Our cat Billa, a few weeks ago got hit by a bike, she wasn't injured or anything. We only found out at 3.30pm when some school children knocked on our door to tell us.
Anyway this is just one of a few incidents, where she has been wandering onto a main road not looking out for traffic any more. She used to go out regular as clockwork in the mornings and evenings (through the front onto a residential street of terraced houses). For years this was fine as she had good road sense.
The bike incident was the last straw so Bikepete and I decided to keep her confined to the house and the back yard.
Ever since then (for a few weeks now) she has been showing signs of stress, meowing till all hours of the morning. Waking us at silly a clock. And urinating where she shouldn't. She keeps on trying to climb out the back (we put netting up so she can't) and begging to be let out the front. We have been fussing her as much as we possibly can but she's obviously not happy. We've sorted out easily accessible 'window seats' for her so she can look out too.
We have taken her to the vets were she got a clean bill of health. Saying that she is in excellent health for a cat her age. She isn't as agile as she once was of course and sometimes looks a bit doddery when jumping off chairs etc.
We are a bit stuck, she is clearly unhappy about being confined to the house, however her failing hearing and her loss of road sense means that if we let her out we fear she will eventually get run over.
One friend suggested we just let her out so at least she goes happy, but it wouldn't be very nice for someone to run her over or have an accident avoiding her.
Should we just keep her in and hope she gets used to it? any tips on making her happier?
Anyway this is just one of a few incidents, where she has been wandering onto a main road not looking out for traffic any more. She used to go out regular as clockwork in the mornings and evenings (through the front onto a residential street of terraced houses). For years this was fine as she had good road sense.
The bike incident was the last straw so Bikepete and I decided to keep her confined to the house and the back yard.
Ever since then (for a few weeks now) she has been showing signs of stress, meowing till all hours of the morning. Waking us at silly a clock. And urinating where she shouldn't. She keeps on trying to climb out the back (we put netting up so she can't) and begging to be let out the front. We have been fussing her as much as we possibly can but she's obviously not happy. We've sorted out easily accessible 'window seats' for her so she can look out too.
We have taken her to the vets were she got a clean bill of health. Saying that she is in excellent health for a cat her age. She isn't as agile as she once was of course and sometimes looks a bit doddery when jumping off chairs etc.
We are a bit stuck, she is clearly unhappy about being confined to the house, however her failing hearing and her loss of road sense means that if we let her out we fear she will eventually get run over.
One friend suggested we just let her out so at least she goes happy, but it wouldn't be very nice for someone to run her over or have an accident avoiding her.
Should we just keep her in and hope she gets used to it? any tips on making her happier?