Before beginning the transition, we need to make sure home is worth staying for. Your cat gets exercise, stimulation and opportunities to explore while roaming. Before reducing their outdoor time, make sure you’re replacing those experiences with plenty to do at home.

Make sure they’ve got:

• Places to climb, such as cat towers, shelves or perches

• Comfortable spots where they can watch the world from a window

• Places to hide and retreat when they want some quiet time

• Different spaces to explore

• Toys and games that encourage chasing, pouncing and hunting behaviours

• Scratching posts or scratching surfaces

• Multiple comfortable sleeping spots

• At least one litter tray per cat, plus an extra one where possible

• Fresh, clean water available at all times

If you’ve got the above, you’re ready to start the transition.

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A gentle timeline for bringing your cat home. Every cat is different. Some may adjust within days, while others may need several weeks or longer.

Begin by bringing your cat inside a little earlier than usual.

As a starting point, you might reduce their outdoor time by around 30 minutes and maintain this new routine for several days before increasing it again. Choose a time when your cat is naturally more likely to settle, such as around dinner time or after a play session.

Once they come inside, make their time rewarding. You could try:

• Giving them their meal

• Playing with a favourite toy

• Offering a food puzzle

• Giving them affection if they enjoy it

• Introducing something new to explore

• Offering a small treat

Your goal: Your cat can stay inside for the extra time without becoming highly distressed and is able to settle, play, eat, sleep or engage with you. When this feels like their new normal, move to Step 2.

Once your cat is comfortable with the first change, start extending their time inside again. You could increase their indoor time by another 30 minutes to an hour, then maintain that routine until they’re comfortable before increasing it again.

Keep meals, play and other favourite activities at predictable times. A routine helps your cat know what to expect.

Continue making home interesting too. Rotate toys, introduce new boxes or hiding places and give them different opportunities to climb, chase and explore.

Your goal: Your cat is spending increasingly longer periods at home and can settle into normal activities rather than constantly waiting at the door. When longer periods at home are becoming routine, you’re ready for Step 3.

As your cat becomes comfortable spending most of their time at home, gradually reduce the remaining opportunities they have to roam. Continue following the same principle:

Make a small change → give them time to adjust → look for signs they’re comfortable → then make the next change.

This stage may happen quickly for some cats and take much longer for others.

Keep their daily routine predictable, with regular:

• Meals

• Play

• Rest

• Interaction

• Enrichment

Your goal: Your cat can comfortably spend the whole day and night at home without roaming. They’re eating, sleeping, playing, toileting and behaving normally within their new routine. Once they’ve reached this point, you’ve made it to Step 4.

Item descriptiYour cat is now living safely at home — but the work doesn’t completely stop here.

Just like us, cats can become bored when every day looks exactly the same.

Keep changing things up by:

• Rotating toys rather than leaving everything out all the time

• Moving boxes, tunnels or beds around

• Creating new hiding or climbing spots

• Trying different food puzzles

• Scheduling short play sessions throughout the day

• Giving them safe opportunities to watch birds and activity through windows

• Introducing new smells, textures or objects to investigate

You may also want to consider safe outdoor options, such as a secure cat enclosure or cat-proofed outdoor area, so your cat can enjoy fresh air without roaming.

Your goal: Your cat is relaxed, active and engaged at home, with plenty of opportunities to express their natural behaviours.