He wants to go outside, but after 14 years in Brooklyn, he very well knows that he cannot. I relate to his sense of adventure, but I love him too much to simply let him run off into the wild.

His name is Finley. And he is my dearest baby.

I’ll never have kids, but I have him ❤️

They yearn to cause chaos; they are entropy machines.

The desire for freedom is built into the wild parts of all creatures.

Time to go be that weirdo with a cat on a leash.

I did pick him up and take him on a little walk around the yard, but no leash. I was just holding him

Not ready to get that weird yet…

My cat won't go out even when I leave the door open.

How wise

He understands, rightly, that it is not for mere peasants to question the will of the gods, especially furry ones.

I inherited a cat that was never allowed outside but always wanted to go. When she got old, we found out she had cancer, at which point I figured she couldn't out-run me to catch other features, and if she did get injured by a car or bike, at least it would be (hopefully) quick.

So I started letting her onto the patio with me, but herding her back when she headed for the edge (I wanted her to know the patio as "safe" and "home"). Then I went with her another ten feet farther out into the yard ("less safe, but familiar"). Eventually we would walk all the way around the house!

She was so happy to finally get outside, and those are some of my fondest memories of our time together, just slow-walking around the outside. I hope, when your cat is old enough, you can give him some supervised time outside as well :)

My cat was feral. Once I gave her a safe home she decided there's no reason to ever go out to that scary place again.

Oh, he’s extremely brilliant. I don’t fault him for that.

Human interpretation of animal behavior is fascinating.

What is there to interpret? I leave the door open and she just sits there looking and smelling, but has no desire to go out. When I take her out she b-lines it straight back inside. She can be inside and if she sees a cow she comes running to me to hide. Its just a cow, slow and vegetarian. There's no interpretation, my cat desires safety and security.

I still say go full leash and harness (extra style points for a cat themed sweatshirt) but you could also get one of those cat backpacks with the viewing dome out the back.

Super interesting. I didn't know cats could revert from being feral.

I can't say that she did revert. Her behavior would be better explained that way. She grew up in the streets and was looking for a safe place to live, which is how I got her. She tried to make our machine shop her home. Outside is was constant competition for food and space. I gave her that and she decided to trust me. So now we're just feral together.

My kitty is 14 years old. This is not this time for new experiences beyond a little peekaboo in the backyard.

Perhaps when I get a new kitty…

I had a friend with a cat like that was leash trained and off leash would follow us around the block and come in. It was pretty cool.

OK. I didn't say you were wrong or bad or whatever else has led to down voting me for saying I think how people interpret behavior is fascinating.

And he has you!

The way you phrased it implies strangeness, otherness, or even wrongness.

When I first moved from an aparement to a house, I got mine a gps tracker, after 3 months I let him roam freely without any tracking (He was 10y/o when we moved).

Nowadays, when we travel womewhere, I make him weak just a smart tag, less bulky and the battery lasts a lifetime.

Good luck

My cat is 17:and let her outside now, she loves it. Now we’re on 1/3 of an acre and the joy she has just laying in the sun and walking around gives her tons of joy. She’s too old to hunt or hop fences so she is no danger to other wildlife or to herself trying to expand her boundaries.

Had that twice to. 2 sisters. One spring one of them wanted out. She sat whole day in the garden and came in for the litter box and for the night. She did not stayed out in winter. That march she was diagnosed with agressive cancer. She enjoyd the spring, summer and died oktober.

That year her sister wanted to go outside. She stayed in the garden and came in for important stuff. She did some strange things a day or 3. Like catching a mouse and bringing it to the door. Sitting on my lap when other live was there. Wanted to sleep in basement. Than one day she was gone. After thinking about it i guessed the mouse, cuddeling,... Were goodbyes from her.
She did not look sick. But we never found a clue were she went.

One thing i know now. A outside cat will get a gps in the future.

My 17 year old girl got out a few weeks ago. I got out of the shower and went into the kitchen for some water, saw a fucking snake on the floor. I freaked the fuck out and ran out to get a neighbor and left the door open. Old girl went out while I was getting my neighbor to help. She comes strolling in the front door after a lap around the house before I even noticed she was gone. She acted so natural and casual. I couldn’t even be mad, that was on me and she took the opportunity 😂😂

This is such a beautiful story.

instinct is hard to overcome

good luck

Doing what, destroying your local ecology?

Well OK then.

Be a weirdo! Also take your cat out on a leash!

Best to start when they are young, earlier the better and they just get used to it. Don't expect to actually walk them as you will probably just end up standing there while they smell stuff or roll around on the ground. I have a catio now and walk mine less but they love it.

My cat won't come in except to eat.

Not all cats take to the leash. I got a harness for Ozzy when he was about 9 months old because he was always trying to sneak out the back door when we would open it to go outside. But the second I put the harness on him, he would always go into "freeze" mode and lay on his belly, despite many attempts at training. So instead, I built him a catio accessible via a pet door. He spends a lot of time out there watching the birds and squirrels and sniffing the air. He still tries to sneak out the door, but I feel less bad about not letting him out.

My daughters cat start slipping out and at first it looked like it was going to be okay. She had never been a outside cat. She would climb up on something and sleep. She didn't stray far. Then one day she disappearance. A few months later she came walking up thinner but otherwise okay. She wont even go close to the door if its open. They figure something ran her off and it took a little time to find her way back.

fun fact, outside cats are responsible for devastating many species of ground nesting animals! they kill a ton of wildlife for fun and don't have a lot of natural predators that can control them. so, keeping them indoors is better for the environment.

This really isn't fair to the local wildlife.

Please get it a bright collar with a bell so animals are alerted when he is around.

Not a very “fun” fact, but a very good reason why I always keep my cats indoors.