This post is more for me than for our new charge. My experience with cats is an inside/outside stray that pretty much came with the house and lived with us for 15 years. Then a 5 year period with the care of 3, and loss of 2, feral cats. Now a special male stray cat has moved in after months of sneaking in at night and eating our remaining feral's food and leaving before morning. Once he realized if he hung out he could get breakfast too the socialization was quick and he moved in, has had initial exam and shots and will be neutered this week. He is adapting well to living inside and I've been educating myself about living with a cat 24/7 but still in the back of my mind is the idea that someday he may live the life our first stray. We have the advantage of living in the country with plenty of space and stimulation for a cat but it could also be his downfall. My questions are: How do I stifle my personal beliefs in freedom in order to protect this cat from possible harm? What have been the methods of animal caretakers to provide adequate stimulation? What do you do if the cat slips outside? How has leash walking worked out? You get my drift. I want to provide a good home for this guy. And about him, he is somewhere around 1 year old, a smoky grey medium hair, with a quiet, gentle, and very interactive personality. All in all a seemingly adaptive cat. Advice and constructive criticism welcome. Thank you.