Cat behavior: I need help!

[pap64]

I don't know who else to turn to, so I appreciate all the help I can get.

I have an orange tabby cat named Garfield. We found him as a kitten roaming the streets near our house. We don't know exactly how old he is, but he's already one year old.

As he grew old he started gaining interest in other cats and exploring outside the house. One night my parents thought it was time for Garfield to go out, explore the world and meet new cats. That night I thought he would be gone for good. But the next morning he came back. From then on, it became a normal thing for him.

Sleep all day, eat in the evening and leave for a stroll after midnight.

Recently, though, we stopped letting him out because not only are the streets filled with drunk and crazy drivers a lot of cats have moved to town, and every time Garfield returned home he would be badly bruised, with pieces of fur missing and some bad scars.

Its been nearly two months since we stopped letting him out. But now, he is getting restless. During the evenings and throughout the nights he strolls the house, climbs the windows and cries a lot in hopes of going out.

Here's what we typically does; he goes to my room, meows for attention, I let him in. Minutes later he wants to get out of the room. Minutes later, he comes back and meows again.

He is getting restless to the point where he gets aggressive and sometimes bites when I hold him.

Its both annoying and painful seeing him like this. I feel like I am doing an act of cruelty for denying his freedom. But on the other, the streets are too dangerous for a house cat like him.

What I ask you is; what can I do so that he can be entertained while still indoors? What are some good suggestions?

I want something that will burn a lot of energy and keep him happy.

For the record, we have another cat. A female cat named Sirita. She's been spayed, though, and her interest in Garfield is now somewhat small.

Garfield hasn't been neutered, though. We are planning on doing it, but right now the family literally has no money and the surgery is expensive.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

A cat run should work. My family has this large pen made of wood and chicken wire attached to the side of the house, we just open the dining room window and the cats hop out into the cat run do whatever and come in whenever they feel like it. However it's better to shut said window at night and either let the cat stay in the run at night or shoo him in.

Hope this helps

[Mooky]

I have the same problem - sort of. I found my cat when he was just a baby and he's never been outside for four years now. We have a large balcony, so he spends most of his nights there. He hasn't been neutered either and he does the same thing your cat does - crying and moaning. He's also spraying the apartment. I suggest you neuter him, it's something I should have done with my cat long time ago. Supposedly, it makes them less aggressive and they won't pee all over the place.

[DarthPrime]

A cat run should work. My family has this large pen made of wood and chicken wire attached to the side of the house, we just open the dining room window and the cats hop out into the cat run do whatever and come in whenever they feel like it. However it's better to shut said window at night and either let the cat stay in the run at night or shoo him in.

Hope this helps

This actually sounds like a great ideal.

It sounds like your cat is used to being outdoors and wandering around at night. Male cats like to do this if they are allowed. Neutering may help, and it may not. I've heard that it does help, but my parents had a cat once when I was a small child and it did not help him at all. We actually had other male cats that would come to our house and try to fight him when he was indoors. I have no ideal what trouble he got into when he got out, but like your cat he would come home injured from fights.

Anyway I don't blame you for keeping your cat inside and off the streets. You are doing the right thing by not letting him out at night.

[ifoceanscollide]

I second the neutering idea. Usually when cats fights, it is over territory disputes and dominance issues over other (usually male, but not always) cats.

Neutering him may help calm his hormones and make living inside more pleasurable for him. (think of him as a hormonal teenager who has suddenly been grounded, lol)

[Siren]

Get him neutered. It will help curb the behavior. And if he gets out again, he won't add to the over population of feral cats. Some states and counties have now allowed people to HUNT feral cats like they were feral hogs. Other counties allow poison traps. Not to mention, if he pisses one of your neighbors off enough and he's on their property, they are within their right to assume he is just another feral cat, have him captured and euthanized. Even if he has a collar on. I have heard dozens of cases similar to that scenario. The neighbor is fed up because the cat keeps crapping in his yard or tearing up his screens. So he catches the cat, and if it has a collar, removes it, brings it to the nearest shelter and has it put down. And you would NEVER know. Keep cats indoors.

Also, outdoor cats tend to have a lower life expectancy. Not always, but often. Not just from accidental death, but from all the illnesses they are exposed to. Things there are no vaccine for.

I also agree to the cat run.

IMO, cats belong 100% indoors and if they are outside, they should either be confined to a cat run or on a harness and leash with human supervision.

[pap64]

Get him neutered. It will help curb the behavior. And if he gets out again, he won't add to the over population of feral cats. Some states and counties have now allowed people to HUNT feral cats like they were feral hogs. Other counties allow poison traps. Not to mention, if he pisses one of your neighbors off enough and he's on their property, they are within their right to assume he is just another feral cat, have him captured and euthanized. Even if he has a collar on. I have heard dozens of cases similar to that scenario. The neighbor is fed up because the cat keeps crapping in his yard or tearing up his screens. So he catches the cat, and if it has a collar, removes it, brings it to the nearest shelter and has it put down. And you would NEVER know. Keep cats indoors.

