Indoor/Outdoor kitty to new dog: I'm outta here!!

A month and a half ago, our household consisted of Mongo, a loudmouthed
siamese kitty, Luna a persian puffball, Freddy a very large tabby with
issues and Bob a chihuahua pekinese jack russell terrier mutt.

When Mongo was about 8 months old, I went on a week long vacation and my
housemate of the time instead taking care of him simply opened a window
into the greenhouse, and the greenhouse door so that mongo could go in/out
as he pleased. He fell in love with the outdoors and spent most of his time
outside that summer. I've tried since then to make mongo an indoor cat
but he is quite capable of howling for two hundred hours straight. At the
point when my wife and I are ready to strangle him, we capitulate and let
him out.

Bob came into the household a year ago and was the first dog we had since
my wife's dog of 16 years died 4 years ago. He's a little lover and he and
mongo leave each other alone.

Freddy was taken in about 2 months ago and is a jeckll'n'hyde cat. Very very
affectionate until you remind him of how he was tortured as a kitten and then
his ears go back and he attacks. Don't rub his tummy, bottom of his back,
or pick him up and he's fine.

Mongo wasn't too happy about freddy and took to only coming home a few minutes
at a time. I'd close the catdoor when he came home and lock him in until
bedtime and then we'd let him out or else he'd keep us up all night with
his howling.

Things came to a head when we went on a road trip to albuquerque (from here
in sunny hellacious Scottsdale) and brought back a second little dog, sadie,
a wippet jack russell flea. Mongo was out at the time and when he came home
(to the patio down from the roof), the dog must have run out and barked him
off the property. Mongo was never properly introduced and was afraid to
come inside. Sadie didn't know who lived at the house and was trying to
impress us by protecting us from any wildlife that tried to come in from
the outdoors.

That was 5 weeks ago and I only recovered him an hour ago. I heard three
reports that he was still alive; one from a houseguest who saw him come down
in the patio and them run back out and a neighbor who spotted him. My wife
also heard his distinctive bounding up on the roof at 3 in the morning. I
had a ladder against the wall so that I could go up to the roof (townhouses
connected together) to look for him and call for him from up there. Today was
my third time up there and I heard him distinctly and discovered him in a
nearby alley where I rushed over and brought him home.

In five weeks his weight went from 12.5 lbs to 11.5 lbs. He was hungry,
but not starving. Obviously he's an accomplished hunter and lived off the
wildlife; that or a neighbor was putting out catfood.

I gotta figure out a way to make him more of an indoor cat without him
keeping us up all night every night.

On 28 Sep, 01:29, AZ Nomad wrote:
A month and a half ago, our household consisted of Mongo, a loudmouthed
siamese kitty, Luna a persian puffball, Freddy a very large tabby with
issues and Bob a chihuahua pekinese jack russell terrier mutt.

When Mongo was about 8 months old, I went on a week long vacation and my
housemate of the time instead taking care of him simply opened a window
into the greenhouse, and the greenhouse door so that mongo could go in/out
as he pleased. He fell in love with the outdoors and spent most of his time
outside that summer. I've tried since then to make mongo an indoor cat
but he is quite capable of howling for two hundred hours straight. At the
point when my wife and I are ready to strangle him, we capitulate and let
him out.

Bob came into the household a year ago and was the first dog we had since
my wife's dog of 16 years died 4 years ago. He's a little lover and he and
mongo leave each other alone.

Freddy was taken in about 2 months ago and is a jeckll'n'hyde cat. Very very
affectionate until you remind him of how he was tortured as a kitten and then
his ears go back and he attacks. Don't rub his tummy, bottom of his back,
or pick him up and he's fine.

Mongo wasn't too happy about freddy and took to only coming home a few minutes
at a time. I'd close the catdoor when he came home and lock him in until
bedtime and then we'd let him out or else he'd keep us up all night with
his howling.

Things came to a head when we went on a road trip to albuquerque (from here
in sunny hellacious Scottsdale) and brought back a second little dog, sadie,
a wippet jack russell flea. Mongo was out at the time and when he came home
(to the patio down from the roof), the dog must have run out and barked him
off the property. Mongo was never properly introduced and was afraid to
come inside. Sadie didn't know who lived at the house and was trying to
impress us by protecting us from any wildlife that tried to come in from
the outdoors.

That was 5 weeks ago and I only recovered him an hour ago. I heard three
reports that he was still alive; one from a houseguest who saw him come down
in the patio and them run back out and a neighbor who spotted him. My wife
also heard his distinctive bounding up on the roof at 3 in the morning. I
had a ladder against the wall so that I could go up to the roof (townhouses
connected together) to look for him and call for him from up there. Today was
my third time up there and I heard him distinctly and discovered him in a
nearby alley where I rushed over and brought him home.

