Neutered...but still wandering...

Originally Posted by Joey_Jo_Jo

He's been looking so sad

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Maybe so, but he'll look a lot sadder if he gets run over by a car or attacked by a vicious dog. You'll feel a lot worse about him being dead or injured than you currently feel about keeping him inside.

I have a deck on the back of my house that I screened in so that I can let my cats outside while keeping them contained and safe. They're not in the woods, climbing trees, but I think they enjoy feeling like they are.

Do you have a deck or patio in your back yard that you could screen in? Or perhaps one of the cat enclosures that have been suggested would be a good option.

Iam not being mean or smart, but cats are domesticated animals. Elephants are wild animals-BIG difference. Elephants rarely live near a busy interstate with buildings full of people that may or may not like their presence. See my side of this topic?

I do understand your thinking though. You want your cat to live life to the fullest. But what life is more enriched? Outdoors or Indoors? You ultamitly have the choice, make a pro and con list like this to help you figure out what is best:

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Outside cat-PROS
-Natural
-Big area to play
-Hunt bugs
-sorry I personally cant think of anymore... maybe you can?

Outside cat-CONS
-Cars (people here actually speed up to hit animals-and boast about it )
-Getting poisioned (a few licks of a puddle of anifreeze can easily kill cats)
-Cat fights-sores/scratches/diseases
-May run away-cats may be domesticated, but they still have a mind of their own. I have personally had a cat runaway and have never seen her again-guilt still haunts me 10+ years later. Where is she? Is she alive? If she died, how? Did she suffer?
-Weather-He has long hair, it would be miserable for him in the summer (heat stroke).
What if a big storm rolls up and he hasn't come home-wont you worry?
-Rabies-it CAN and does happen
-Falling from trees
-Dogs
-Not sure where you got him, but most breeders have it in their contract that the cat HAS to be kept indoors.
-Getting shot by evil teens & cat haters
-Animal Control-in most states animals have to be either confined at all times or under supervision
-If using shock collar, do you REALLY think that is humane? Would you wear it all day every day? Even the cat ones are BIG-they look uncomfortable-and are, they ZAP the cat to keep in 'in bounds.' What would happen if it broke (got wet/hit hard) and was continously zapping your poor cat? Electrical things break alot of times. What if the batteries died and you didn't realize it?
-the locator isn't going to help if the cat gets hurt while roaming. You could find him, but if he is dead, then it's no good.
-I could go on-but it would be pages of stuff.

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Inside cats-PROS
-You know where he is at all times
-You can detect deadly illnesses early and probably treat them.
-Far less dangerous life than outside (no cars, dogs, talllll trees)
-You WILL have a stronger bond with him believe it or not
-You can provide enrichment activities every day like new toys (think paper rolls, ice to bat across floor, nip, interavtive pole toys, ect.) and outside time on a harness (best of both worlds?) Or a enclosure (mine have a 10' x 10' x 6' dog kennel that has chicken wire on the top) would be cheaper-some are 2-300$. That is alot less than a vet bill for a cat that has been ran over.

Indoor cat-CONS
-May get overweight if you do not play with them daily & watch their food intake
-Not 'natural'
-If medicines are not properly stores they could get poisioned-this can be prevented
-House plants poisionous, if any
-ummm, I honestly can not think of anything else...
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You may think that I am 'bashing' your ideas... but nowhere in this post did I say "Keep him indoors." I stated the facts, and told you to make your own decision after you weigh the pros & cons. I trust that you will decide what is best for your cat.

I am glad that you are considering keeping him in though He would eventually get use to it if you just try. Nothing wrong in trying.

Before someone (anyone) decides to let their cats outside, they should read through the "Crossing the Bridge" section of our forum here.

I'm against confining cats strictly outdoors. We have always had outdoor cats and they're healthy, happy and will cry when we bring them indoors. Cats that are kept strictly indoors usualyy develop problems that can cost the cat his home. Spraying, furniture scratching, overgrooming related to stress, litterbox issues and more are the most common reason that cats are surrendered to shelters and seen only in strictly indoor cats. The indoors comes with its own set of problems, believe me. Its sad how many cats develop these issues and end up homeless. I would either construct a large, spacious cat garden that he can't escape from or continue to allow him outdoors and see if he calms down some. Is you backyard fenced? We've found that it really helps to discourage cats from roaming.

