Bart and his Catio
I updated it with a plastic floor so he can't dig out, and I've been slowly training him to stay in longer and longer.
I started with getting him to stay in just long enough to eat his meal, door open. He gets fed twice a day. He would initially not go in at first at all, and spend some 10-20 min. in the backyard before hunger would finally win out over fear and he would go in.
After a few days of that, I started closing the door. If he freaked out, I'd open it again. He only freaked out the first time, rushing over to the door and looking anxious. After that, he stopped caring when I closed the door. As soon as he was done eating, I'd open it again, and he'd go straight into the house.
Once he seemed comfortable with that, I started to wait until he reached a paw out of the cage to dig before I let him back in the house. So by now, he would wander the yard for a while, then go in, then walk around his cage nervously, and then finally start to eat (because I wouldn't close the door until he started to eat). Then I'd close the door and sit nearby and wait, and he'd finish and wander around looking for another exit, and then he'd reach a paw out, and I'd open the door and he'd go straight into the house.
At some point, I timed how long it took him to get closed in the cage to getting worked up enough to try to dig out. 10 minutes. Good start! Now I'd set the timer. He would have to wait 10 minutes no matter what before I would come out and open the door. He could yowl, pace, dig, what-have-you. He was a little nervous when I didn't open the door at the first sign of freaking out, but he got to come in shortly after, so he didn't have too much time to think about it.
I incremented his time outside by 1 minute for every feeding session, so 2 minutes per day. I've been bringing some treats or catnip out about halfway through to help keep him occupied as the times get longer. I've been going away and doing my own thing while he spends time in his cage, but I still check on him. Yesterday he went into his outdoor litter box for the first time. Didn't seem to use it, but still, he went into it. Progress. Yesterday was also the first day he went straight into his cage instead of wandering the yard first. This might have something to do with the fact that a couple of days ago Tim trimmed a bunch of the weeds in the yard, so the yard is no longer nearly so fun for him.
Today was the first day that he was doing something else when I came out to let him in. Normally, if he doesn't have something to occupy him, he just sits by the cage door and waits, because he has come to learn that I *will* let him out eventually. I am so pleased that he was off investigating something and just generally being comfortable. He was out there for 21 minutes, but could have gone longer. Once he gets to 30 minutes, I'll start incrementing the time by 5 minute intervals instead. Slow and steady wins the race against Bart.
I started with getting him to stay in just long enough to eat his meal, door open. He gets fed twice a day. He would initially not go in at first at all, and spend some 10-20 min. in the backyard before hunger would finally win out over fear and he would go in.
After a few days of that, I started closing the door. If he freaked out, I'd open it again. He only freaked out the first time, rushing over to the door and looking anxious. After that, he stopped caring when I closed the door. As soon as he was done eating, I'd open it again, and he'd go straight into the house.
Once he seemed comfortable with that, I started to wait until he reached a paw out of the cage to dig before I let him back in the house. So by now, he would wander the yard for a while, then go in, then walk around his cage nervously, and then finally start to eat (because I wouldn't close the door until he started to eat). Then I'd close the door and sit nearby and wait, and he'd finish and wander around looking for another exit, and then he'd reach a paw out, and I'd open the door and he'd go straight into the house.
At some point, I timed how long it took him to get closed in the cage to getting worked up enough to try to dig out. 10 minutes. Good start! Now I'd set the timer. He would have to wait 10 minutes no matter what before I would come out and open the door. He could yowl, pace, dig, what-have-you. He was a little nervous when I didn't open the door at the first sign of freaking out, but he got to come in shortly after, so he didn't have too much time to think about it.
I incremented his time outside by 1 minute for every feeding session, so 2 minutes per day. I've been bringing some treats or catnip out about halfway through to help keep him occupied as the times get longer. I've been going away and doing my own thing while he spends time in his cage, but I still check on him. Yesterday he went into his outdoor litter box for the first time. Didn't seem to use it, but still, he went into it. Progress. Yesterday was also the first day he went straight into his cage instead of wandering the yard first. This might have something to do with the fact that a couple of days ago Tim trimmed a bunch of the weeds in the yard, so the yard is no longer nearly so fun for him.
Today was the first day that he was doing something else when I came out to let him in. Normally, if he doesn't have something to occupy him, he just sits by the cage door and waits, because he has come to learn that I *will* let him out eventually. I am so pleased that he was off investigating something and just generally being comfortable. He was out there for 21 minutes, but could have gone longer. Once he gets to 30 minutes, I'll start incrementing the time by 5 minute intervals instead. Slow and steady wins the race against Bart.