Well done for trying to help this cat . I don't live in the US and in
the UK it's normal for cats to be let out. I think you're doing the
best you can for the cat in a difficult situation. I hope you manage
to find the cat the home you want . Good luck.
Alison

"Lotte" wrote in message
om...
In answer to all the questions:

"Outdoor" issue -- since he's incontinent, I think demanding that he
be kept indoors will limit his chances of finding a good home. I
have
seen a lot of creative outdoor enclosures for cats, as well as
outdoor
situations that are safe for cats. In the ideal world, I'd love for
him to live with someone who would keep him indoors at all times,
but
I realize that in his case it's going to have to be a compromise
between ideal situations and reality. As I said on the website, I'm
not going to give him to someone who's going to let him roam around
on
busy roads, and I am ONLY open to him living outdoors provided it's
a
safe situation. I know that by living outdoors, even in a "safe"
situation, he will be exposed to dangers, but I have to balance that
with his situation -- I would not like to see him live his life out
in
a 24 X 36 kennel, which would really have to be the case if someone
were going to keep him in their house at all times. Now, if someone
wanted to dedicate a "cat room" in their house, and commit to
cleaning
it, that might be an interesting idea. I have also seen old
outbuildings converted to cat-houses, and it's even possible to
build
cat-proof fences for the really dedicated.

On the "why don't you keep him" issue -- I would love to keep him,
but
I have 3 other cats (all indoor-only, in our 700 SF house), one of
whom is elderly with extensive health issues, and I simply cannot
take
on another one without their care suffering. I owe them the best
care
I can give them, and my funds, attention span and energy are
limited.
Again, in an ideal world, I would have endless resources, and none
of
this would be an issue, but, sadly, that is not the reality. I have
already spent over $700 on his rescue, which is more than I have
spent
on my other cats this year all together. I haven't had a full
night's
sleep since I rescued him, and my other cats are already showing
signs
of stress and anxiety from not getting enough of my attention. It's
a
tough decision, but, for me, it's the right one.

Thanks everyone for reading and posting. I will let you know how
things turn out --

Lotte