Cat-tastrophe wrote:

Cats that are kept strictly indoors usualyy develop problems that can cost the cat his home. Spraying, furniture scratching, overgrooming related to stress, litterbox issues and more

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NOT true! If indoor cats "usually" develope these problems, then how come out of our 5 indoor cats NONE have ANY of these issues? Spraying can usually be prevented by spay/neutering before they are at the reproductive age. Any cat cat spray, not just house cats. In fact the only cats I have seen spray are outside cats or former outside cats!!!! They do it to protect their property. Furniture scrachting, this one is too easy: clip ther nails weekly (90%ish of ppl on here do) and give them a proper place to scratch like a cat tree. Overgrooming related to stress? That is faaar more common in birds than cats. Usually if a cat has bald spots it is sue to allergies such a flea/food/or coming into contact with chemicals-which can happen in indoor or outdoor cats.

However, I am not entierly against outdoor cats We have many-they are ferals and have no where else to go. Who wants to adopt 20 wild cats that you cannot get anywhere near and will tear down your house if you try to put them inside? Other than ferals, cats need to be indoors! They are domesticated animals and rely on us to take care of them. Yeah, if we lived in the stone age it would be more realistic, but cat vs. car/aids/leuk/wolfs/poision/mean ppl/anifreeze is not natural, which is usually the "pro outdoors" persons point of view...

Originally Posted by Joey_Jo_Jo

I know the easy answer is to just keep him in but frankly, I'd rather be kit by a car than kept indoors for the rest of my life.

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I really, really hope that you are not saying what I think you are saying.

There is nothing you can do to keep him from roaming except for keeping him indoors or, perhaps, building him an outside enclosure of some sort. There are some really cool cat enclosures on-line. You could build it yourself.

And he WILL get hit by a car and killed eventually if he is allowed to roam.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

You might look into a cat enclosure, or, if you have a fenced yard, look into installing a Purrfect fence.

Short of keeping him inside, or finding an enclosure system that suits you, there is no way to keep him from wandering.

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My brother did something like that Purrfect Fence, he has an existing block wall that is 6 foot tall in an area of his yard, he installed simple wire shelving, commonly used for closets. It worked great and was inexpensive. Now Tiger can get out through the doggie door to that area but can't go any further, he is so happy. Tiger is an only cat that lives with seven dogs and pretty much thinks he is a dog.

Originally Posted by Cat-tastrophe

I'm against confining cats strictly outdoors. We have always had outdoor cats and they're healthy, happy and will cry when we bring them indoors. Cats that are kept strictly indoors usualyy develop problems that can cost the cat his home. Spraying, furniture scratching, overgrooming related to stress, litterbox issues and more are the most common reason that cats are surrendered to shelters and seen only in strictly indoor cats. The indoors comes with its own set of problems, believe me. Its sad how many cats develop these issues and end up homeless. I would either construct a large, spacious cat garden that he can't escape from or continue to allow him outdoors and see if he calms down some. Is you backyard fenced? We've found that it really helps to discourage cats from roaming.

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I'm sorry but your post is not true. I had a indoor only cat that was in her sixteenth year that did not spray, scratch the furniture, overgoom, had no litterbox issues EVER.

I have to ask, what is the average life span of a cat that is outdoors?

Originally Posted by Cat-tastrophe

I'm against confining cats strictly outdoors. We have always had outdoor cats and they're healthy, happy and will cry when we bring them indoors. Cats that are kept strictly indoors usualyy develop problems that can cost the cat his home. Spraying, furniture scratching, overgrooming related to stress, litterbox issues and more are the most common reason that cats are surrendered to shelters and seen only in strictly indoor cats. The indoors comes with its own set of problems, believe me. Its sad how many cats develop these issues and end up homeless. I would either construct a large, spacious cat garden that he can't escape from or continue to allow him outdoors and see if he calms down some. Is you backyard fenced? We've found that it really helps to discourage cats from roaming.

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I think in your first sentence you meant to say "indoors". Nevertheless, I also disagree. I have a Siamese, whom most people who don't know any better think are nasty and will destroy your house - yes those are just two of the comments I've heard and are completely untrue. I have had a number of cats over the years, all indoor only, who have never sprayed, scratched my furniture, overgroomed, had litterbox issues and never needed to be surrendered for bad behaviour. People who have animals often are to blame for bad behaviour because they don't teach them properly when they are young.

