Deaf cat wants to be outside

[Sputnik123]

Hi,

I have a deaf, six year old cat who wants to go outside constantly. I did not know he was deaf as a kitten and used to take him outside all of the time.

However, now I know he is deaf and I want to let him have supervised outside time, but when I do that, he spends every waking moment just howling at the door which disrupts the rest of my life. He really, really loves the outdoors. I know it is not safe for him to be outside alone but I also don't want to take this away from him because I can tell he really enjoys it.

Are there any suggestions as to how I could get him to understand that he WILL spend time outside, please stop crying all of the time.

Or is it better that I just never let him out and he forgets the outdoors are there? We got two kittens in the hopes that he would warm up to them and maybe be more stimulated with a friend, but so far he has not taken to them. I think the only thing he really wants in life is to go outside.

We live in a city and are next to a road. We're saving up to move houses and get a yard but I am not sure how long that will take.

I should also mention, we have two catios and he does go in them, but the view isn't terribly exciting and he prefers to wander around.

Are there any ways I could get him to stop crying at the doors?

 

[ArchyCat]

Maybe try fitting him with a harness that you can hook to a leash and take him out for some outdoor time? A walk?

Good luck!

 

[susanm9006]

Maybe you could add a bird feeder or something to make the catios more interesting. As long has he has them, I would just ignore his noise and not take him outdoors. He will give up eventually.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. What are your catios like? Can they be expanded in size to allow more roaming area? Are there ways to add cat trees/perches inside them for better views? If possible, that is what I would do.

You do probably need to stop taking him outside otherwise. He will make you miserable for a while, but he is not getting it that there are only certain times he can go out (supervised) and I have my doubts that you can make him understand that.

If you choose to continue taking him outside but you currently let him walk out the door on his own, I would stop that altogether. I have heard of cats being trained to understand that they only way they get outside is when they are picked up - away from the door - and taken outside in someone's arms, and that ends up being their cue to know there is outside time coming.