Help me do right by my cat!

[bisous]

My brother gave me his cat when he could no longer care for him. The living circumstances for this cat are not really ideal. My brother has always had the cat outdoors and that is what he is accustomed to. He is very street smart and loves to be outside. If it were my cat from the beginning, I probably would only keep him indoors as I've read that's what is best for his health. Still, I don't feel like this cat would be happy at this point living indoors only (he's 8 years old) nor would that be feasible for my family. We are allowed by our landlord to have this cat. He is helping control the rodent population that we're experiencing. We have a very wild backyard with everything from wood rats, to coyotes, to owls, to rabbits, to bobcats, to turkey vultures, to hawks, etc. Our landlord does not want an inside cat nor would that be best for my DH who has a mild allergy to cats and who has been experiencing severe breathing problems this winter (they've gotten better!! but still!)

So heres the deal. The cat lives outdoors and got into some kind of scuffle. I don't know if it was another cat or one of the larger predators that lives in my area! While we were on vacation, he managed to injure his nose. The 11yo boy that lives next door was taking care of him and thought his nose was dirty--but it was actually a giant scab--he was just too young to notice. His father noticed that our cat was not as amiable this week and said that he was quite injured a few days ago. We're home now and it still looks bad to me but my neighbor thinks it looks much, much better. His behavior is such that he is eating and active and sociable now. We're going to wait until Monday to see if it needs a vet's attention.

All of this made me wonder though if the cat really does have the best living situation with us. We LOVE this cat. My kids adore him. The neighbor kids adore him. Every time my kids are outside the cat is right there hanging out. We love that he's a great hunter. He lives out of our garage which is warm, safe, and dry but he can get outside whenever he wants to. I'm just wondering if maybe he'd be better off living in a house that he can come in at night? Or would that make a difference? I don't ever want to give up this cat, but I do want him to be happy and safe and if I can't provide that I don't want to be selfish and keep him from it. He has the world's best personality. Everyone loves our cat so much. I'm sure he could be easily adopted. I don't want to give him up but should I?

[Neatfreak]

Would it be possible to build a catio or outdoor enclosure for your cat, so he at least has a predator-free place to hang?

[trcy]

Would it be possible to build a catio or outdoor enclosure for your cat, so he at least has a predator-free place to hang?

I like this idea. In our county it is illegal to have a free roaming cat. Free roaming cats kill native wildlife, are more susceptible to to predators and disease, are struck by cars, harmed by people, ect the list goes on and on. I worked for the county animal shelter and saw it all. That being said, I don't think you can transition him to being strictly indoors at this point in his life, he'll be miserable. Rehoming him won't change any of the above points. I have also seen ideas for keeping cats in just your yard. Pinterest has ideas. Good luck.

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[petesgirl]

Would it be possible to build a catio or outdoor enclosure for your cat, so he at least has a predator-free place to hang?

I too think this would be the thing to try before rehoming him. I grew up in the country where virtually nobody had indoor animals, and they all did just fine outdoors.
If we were closer I would take him. I'm not really a cat person but my boys love cats and I would get one if it had the right personality, which it sounds like your cat does.

[ang79]

I feel for you and the cat. We took in a stray cat as a kitten but he loves trying to escape outdoors. We have tried to turn him into an indoor only cat for health and longevity reasons, but even at age 15 years old this cat still sits by the backdoor and cries to go outside. We have two other cats that are fine being indoor cats, so I don't want him to go out and get stuff from other strays, etc. and bring them into the other cats. We also have neighbors with large dogs that sometimes come into our yard, and several large groundhogs and a fox that live in our yard, and I don't want him to have a run in with one of those.

It sounds like with your kitty he really does belong outside, but maybe making him a safer night shelter and making sure he is caught up on all vaccines, will help him live a long and happy life (hopefully you don't live by a busy street!). I grew up on a dairy farm and the farm cats wandered all over and slept in the barn if needed.

[twowhat?]

Can he get in and out of your garage when he wants to? Do you have a side door to the garage where you could install a pet door? I agree with the above - be sure he has a fully accessible sheltered area (garage or other) where he can hang out in a predator-free space or just come in if the weather's bad. Apart from that I would just take care of him as an outdoor cat! Check his body/skin over when he's there for love and pets, check his mouth and ears and feet every few days, keep note of his personality (if it changes or he's acting even just slightly unusual he probably needs to be seen by a vet, animals are great at hiding their hurts). Be sure he gets regular vet care (consider twice a year well-checks since he's an outdoor cat), up to date on vaccinations, flea and tick preventative, etc. I assume he's comfortable being put in a carrier to go to the vet.

I feel like you're already caring very well for this cat by having someone keep watch over him while you were on vacation, even though he's an outdoor cat.

[mikala]

I agree with twowhats advice and would also add neutering and microchipping him to your list of must-dos. Definitely keep him up to date on vaccines, especially rabies.

[KpbS]

He sounds fine to me! Hope he keeps healing nicely.

[mmsmom]

Cats hate change. So the best thing you can do for him is to keep him in the environment he is used to. I agree a safe area somewhere would be great.

[AngB]

Cats hate change. So the best thing you can do for him is to keep him in the environment he is used to. I agree a safe area somewhere would be great.

One of my friends moved 2 miles from her previous house and had a cat that kept escaping to go back to the previous house. They actually ended up "rehoming" it with the new owners. I am not a cat person and had no idea this was a thing.