Excessive talking

My cat Buzzy, who is a neutered two year old male, won't stop meowing. It all began when I opended up the back slider when the weather got nice. Buzzy was looking out the screen when another cat crossed under the deck. I don't even think the other cat saw Buzzy, since it kept going. Ever since, about three days, he has been meowing constantly like he wants outside. It has kept me awake at night.

Last summer, I had the same door open and never was a problem. I live in a townhouse condo, and cannot let him out. The shelter that I adopted him from also made me sign that he was to be indoors only. The shelter found him abandoned last spring outside. I adopted him in July '04. He never had much interest to the outside until now.

What should I do? I can turn A/C on and hope he forgets, but it seems ashame never to be able to open a window. Open window seems to exasperate the situation.

Maybe you should invest in a cat harness and leash and let him go outside and investigate. If you let him poke around out there (on his harness and leash of course) he might like the outside visits, and still remain an inside cat. This would also give him a chance to see that there is nothing out there to be concerned about. I might be way off, but it might be worth a shot.

I'd adgee with that, it couldn't do a ny harm on a long leash. When Sasha was a baby he would get a whiff of things outside and I took him on a 25 ft leash and he loved it. It tought him to stay close by. I sense that some scent or this cat caused a "flashback" of some sort and he needs to settle it within himself.