# Outdoor cat to indoor cat in Dubai



## hayleylp (Nov 7, 2011)

Hi all,

You probably get posts like this all the time so sorry in advance! My partner has been in Dubai since the beginning of September and absolutley loves it! I move out mid December having just secured a teaching position. I'm really looking forward to it now but I have one dilema- what to do with my much loved cat! I'm very attached to him so can't bear the thought of re-homing him but he is very much an outdoor cat in the UK and with us having a 23rd floor apartment he will have to be kept indoors. Has anyone else brought a cat from the UK to Dubai and kept them indoors? Had did they find the transition from outdoor to indoor? Am I being cruel considering it?

I would really appreciate it if you could share your experiences as it is really stressing me out trying to figure out what to do with him


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## CDN2012 (Jun 15, 2011)

hayleylp said:


> Hi all,
> 
> You probably get posts like this all the time so sorry in advance! My partner has been in Dubai since the beginning of September and absolutley loves it! I move out mid December having just secured a teaching position. I'm really looking forward to it now but I have one dilema- what to do with my much loved cat! I'm very attached to him so can't bear the thought of re-homing him but he is very much an outdoor cat in the UK and with us having a 23rd floor apartment he will have to be kept indoors. Has anyone else brought a cat from the UK to Dubai and kept them indoors? Had did they find the transition from outdoor to indoor? Am I being cruel considering it?
> 
> I would really appreciate it if you could share your experiences as it is really stressing me out trying to figure out what to do with him



I brought two cats from Canada, one of them was an outdoor cat and it took awhile for her to adjust. She would always pace around the flat and loves to sit in the balcony and stare out the window. She has now calmed down a bit with the pacing. and has adjusted to indoor life. Maybe its being around our indoor cat that has helped her as cats tend to copy another cats habit(atleast in our case). While you are still in the UK, keep your cat inside until you travel to help it adjust to indoor life. All the best.


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## hayleylp (Nov 7, 2011)

CDN2012 said:


> I brought two cats from Canada, one of them was an outdoor cat and it took awhile for her to adjust. She would always pace around the flat and loves to sit in the balcony and stare out the window. She has now calmed down a bit with the pacing. and has adjusted to indoor life. Maybe its being around our indoor cat that has helped her as cats tend to copy another cats habit(atleast in our case). While you are still in the UK, keep your cat inside until you travel to help it adjust to indoor life. All the best.


Thanks for your advice! I don't feel so cruel
Now! I may get another cat when I'm out there
To keep him company


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## Izzy77 (Jun 16, 2011)

CDN2012 said:


> I brought two cats from Canada, one of them was an outdoor cat and it took awhile for her to adjust. She would always pace around the flat and loves to sit in the balcony and stare out the window. She has now calmed down a bit with the pacing. and has adjusted to indoor life. Maybe its being around our indoor cat that has helped her as cats tend to copy another cats habit(atleast in our case). While you are still in the UK, keep your cat inside until you travel to help it adjust to indoor life. All the best.


We have just moved to Dubai including cat. I was very worried about this and in all fairness arranging it was one of the most stressfull things to organize. We thought about it for a long time, getting her out ofnher environment, making her an indoor cat ( did you know that the average age for an indoor cat is 15 as opposed to 3,5 for an outdoor cat?). But in the end, and after doing some research, we decided that taking her with us would be the best for all of us. We won't be living in an apartment forever and she will adjust. She is now with friends in Dubai ( we are still in temp housing) and even though this is a villa she is not permitted outside. She seems to be doing really well and very much enjoys being able to sleep in the sun every day . My only worry now is the balcony as we will be living on the 13th floor.... Steve Summers from Jet my Pet was very helpfull through out the process and made sure we felt comfortable about her well being. Happy to asnwer any questions you may have as I have just gone through this 2 weeks ago .


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Izzy77 said:


> We have just moved to Dubai including cat. I was very worried about this and in all fairness arranging it was one of the most stressfull things to organize. We thought about it for a long time, getting her out ofnher environment, making her an indoor cat ( did you know that the average age for an indoor cat is 15 as opposed to 3,5 for an outdoor cat?). But in the end, and after doing some research, we decided that taking her with us would be the best for all of us. We won't be living in an apartment forever and she will adjust. She is now with friends in Dubai ( we are still in temp housing) and even though this is a villa she is not permitted outside. She seems to be doing really well and very much enjoys being able to sleep in the sun every day . My only worry now is the balcony as we will be living on the 13th floor.... Steve Summers from Jet my Pet was very helpfull through out the process and made sure we felt comfortable about her well being. Happy to asnwer any questions you may have as I have just gone through this 2 weeks ago .


not Dubai I know - but when we moved to Spain our outdoor cat came with us & became an indoor cat for some years when we lived in an apartment

she loved sitting on a sunny balcony & settled very happily - & lived to the age of 17


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## hayleylp (Nov 7, 2011)

Izzy77 said:


> We have just moved to Dubai including cat. I was very worried about this and in all fairness arranging it was one of the most stressfull things to organize. We thought about it for a long time, getting her out ofnher environment, making her an indoor cat ( did you know that the average age for an indoor cat is 15 as opposed to 3,5 for an outdoor cat?). But in the end, and after doing some research, we decided that taking her with us would be the best for all of us. We won't be living in an apartment forever and she will adjust. She is now with friends in Dubai ( we are still in temp housing) and even though this is a villa she is not permitted outside. She seems to be doing really well and very much enjoys being able to sleep in the sun every day . My only worry now is the balcony as we will be living on the 13th floor.... Steve Summers from Jet my Pet was very helpfull through out the process and made sure we felt comfortable about her well being. Happy to asnwer any questions you may have as I have just gone through this 2 weeks ago .


Thank you for your advice, I agree that it is very stressful trying to decide whether to bring ur pet. On the one hand I don't want to upset my cat through the journey and I don't want him to be unhappy indoors, but at the same time I can't give him away! It doesnt help when people tell me i will be cruel keeping him indoors! Glad to hear that ur cat is adjusting well! I think I will get in touch with the agency u recommended; I have contacted one but they aren't very forthcoming!

Thanks for the reassurance,
Hayley


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