We have had Cappy - age 1 and a half yrs.- for about a month. We got him from the SPCA. We live in a condo in an urban area and don't want him to be an outdoor cat unless he is on a harness and leash.
The trouble is, because he was a shelter cat and has had a 'taste of the outdoors and freedom' he stares out the window and meows loudly. It's warmer now and the windows are opened, and I'm just hoping he's not going to be able to scratch through the screens! When we come in and go out, he darts past us to try to get outside. Today, a friend came over, and he did just that. But he didn't go far. Just down to the end of the driveway and sat down.
He becomes very restless during the day - darting from window to window and meowing to be let out. And it's a high yowling meow - not the chirpy little meow that he says when entering a room - which I translate to mean simply, 'hello'. This one is definitely a 'let me out!" meow. He becomes so agitated that he darts away from me if I try to touch him when he's in one of his 'let me outside' moods.
Today my husband took him for a long walk on the leash - way down to the creek, and they were gone a long time. When he got home, we gave him a treat for being so good. But we don't want to let him out on his own. We're also near a big highway.
Do any of you have advice? This Felway that I've heard mentioned on this forum - would that work in this case? How do you use it? He's a brilliant and wonderfully cuddly cat most of the time - sleeps with us, is docile and never aggressive. Even sits there nicely to get his harness on.
Lin
The trouble is, because he was a shelter cat and has had a 'taste of the outdoors and freedom' he stares out the window and meows loudly. It's warmer now and the windows are opened, and I'm just hoping he's not going to be able to scratch through the screens! When we come in and go out, he darts past us to try to get outside. Today, a friend came over, and he did just that. But he didn't go far. Just down to the end of the driveway and sat down.
He becomes very restless during the day - darting from window to window and meowing to be let out. And it's a high yowling meow - not the chirpy little meow that he says when entering a room - which I translate to mean simply, 'hello'. This one is definitely a 'let me out!" meow. He becomes so agitated that he darts away from me if I try to touch him when he's in one of his 'let me outside' moods.
Today my husband took him for a long walk on the leash - way down to the creek, and they were gone a long time. When he got home, we gave him a treat for being so good. But we don't want to let him out on his own. We're also near a big highway.
Do any of you have advice? This Felway that I've heard mentioned on this forum - would that work in this case? How do you use it? He's a brilliant and wonderfully cuddly cat most of the time - sleeps with us, is docile and never aggressive. Even sits there nicely to get his harness on.
Lin
