In need of opinions?

Question

My neighbors had a cat he was playful & friendly & a typical cat older though. They apparently moved out & left him behind & now he's adopted me. The problem is that where I live there are lots of restrictions & bring an old cat use to running around having to confine him to my little apartment & indoors seems rather cruel. In the end it's better for him I know but again it seems rather like an adult use to their freedom & independance then suddenly taking that away because of no fault of their own but because of an illness or age. At the same time being an older cat the likelihood he would be adopted out probably arent too great either & good or bad I couldn't have the possiblity of him being put down either especially through no fault of his own. THis all came up because of the neighbors moving but also a management employee saw him out my door one day with a bird which while sad is just nature calling for him. So which in opinions seems less cruel locking him up or humane society.

Thanks a problem though i wasn't able to mention above is I have been given a day to decide I think the manager was upset by the bird & maybe even doesnt like cats anyways I don't have alot of time to figure out what to do or how to do it. Thanks again...

Answer 1

Indoor cats thrive, especially when they mature in age their temperament also decreases. And indoor cats live longer lives and make the best companions. If you do decide to kept it feed it special indoor cat food, because it will not receiving the same exercise as outdoor cats and eat more meals a day. I have a cat that's indoor and she never complains :)

Answer 2

I had a similar problem but my neighbors cat was young I took her in for about a month but her and my cat did not get along very well so what I did was call a local cat rescue that was a no kill shelter ( do some research and see if there are any in your area). They were unable to take the cat but gave me some good advice on how to place her. First I called all the local papers and placed an ad many will let you place an ad for free if the pet is for adoption and not for sale. I also used some free online classifides like kadoo and craigslist and Thank goodness she was adopted out in less than 2 weeks. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

He'll learn to be perfectly fine in your apartment, just make sure that he gets to look out the window and smell some fresh air once in awhile.

Cause yes you are right, when it comes to an older cat being adopted it's alot less likely to happen than for a young one. So don't send him to the humane society. Take him in!

It's alot safer for it to be inside anyways. Just don't forget that it needs the nutrition of the plants and stuff from outside, so it would be a good idea to feed the cat...Purina Cat Chow Indoor Formula, or something like that.

And get it toys to play with so it's not bored.

Answer 4

ANY cat can be converted to indoors only, even if they don't like it at first. You can still walk him outside with a harness. His best bet is to stay with you and indoors. The humane society only adopts out a small portion of the cats they get, and the older the cat is, the less likely anyone will be looking at him.

When I left home I took my cat with me. He'd been indoors/outdoors for 4 years. I moved into an apartment and he adjusted just fine. He lived to be just two months shy of 20 years old, cancer got him at the end. It was awful hard to loose him after he'd been with me 3/4 of my life. But he was indoors from age 4 on up to age 20.

Answer 5

Convert him to an indoor cat. A cat will adjust to whatever space it is given. Some live quite happily in a studio apartment. It's the personal attention that really matters, and it sounds as if you care for this kitty and will give plenty of that. Strange that the neighbours got away with letting him out and you got "found out" right from the start!

Answer 6

I work with a humane society and it is true that older cats are slower to be adopted, though it does happen. If you decide to relinquish him, check their adoption, relinquishment and euthanasia policies to make sure he will not be euthanized unless terminally ill.

Given that he will probably face a long wait inside in a shelter and you are willing to keep him, I'd vote for keeping him. Cats do adjust to being inside and in the long run, the risk of being hurt or injured is less and living a longer life is greater inside. Get him lots of toys, shower him with affection and he'll adjust in time.

A friend of mine had to move from a place where her older cats could be outside part-time to a place where they had to be inside cats and in time they adjusted well.

Answer 7

Cats allowed outside normally live about 3 years. Cats living indoors only can live to be 15+. Whats meaner?

Answer 8

cats can be happy indoors or out. But they're much safer indoors. I love my cat SO much, and I know how heartbreaking it is to keep them locked up with that little yellow butterfly fluttering outside the window, out of his reach.
My cat is indoor&outdoor cat. He can only go outside in the day and sleep inside the house.

If you perchase a cat run like this one, he can enjoy some fresh air without being hurt. And you can get toys to keep him occupide while he's inside.


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=1&pCatId=3100


good luck and please give the cat a kiss on the nose from me!! ^_^

Answer 9

My kitty (senior cat) was a great outdoor hunter and loved it. I moved to an area where I would have not let him out. He so appreciated staying in. I gave him a lot of attention and comfortable places to sleep (beds). I tried to bring him outside so he could roll around and he didn't want too. Thank you for takign care of the kitty. When a pet chooses us, it really means they want to be with us. Just make him comfortable, he will appreciate it and may not need to be outside

Answer 10

Keep him indoors and give him lots of love. He'll adjust. Get him some toys too Remember, he picked YOU. :-)