Hi! I recently saw your post about outdoor cats, and I totally agree. I would love you thoughts on my current situation with my cat. He used to be feral, but we ended up spaying and then befriending him. He is now indoor/outdoor, and my dad feels very strongly against getting litter boxes and bringing him permanently indoors. I am hesitant to bring him permanently indoors because we have a big feral cat population in my city, and another cat might move in. What do you think I should do? Thanks!
I would still say bring him in, to be honest. The feral population just kind of reinforces my stance on that - if there are a lot of feral cats in your area, that makes me think his chances of getting into fights with other cats or being exposed to parasites & diseases are just going to increase. Granted, you guys are likely treating him for those kinds of things, but it’s still unnecessary risk, especially for serious injuries from potential fights. And there are still the other risks to him, like cars.
I’m not sure I really have an answer regarding having another cat move into the yard. I think there are cat repellent products sold at pet stores, hardware stores, etc. that you could possibly look into, but I don’t know anything about them or how effective they are (or how they work). But I don’t think that leaving your cat outside & exposed to all of the various dangers is a good solution to the problem either. I know it’s an unfortunate situation though.
That all said…if it’s your dad’s house, you may not really get a say in what happens with the cat. IMO, it’s worth showing your dad statistics on lifespans of indoor/outdoor & outdoor cats and perhaps pages from various groups that explain the dangers of the outdoors & see if that will sway him. But it’s hard to know what, if anything, will help convince him, since it partly depends on why he’s resistant to the idea (outdoors is better for cat, litter boxes will smell, cat will misbehave more if kept inside, don’t want other cats around, etc.).
If your dad won’t budge on the subject & you don’t get a say, all you can do is try to make sure you keep your cat in the best health that you can by keeping him on parasite prevention, keeping him up-to-date on vaccinations, and examining him regularly for fight-caused injuries. Another thing you could potentially look into, though your dad also may not go for the cost, is cat fences - fences that tilt in at the top so the cat can’t climb over them, & that kind of thing. That may help keep your cat in your yard, to help keep him from roaming & reduce the risks from cars & such.
At least in the future, when you’re on your own & possibly end up with cats again, you’ll know to keep them inside from the beginning & will be able to keep them enriched in safe ways!
