Hi Talker,

Sorry to hear about Lucky.  It's always painful to lose a furry friend, but
I'm sure she had a good life with you.

I wonder why you're considering trying to adapt Twitch to an indoor life?
Perhaps it's because you miss Lucky indoors, which is understandable.
However, I don't think you'll find it very easy.  Twitch seems to love the
great outdoors and, more recently, the choice of coming in at will.  In my
experience, an outdoor cat greatly resents being kept inside and is
thoroughly miserable.  You may find, though, that Twitch naturally increases
her indoor time now that Lucky can't prevent her.

Because you both have busy lives, why not continue to live with the existing
arrangement, at least during the week.  At the weekends you could make a
point of inviting Twitch inside and observing her behaviour, controlling her
when she's naughty or destructive, and generally training her.  Limit her to
rooms downstairs, if you can.  If the children are old enough, they could
help.  After a while, you will know how adaptable she is and if this is what
she wants.  Be prepared to play with her, as cats are often destructive when
they're bored.  Twitch may, of course, be puzzled and hurt by this "yes you
can/no you can't come indoors" treatment, so you'll need to be sensitive to
her feelings.  Perhpaps, during the week, you could just let her into the
kitchen so she gradually learns to respect your belongings.  My cats are
indoor/outdoor cats - they do their toilet in the garden, but adapt to a
litter tray indoors.  They have trees outside that I allow them to scratch,
but for indoors they seem to prefer their very own coir doormat.  There is
no destruction of furniture or furnishings.  However, I trained them both
very firmly from kittens.

It is important to consider the age of your children.  If they are very
young, they may torment Twitch as they play.  It is important, in this case,
to provide a secure shelter for Twitch so that she can escape and rest.  The
last thing you want is a taunted cat lashing out at the children, so the
children need to know that Twitch has her own refuge which must be
respected.

Whatever rules you lay down, or training you adopt, you must all be as
consistent as possible.  Also, don't always just wait for Twitch to be
naughty and moan; praise her whenever she's good so she learns that's the
best/easiest way to live.  When you tell her off, don't keep  harping on
about her misdeed; let the incident go until the next naughtiness episode.
She will soon learn how to keep you happy with her.

Do let us know how you get on.  Most people here have dealt with similar
problems and will be able to advise you as you handle specific problems.
Who knows, you may be giving us tips soon!

Good luck,
Spider

Quite a few cats, if raised indoors and have never been outside...
will be fine with being raised as an indoor cat.

However, if a cat has been outdoors for any length of time...
It's difficult or impossible to convert one into a house cat

She wandered into your yard ..... AFTER she died? Must be one of them
there zombie cats. Decapitation is the only answer.

Hmmm. There's a bit of a "theme" going on, here. You're not enticing
these poor creatures to your yard with snacks, etc, for food/sexual
purposes, or something, are you?

Try beating her thoroughly with a baseball bat or pickaxe handle every
time she does it. I *guarantee* that she'll get the picture very quickly.

You'd like your furniture to stay not the best? What strange people you are.

Yes, but I wouldn't want to appear impolite.

Sorry to hear about your loss :-(It's always sad to lose a much loved pet,
you have my sympathy.

What about getting a cat-door fitted, then Twitch can come and go as she
pleases? If you put something "citrusy" on the things she likes to claw in
the house, she will soon stop (in my experience anyway). I have a cat door,
my cats come and go as they please. They're happy, I'm happy :-)

Of course, you may have to get used to "gifts" if you decide to fit a cat
door. I don't mind, but my wife isn't too enamoured by the sight of a
dismembered squirrel or large mouse :-)

just my 2 cents worth..

Mike P