Hi all, I'm just after a bit of reassurance really as I have a cat who never seems to let up meowing. I adopted him at the end of November and for the first couple of weeks when we took him in he was relatively quiet so I'm not sure whether its because he's a little more comfortable or another issue altogether.

Firstly, hes a stray about three years old that I adopted from a lady who took him in had him re-homed. He is not neutered yet, however I plan on doing this at the end of the month. When we first took him in he hid behind the sofa only coming out to eat and would then go into hiding again. He then started venturing out around the house and seems comfortable in allowing us to pick him up and he'll sleep stretched out on the rug or sofa now so he seemed like he was settling.

However over the past 3 weeks or so he will not stop meowing especially so at the window even more so if he sees another cat on the road. He then gets into a pattern of meowing at the window, jumping down, meowing at me, walking into the dining room, meowing in there and then coming back in to meow at the window. Repeat X10. He doesn't seem to respond to many of the toys we've bought him except the fishing rod type and he only entertains that for about 5 minutes. He loves a good brush but there's only so many times i can do that. I've tried ignoring his meows and fussing him when hes a little more quiet but he still persists a few minutes later.

I feel bad that he wants to go outside as that's how he's been for so long, but our area isn't the best and we live not too far from a main road and our tiny yard backs onto a beer garden so not the safest for him to go wandering around as he's an attractive cat so I would be scared he would be pinched or abused.

Will he just get used to being inside? I've read lots of articles about adjusting cats to living indoors after living outdoors so It doesn't seem like an impossibility. Should I get him a female companion to keep him company maybe? Will he calm down after hes neutered? and does anyone have experience with feliway diffusers? As that seems like an option I could try too, although I don't know how permanant the results are after if runs out?

I think he is crying because he desperately wants to go out. I really do understand your fears about letting him out...but IMO it would be cruel to force him to be an indoor cat as he has been used to his freedom for the last three years.

He wants out. He might quieten down when you have him done, but I wouldn't count on it. With my cats, they are allowed outside the back of my house, as there are no roads and I have found that cats will follow a pacific route. Getting him a companion does not always work, and you could end up with two cats that really do not get along.

First of all - congratulations and kudos on rehoming a mature cat instead of going for the easier option of a cute kitten.

You have obviously thought this through carefully and examined several options. I haven't used feliway, but it seems to be a way to keep cats permanently sedated while not addressing the core issues. IMHO only - I accept there are times when this might be useful. He is only three and you may have him for another 15 years, so his long term happiness is crucial.

My thoughts only - but the first thing is to get him neutered. You really don't need to let a tom out into the general cat community! After that, I think you really will have to let him out. I understand how nervous you are about your location, but he has apparently been an outdoor cat for several years. You also mention him yowling at other cats in the road, so it may not be quite as dangerous as you think.

Good luck - and hope all goes well for you all!

His hormones will be telling him to go out and find some Tomcat fun. Neutering will stop the hormones but at 3 years the habit will still be there even though he won't recall why it is exactly that he feels the need to roam. If you must keep him in then a big multilevel cat tree is a must for excercise and amusment.
Not sure about getting a companion - I have read that two toms will get on better than a tom and queen (two queens being the worst) but it all depends on the cat and again at 3 years he's going to be set in his ways. Like others above I'd let him out - he's survived this far after all though I'd worry more about the road than the pub garden.

I strongly recommend you don't let him out until at least a month (or more) after he's been neutered and the hormones are beginning to subside. Before that, the last thing you want to be doing is contributing to spring litters of kittens (even if you never find out about their existence) if there are any stupid owners who're letting unspayed females out and about.

Also, if he finds himself a feral or semi feral colony, he may not return.

Where I live, there's hunting with shotguns 6 days per week between end September and end February. French hunters shoot anything that moves and ask questions later. My cats have to adapt to only going out on Fridays during the hunting months. They adapt. It pisses them off and they are very vocal in their disgust but they adapt.

Yours will be wanting to go out and establish a territory and have sex but just find a way to ignore his crying and get him snipped as soon as you can not least because you don't want him to start spraying in the house. I don't think getting him a companion will help and certainly don't think about it until at least a few months after he's been neutered.

And congrats for getting an adult cat instead of a kitten. I wish more people would do that.


Cats will only follow specific routes if there's no reason for them to deviate. Other cats, dogs, birds to hunt, any number of distractions but particularly other cats challenging for territories can force changes to what had seemed to be specific routes. You cannot guarantee that routes won't change for the worse. That's not a reason to stop cats going out if you are content to try and manage and accept the risks but it's wrong to think that just because a cat has never headed for (for eg) a busy main road it will never do so.

Thanks for all the advice so far! I probably knew it was down to his longing to go outside and I would be more for it if I lived in a nicer area with no main roads. We do live on a cul-de sac road but we're at the top end near the main road with lots of shops and pubs.

I think I was hoping he would just get used to living indoor as our old cat was a stray that turned up at my partners mums house and became a total indoor cat without any issue whatsoever. So I was hoping my new cat could adapt the same. Plus I like the more intimate relationship with the cat when they are inside all day and can have a cuddle on the sofa. Although I know I cant be selfish and put my needs on the cat.

I think my plans need to be to get him neutered and and see how he goes the month or so afterwards and if he hasn't mellowed I'll look at letting him out. I'll try the feliway diffuser for a however long it lasts and see how he gets on after that and maybe a cat tree although i'll need to see how he reacts to one first as i dont wanna spend £50-100 on one for him not to use it plus hes a large cat so wont fit on most of them.

He's a stray, he is used to being outside, to keep him locked up indoors is cruel in my opinion you are denying him what he wants. He is obviously street wise seeing as he has managed to survive this long without being run over. Let him out, let him be the cat he wants to be not the cat you want him to be.

My cat is in and out all day but she still finds time for playing and lap sitting (if she's in the mood!)

We can't judge how dangerous it is outside your house. Best to see whether other cats in the area cope ok with it? Though to be honest a tom, especially one who is neutered late, is going to roam a long way so even if you were half a mile from a main road there'd be no guarantee he won't end up there anyway.

Can you provide him some indoor enrichment?

Interactive toys, make him work for his food etc

There are companies who will help you secure your garden or build him a pen.

What about a companion, a spayed female maybe?