In five weeks his weight went from 12.5 lbs to 11.5 lbs. He was hungry,
but not starving. Obviously he's an accomplished hunter and lived off the
wildlife; that or a neighbor was putting out catfood.

I gotta figure out a way to make him more of an indoor cat without him
keeping us up all night every night.

I think that this is going to be a long term problem that needs
broaching. It sounds like you need to establish that bond that you
had with your cat before it realised that you allowed another dog to
join the family before warning him, or even preparing him. I'm not
calling you to task, because things like this do happen, with the best
of intentions, things *do sometimes go wrong*.

If you can't make him stay in overnight, I think the first step to
making him feel like he is @ home, is to afford him some space that is
his alone & where he knows that he will feel safe too. I know that
this is not going to be easy, but you do need to start working on this
now, before the winter starts (mind you, you might not come from an
area where winter is a problem?)

If you start with little steps, the big steps will take care of
themselves. For now, just make him feel wanted, & lavish him with
treats for good behaviour, especially, high calorific food for
instance, to get that weight back up again.
This is obviously bothering you somewhat, so try little steps, & see
where they take you, OK?
Good Luck & let us know how it's all progressing if you would? TIA,
Sheelagh "o"

On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:47:41 -0700, Sheelagh o wrote:

I think that this is going to be a long term problem that needs
broaching. It sounds like you need to establish that bond that you
had with your cat before it realised that you allowed another dog to
join the family before warning him, or even preparing him. I'm not
calling you to task, because things like this do happen, with the best
of intentions, things *do sometimes go wrong*.

If you can't make him stay in overnight, I think the first step to
making him feel like he is @ home, is to afford him some space that is
his alone & where he knows that he will feel safe too. I know that
It's not that he doesn't feel safe, but more that he's just like being
outside more. Having a dog show up while he was outside didn't help. I
should have closed off the side of the house with the cat-door so that
the dog couldn't bark at him. Last night he was fine, but I don't know
if he'l want to start going out at night again. The problem is that he
can howl until he gets his way.

this is not going to be easy, but you do need to start working on this
now, before the winter starts (mind you, you might not come from an
area where winter is a problem?)
I'm living in the greater phoenix area so everything is backward sesonally.
Winter is the time when the outdoors is comfortable.

If you start with little steps, the big steps will take care of
themselves. For now, just make him feel wanted, & lavish him with
treats for good behaviour, especially, high calorific food for
instance, to get that weight back up again.
This is obviously bothering you somewhat, so try little steps, & see
where they take you, OK?
Good Luck & let us know how it's all progressing if you would? TIA,
Sheelagh "o"

He got a pile of roast beef last night. I think he and the dog have now
been properly introduced and he won't want to stay outside all the time.

On 28 Sep, 23:44, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:47:41 -0700, Sheelagh o wrote:
I think that this is going to be a long term problem that needs
broaching. It sounds like you need to establish that bond that you
had with your cat before it realised that you allowed another dog to
join the family before warning him, or even preparing him. I'm not
calling you to task, because things like this do happen, with the best
of intentions, things *do sometimes go wrong*.
If you can't make him stay in overnight, I think the first step to
making him feel like he is @ home, is to afford him some space that is
his alone & where he knows that he will feel safe too. I know that

It's not that he doesn't feel safe, but more that he's just like being
outside more. Having a dog show up while he was outside didn't help. I
should have closed off the side of the house with the cat-door so that
the dog couldn't bark at him. Last night he was fine, but I don't know
if he'l want to start going out at night again. The problem is that he
can howl until he gets his way.

this is not going to be easy, but you do need to start working on this
now, before the winter starts (mind you, you might not come from an
area where winter is a problem?)

I'm living in the greater phoenix area so everything is backward sesonally.
Winter is the time when the outdoors is comfortable.

If you start with little steps, the big steps will take care of
themselves. For now, just make him feel wanted, & lavish him with
treats for good behaviour, especially, high calorific food for
instance, to get that weight back up again.
This is obviously bothering you somewhat, so try little steps, & see
where they take you, OK?
Good Luck & let us know how it's all progressing if you would? TIA,
Sheelagh "o"

He got a pile of roast beef last night. I think he and the dog have now
been properly introduced and he won't want to stay outside all the time.

He got a pile of roast beef last night. I think he and the dog have now
been properly introduced and he won't want to stay outside all the time


This is good news AZ Nomad.

Old Chinese proverbs says:
Cat is blooming clever creature if made you give him your steak last
night, Lol?
Sheelagh"o"


Sorry, couldn't resist it, It just made me laugh thinking of him
eating roast beef last night. Mine are lucky to get the chicken left
on the carcaus, "IF" the kids leave any that I can rip off the bones
before serving.