My Cat Has Almost Run Away! Please Help

[samyoz]

Hi ladies and gentlemen,

my kitten Tiger(5 months old) was always trying to go outdoor to play in the yard, chew some grass or chase anything that moves, the problem when I saw this black cat with rabies outdoor, then I decided to eliminate this habit of Tiger playing outside(not far from the door it's just like within 15m from the door and within the yard) so I started keeping him indoor 24/7 but that was not the problem yet, sometimes I Yelled at him from long distance to make him hate the yard and it didn't work the way I wanted it to do. he'd still go out but RUNS when he sees me. he doesn't run away from me inside the house, but when he's outside he views me as a predator.

what made me believe that this has to be fixed is what happened yesterday,
I was working in the yard like 80m away from the door, I turned around and saw Tiger playing, I didn't do anything 'cause the door/street is so near, didn't want him to run towards them, but when he saw me immediately run away and not to the house but away from it, thank god I could catch him before he crosses the street. That could've been the last time I see him, a car could've hit him,

so guys please help me, how can I make him not run from me outside?
- the rabies cat is being dealt with, don't worry about it.
- I cannot really control the doors being always closed since I'm not the only one living here.
- he'd not NORMALLY go far away from the door, so I guess it'd be okay to let him play in the yard every now and then given that he'd do that whether I liked it or not but at least he won't run from me when he sees me.
- My relationship with him is good we're good inside the house, it is oddly different when he is outdoor

 

[ArtNJ]

I have indoor/outdoor cats and have had others in the past. Here are my thoughts:

Firstly, being blunt, its folly to believe a cat will always stay in your yard, that you'll see him run off, or be able to catch him. So you need to assess the nearby street. How busy is it? How fast do the cars go? And make a decision about whether this is going to be safe or not.

Secondly, if you can regain his trust while outside, he'll eventually stop running away from you outside. That means you need to let him be outside as long as he wants and lure him inside with treats when needed. You need to be outside with him, but not chase, so he can form a new association of your being nice outside. A treat lure won't work too well on a beautiful day, you need to have a lot of time.

I say this stuff from experience. One of our two cats doesn't always come back on a predictable schedule, so there have been times where I tried chasing him when a storm was coming, and yes, he started running from me even though we have a great relationship. I solved the issue by not letting him out in the late afternoon if a storm is coming that night, and by being nice to him outside, treats and pets. Now I can usually call him to come for a treat and he'll come (even if I don't see him) and take him inside. The key is that when I do call him, he knows I'm mostly just nice to him, and don't always make him go in.

 

[Monk'sMom]

You got great advise form ArtNJ^

 

[samyoz]

I have indoor/outdoor cats and have had others in the past. Here are my thoughts:

Firstly, being blunt, its folly to believe a cat will always stay in your yard, that you'll see him run off, or be able to catch him. So you need to assess the nearby street. How busy is it? How fast do the cars go? And make a decision about whether this is going to be safe or not.

Secondly, if you can regain his trust while outside, he'll eventually stop running away from you outside. That means you need to let him be outside as long as he wants and lure him inside with treats when needed. You need to be outside with him, but not chase, so he can form a new association of your being nice outside. A treat lure won't work too well on a beautiful day, you need to have a lot of time.

I say this stuff from experience. One of our two cats doesn't always come back on a predictable schedule, so there have been times where I tried chasing him when a storm was coming, and yes, he started running from me even though we have a great relationship. I solved the issue by not letting him out in the late afternoon if a storm is coming that night, and by being nice to him outside, treats and pets. Now I can usually call him to come for a treat and he'll come (even if I don't see him) and take him inside. The key is that when I do call him, he knows I'm mostly just nice to him, and don't always make him go in.

thanks so much!
and yeah I know I should never chase him, but that time I think I had to.

he would not stand anywhere nearby me outside, so I think if I get a cat harness and go outside with him, so he won't able to run off, I mean basically till he gets used to me outdoor, 'cause now he'd never stay outside while he sees me