Welcome back Steve! Stay safe little one
My first cat was born as a barn cat, so outside was all he knew. Then, as a kitten, he managed to get both his front legs broken. When my dad found him he was running around on his elbows, and my dad was barely able to catch him.
My dad made the worst mistake you can make as a father, and brought the injured kitten home and let me see him, hold him, and feed him. He wouldn’t eat anything we gave him until we soaked kitten food in milk until it turned to mush, then put it on my arm and let him lick it off. At that point, my parents had to find a vet to fix him.
It wasn’t easy, but they managed to find someone who would fix him. His front legs were never really right, but he got around ok, and he lived decades longer than any of his siblings.
He was one of the smartest cats I’ve known, and the one thing he made absolutely clear at all times was it was better to be a 100% indoor cat. He would have considered any cat that “escaped” their home to be mentally defective.
So, let your cat know to follow the wisdom of Gimpy. The lure of the outdoors is a lie.
Similar: we rescued A cat living out of a dumpster. She had no teeth and looked like she die within a few days. 15 years later, she finally passed, never once wanting to venture outside again.
Poor chappy, perhaps it might be possible to consider a catio? Our indoor one loves to go out on a leash but we are thinking of getting a catio cage so she can enjoy more time outside.
Steve looks highly unimpressed
Our cat used to go out for a while. Then she started roaming the neighborhood and we kept her inside. She got out once after that, got the absolute shit kicked out of her somewhere, and came home 5 days later just wrecked. Now she bolts outside stops at the edge of the patio and has ptsd and won’t go farther.
