Hey all - new cat owner here, so go easy on me. Well, owner might be a bit of an exaggeration...
So, here's the situation: I've just moved temporarily to a farmhouse and picked up a stray. He's already warmed up to me and even handled his first vet exam like a champ. He's got a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks for more vaccinations and to get fixed (they think he's about three months old) but here's the catch: we're renting here and there are no pets allowed inside.
He's got food and shelter (he's safe in the shed or garage) but I can't take him inside at night, which has been scaring me to death. He leans heavily towards being nocturnal and I know he's out prowling through the cornfields every night, and this is most definitely coyote country - I can hear the howls from my bedroom. I've been trying to keep him more active during the day and feeding him as much as I can but it seems like instinct is really winning out here - he is nowhere to be found starting around midnight.
I keep telling myself, well, he's made it this far on his own, he can last a month or two until I leave and take him with me, but I know anything can happen between cars, dogs, coyotes, other cats... sneaking him in or fencing him in at night isn't an option, and it's really stressing me out. So, besides moving out ASAP (don't worry, I'm on it) does anybody have any ideas? If I could just get him to sleep at night, then maybe I could sleep, too.
So, here's the situation: I've just moved temporarily to a farmhouse and picked up a stray. He's already warmed up to me and even handled his first vet exam like a champ. He's got a follow-up visit in a couple of weeks for more vaccinations and to get fixed (they think he's about three months old) but here's the catch: we're renting here and there are no pets allowed inside.
He's got food and shelter (he's safe in the shed or garage) but I can't take him inside at night, which has been scaring me to death. He leans heavily towards being nocturnal and I know he's out prowling through the cornfields every night, and this is most definitely coyote country - I can hear the howls from my bedroom. I've been trying to keep him more active during the day and feeding him as much as I can but it seems like instinct is really winning out here - he is nowhere to be found starting around midnight.
I keep telling myself, well, he's made it this far on his own, he can last a month or two until I leave and take him with me, but I know anything can happen between cars, dogs, coyotes, other cats... sneaking him in or fencing him in at night isn't an option, and it's really stressing me out. So, besides moving out ASAP (don't worry, I'm on it) does anybody have any ideas? If I could just get him to sleep at night, then maybe I could sleep, too.