I don't know what to do about this. I am so sad and frustrated about this situation. Let me start by saying that his litter mate and best bud, Jasper, died a couple of weeks ago and I sense that this has been very hard on him. They were together A LOT so I know he misses him. I swear I see Pumpkin looking and listening for Jasper and it breaks my heart. It's very hard to watch really. He probably doesn't know what happened because Jasper was fine one day and then dead the next. How freaky is that? Then, I couldn't bear to see Jasper dead. Heck, I was basically hysterically crying and asked my very kind neighbor to bury him for me, while I and my 2 sons stood and watched. What could Pumpkin have thought as he was nowhere around?
Anyway, we have 2 dogs which we got after the kitties who have always been indoor/outdoor cats. Since I got the second dog in the last 6 months though the two boy kitties were coming in the house less and less. Mango, my female cat has always been a home body as she is very attached to me and manages to avoid the dogs as best she can. Now, I am so worried about my Pumpkin as I don't know how Jasper died and I want him IN THE HOUSE for safety reasons. I know you all can understand. I wish I had never let any of them outside EVER. My son and I have set up a part of our house as a sort of kitty haven with 2 kitty climbing structures, we also installed a couple of kitty shelves on the wall for them to lie on up high and off the ground and have put stuff in the way of the dogs so they cannot reach that area. Their is a litter box, kitty food and water in this area. I want the cats to feel safe in there. They can climb the kitty trees, get up high, heck the shelves lead up to the top of a china chest with cushy pillows on top and there is even a shelf in front of a nice window so they can look outside.
I brought Pumpkin in the house the other day and showed him this kitty room and the food, but he darted off under the couch and spent, I swear, 8 hours there. I tried everything to get him out, his favorite treats, chicken, lots of sweet talk, coaxing, locking the dogs up in my room for hours but nothing worked. Finally we let him back outside because the poor guy had to pee and eat. Mind you, he used to like to spend time in the house, used to love to cuddle with me and with my sons. He even tolerated the dogs to some extent.
Please help me!!!! I am so afraid for my baby!!! Not sure I could handle losing another kitty.
Anyway, we have 2 dogs which we got after the kitties who have always been indoor/outdoor cats. Since I got the second dog in the last 6 months though the two boy kitties were coming in the house less and less. Mango, my female cat has always been a home body as she is very attached to me and manages to avoid the dogs as best she can. Now, I am so worried about my Pumpkin as I don't know how Jasper died and I want him IN THE HOUSE for safety reasons. I know you all can understand. I wish I had never let any of them outside EVER. My son and I have set up a part of our house as a sort of kitty haven with 2 kitty climbing structures, we also installed a couple of kitty shelves on the wall for them to lie on up high and off the ground and have put stuff in the way of the dogs so they cannot reach that area. Their is a litter box, kitty food and water in this area. I want the cats to feel safe in there. They can climb the kitty trees, get up high, heck the shelves lead up to the top of a china chest with cushy pillows on top and there is even a shelf in front of a nice window so they can look outside.
I brought Pumpkin in the house the other day and showed him this kitty room and the food, but he darted off under the couch and spent, I swear, 8 hours there. I tried everything to get him out, his favorite treats, chicken, lots of sweet talk, coaxing, locking the dogs up in my room for hours but nothing worked. Finally we let him back outside because the poor guy had to pee and eat. Mind you, he used to like to spend time in the house, used to love to cuddle with me and with my sons. He even tolerated the dogs to some extent.
Please help me!!!! I am so afraid for my baby!!! Not sure I could handle losing another kitty.