Cat's got cabin fever after only 1 day!

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Have had a new 1+ year old female cat for just over a month - she's been outside, nights in a pod, and too happy hunting up the voles and gophers.

Now the weather is cold and wet, so I've brought her inside - she sacks out a good bit, but the rest of the time is pestering me to the point of biting my toes. 'course, I pet her and everything a kind person does, but yeah, I'm a big meanie - I don't want to spend my time entertaining a cat. She's not interested in toys, catnip mice or jingle balls, so those "peek-a-prize" things don't seem right, and I really don't want to have a jungle gym in the house. She doesn't go for boxes or grocery bags. Got one of those cardboard scratcher things and sprayed catnip on it, no interest.

She's a really good cat, goes outside with me when I fetch wood and comes running when I call. What can I do to keep her happy inside and not spoil her over the winter for her return to duty outside in the Spring? A second cat is out of the question.

[Maura]

I always let the cats come and go as they please. When she gets feisty, just put her outside. She needs to learn to meow when she wants in.

[Katskitten]

Yep she'll let you know when she wants in and out. Am there right now and can't let mine out anymore. Have the last male in our group driving us slowly nuts yowling to get out.

[thaiblue12]

Leave her outside during the day and call her in when it starts to get dark.
I have two farm cats who sleep in the garage at night but when it gets really cold I bring them into the mud room at night. In the morning they run right out the door

[GrannyCarol]

If she's bored to death in the house, yes, let her out as she wants during the day. Be sure she has good shelter in case she does get cold or wet or stays out the night. I really don't like my indoor/outdoor cats to stay out the night, but we call them all in about 3 - 4 pm and keep them in and they are really good about that. We let them in and out all day as they wish. If she's good about going out with you and coming in, then she should be good about coming in when you call her. She will be happier probably.

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Thanks you guys, all great advice. It's really a good sign that the cat is asserting herself; her previous owners turned her into the shelter about to give birth & hadn't even given her a name. She was really hand-shy and still doesn't like to be picked up, poor thing, I think she had lived good-cop, bad-cop.

So I put her pod back outside & she gets to sleep in the living room at night - we'll see how it goes when it gets frosty.