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Old February 20th 04, 12:51 AM
Lotte
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In answer to all the questions:

"Outdoor" issue -- since he's incontinent, I think demanding that he
be kept indoors will limit his chances of finding a good home. I have
seen a lot of creative outdoor enclosures for cats, as well as outdoor
situations that are safe for cats. In the ideal world, I'd love for
him to live with someone who would keep him indoors at all times, but
I realize that in his case it's going to have to be a compromise
between ideal situations and reality. As I said on the website, I'm
not going to give him to someone who's going to let him roam around on
busy roads, and I am ONLY open to him living outdoors provided it's a
safe situation. I know that by living outdoors, even in a "safe"
situation, he will be exposed to dangers, but I have to balance that
with his situation -- I would not like to see him live his life out in
a 24 X 36 kennel, which would really have to be the case if someone
were going to keep him in their house at all times. Now, if someone
wanted to dedicate a "cat room" in their house, and commit to cleaning
it, that might be an interesting idea. I have also seen old
outbuildings converted to cat-houses, and it's even possible to build
cat-proof fences for the really dedicated.

On the "why don't you keep him" issue -- I would love to keep him, but
I have 3 other cats (all indoor-only, in our 700 SF house), one of
whom is elderly with extensive health issues, and I simply cannot take
on another one without their care suffering. I owe them the best care
I can give them, and my funds, attention span and energy are limited.
Again, in an ideal world, I would have endless resources, and none of
this would be an issue, but, sadly, that is not the reality. I have
already spent over $700 on his rescue, which is more than I have spent
on my other cats this year all together. I haven't had a full night's
sleep since I rescued him, and my other cats are already showing signs
of stress and anxiety from not getting enough of my attention. It's a
tough decision, but, for me, it's the right one.

Thanks everyone for reading and posting. I will let you know how
things turn out --

Lotte