OK,
Here's the situation. Our neighbors owned 4 cats, 2 of which were outdoor,
2 indoor.  One of the outdoor cats (KC for Kitty Cat) came to our house to
check us out the week we moved in. I thought he was a stray and started
feeding him. That was two years ago. Since then, he has become our cat
instead of theirs. I feed him twice a day, every day. I have toys for him.
He is waiting on my front doorstep every day when I get home. He knows my
truck and comes running to the door from anywhere in our cul-de-sac when I
pull into the driveway. He even sleeps on our bed every night. When we
decided to "adopt" him, the poor animal suffered terribly from fleas and
worms (not surprising since he's an indoor/outdoor cat and they weren't
taking too good care of him). I told his "owners" about this and they just
shrugged it off and said "if he didn't get to feeling better soon, they'd
take him to the vet." His feeding bowl was just a big soup bowl
outside their front door filled with dry food that had been there so
long it was soggy and filled with flies and bugs. After another week of
seeing him suffering and getting skinny, I took him to the vet and got him
wormed and treated for fleas. I asked the vet if he looked like he was
being treated already, the vet responded "Definitely not." Since then, I
give him regular de-wormer pills, daily vitamins, and regularly get him
flea collars (I'm kinda wary of the "one-drop" treatments. I've heard
horror stories of cats with seizures.) Right now, he's been at my house for
two or three months solid.

Now, what I need advice for. We just bought a new house in another part of
town. It has a nice screened-in lanai with a pool and a "green" area with a
little grass and lots of great places for a cat to lie in the sun. We want
to take KC with us. First, I haven't spoken with these folks about adopting
their cat. They know he is over here and that I feed and take care of him,
though. They see him running  to meet me every afternoon and they haven't
expressed any concern or dismay. How should I approach them about asking to
officially adopt this cat and take him to our new place? I love this little
fellow and don't want to abandon him back to his former life. Plus, he's
used to coming to our place for food. And, of course, there's a little
selfish motivation because he's become my best buddy. Even though,
logically, it's not likely, I'm just afraid they'll "pitch a bitch" and
I'll lose my little buddy and he won't get taken care of like he deserves.

Secondly, even though he is an outdoor cat, he comes to our door and meows
to be let in immediately when my wife or myself get home. We let him in and
he stays in until the next morning when we leave for work. He finds a quiet
place out of the way in whatever room we are in and sleeps, or rubs against
our legs to be petted. He's a very social cat. Likes to be around people.
Absolutely cannot stand to be left in a room alone, unless he's sleeping. I
feel like, if we could train him to use a litter box, he'd stay inside all
the time (which I would prefer. I'm always concerned about him getting into
something or getting hit by a car while we are at work.) My main concern
is, if we take him to a new home, is he gonna be satisified just being
inside most of the day or hanging out on the lanai? I know some dogs will
try to find their way back "home" when they are taken to a new environment.
It would break my heart if we took my little buddy to a new house and he
tried to get out and back to his current neighborhood, only to get killed.
I'd rather leave him here with his previous owners, than have that happen.
Anybody got any advice on "converting" an outdoor cat to an indoor cat?

I know some folks will say I'm too attached to this cat, but, he's like my
kid. I'd rather do what's best for him, than just do what I want because
I'm selfish.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Dave