We have a six-year old cat that has always been an indoor/outdoor cat. He has a cat door that allows him to come and go anytime. We will soon be moving to Florida where he must become a totally indoor cat. How should we address that issue? Should we attempt to convert him to a litter box now, or should we wait until we reach Florida? Also, in either case, how should we go about this process? Thanks for any suggestions.

I would start weaning him off the outside access. Eventually have him used to being indoors all the time, in familiar surroundings, before you move.

You'll need to get a litter box, and have it, if possible, near the door and gradually move it to where you want it to be, once he is using it. I've always trained kittens this way. Also pick him up, and sort of swoosh him around so he gets the feel of the litter under his feet.

To keep him away from the door, both possibly where you are now, and in the new house, you might want to enlist the help of a spray bottle with water in it. It is a very good training tool that I've used many times to teach cats to not be on the kitchen counters, or climb the curtains etc.

He will likely put up a fuss with the changes, but once you decide to keep him in, don't let him out under any circumstances.

Good Luck!

In the long run, whether you feel conflicted about it or not, you're doing your cat a favor by making him an indoor kitty (especially if you're doing it to keep him away from the gators!).

Warren eckstein has some good advice when it comes to helping an outdoor cat in its transition to becoming an indoor cat. Regarding the litter box, putting some dirt and grass into the box can help him to better understand where he should be doing his business. If necessary, you might want to keep him in one part of the house while he is getting used to it, but only for the short term.

If you keep the inside of your house super interesting, he will be less inclined to become bored or frustrated. Bring in different toys, buy or make a scratching post (you can find how to make your own online), or you can even try growing organic greens for cats in the house. Paper grocery bags and cardboard boxes make for excellent entertainment, and they're also free. The more he's having fun and keeping busy, the better off he'll be psychologically.

Good luck with the process and the move! Come back to let us know how everything goes!