"Ron M." wrote in message
om...

In any case, this was after several months of his constant SCREAMING
to get outside, waking us up at 3 a.m. (and we MUST have our sleep),
etc. He wouldn't even poop in his litter box; he'd do it right next to
the door. He'd stand up on his hind feet and paw at the door until the
pads of his feet were raw, trying to get out. It was unbearable to
watch.


I know what might work, but it will seem cruel. (It did to me when
the shelter owner told me about it.) Do you have a room you can
confine him to with a window where you could put a cat shelf? It
would have to be a room far enough away from you that you
cannot hear him when he cries. Put his box and food and lots of
toys in there, and you'd have to go in and visit him and play
with him a lot. But confine him until he gets the idea "this is
where I live."

We finally let him out on the deck when we were out there eating or
talking, and he was just SOOO happy and peaceful. He'd step off the
deck and wander a few feet away, but never far. I don't think he ever
got more than 50 feet from the house. He still spent 3/4 of his time
inside, and if he needed to toilet, we'd just let him out for a couple
of minutes.

This was quite convenient for you but the wrong thing to do.
He never should have been let out at all--due to safety issues
and the fact that you WANT him to be an indoor cat.

Yeah, we have another cat, and they play somewhat. There are many dogs
in the area, but very few strays, although there are some. There's a
ZILLION cats in the neighborhood, however.

Well now he's been traumatized, so no more.

Last night, he didn't even come out of the bedroom where he usually
"lives," which is VERY unusual. Now he's afraid to even walk around
inside the house.

Confine him, get feliway, pay him a lot of attention. Be patient.
If you can hear him when he cries at night, get a large Hepa filter
for your room and close your door. The sound will help drown him
out.

We really have to solve this. Like I said, we HAVE to have our sleep,
and we can't live with him waking us up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning,
pooping and peeing all over the place, etc.

If he is confined in a single room that is large enough to play
in but small enough that he had better use his box or risk
pooping near where he eats, he will use the box. Good luck.


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