Hi guys, first I want to thank everyone who responded to my question - your suggestions and just knowing there was someone there helped to calm ME down so that I could get "Freckles" some help. I ended up buying him a $70 sherpa bag to get him to the vet, because the carrier that I borrowed from them was plastic and he busted out of it three times. Oh what a day last Saturday was! I finally got him there - he actually let me pick him up and put him inside the bag which I never would have thought he'd let me do. I'm convinced he loves me lol. He didnt kill me LMAO. Anyway, the doctor could not find a thing wrong with him other than the 104 fever he was running - so as a precaution, gave him an antibiotic shot that will be in his system for 2 weeks. I took him home, made him comfortable and even though he cried to go out was adamant about not letting him outside. On Sunday night, it ended up that this poor baby did have an abcess and it broke, and drained. Monday I stayed home from work to watch over him, and the fever broke and now all that needs to happen is that the hole must heal and scab over. Hard to do when he KEEPS LICKING IT!! lol. Anyway, I figured that he was in the house with me for so many days that I took a chance on keeping him inside yesterday when I actually left him alone and went to work. I checked on him at lunchtime, and when I got home there was no "damage" done to either kitty or to my apartment. Now the only things is, I'm wavering in my adamancy about keeping him inside because he cries so pitifully. He wants to go back out but I feel like if I let him out I'm basically signing his death warrant, and if I keep him in, I'm breaking his fun loving, free spirit. What should I do guys? Freckles and I love each other and we have a mutual trust, that is not debated. But what is best for him? I dont want to deny him the best life he could possibly have especially when I saved it last weekend by bringing him in for that shot. Any advice would be very much appreciated