Help me set him free...

Put a leash on your cat and go out with him, like a dog. Seriously. This way he won't go away, and you can bring him home with you. If you are with him, there is no risk, so your stepmom should be OK with it. Also, you can put a chip on your cat, just in case he disappears for some reason. This way it will be easier to find him.
Also, I really don't approve that you let your cat out of home at night if you have coyotes in the area. Its dangerous, he could get hurt.

>>2383889
I don't want to let him at night with coyotes, it's just that last time he stayed out too long. As far as walking my cat with a leash, I really don't want to. We could chip him, I suppose, and just let him out in the morning so there's plenty of time before night. How does the chip work? Where do they put it, and will it be visible?

>>2383895
Your cat has the same cognition and awareness as a human? Interesting.

To answer your question, it goes in loose skin near the shoulder blades and no, it is not visible on the outside.

>>2383897
What? Did I imply he did somehow?

I will pitch the chip idea and see what happens. Hopefully thats the end of it.

If she doesn't go for it for some fucking reason then I'll have to consider whether it's more ethical to keep the cat locked up in our house for his whole life or to let him outside, knowing he might not come back by night, or even at all. But hopefully we'll just chip him.

>anthropomorphization: the thread

Alternatives: build or buy a catio. Harness train him and put him outside on a line.Why are you opposed to leashing if you apparently feel so strongly about the issue? Outdoor catfags, I swear.

If you just leave the cat inside, he will get over it and adjust eventually, especially if you make the indoors more appealing with regular playtime, a cat tree, cat grass, toys, etc. Few cats absolutely cannot adjust to an indoor-only lifestyle.

>>2383924
Cats aren't supposed to be holed up in your house, retard. They get fucking bored. And I'm not going to do whatever you're suggesting, that's too much work.

>>2383895
coyotes aren't what you should be worried about. coyote attacks on cats aren't as common as you think. most attacks are when they have pups. unfortunately for you, breeding season just ended and they might just kill your cat to feed their pups if they need to. it's not exactly a safe time of year for them to be outside

anyway, you should be more concerned about owls snatching your cat up

>>2383947
How long would I want to wait before letting him out, for him to be safe(r)?

>>2383948
i don't know. it depends. i would wait until spring is over to be sure

>>2383951
I will look into it. Thanks for the important warning. About owls... Is that really a concern? Some backstory, we had a cat that died before this one, she was let outside frequently, she always came back to be let inside before night though. She never got hurt outside. Wouldn't owls only be a possible threat during the day?

>>2383939
>I want my cat to have a good life and get to go outside safely but it's too much work so I just won't bother
Fucking retard

>>2383955
owls are a threat during the night and they do have the strength to pick up a full grown cat. coyotes don't normally kill cats for food unless it's for their pups. if your cat disappears and doesn't come back the chances are that it either ran away or an owl abducted it or got hit by a car or whatever. the only other time coyotes kill cats is if the cat entered their territory and the coyote normally just leaves the cat where they found it if that's the case

Pretty much your stepmom is right. Suggestions itt are good. Exercise the cat by walking or play. Note walking might reinforce his meowing if done naively. Build a catio. I'd avoid chipping him due to FISS, though for an outdoor cat that's irrelevant, seeing as how he's projected to live 5 years. Of course make sure he's fixed. And cats absolutely should be holed up in your house. They're cats. They're stupid. Cat care is the easiest thing in the world.

Though I guess if the cat is destructive and obnoxious just let it go outside and die. ``Accidentally'' lose it during a walk. I've had enough of outdoor cats going missing or getting literally mauled to death. Sometimes we need to learn the hard way.

>>2383959
It's a stupid cat I'm not putting my life on hold for his problems, animals came from the wild and cats in particular can go back anytime, they don't actually "domesticate" believe it or not. I would prefer there not to be danger for him but I'd rather let him deal with nature than be a slave in our artificial environment.

>>2383960
Nighttime again? I'm stupid, I forgot owls sleep during the day. Hopefully we just chip him so we can go get him if it gets late, but again it's not technically up to me.

>>2383966
>And cats absolutely should be holed up in your house.
that's another thing. cats absolutely decimate the bird population. cats are responsible for something like 3 billion bird deaths a year. keeping your cat outside for long periods of time is harmful to the environment

>>2383939
>I'm not going to use your constructive solutions, just help me trick my parents 4chan!!
Summer flow of underage newfags sure is starting early this year.

>>2383968
>Hopefully we just chip him so we can go get him if it gets late
That's not how it works. The chip is not a GPS tracking system, that'd be insanely expensive. The chip contains simply contains a tracking number that will allow any veterinarian, animal shelter, etc. to identify you as the owner and contact you if they were to pick the cat up and scan it. You register your address and phone number with the chip company.

>>2383990
Ah fuck. That's not as handy as I thought it'd be.

>>2383966
I'm open to being persuaded that cats can be holed up in a house for their whole life without negatively effecting them. I think it makes them miserable and bored, which leads to being destructive and mean, and I find it unethical. Do you have proof otherwise?