Also, outdoor cats tend to have a lower life expectancy. Not always, but often. Not just from accidental death, but from all the illnesses they are exposed to. Things there are no vaccine for.

I also agree to the cat run.

IMO, cats belong 100% indoors and if they are outside, they should either be confined to a cat run or on a harness and leash with human supervision.

This is exactly the reason why I refuse to let my cat out.

We live in the center of town, meaning that its a busy town with lots of people, houses, cars and life. Like I already mentioned even if we let the cat out at night there are still people out on the streets. There have even been cases of street racing through town.

The town also has a feral cat problem, along with stray dogs. This town, surprisingly enough, doesn't force animal control. But like you said, people will take matters into their own hands. People HAVE poisoned cats before.

Not only that, with so many feral cats he basically becomes one of them, even if he is really a house cat. I fear that he will be killed just like any other stray.

I blame my parents for letting him out, but that was because they were naive and believed he had the right to be free.

I just don't want him to be bored and desperate. He has the right to have fun, but not at the expense of his health and safety.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

The neutering idea is a definite, and once I have the money I will take him to the vet.

In the meantime, what cost free solution do you recommend?

[Siren]

Check local pet stores to see if they offer any low cost spay/neuter clinics.

[pap64]

A bit of an update; after nearly 2 months of staying indoors my parents decided to let him out for the night.

Of course, I am upset about it and disagree with the notion. We ARE planning on getting him neutered, but when is the problem. Like I mentioned many a time, we are BROKE.

They let him go on the basis that he bugs them a lot at night and doesn't let them sleep.

Yes, they do close the door, but apparent starts to cry and bang on the door.

I really hope he returns soon.

[Mooky]

I finally took my cat to the vet to get him neutered and here are my experiences.

It's been just ten days after the surgery and there's already a noticeable change in his behavior. He stopped moaning and screaming and, most importantly, he seems to have lost interest in peeing all over the place. At first, when we brought him back home, he was very scared and hid in the wardrobe. He wouldn't come out not even when I tried to lure him out with his favorite snack. I felt awful, like I committed a crime against nature. He's been like that for a couple of days, but now I feel he's returned back to normal. From what I can tell, he's much more docile - he was very (and I mean very) aggressive; he's more into cuddling now. He also sleeps a lot more than before (he used to be very active during the night).

I hope this will be of help to you when you decide to take Garfield to the vet, pap64. If you have any doubts about the procedure, rest assure, he'll still remain the cat you know and love.

[Siren]

Check with local shelters and pet stores about low cost and free neutering services. Also, understand by letting him out, your family is contributing to the growing feral/stray cat population. God only knows how many kittens he has sired. And how many of those kittens have lived terrible, short lives on the streets. Also there are cases where people catch someone's loose cat/dog mating with their own cat/dog and then when the litter comes, people have successfully won civil suits for "kitten/puppy support". So if their cat mated with your cat and needed a lot of vet care, and they caught him and know its your's your parents could be sued for at least half the cost of the vet bills and kitten care. Food, medicine, etc. That could be well over the amount it would be to neuter him.

And frankly, if you can't afford to neuter your cat and your parents keep letting him out, then rehome him. Find someone who can afford him. Because your parents are sentencing all his kittens to die. And also shortening his life too. Cars, cruelty. Its nearly Halloween. Halloween is a day pranksters use as an excuse to abuse and kill cats. Many animal shelters, including my shelter refuse to adopt out solid black and solid white cats out in the month of October. Some shelters don't adopt out ANY cats.

Also, all my pets are fixed and no, their personalities never changed, nor did they get over weight. Don't listen to the myths. Neutering him will also keep him from getting some forms of cancer. He is far more likely to get cancer if he's not neutered, and if you think neutering is expensive, you should see the cost of cancer treatment. $1000s. Compared to $75-$200 for a neuter.

[disneyboy20022]

Like Siren said....when you are short on cash or money there are usually grants and funds to get your cat spayed/neutered....for instance there was a while back in my county a grant given either to the local humane society or adopt a pet that was funded by Bob Barker (animal lover and previous host of The Price is Right) and I wanna say that if you filled out this form for your cat or dog.....it would cost only $15 per pet....Now I am not sure if that's still going on in my area as we have 2 girl cats that are not fixed yet...however we never let them go outside...the only one we let go outside is fixed and has been living for 13 years and goes outside but stays very close to home....I mean in our "dry of alcohol" county we have a Leash law for dogs...but also ....FOR CATS......I thought that was the most ridiculous local law I have ever heard of....I mean dog's I can understand...but honestly who has ever taken their cat out for a walk down the street on a leash? It's hard enough to find them to get them to the vet for their shots...because the cats I have are very smart and know when its time to go to the vet...that's when I swear they go into hiding around the house...I mean the cat I have had for 13 years plus use to when we said the Vet's name she hissed at the when we said it's time to take you to Dr. Stowe..Alley...she use to give us a dirty look hiss and then make a run for it....although she didn't like her last rabies shot...I mean when Dr. Stowe said "Hi Alley" Alley cat hissed at him and then began to rebel..I mean you would think you were holding down a two year old getting blood drawn a..we had to give her a shot of something to make her stop...but that cat of ours has always been kinda grouchy...even before we got her fixed.... However when we get Alley her rabies shot after the whole ordeal is over....We say see ya next year and the vet says jokingly "I think I'll be retired by then

