so the structure needs to be pretty strong, even if he's only out during the day.
The rule for acclimating a barn cat to a new home is to keep them enclosed in the barn or other structure for 4-5 weeks before turning them loose, so they have time to learn the sounds/smells of their new home. I would plan for at least that for your cat to acclimate to being outside.
Also, outdoor cats need flea/tick preventative and worm meds regularly. Not something you necessarily have to worry about with an indoor cat.
I love that you are trying to give him a better life. So often people just dump their cat on a dirt road or have it put down (or surrender to a shelter who will have to put it down since a cat that pees inside is not adoptable). So thanks for doing the right thing for him! Hope it works out!
I have no qualms about outdoor cats (I know some people are adamantly against it). I have one myself - she was a rescued kitten from a feral colony, and so prefers outdoors. She sleeps in the garage at night during winter, and on my screened in porch on summer nights. I had another outdoor cat and he up and disappeared one day in January and totally broke my heart. I have no idea what happened to him. Point being - know that outdoor cats are not safe, and you run the risk of losing them, so prepare yourself. But I do agree with you that an outdoor life of freedom, however risky, is better than being locked in a bedroom alone for most of his life.
The 6ft fence may help keep some danger away from the yard, but won't necessarily keep him in (and if he does go over the fence, he's looking at extra work to get back over the fence to safety if he's being chased). Hopefully he is not declawed?
An outdoor cat enclosure is a good option to give him some more interest to his day than in a bedroom. As far as chicken wire vs HWC, keep in mind he'll probably try to climb up the walls, so the structure needs to be pretty strong, even if he's only out during the day.
The rule for acclimating a barn cat to a new home is to keep them enclosed in the barn or other structure for 4-5 weeks before turning them loose, so they have time to learn the sounds/smells of their new home. I would plan for at least that for your cat to acclimate to being outside.
Also, outdoor cats need flea/tick preventative and worm meds regularly. Not something you necessarily have to worry about with an indoor cat.
I love that you are trying to give him a better life. So often people just dump their cat on a dirt road or have it put down (or surrender to a shelter who will have to put it down since a cat that pees inside is not adoptable). So thanks for doing the right thing for him! Hope it works out!
