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- Jun 11, 2019
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Bit of background, Friday is an 11 year old domestic shorthair who spent the first 10 years of his life as a barn cat. Last fall, I brought him to live with me as an indoor cat in town. He did about a week where he sought out the doors and wanted out but after that didn't have any interest - in fact, it took him awhile to even want to look out the windows. He'd watch my dog go out the back door and give me a dirty look (probably because of the cold) and dart away.
He has a really nice window seat my dad built him that looks out my front windows, plus another one in my office that looks into the backyard. I've been working from home and it's been nice so I've been opening that office window while I work. He also has cat trees and plenty of toys; he loves his big cat tree but ignores most everything else.
A few days ago I let my dog outside and he darted into the backyard totally unexpected. My yard has a wood privacy fence so I figured I'd just let him walk around and follow him while he did so if he tried to climb the fence I could pull him back. He walked around sniffing things and eating grass.
Now every time I let my dog out he's at that door rushing out to the yard. I feel bad because he clearly wants out there so I let him go out and explore for a bit and then we go back inside.
The problem is that he spends a good amount of time sitting by the back door yowling. Then he'll come into whatever room I'm in and yell at me in there. Then back to the door. Then he may take a nap. Then it's back to the crying again. It's honestly driving me absolutely crazy. This morning he woke me up at 5 am and I couldn't get back to sleep.
Is there anything I can do? I can't really build him any kind of enclosure because we are on a statewide shut down. Getting him a harness is difficult as well unless I can get one of my dog's harnesses to fit him. I just feel so guilty because he obviously wants to go outside since the weather is nice, but I live in a busy neighborhood and it's not safe to have him roaming around.
He has a really nice window seat my dad built him that looks out my front windows, plus another one in my office that looks into the backyard. I've been working from home and it's been nice so I've been opening that office window while I work. He also has cat trees and plenty of toys; he loves his big cat tree but ignores most everything else.
A few days ago I let my dog outside and he darted into the backyard totally unexpected. My yard has a wood privacy fence so I figured I'd just let him walk around and follow him while he did so if he tried to climb the fence I could pull him back. He walked around sniffing things and eating grass.
Now every time I let my dog out he's at that door rushing out to the yard. I feel bad because he clearly wants out there so I let him go out and explore for a bit and then we go back inside.
The problem is that he spends a good amount of time sitting by the back door yowling. Then he'll come into whatever room I'm in and yell at me in there. Then back to the door. Then he may take a nap. Then it's back to the crying again. It's honestly driving me absolutely crazy. This morning he woke me up at 5 am and I couldn't get back to sleep.
Is there anything I can do? I can't really build him any kind of enclosure because we are on a statewide shut down. Getting him a harness is difficult as well unless I can get one of my dog's harnesses to fit him. I just feel so guilty because he obviously wants to go outside since the weather is nice, but I live in a busy neighborhood and it's not safe to have him roaming around.