Cyclone has recovered but his personality has changed. He is pacing the enclosure restlessly, similar to how tigers who are cage stressed will do at zoo’s. It isn’t that he is squished into a cage or kennel, his enclosure is large, with a high roof. It has large beams, catwalks and other things to keep him off the ground if he desires. After his last attack on me a few days ago, I started opening the screen door of his enclosure and letting him out. He would go out in the morning and be in by 4:00 like clockwork. I know I take great risk in letting him out- but his anxeity lessened. The day I didn’t open the door for him to go out, he again attacked me that evening. He’s telling me to let him go. His attacks have intention- it is not play. He shredded my ankle and not with his claws!
I let him out yesterday in the morning and this time he didn’t return until this morning. I could hear him challenging the other cats all night. They were underneath the house and their growls and hisses and warnings were unsettling. He will challenge any male cat neutered or otherwise which is why (unlike before) he can’t come into the main group.
So he is back now- but he is pacing and when I brought him food he swiped at me. I have a decision to make and it isn’t going to be easy to do. I have to decide if I want him inside and miserable or if I allow him to go outside, am I prepared for him to once again vanish? I know most people would say they would keep him inside without question, but I am not most people. I have a lot of praying to do- he is an old boy who should have been neutered at 5 months not 3-4 years. His ways are set and I don’t think they are subject to change.
I’m someone who is strictly for indoor cats – but it sounds like Cyclone is simply not going to survive emotionally or mentally inside. He may be safe and fed and warm, but he’ll probably shrivel up. Rescue groups acknowledge that there are some cats that are outside animals, otherwise they wouldn’t exercise the last third of any trap/neuter/release programmes.
If you do let him go, you must be prepared for him to disappear. But you may see him from time to time; he’ll know where to come for help. Treat any sightings like that as gifts. I think his place is outside.
Could he join your barn cats? Would he? We have a female queen, in fact she’s the mother of most of our other cats, who will not come in the house. She did stay in when she had her last litter and then had her spayed, but that was years ago and she prefers to live in our barn. If she is brought indoors, she will try to jump up and break the door and will cry and scream to get out. So, she lives outside. She comes to the deck to be fed, but she also loves to hunt, mostly squirrels and mice. We see her at least every other day and she will let us pet her, but she doesn’t want to be held and we no longer try to get her to come into the house unless the weather is horrific and even then she fights to get back outside. Some cats just weren’t made to be housecats and she sees herself as the “leader of the pack” since she is the mother of many of our other cats.