Concerns about Potter

First of all he is fine. I don't post much about Potter so a quick summary, I inhereted Potter last August when my brother passed away.

Potter was allowed outside and my brother lived on a horribly busy street. When I adopted him I tried to make a rule that he could not go out, this lasted about a week, he constantly cried at doors and snuck out when the kids went in and out.

I thought well he must be outdoor savvy he was okay at my brothers. Lately he has been wandering too far and even going out and laying in the street. My kids have said he has followed them to a friends house 5 houses away so I told them to bring him home and put him inside when he does this.

Well tonight a very nice lady that always comes by when she walks her bijon and she adores potter she comes and tells me that she has him in her garage, she lives 20 houses away! I went and got him. She is a lovely lady and almost cried when he left, he is an extremely affectionate cat.

She lost her cat 2 years ago, I told her my house has so many teens in and out that if she loves him she can talk to her hubby about adopting him...please don't flame me I am thinking of his best interest. My dogs are good and do not dart out the door but I am at my wits end with him.

Any ideas on how to curb the outdoor craving, she suggested a leash for him?

A leash and harness maybe.

Of course - if she and her hubby spoil him rotten (I know you did too!), they just might make indoors a good place to be. Maybe they have a spare room they can make HIS - with cat tower and all sorts of neat things. And without teens running in and out, there's less risk of his escaping.

Maybe a kitty door with a large outdoor enclosure...that might work best.

I am glad she seems to know about the dangers of an outdoor cat.

Hey - if Potter would be really happy there, go for it!

(and visit and send pics! :D )

I'd suggest "tough love". He'll stop the whining to go out after a while. As for the door darting, everyone just has to be extremely careful. A water squirt bottle near the door to shoo him away is one thing to try.

Yep, I agree w/Jen on this one; tough love. All of my cats were outdoor cats when I got them, some even feral. They've never been outdoors since the day I brought them in and, believe me, some have tried to dart out the door. Now, though, they're content to be indoors but it took a while. If, however, you feel that your neighbor would adopt Potter and keep him in and you'd feel better all the way around, go for it.

Jen and Mary are right about how to stop the outdoor problem. I had to do that with Ripley. He was an indoor only kitty till we moved here 14 years ago and within a couple of weeks of moving in he slipped out and was missing for 24 hours. After that he drove us insane to go out so we started letting him go in the backyard for brief periods but then he got over the fence and took off for hours. At that point I gave up and let him go in and out as he pleased until one day about 6 months later he didn't come home. After looking everywhere he showed up two days later with a hole in his leg. He had been shot with an arrow and still had the tip of it in his leg. He barely survived and how he got home and got over a 5 ft fence is beyond me and the vet.

After that I made a strict rule of no more outdoor kitties! Too many dangers.

If the lady decides she wants him and you feel it's the best thing for everyone then I certainly wouldn't blame you. Sounds like she may already be very attached to him.

Best of luck and please let us know how it goes.

Why would anyone blame you if he seems to have selected the home he wants and you let him go? He is still close enough that you can see him/check on him often and it is not like he will never be seen or heard from again. She sounds like she already loves him so where could there be a problem?

Thanks everyone, I will try tough love. If she comes back and says she wants potter I will talk to her about the outside thing, my daughter is sort of shocked that I would consider this but I told her that this lady has no children and Potter would be smothered with love, she seemed okay with it.

Everyone that meets him loves him, unfortunately he is the greeter of the neighborhood and one day he will greet an unfreindly dog, car or person :(

I think some 'tough talk' is needed with the teens so they stop rushing in and out, and make sure Potter doesn't escape.

The tough love suggested here is a good idea - but the folks suggesting it don't have teens, as far as I know! :)

Though if your daughter was shocked that he might go to another home - maybe she will be better about this, and her brother as well!

Since you have family members that may need to be reminded that the cat IS NOT TO GO OUT THE DOOR, how about putting up signs on eye level until they get the message?? I once found tag that go over the doorknob that say: PLEASE DON'T LET THE CAT OUT....no matter what it tells you! THANK YOU.It was made by: Sydney Hauser Co. 9 Filmore Drive, St. Armands Key, Sarasota, Florida 34236 phone: 941-388-3021 item # 865-D
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

I just put " Sydney Hauser Co." into the search engine, and there is the site!! The door knob cards are still available, and other nice stuff!!!

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Originally Posted by Catty1

I think some 'tough talk' is needed with the teens so they stop rushing in and out, and make sure Potter doesn't escape.

The tough love suggested here is a good idea - but the folks suggesting it don't have teens, as far as I know! :)

Though if your daughter was shocked that he might go to another home - maybe she will be better about this, and her brother as well!

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She doesn't have a brother...to be fair to the teens I have never told them not to let him out, I have let him out. I just know when we tried it before how it was.

I think you need to do what you need to do. Perhaps he needs a lot of one-on-one that the lady can give him. Perhaps he sense that she needs him.

Go with what your heart is telling you. It will all work out in the end.

Sorry, Caseysmom - I thought you did have a son...my apologies. :(

Maybe the teens could also help by playing with him - even distracting him with something tied to the end of a long shoelace.

It's funny...my two were outdoors, one was wild, one was dumped. The former feral loves fresh air and going out on the deck - and has a meowing commentary all the time he is outside! But he is also fine to just look out the screen and other windows.

Maybe because they were indoors from the moment I got them home? It is easier being in a condo.

Go with your heart...if Potter can move into the house from the garage, and be an indoor kitty, that might be safest for him.

I am sure she would let you visit (of course, we have to wait and hear what hubby says!)

Then....when you feel it is right....you can adopt another furbabe and keep him or her indoors. (maybe two so they have each other for company. Getting way ahead of things here, so just a thought for the future.) :)

Have any Potter pics?

I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT POUNDER ROCCALNO BUT SHE TOOK THINGS INTO HER OWN PAWS.
WE HAD ALL OUTDOOR CATS WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND SADLY EVERY THREE OR FOUR YEARS WE WOULD HAVE TO GET A NEW CAT. FOR HIS OWN SAKE AND SAFETY I WOULD KEEP HIM IN AS ITS BETTER THAN SOMEONE TELLING YOU HES DEAD IN THE STREET.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...cats101977.jpg
NO HOUSE CAN HOLD ME, HOUDINI.

No Catty...just 2 teen girls their friends totally make over potter and everyone loves him he does get a lots of attention.

I have potter pics but I am at work and can't access photobucket here are te only ones I have here:

Ooooh!! You're lucky you're in Cali! I'd be out there for that handsome tuxie in a heartbeat!! And he likes to watch Everybody Loves Raymond... even better!! He's a keeper!

Well it looks like we cannot part with Potter so we are trying tough love. It is going "okay" but not great, he has taken to lying in the street in the evening. I called the vet she said they do this a lot because the street us black and retains the heat from the day...anyway I made an appt next week to try to talk to the vet about getting him some valium for a few weeks to get us over the hump.

Well, just stick with the rules. NO CATS OUTSIDE

And after a while, he'll forget and give up, and go lie on the couch instead. (LOL)

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Originally Posted by jenluckenbach

Well, just stick with the rules. NO CATS OUTSIDE

And after a while, he'll forget and give up, and go lie on the couch instead. (LOL)

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He is doing that at the moment....