[pap64]

Check with local shelters and pet stores about low cost and free neutering services. Also, understand by letting him out, your family is contributing to the growing feral/stray cat population. God only knows how many kittens he has sired. And how many of those kittens have lived terrible, short lives on the streets. Also there are cases where people catch someone's loose cat/dog mating with their own cat/dog and then when the litter comes, people have successfully won civil suits for "kitten/puppy support". So if their cat mated with your cat and needed a lot of vet care, and they caught him and know its your's your parents could be sued for at least half the cost of the vet bills and kitten care. Food, medicine, etc. That could be well over the amount it would be to neuter him.

And frankly, if you can't afford to neuter your cat and your parents keep letting him out, then rehome him. Find someone who can afford him. Because your parents are sentencing all his kittens to die. And also shortening his life too. Cars, cruelty. Its nearly Halloween. Halloween is a day pranksters use as an excuse to abuse and kill cats. Many animal shelters, including my shelter refuse to adopt out solid black and solid white cats out in the month of October. Some shelters don't adopt out ANY cats.

Also, all my pets are fixed and no, their personalities never changed, nor did they get over weight. Don't listen to the myths. Neutering him will also keep him from getting some forms of cancer. He is far more likely to get cancer if he's not neutered, and if you think neutering is expensive, you should see the cost of cancer treatment. $1000s. Compared to $75-$200 for a neuter.

Our problem is that our vet seems to overcharge for treatment. Since you know a lot about this, give me your thoughts.

Before he spayed my cat he had to check her for everything. The first visit cost us nearly 100 dollars. The surgery costs 75, but with medicine and taxes it went up to nearly 90 bucks.

I've done my research and the surgery can cost less than that, and in some cases the check up is free.

Does my cat's age and weight play into the cost of the surgery?

[Siren]

Your vet is going to charge you for all the extras because they want to do tests and stuff before. The tests are for several reasons:
More money
In case your cat is allergic to the anesthetic
No underlying health problems that would make the surgery difficult or impossible.

Truth be known, neutering and spaying is down every day, every hour, probably every minute throughout the USA. Probably 80% of the animals who get fixed do not have blood tests before surgery and do not stay at the vet office overnight after surgery. And many do fine. All my animals were fixed and came home the same day. They were given a dose of pain medication that cost me an extra $12 and were right as rain in 24-48 hours after surgery, like nothing happened to them.

Again, skip your vet. I've worked for vet offices, they are great, don't get me wrong. But they are there for money. First and fore most. They are a business. They aren't a charity. Call your local animal shelters, rescues and pet stores and ask them if they have any low cost or no cost spay/neuter clinics. Low cost neuter should only cost you $25-100.

[pap64]

Your vet is going to charge you for all the extras because they want to do tests and stuff before. The tests are for several reasons:
More money
In case your cat is allergic to the anesthetic
No underlying health problems that would make the surgery difficult or impossible.

Truth be known, neutering and spaying is down every day, every hour, probably every minute throughout the USA. Probably 80% of the animals who get fixed do not have blood tests before surgery and do not stay at the vet office overnight after surgery. And many do fine. All my animals were fixed and came home the same day. They were given a dose of pain medication that cost me an extra $12 and were right as rain in 24-48 hours after surgery, like nothing happened to them.

Again, skip your vet. I've worked for vet offices, they are great, don't get me wrong. But they are there for money. First and fore most. They are a business. They aren't a charity. Call your local animal shelters, rescues and pet stores and ask them if they have any low cost or no cost spay/neuter clinics. Low cost neuter should only cost you $25-100.

That's all I needed to know. I will do my research on shelters to see if they offer any spaying/neutering services. Oh yes, if I decide to go the shelter route does my cat need to be in fasting before surgery?

What the typical charge for a rabies shot? I also plan on giving him his shots. I do know that they sometimes offer free shots and they do them all the time here. Its just that they are poorly promoted.

[Siren]

Yes, fasting is necessary. Otherwise the drugs will cause him to vomit, and it can be dangerous if it vomits during surgery. If the appointment is first thing in the morning, take the food up about 7-10PM. Take the water up by midnight.

Rabies shots in low cost clinics range $6-12. Do not get the rabies shot the same day as the surgery. Do it at least 48 hours before. I personally would do it a week before surgery.

After surgery, when you bring your cat home, do not get it to run around or play for the first few days. Best bet is to keep it confined in one room or area of the house. A laundry room or bathroom work nice. It usually only takes 24-48 hours for the animal to get back to its good old self.