In article Pine.SOL.3.96.1040607150558.11375K-100000
@libra.cus.cam.ac.uk, enlightened us with...

I'm really not sure what's for the best. Should we just shove her out,
lock the door and let her do her own thing? Should we sit with her outside
and still prevent her from "escaping"? I mean, there's a million things we
could be doing, but I'm damned if I know what to do for the best. It's a
nightmare, it really is. I'm terrified of her going out on the road. And I
don't want to keep her in all the time if she doesn't want to be in, but
generally she seems fine about being in. The fact that her temperament has
changed since she started going out is a cause for concern simply because
she hasn't been, in my opinion, as affectionate and avoids us both more
than she used to.

So if anyone has any advice, suggestions or helpful words, please, feel
free to send them my way.


Well, I live in the States, so take this with the appropriate amount of
salt.

Keep her inside. She's safe, she won't get hit by a car, she will *feel*
safe, you will feel she's safe, and she'll feel your calm.
If she really *wants* to go out, you can go out with her. Cats can be
trained to walk on harness if you're worried she'll get away from you.
You might also build her an enclosure if you've a mind. Large, fenced on
all sides and top, with plenty of grass and some wood and things to
climb on. If she's out for any length of time, put water out, too.

It sounds to me, though, that she likes being inside, yet thinks she's
supposed to go outside, so she does, even though she doesn't really want
to. Trust me, cats can be very happy indoors if you give them things to
play with, a window to watch out of, and lots of love. In the States, it
is not at all considered cruel to keep cats inside all the time as long
as they have lots of stimulation to keep them happy.
Once you make the decision to keep her in, I bet she'll feel more
settled and will return to her "normal" personality. Cats feel our
stress even when they don't know the cause.

Good luck - keep us posted.

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~kaeli~
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