After some unexpected complications in my life, I had to move my cat from the home where he had grown up—where he knew all the local cats, the best hiding spots, the safest trees, and the windows he could climb through in case of danger—to a completely unfamiliar place, far away from everything he knew.
I consulted several cat behaviourists, and they all assured me that a cat could successfully transition to an indoor life if necessary. They argued that keeping him inside was safer than risking him getting lost in a strange new environment. But I found this advice disappointing. I truly believe that, whenever possible, cats should be able to enjoy the outdoors and experience nature. My cat had always been an outdoor explorer, and I wasn’t going to take that away from him.
Determined to find a better solution, I came up with my own approach. It required patience—and, in my case, a tracking device. However, if you don’t have the budget for one, patience is the key ingredient.
The Transition Process
To help my cat adjust, I moved him—along with his favourite toys, litter box, and all his belongings—to my friend’s house, where he would stay for an extended period. He had been there a few times before, but he hated it. The reason?
Each time, he was confined indoors for a day or two, and he simply couldn’t understand why. He was desperate to get outside, and keeping him in for his own safety was a struggle.
I dedicated two weeks to this transition (though, if you’re braver than I am, you might manage in just a week).
Step 1: Using Natural Scents to Create Familiarity
First, I bought regular sand—not the kind used in cat litter, but natural sand, which I purchased from a building materials store (though you could also collect some from a natural area nearby). I replaced his usual cat litter with this sand. Every time he used it, I took some of the soiled sand and sprinkled it around the house’s exterior. I repeated this process daily for over a week, helping him establish his scent in the new area. Naturally, it attracted the neighbourhood cats, who were very interested at first and, as if on a mission, tried to cover it with their own scent.”
Step 2: Walking on a Leash—A Nerve-Wracking Experience
Meanwhile, I took him outside on an extendable leash every day for nearly two weeks, allowing him to explore the neighbourhood and get accustomed to the scents and surroundings. This part of the process was far from easy.
Unlike his previous home, where the only car was ours and traffic was nearly non-existent, this new place had more cars, and he was terrified of them. Unexpected noises and even the quiet hum of an electric car would startle him. On one occasion, he got so scared that he leaped onto me, clinging desperately. Later that evening, after we had returned home, he bit me—deliberately, as if punishing me for putting him through that experience.
It was such an intentional, calculated action that it still amazes me to this day. Moments like these remind me how often humans underestimate the intelligence of animals.
As you might expect, cats despise restrictions, and our leash-walking sessions turned into a mix of stubborn pulling, acrobatic tangles in branches, bushes, and tall grass—pure entertainment for both of us!
Step 3: Well Deserved Freedom
Finally, the time came for step 3… letting him loose. My friend and I were preparing for this step thoroughly. It was challenging, as it involved a bit of technology, which required setting up an application on our phones, getting a subscription for connection, and being able to track his real-time location. It all paid off. There were obviously some trust issues—not many people trust technology so completely, so you need to get used to it.
 
The GPS tracking device showed his movements on the app on our phones. It was addictive to monitor his activity, and it took us a few days to start trusting that it worked. We observed that he wasn’t going too far and was checking in relatively frequently. The same as other maps you could see the satelite picture, at times it was easier to find him with that.
Another challenge was the size of the device that was supposed to be attached to his collar. It looked way too big for any imaginable comfort, especially for him to climb trees and run and fight cats for hours. However, all those problems turned out to be unimportant because the excitement of being free, even at the price of carrying the blob attached to his neck, was better than the constant struggle we had with the leash for days.
Bunch of good ideas!