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- Jan 10, 2016
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I've got 5 cats, a mother (got her when another family living in my apartment complex moved out and abandoned her), and her 4 full grown male sons, who are coming up on 2 years old.
Mother is an indoor/outdoor cat, gets angry and pissy if she doesn't get some outdoor time. No problem there, as she knows her way around the complex (she's lived here all her life) and doesn't roam too far.
I give the 4 males a bit of outdoor time, which they love, a few times a week, under my supervision. Sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes up to maybe a half an hour or so. This used to work really well, as none of them roamed very far, and they are all afraid of other people, dogs, loud noises, etc., so it was easy to get them all back inside (somebody walking by, a motorcycle driving by, etc. would send them all scurrying back inside.)
Unfortunately, one of them, Buddy Boy, has been slowly wandering farther and farther away during this outdoor time, making it very difficult to supervise all of them, as he wanders away by himself and I have to follow him. He's been very sneaky at getting outside, and once he's out, it can be very difficult to get him back in. Unlike his brothers, who are all rather tentative when they are outside, he is very bold, running around and going much farther than any of his brothers would dare. Yesterday he got out twice, and today twice as well. Last night it took me an hour to get him back inside, and I had to follow him all over the place. Fortunately, his mother was also outside, and helped me keep track of him. Even so, I thought I lost him about three times. He's even showing an interest in the world beyond the fence of the apartment complex, which terrifies me.
It's extremely inconvenient when I've got somewhere to go, and he gets out and I have to basically follow him around and wait for him to decide to go back in. I'm afraid he'll wander too far and get not know how to get back home.
He's microchipped, but I've had trouble keeping a collar on him, so far he's figured out a way to get them off. I tried a collar with a bell, but the bell really seemed to drive him nuts, and he squirmed his way out of it within minutes.
Even if I resolve to keep him and his brothers indoors for the rest of their lives, he's still a master at getting out the front door when I least expect it.
Not sure exactly what to do about him. Any suggestions?
Mother is an indoor/outdoor cat, gets angry and pissy if she doesn't get some outdoor time. No problem there, as she knows her way around the complex (she's lived here all her life) and doesn't roam too far.
I give the 4 males a bit of outdoor time, which they love, a few times a week, under my supervision. Sometimes just a few minutes, sometimes up to maybe a half an hour or so. This used to work really well, as none of them roamed very far, and they are all afraid of other people, dogs, loud noises, etc., so it was easy to get them all back inside (somebody walking by, a motorcycle driving by, etc. would send them all scurrying back inside.)
Unfortunately, one of them, Buddy Boy, has been slowly wandering farther and farther away during this outdoor time, making it very difficult to supervise all of them, as he wanders away by himself and I have to follow him. He's been very sneaky at getting outside, and once he's out, it can be very difficult to get him back in. Unlike his brothers, who are all rather tentative when they are outside, he is very bold, running around and going much farther than any of his brothers would dare. Yesterday he got out twice, and today twice as well. Last night it took me an hour to get him back inside, and I had to follow him all over the place. Fortunately, his mother was also outside, and helped me keep track of him. Even so, I thought I lost him about three times. He's even showing an interest in the world beyond the fence of the apartment complex, which terrifies me.
It's extremely inconvenient when I've got somewhere to go, and he gets out and I have to basically follow him around and wait for him to decide to go back in. I'm afraid he'll wander too far and get not know how to get back home.
He's microchipped, but I've had trouble keeping a collar on him, so far he's figured out a way to get them off. I tried a collar with a bell, but the bell really seemed to drive him nuts, and he squirmed his way out of it within minutes.
Even if I resolve to keep him and his brothers indoors for the rest of their lives, he's still a master at getting out the front door when I least expect it.
Not sure exactly what to do about him. Any suggestions?
