my cats made the choice for me!

by lyndsey
(raleigh,n.c.,u.s.a.)

neighbors moved and left their 2 outdoor only cats with us. i tried to move them indoors,its safer.but my 2 indoor cats never learned to get along.i always kept them separated. the introduction of 2 more cats was additional stress.i tried to keep them separated,but its a tiny cottage-style house,simmering cat resentment was always there!

one of my indoor cats was so stressed,he began to bite himself and pull his hair out.i could either remove the stress,or put him on antianxiety meds. i put the outdoor cats back outside.

i separated my indoor cats to opposite ends of the house.the cat with anxiety has stopped hurting himself and all is back to normal.

i put a fence around my yard,bought a doghouse(heating not needed, we have no real winter here),and i provide food,toys, attention and vet care.the no-kill shelters in our area are full and not accepting more cats. the kill shelters would probably have to euthanize these 2 elderly ,non-descript black cats. i wish the indoors would have worked,but i could not let my cat suffer stress or rely on meds in order to live peacefully!

the outdoor cats have lived their entire lives outside,and seem content.they stay in my yard 95% of the time.i do worry about cars,but i cant see any other solution. my neighbors moved to an apartment which does not take pets. by telling the neighbors not to drop them off at the kill shelter,i saved their lives.

i have had indoor-only cats my whole life.never dreamed i would allow any of my cats out. but it was the only thing i could do,and actually,the outdoor cats seem to enjoy their lives more than the ones i have indoors do-more stimulation!i fear the dangers in the outside world,so i am looking into building or buying a large enclosure.sometimes,u have the best intentions in the world,but the cats themselves have other ideas.

i just was not able to add more cats without exacerbating existing tensions and turning one of my indoor guys into a self-harming wreck!