My husband thought like you and the OP. He insisted that Bijou needed to be outside because he loved it so much. Every time he let Bijou out I was stressed to the max worrying about him. He got lost for 4 days one time and my heart was breaking. Luckily we found him in a neighbour's yard and were also lucky that after not eating for 4 days he did not go into liver failure. Shortly after that he apparently got into a fight with either another cat or a raccoon and had a huge abscess on his back. That operation to drain the abscess cost over $500. Hubby said he refused to pay over $500 to a vet and that the abscess would go away or heal on its own - WRONG!

I told hubby that I would pay the vet bill but if I did Bijou was not allowed outside anymore. That was a year ago and Bijou has not been allowed outside since. Yes, he occasionally cries to go out - but he only cries to go out when my husband is home. I have always just said no to him very firmly and I swear he understands because he never cries to me to let him out. It's fun to watch, I can be home alone with him all day and he's just fine, affectionate, sits with me while I do my crossword, etc. As soon as hubby comes home Bijou goes to the door and starts crying to go out. Smart cat!

My co-worker has a cat that he says MUST be outside because he LOVES it outside. I have been working on this guy for a few years to keep his cat inside.

Told him the whole gamut of reasons, nothing did any good.

But of course, cat gets hurt BAD. Vet visit and x-rays and guess what, cat has a broken sternum!!!

Gee, I wonder how that happened? Mean kid drop kicked I am sure.

Guess what? Cat doesn't want to go outside any more.

Linda, I cannot tell you how angry I was at this guy, I wanted to slap him silly for letting this happen to his cat.

Originally Posted by ckblv

My co-worker has a cat that he says MUST be outside because he LOVES it outside. I have been working on this guy for a few years to keep his cat inside.

Told him the whole gamut of reasons, nothing did any good.

But of course, cat gets hurt BAD. Vet visit and x-rays and guess what, cat has a broken sternum!!!

Gee, I wonder how that happened? Mean kid drop kicked I am sure.

Guess what? Cat doesn't want to go outside any more.

Linda, I cannot tell you how angry I was at this guy, I wanted to slap him silly for letting this happen to his cat.

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I know what you mean. My hubby and I argued about Bijou going out for 4 years and I honestly was totally stressed the whole time Bijou was outside. I walked the floor, kept going out to see where he was, etc. Hubby said "oh, you worry too much". Then when Bijou went missing he cried as much as I did but he still insisted on letting him outside. It wasn't until he required the operation for the abscess that he agreed to keep him inside. My hubby is Dutch and tight with his money and I swear that's the only reason he agreed to keep him in - so we don't have to pay any more big vet bills.

I now know where the term "Dutch Treat" came from.

I have an 8 year old Siberian male neutered at 6 months who continues to wander.  I didn't realise how far till I fitted a Gpaws tracker, I can download his journeys when he returns and see where he's been!

Terrifying. He spends many hours at a builders yard a mile away hunting, by the pattern of his zig zags.

There is a new collar just for cats available in November which can be tracked (live timed) and this should help if he goes missing. It promises to be very light so watch this space.

Have you considered taking him out on a lead for daily walks? Also, if you have a fenced backyard, you can cat proof it to prevent him from wandering or build a catio. I understand, I had a cat for 12.5 years and she loved to climb trees. I let her out on the balcony daily. The safest for your pet may be to leash train him and walk him daily. Perhaps take him to see the horses.

"Well, let me start by saying that I know many people will recommend that my cat be an indoor cat. I've heard it and would prefer not to hear it any more. I'm respectfully, trying to find a real solution."'

I felt the same way.  I had a beautiful six year old Maine Coon cat.  He was the center of my world, I adored him.  I took the best care of him, he had everything.  The best food, enough kitty furniture for five cats, two litter boxes...I kept his shots up to date and had him neutered and he had the flea stuff and the whole bit.  He was my baby, I'd had him since he was a kitten, and he loved to go outside.  I had reflective strips attached to his collar, he looked like a court jester.  A reflective triangle hung from his collar, covering his chest.  He was visible to cars and birds.  He had an id tag with his name on the front and my phone number on the back.  He went outside on the evening of June 20/16, was hit by a car, and died instantly.

