Hello there everyone! It's been a while since I've checked in here, but we're having some trouble with our newer boy and I knew this was the place to turn to. 
We recently took in about a year old boy from our neighborhood, his name is Wally. We think he came from another home somewhere because he's too friendly to be feral, and we found he was also already fixed when we took him to the vet. They deemed him healthy other than an abscess which he had surgery for, and a few months later he's looking great. He gets along okay with our older cat, Tabby, who has also taken to him better than our previous cat, Nightwing, who is no longer with us (more on that soon). They chase each other around the house, but it looks to be all in good fun, and they seem fascinated by each other.
Unfortunately, we've been having some problems with Wally peeing outside his litter boxes and spraying walls. My mother is reaching the breaking point as the walls he's spraying are in a newly painted/being renovated room.
Since we've taken Wally in, we've tried to keep him an indoor cat for his own safety. Tabby is indoor/outdoor. Nightwing was indoor/outdoor as well, but unfortunately, we one day found her dead in the yard, and it looked like she had fallen out of a tree (she was known to climb them). Wally is fascinated with the outdoors, but we've been so scared to let him out on his own since Nightwing. He's much more like her than Tabby, who is a wonderfully behaved and smart girl. We've been working on a catio for him and take him on walks in the yard on a leash once or twice a day to try and make up for not letting him out on his own; he loves the walks, but they don't seem to be enough.
My mom is ready to let him out whether we lose him or he does something stupid, and I am so afraid, I don't want to lose another cat like that, and he is incredibly sweet. I was hoping to get some insight into other ideas that might help.
I've read about medications, pheromones, etc... also, this Calming Collar: and it looks like it could be promising. Feliway has never seemed to help with much of anything, but we only had one diffuser. And of course, these all end up being something you have to just keep doing, and spending more money on. The collars aren't too expensive and I've read people cut them into smaller pieces that they attach to regular collars...
Am I being silly? Should we just trust him outside?
I look forward to your insights, thank you in advance.
We recently took in about a year old boy from our neighborhood, his name is Wally. We think he came from another home somewhere because he's too friendly to be feral, and we found he was also already fixed when we took him to the vet. They deemed him healthy other than an abscess which he had surgery for, and a few months later he's looking great. He gets along okay with our older cat, Tabby, who has also taken to him better than our previous cat, Nightwing, who is no longer with us (more on that soon). They chase each other around the house, but it looks to be all in good fun, and they seem fascinated by each other.
Unfortunately, we've been having some problems with Wally peeing outside his litter boxes and spraying walls. My mother is reaching the breaking point as the walls he's spraying are in a newly painted/being renovated room.
Since we've taken Wally in, we've tried to keep him an indoor cat for his own safety. Tabby is indoor/outdoor. Nightwing was indoor/outdoor as well, but unfortunately, we one day found her dead in the yard, and it looked like she had fallen out of a tree (she was known to climb them). Wally is fascinated with the outdoors, but we've been so scared to let him out on his own since Nightwing. He's much more like her than Tabby, who is a wonderfully behaved and smart girl. We've been working on a catio for him and take him on walks in the yard on a leash once or twice a day to try and make up for not letting him out on his own; he loves the walks, but they don't seem to be enough.
My mom is ready to let him out whether we lose him or he does something stupid, and I am so afraid, I don't want to lose another cat like that, and he is incredibly sweet. I was hoping to get some insight into other ideas that might help.
I've read about medications, pheromones, etc... also, this Calming Collar: and it looks like it could be promising. Feliway has never seemed to help with much of anything, but we only had one diffuser. And of course, these all end up being something you have to just keep doing, and spending more money on. The collars aren't too expensive and I've read people cut them into smaller pieces that they attach to regular collars...
Am I being silly? Should we just trust him outside?
I look forward to your insights, thank you in advance.