>>2383974
Our last cat didn't kill birds, at least not that I knew of, she only killed rabbits and squirrels and shit like that. Didn't even know cats kill birds. Not that I really mind if they do.

>>2383968
>>2384007
>Cats kill birds???

You are a complete underage idiot.
Cats are domesticated. You have been offered other solutions but it's 'too much work' and have mad either known there are predators around that can kill your cat.

Outdoor cat fags complain cats get bored are the same people who can't be bothered to walk their dogs or play with their cats. I've never had an 'insane' cat indoors but I play with my cat and she is old now and never liked to go outside. My other cat chills out in our enclosed patio.

Maybe when you have to scrape up it's bloody and disemboweled almost corpse you'll think differently. I have seen plenty of them and have had to put them out of their misery because they were mauled or clipped by a car.
You're projecting way too much on your cat enough that you not only refuse to take responsibility but are knowingly willing to let it get harmed and negatively affect the environment.

>>2384007
>Do you have proof otherwise?
Are you aware that MILLIONS of people have had cats not just in homes big ass homes with families, but in studio apartments with just one guy. They're fit and happy from following simple advice given itt. They live not 2-5 years, but up to 20 fucking years. I own two cats and have lost three. Honestly, I'm sick of them dying.

Really consider the decision you're making and how much you value that cat's life over projected short-term utility maximization. Short-term because you'll be fucking blessed if it can live a quarter of the outrageous life spans indoor cats have.

>>2384022
Call everyone you don't like underage

>>2384028
But are the cats happy? Or are they miserable that their lives are so small?

File: 1369414996915.gif (35KB, 425x350px) Image search: [Google]

35KB, 425x350px

>>2384044
>But are the cats happy? Or are they miserable that their lives are so small?
This is difficult to provide proof for since happiness is a subjective quality that is difficult to quantify, even moreso in animals than in humans.

What I can tell you is that I work in an animal shelter and have seen literally thousands of cats over the years. I've never noticed any correlation between unhappiness or meanness and being kept exclusively indoors; indeed, plenty of outdoor cats are also mean because they don't get as much human socialization. Happiness can be most directly correlated with the level of effort the owner puts into caring for their animal.

I would say indoor cats are more prone to destructiveness, but that's more because of the predominant attitude people have towards cats vs. dogs. The general public views them as independent, low-maintenance animals that you can purchase and basically expect to look after for itself sans training or much human care - which isn't entirely. Younger indoor cats still need stimulation and activity or else, yeah, they might go stir crazy, not because of the indoor environment in and of itself, but because their humans aren't providing adequately for them. You can't just throw a year-old cat in a studio apartment and expect it to thrive. They need toys, attention, cat trees, things to watch and chase and scratch and climb. If given those things there's no reason for them to be unhappy - the main exceptions being cats that were raised mostly outdoors from an early age. Most can adjust, but some don't, just like some dogs can't unlearn certain aggressive or territorial responses.

>>2384044
they're happy if you take care of them

in reality having to cross the asphalt and dodge traffic & antifreeze puddles to hunt shitty lead filled sparrow meat because you feed them corn kibble isn't really what I would call "fun" but hey I'm just a stupid human what would I know about a cat's le qualia it's only what nature meme decided in your suburb.

>>2384057
You obviously know much more than me, thanks for the explanation. Can I get a quick list of things I should do for him? He's a young cat. Or maybe a resource to go to for info, whatever you got. I think I'll keep him an indoor cat.

>>2384044
*Manchild who lives off his parents and won't get a job
Sorry.

Play with our shitbag moron to make him happy

>>2383871
Fuck stepmom
I have seen it on the movies
It works

>>2384077
I know I used to reference ASPCA's virtual pet behaviorist a lot for my dog. Unfortunately they trimmed down their site, but there's always the web archive. I think PetMD and WebMD has it mirrored, plus their articles aren't bad, anyway. Cats really aren't that complicated to work with, but they're picky. It's more trial-and-error than with a dog in my experience while you figure out its preferences. glhf

https://web.archive.org/web/20150721023223/http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior

my cat snuck out last month and now she's about to die because she ate a bug or some shit

First, and this is really fucking important, post nudes of your stepmom.

Second, fucking check if you are retarded because you though a chip would gps track your cat. That is one of the stupidest things I have seen on this board.

Third, give your cat regular play time, treats, and a cat post or tree.

>>2384915
That sucks

>>2384912
I wish they had more specifics on there. I'm going to go to the store and get some cool shit for my cat and I to play with. One thing I always hated with cats is that I feel like a dickhead with the laser pointer, because when they "catch" it they don't get shit, and I know that has to be so frustrating. I read that you should let them catch the dot while it's on another soft toy, so when you turn it off they have a good hold on the toy and they've caught something.

Rereading my OP, I think I let an emotional response loose, I should respect that my parents have different opinions. I think I'll just go buy some stuff for the cat so his indoor life is better.

>>2384930
What fucking good is a chip anyway? We have a collar on him with our phone number. That's our "chip". I don't get the point.

>>2384937
They can't lose the chip like they can lose a collar. It also can't be arbitrarily taken out if someone decides to steal your cat