When training your cat to accept confinement, skip its morning feed and call it in at night before 8pm to be fed.

Don’t feed your cat until it comes inside – it will learn quickly that it won’t get fed unless it is home on time.

Once inside, don’t let it out again until morning.

Make sure your cat has a comfortable and well-ventilated sleeping area with food, water and a litter tray.

Your cat should adapt to night containment within a few days. Some adult cats adapt easily, others need time and help to manage. Helping it to manage my include introducing your cat to containment by gradually extending the time your cat spends indoors or in an enclosure.

When containing cats for long periods you must enrich their environment. This will prevent them from getting bored or developing behavioural problems.

The use of electric containment systems for cats is strictly regulated, in order to protect the welfare of cats.

Most cats should adapt well to living indoors and in an enclosure, particularly if they have been kept in this way from an early age.

Adult cats used to roaming outdoors may have more difficulty in adjusting. If this is the case, you can consult your vet for advice. Desexing cats also reduces their desire to roam and helps prevent behavioural problems.

There are several cat enclosure options available to suit different housing and financial circumstances including: 

• Keep your cat in your home with you, or in the garage or shed at night. Just make sure he/she has a warm dry sleeping area, a litter tray and plenty of water
• Use a cat enclosure – search under ‘Pet Shop Suppliers’ or ‘Animal and Pet Enclosures’ in the phone directory or internet for more information.

Other options include buying or building a "cat enclosure" for your yard or veranda, or installing "cat proof fencing". Search "Pet Shops' Suppliers" online for companies that sell enclosures, netting and products to modify fences. For example, a 'roller' type product is available, for installation along the top of existing fences (the roller prevents cats from getting a grip on the fence).

If you're handy and would like to save money, you can build your own cat proof fencing and cat enclosures.

Refer to the Agriculture Victoria step by step do-it-yourself (DIY) instructions with supporting illustrations and photos, for:

• Cat proof fencing (i.e. modifying existing fencing to make it 'cat proof', giving your cat free access to parts of, or your entire, yard)
• Cat enclosures attached to an existing structure (i.e. the house or a shed)
• Free standing cat enclosures. 

The DIY instructions should be easy to follow for people with basic DIY skills. Staff at your local hardware store may also be able to help answer any questions. If you find the DIY instructions too difficult, you may be able to pay someone else to construct the enclosure.

If you can’t afford to build an enclosure, keep your cat inside and provide food water, shelter and a litter tray.