Hi, everyone! I'm new here, the proud mom of two cats, both boys. I'm writing about the older one, Godfrey. I hope I'm posting this in the right place.
Godfrey is 6. He has lived with me for the last 2 years. He is neutered, and his previous owner declawed him and kept him in the house 24-7. I, however, like him to come outside with me sometimes; within the last 6-8 months I've begun to let him come out in our (fenced) front yard while I'm out there. He's a very well-behaved boy and not at all aggressive; he loves to lie in the grass and bask in the sun. But this is where my problem comes in.
Godfrey loves being outside. I certainly don't mind letting him out. The problem is that he doesn't understand why he can't be out all the time, whenever he wants, day or night. As I said, the front yard is fenced, but it's only a picket fence, so there are lots of gaps and he can (and has) slipped out before. I'm uncomfortable leaving him out overnight or for extended periods during the day; he is declawed, which limits his options for defending himself, and because he always lived indoors before, he doesn't understand the danger of cars or other animals (or mean people). Of course, I can't explain this to him. All he knows is he wants to go out, and I can't always let him. In addition, I'm gone for several hours every evening at work, so even if I was comfortable with him being out at night, I still couldn't as I wouldn't be home to "rescue" him if he got into trouble.
As a consequence, he has begun some disturbing behaviors. One, he has begun to urinate and defecate by the front door. At least once a day, I have to clean up feces, and he urinates there at least twice a day! In addition, he has begun to clean himself excessively, and even pulls out small clumps of fur. I know he's very anxious and upset, and it distresses me to no end. I want him to be happy, but I also want him to be safe.
What are my options here? I don't want to curtail his outdoor expeditions altogether since they make him so happy...but I don't want to dump him outside to fend for himself either. The current situation is obviously not satisfactory to him, and it's definitely not good for me or my fiance either. Cleaning his messes several times a day, and dealing with all the fur, is smelly and stressful for me as I'm sure it is for Godfrey. Please, any suggestions would be much appreciated!!!!
Godfrey is 6. He has lived with me for the last 2 years. He is neutered, and his previous owner declawed him and kept him in the house 24-7. I, however, like him to come outside with me sometimes; within the last 6-8 months I've begun to let him come out in our (fenced) front yard while I'm out there. He's a very well-behaved boy and not at all aggressive; he loves to lie in the grass and bask in the sun. But this is where my problem comes in.
Godfrey loves being outside. I certainly don't mind letting him out. The problem is that he doesn't understand why he can't be out all the time, whenever he wants, day or night. As I said, the front yard is fenced, but it's only a picket fence, so there are lots of gaps and he can (and has) slipped out before. I'm uncomfortable leaving him out overnight or for extended periods during the day; he is declawed, which limits his options for defending himself, and because he always lived indoors before, he doesn't understand the danger of cars or other animals (or mean people). Of course, I can't explain this to him. All he knows is he wants to go out, and I can't always let him. In addition, I'm gone for several hours every evening at work, so even if I was comfortable with him being out at night, I still couldn't as I wouldn't be home to "rescue" him if he got into trouble.
As a consequence, he has begun some disturbing behaviors. One, he has begun to urinate and defecate by the front door. At least once a day, I have to clean up feces, and he urinates there at least twice a day! In addition, he has begun to clean himself excessively, and even pulls out small clumps of fur. I know he's very anxious and upset, and it distresses me to no end. I want him to be happy, but I also want him to be safe.
What are my options here? I don't want to curtail his outdoor expeditions altogether since they make him so happy...but I don't want to dump him outside to fend for himself either. The current situation is obviously not satisfactory to him, and it's definitely not good for me or my fiance either. Cleaning his messes several times a day, and dealing with all the fur, is smelly and stressful for me as I'm sure it is for Godfrey. Please, any suggestions would be much appreciated!!!!
