I'm posting this from work so I'll try to be short and sweet.
My indoor cat (one year old, never outside) male cat, Thor, recently got out after my dog (Gypsy, 2yr old GSD) opened the back door. We didn't realise, he'd already run out, we shut the door and didn't think anything of it until we went to go to bed and realised that he hadn't woken up from the spare room and come to out to go to bed with us. (I'm sure he desperately needs his 22 hours of beauty sleep a day).
We stayed up all night with the door open, searched up and down the street in the rain.
Eventually, we found him 2 houses down (at 6 the next morning, just after the sun came up - at least 10 hours since we realised he was missing) shivering, petrified, and responding to our calls with the tiniest, saddest meow I have ever heard.
He is absolutely terrified of being outside.
That being said, since we got him back, fed him and snuggled up all the next day - all he wants to do is get outside. He caterwails at the door, meows constantly to be let out. When we do open the door, he crouches in the doorway, runs for the first thing he can hide under and looks miserable and frightened. Everything outside spooks him.
Yet he still seems desperate to be out there.
Since this happened, he has also decided that using his litter box is 'beneath him for he is lord and master of his domain'. He has instead started to opt for piddling on any clothes. Paper. Plastic. Animal vegetable or mineral he can get his little paws on. This is not the only bodily function he has decided to perform.
It's driving me up the wall, his constant screeching and the damp clothing and general household items - I suspect it's a territorial thing, he's realised there's a world of hurt out there and he wants to see it coming, and he wants to prove that this space is HIS space - but I want other opinions.
I don't know how to help him / stop it or, truth be told, the real reason behind it all. It's incredibly unlike him, but after a week I would think that he should be at least *Starting* to get over it all. *sigh* I don't know. I just want my little man back, and I don't know what to do.
(So much for short and sweet, huh?)
Suggestions?
- Mel.
My indoor cat (one year old, never outside) male cat, Thor, recently got out after my dog (Gypsy, 2yr old GSD) opened the back door. We didn't realise, he'd already run out, we shut the door and didn't think anything of it until we went to go to bed and realised that he hadn't woken up from the spare room and come to out to go to bed with us. (I'm sure he desperately needs his 22 hours of beauty sleep a day).
We stayed up all night with the door open, searched up and down the street in the rain.
Eventually, we found him 2 houses down (at 6 the next morning, just after the sun came up - at least 10 hours since we realised he was missing) shivering, petrified, and responding to our calls with the tiniest, saddest meow I have ever heard.
He is absolutely terrified of being outside.
That being said, since we got him back, fed him and snuggled up all the next day - all he wants to do is get outside. He caterwails at the door, meows constantly to be let out. When we do open the door, he crouches in the doorway, runs for the first thing he can hide under and looks miserable and frightened. Everything outside spooks him.
Yet he still seems desperate to be out there.
Since this happened, he has also decided that using his litter box is 'beneath him for he is lord and master of his domain'. He has instead started to opt for piddling on any clothes. Paper. Plastic. Animal vegetable or mineral he can get his little paws on. This is not the only bodily function he has decided to perform.
It's driving me up the wall, his constant screeching and the damp clothing and general household items - I suspect it's a territorial thing, he's realised there's a world of hurt out there and he wants to see it coming, and he wants to prove that this space is HIS space - but I want other opinions.
I don't know how to help him / stop it or, truth be told, the real reason behind it all. It's incredibly unlike him, but after a week I would think that he should be at least *Starting* to get over it all. *sigh* I don't know. I just want my little man back, and I don't know what to do.
(So much for short and sweet, huh?)
Suggestions?
- Mel.