Whenever I tried to keep him in, he pounded on the windows, he weighed a lot, he was a big guy.  He yelled.  He peed on the floor and on my stuff.  He scratched the carpets.  He whined, incessantly.  He drove me insane.  So I let him out.  I wanted him to be happy.  I told people that I'd prefer him to have a short, happy life over a long, miserable one.

I was wrong.  It was my responsibility to give him food, shelter and veterinary care and love.  It was also my responsibility to protect him, and I didn't.

We lived in a ground floor apartment that I have vacated now because I can't stand being in the home I shared with him.  An outdoor enclosure wasn't possible, the grass outside was communal property and the landscapers needed access to all of it.

I was considering moving to an apartment with a balcony and enclosing that, but I hadn't attached any kind of urgency to the plan.  I wasn't in a hurry to change apartments.  I loved that he could go outside, and some part of my mind simply refused to believe that anything would happen to him.  He was big, and strong and fast.  And smart.  Nothing was going to happen.   Wrong.

I have always been attracted to these large, beautiful cats who love to chase leaves and birds and anything else that moves.  The ones that are half-wild and can't be tamed.  Never again.

The next cat I get, when the time comes, will be a weak, timid thing, maybe a calico.  A kitten that never gets past the screen on the window.  No more "indoor/outdoor" cats for me.  Never again.  My heart is broken and the guilt is overwhelming.

I wouldn't wish this sort of pain on anyone.  It is worse than you can imagine.

A cat's freedom and happiness are not worth its life.  They are not.  Safety comes first and you can't protect them from cars, raccoons, eagles, rotten kids, nasty neighbors, other cats, etc.  You can't protect them from everything, you can only keep them where you can see them.   An adult cat is no better equipped to be out there than a human child.  I learned that too late.  

The ideal solution is to enclose an outdoor space for a cat who wants to experience it.  If not, keep the cat inside because realistically, a leash or harness is not going to work out in the long run.

It all depends on your area and culture, somewhat. Where I grew up and where my parents still live is lovely and full of cats roaming around outside. Our last one lived till he was 18. It's taken me a while to get used to having indoor cats but seeing as I live on the third floor there's not much choice.

If he's a roamer you'll either have to enclose an area of your garden or train him on the leash. If you're even slightly handy you can do it yourself pretty easily. I've made screens for my windows and two scratching posts and it wasn't difficult.

Does you have a garden or patio? And a door with a cat flap?

Hi I have a male cat his name is simba I had him neutered and he still have sexual urges he humps my legs and my daughter's legs and my boyfriend's leg and my son's arm I don't know if this is normal I've tried to get him to stop but he will just come up out of nowhere and start going to town you tell him no don't do that and get him off of my leg but he will continue to do so then I have to put him in another room because if not he will continue is this normal behavior he won't have any stuffed animals and just our leg forearm

How long ago was Simba neutered? How old was he when he had the surgery?

I have a male cat neutered young. I always let him out, and he would come back in a few hours. Now he goes for as many as five days. In one direction I have busy streets, in the other coyotes and raccoons. Other male cats in the neighborhood, both neutered and not spend many happy hours outside without disappearing for lengthy periods. I am not the only one who worries. He has a twin sister who misses him horribly when he's gone. I never know when it will be the last time I see him.

Keeping him in just makes him miserable, so that would be punitive. I guess I just need to accept it as part of the personality of the cat I love. It breaks my heart to see his sister sit at the window for days waiting for his eventual return. I have an underlying concern that he may have another home, and that he's simply going back and forth between the two of us.

I miss him, His sister misses him, and my children, whom he loves, miss him. But I have to let him go, over and over, or he seems to just wither.

Dunstan, I feel your pain...I live in a ground floor apartment which backs to woods and a cornfield. A kitten showed up one day, and I fed him...he was feral, so it took a month or so for him to totally trust me to touch him, and it didn't take long for him to bring all his friends to the nice lady with the food! Once so would gain trust of the the cats, I would take them to be spayed/neutered and vaccinated and wormed...now their colony is 15 strong,3 years later...I love each and every one of them and have invested a LOT of time and money to help them...and when the weather is rainy or cold, they come inside and camp out and even snuggle...they also throw a fit to be let out when ready to Go! And we have had a few come back injured or not return at all ,and it literally has broken my heart...but I know the Humane Society here will not take feral or semi feral cats, they will euthanize them...so I feel I am at least giving them a happy life best I can